Freedom: From Curse of the Law
Freedom: Justification by Faith a study of Galatians • Sermon • Submitted
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· 487 viewsTrue freedom is found by faith not by the Law or works
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REDEEMED!
REDEEMED!
(INSERT SLIDES WITH SONG “REDEEMED”) - invite everyone to sing with you
Redeemed yes we love to proclaim it, yes we know how we were redeemed but do we ever have questions about it? Do we wonder if were are really redeemed? It can’t really be that simple, accept Jesus, be washed by His blood in baptism and then learn to walk in the newness of life in obedience to Him.
(Slide) Be assured of your salvation, be an explanation point; don’t have a question mark.
Yes it is that simple, redemption comes as a gift from God through Jesus Christ. It is not Christ plus the Law of Moses for the law is not of faith and we will look at Paul’s argument, or his defence from the curse of the Law.
I. Living under a curse
I. Living under a curse
It’s only 4 verses but there is a lot packed into them, let me read them then we will break them down.
10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.”
Gal3:10-
11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.”
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Paul jumps right to it, he hits the Judiazers right where their heart is, the Law.
Deu
26 ‘Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
He reminds them of the covenant they entered at Mt Ebal and Mt Gerizim in which everyone agreed (with a hearty amen) to live by the law or suffer the curses.
So if you are going to live by the Law you need to live by all the law or be cursed.
Things like dishonoring your parents, oh just this one simple thing would make you a curse, to be cursed.
The true curse is not the law itself it is that people think that salvation comes from keeping the law. The law as we read later in Galatians is to show us sin, it was not God’s plan of salvation.
(Slide) Paul saw the CROSS not the CURSE
It must have been really hard before the Cross when you lived by a system that demanded perfect obedience and the first slip and you are condemned.
11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”
II. Justified by Faith
II. Justified by Faith
Have you ever made a wrong turn and ended up in a dead end street and no where to go? That is where Paul has them right now, but it is for a purpose to remind them of the true hope, found through faith and again will turn to an O.T. scripture to prove it. Justification is not just a N.T. thing, it is spoken in the O.T. too.
11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”
So you are in the dead end street, your works, your power cannot justify you before God. Even what appears to be good works cannot do it, for the scripture says in Hab2:4
4 “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.
Don’t let pride keep you from the kingdom, for the kingdom comes by faith.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
Righteousness, justification is revealed by faith and in faith and then is carried out by works of faith. Not for salvation but from salvation.
38 But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.
Justification is an event it happens in a moment, but the results of it last an eternity when we live and walk by faith, when we stay the course of faith. Don’t stop short, keep going. Keep going, knowing you are justified by faith so that you may become the righteousness of God.
As hard as it is to comprehend and the English language cannot properly define we are both just and justified. We are justified by faith in Christ Jesus and we are just because of Christ Jesus. We are made right so that we can live right.
Now in the quote from Hab2:4, Judah is under tremendous pressure from the Babylonians in about 605BC, they were discouraged, but God wanted them to know, hold on, live by faith for your deliverance will come. For there was a time set for their salvation and that the wicked would be destroyed.
We should have an assurance in our faith, in our justification that even when times are hard that God is with us and will be with us!
This leads us to our next section.
III. Christ’s redemption is by faith
III. Christ’s redemption is by faith
Gal3:12
12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
The law is based on doing not trusting. Paul shows that whatever the choice is, law or faith they are exclusive, they are not working together. A person can rely, depend on one or the other, but not both.
(Slide) Paul’s argument is logical
(Slide) Justification is “of faith” (v.11)
(Slide) The Law is not “of faith” (v.12)
(Slide) Therefore the law and faith are not part of each other.
5 ‘So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord.
IF you chose to live by the law, you can live if you do them.
IF you chose to live by the law, you can live if you do them.
5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness.
Again, Paul in painting the picture to the Romans is that you must live by that righteousness that comes from the law, by perfect adherence (practice)hr
28 And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”
Even Jesus said if you do this you will live!
But perfect adherence by imperfect people is not possible is it? we need God’s grace but that came at Jesus becoming the curse for us first.
Christ redeemed us to set us free not to enslave us to a set of laws. To redeem something is to pay a price for something, Christ paid the price with His own blood. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law since we could not be justified by the law, but by faith!
Let me show you the price
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
The price
9 And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
The blood of the lamb!
He became the curse for we know
23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.
Crucifixion was not a way of death for the Hebrew people, stoning was, but if the person had commited a heinous crime he would be killed and then hung on a tree for a time but then taken down by night so not to defile the land. When hung on the tree the person would be accursed of God.
(Slide) When did Christ become accursed of God?
(Slide) At his birth? No, was called Holy (Lk1:35) - “The angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the Holy Child shall be called the Son of God”
(Slide) During childhood years? No was told He advanced in favor (Lk2:52) - “And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”
(Slide) During His ministry? No the Father said He was well pleased (Mt3:17) - “And behold, a voice out of the heavens said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
(Slide) So when did He become a curse?
(Slide) It was on the cross (tree) after He offered Himself up
(Slide) He fulfilled the prophesy of Isaiah
10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
He bore our shame, our grief, our sorrows, our iniquities, He took our chastening, He was pierced for us! (ref. Isa53:3-5) - that is when He became the curse.
The tree was a place of being accursed but to us it is a tree of life!
Paul now will return to his final point in this passage.
IV. Our redemption, justification through Christ
IV. Our redemption, justification through Christ
The blessings of Abraham is only received by faith; the gift of the Holy Spirit is only received by faith through Jesus Christ.
IT was by faith that Abraham was justified and it is by faith that we are justified. By faith we are redeemed by the blood of the lamb, God’s perfect and acceptable sacrifice. Not by law or a system of religious works. The just are not justified by doing, they are justified by believing
(Insert slide of Christ on the Cross)
Expand on that last point and lead to invitation
Don’t you want to live with that blessed assurance, to proclaim that you have been redeemed? That you have Victory in Jesus? Oh yes, it should make you want to stand up and sing, to lift your eyes to Him and surrender or say thank you for the assurance you have in Him.