Cursed By Law Or Blessed By Faith ?
Galatians 3:10-14
Intro.
* A misunderstanding of the OT law is not unique to the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.
* They knew the OT law and even memorized it but they misunderstood the purpose of that law.
* Today, there are millions of people who really have no idea what the true purpose of the law is.
* They are like…
Humor- Bathroom Scales
Two youngsters were closely examining bathroom scales on display at the department store.
"Have you ever seen one of these before?" one asked.
"Yeah, my mom and dad have one," the other replied.
"What’s it for?" asked the first boy.
"I don’t know," the second boy answered. "I think you stand on it and it makes you get mad."
* Paul was one of the best unsaved men that ever was; as touching the righteousness of the law, blameless,
-- When it came to external obedience to the law, Paul was, in his own eyes, without fault!
* Paul believed that his strict obedience to the law was his ticket to heaven.
* He had a law righteousness…
Phil 3:3-6 for we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, and glory in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh: (4) though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more: (5) circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; (6) as touching zeal, persecuting the church; as touching the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
* Law righteousness makes you feel good about yourself.
- It says, "Look what I have achieved"
M. Henry – [Paul] thought himself [to be] healthful, sound, and whole, when [in reality] he was diseased and full of wounds, bruises, and sores, from head to foot; he lived in the utmost peace and tranquility, without the least ruffle and uneasiness, free from any terror or gloom, and in perfect security, being in sure and certain hope of eternal life; and [he] concluded if ever any man went to heaven he certainly should, since, as he imagined, he lived a holy and righteous life, free of all blame, and even to perfection;
* The Jews sought a righteousness by the works of the law.
Rom 9:30-33 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. (31) But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. (32) Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; (33) As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
* Abraham illustrates salvation apart from works of law
* The effects of the law are proof righteousness is apart from works of law
* What Jesus did on cross is proof righteousness is apart from works of the law
I. The law brings a curse, not a blessing. V. 10a
* The Judaizers were teaching a blessing comes from the law, but Paul was teaching the opposite.
* When we attempt to be justified by the works of the law, we are under a curse.
* Vincent Word Studies – "Better translated, "under curse". There is no article. The phrase is general = accursed. The specific character of the curse is not stated. It is not merely the wrath of God as it issues in final destruction (Meyer); but it represents a condition of alienation from God, caused by violation of his law, with all the penalty which accumulates from it, either in this life or the next."
Barnes – "It is here used evidently in the sense of devoting to punishment or destruction; and the idea is, that all who attempt to secure salvation by the works of the Law, must be exposed to its penalty. It brings a curse on all who do not yield entire obedience; and no partial compliance with its demands can save from the penalty."
* Law puts us under the sentence of condemnation and death
* To be under law is to be out of the blessing of God,… to be separated from the blessing of God.
* Those who are trying to make themselves right with God by obedience to the law are under a curse, not a blessing.
* The law brings death, not life.
* The law brings condemnation, not reconciliation.
II. The law requires obedience. V. 10b
* Paul quotes from the OT to support his teaching. - Duet. 27:26
A) PERFECT obedience…
* is required by the words, “in all things.”
* Not almost perfect obedience….BUT absolute perfect obedience.
* Not mostly obedience sprinkled with a little bit of disobedience.
* If you are going to go the "law way of salvation" you must be completely obedient 100% of the time.
* It’s not a hit and miss proposition, where most of the time you hit the target but sometimes you miss.
* Cursed is the person who does not carry out every detail that is written in the law.
B) CONTINUAL obedience…
* by the word, “continueth.”
* The demands of the law are relentless…they never cease.
* Jas 2:8-11 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: (9) But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. (10) For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. (11) For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
* To disobey even one part of the law is to be guilty of being a transgressor of the law.
III. The Old Testament teaches justification by faith. V. 11
* We have the testimony of the OT Scriptures that prove that justification, (salvation) is apart from the works of the law.
* Paul quotes Hab. 2:4 (also quoted in Rom. 1:17 Heb. 10:38)
* According to Scripture, Paul says, it is clear, evident, and manifest that justification is by faith!
* Read your Bible,…What sayeth the Scriptures?
* Habakkuk says faith is the conditional grounds for justification, not the law.
Gal 3:9-11 (Message) – So those now who live by faith are blessed along with Abraham, who lived by faith--this is no new doctrine! (10) And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: "Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law." (11) The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: "The person who believes God, is set right by God--and that’s the real life."
* This is no new doctrine, that men are justified by faith, it goes all the way back to Genesis and Habakkuk.
IV. The law and faith are mutually exclusive. V. 12
* Someone may say, "What about the combination of law and faith?"
* They don’t mix.
* Mutually exclusive means they are unable to be both true at the same time.
* Paul supports this teaching in Romans.
Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
Gal 3:12 (Message) - Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: "The one who does these things [rule-keeping]continues to live by them."
* We are saved by one or the other, not a mixture of both.
* We are justified by faith or we are justified by the works of the law.
A. The Law cannot justify, faith does. (Gal_2:16)
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
B. The Law cannot give righteousness, faith does. (Gal_2:21)
Gal 2:21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
C. The Law cannot give the Spirit, faith does. (Gal_3:2)
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
D. The Law cannot give a spiritual inheritance, faith does. (Gal_3:18)
Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
E. The Law cannot give life, faith does. (Gal_3:21)
Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
F. The Law cannot give liberty, faith does. (Gal_4:8-9)
Gal 4:8-9 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. (9) But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
V. The laws demands were met by Jesus v. 13-14
A. What Jesus did v.13a
"redeem" - to redeem by payment of a price to recover from the power of another, to ransom, buy off, to rescue from loss
* He paid the debt we owed.
* Ex. After someone pays for your meal, you are no longer indebted!
* Jesus paid our complete debt…past, present, and future.
* The redeemer is Christ… the redeemed are "us"
* He redeemed us from "the curse" …. From the sentence of condemnation and death.
* from wrath to come, …from the second death, from the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.
* Jesus set us free from the curse of the law! Free from the penalty of breaking that law!
* The ransom price He paid was His own precious blood
1Pe 1:18-19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; (19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
B. How Jesus did it v. 13b
* He was made a curse for us.
* Paul pictures the cross as a tree…Jesus hanging on it or crucified upon it.
* Isaiah understood Him being made a curse for us.
Isa 53:3-6 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isa 53:9-11 And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand. (11) He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by the knowledge of himself shall my righteous servant justify many; and he shall bear their iniquities.
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1Pe 2:24 who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.
* When Jesus was nailed to the cross, He became a curse for us.
C. Why Jesus did it v. 13c-14
* He took the curse upon himself that we might be delivered from it.
* Jesus had to do it because the law never could do it.
* What the law could not do, God did, through Jesus Christ.
* Being obedient to the law can never deliver from the curse of the law…from the condemnation and death that the law demands.
* It is impossible for anyone to be delivered from the curse of the law by future observance of the law
* Jesus did it because we could not redeem ourselves.
* Jesus did it because the law could not redeem us.
* Jesus did it because our obedience to the law could not redeem us.
* Jesus did it because He was the only one qualified to redeem us.
* He did it that we might be the recipients of God’s promise to Abraham concerning his seed, Jesus Christ.
* "promise of the Spirit" is another way of saying that we might receive salvation by faith
- to receive the promise is to receive salvation.
* The law demanded perfection…Jesus met that demand.
* The law demanded complete and total obedience…Jesus met that demand.
* The law demanded sacrifice for sin…Jesus met that demand.
Closing
* Deliverance from the curse of the law does not come by observance of the law.
Hymn – Rock of Ages, Cleft for me.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
http://www.eaglesoartech.com/sermons/
