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Reading Galatians 3:10-14 in part 2 of this sermon, understanding it is not by our good deeds that we are saved but the righteous shall live by faith. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!
You could be saved by being a good person. Did you know that? Yeah, the trouble is you can't be a good person. No one is saved by keeping the law. We're saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone. When we understand the text.
This is when we understand the text, a daily Bible study in the word of Christ. For he is before all things and in him, all things hold together. Tell your friends about our ministry at www .wutt .com.
Hey, once again, it's Pastor Gabe.
Thank you, Becky. We come back to our series in the book of Galatians, part two of the message that we started yesterday. So I'm gonna start out here by reading our text. This is Galatians chapter three, verses 10 through 14 out of the English standard version.
This is the word of the Lord through the apostle Paul writing to the churches in Galatia. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them.
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law. For the righteous shall live by faith, but the law is not of faith. Rather, the one who does them shall live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.
For it is written, cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree so that in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promised spirit through faith. Here is part two of the message that we started yesterday.
The righteous shall live by faith. All who rely on works of the law. Now, what are we talking about when we say works of the law? That's the next part of this first statement in verse 10 here. So let's kind of understand that a little bit more.
What does it mean when we read works of the law? Now, last week, I made a statement regarding the works of the law being legalism. I equated it with legalism. Now, that's not certainly wrong. I think that you can ascribe legalism to a statement of works of the law.
But generally, when we're talking about works of the law, or I'm sorry, whenever we're talking about legalism, we are talking about adding to the law. It is an excessive keeping of the law and thinking that by our excessive keeping of it, that we will attain righteousness by it.
So the Pharisees were guilty of this. They were legalists. They not only said to the people that you have to keep all of the law in order to be as righteous as us and gain eternal life, but you also had to keep the additional laws that the Pharisees were tacking onto that.
Like not only tithing money, but tithing mint, dill, and cumin, as Jesus rebukes them for in Matthew chapter three. Not only being clean, but you also must wash your hands before every meal. That's why I think it's in Mark chapter seven, where Jesus confronts that particular Pharisaical command.
They were always adding something else to the law. And not just fasting, but fasting three times a week. And you have to keep the laws that you have in the Mosaic law but then you must also keep all these other extra things that the Pharisees said that you had to keep.
They added the Sabbath laws and other things. So that would really be legalism. That's what we understand by legalism. And all of us, even prior to Christ, are in some way, shape, or form legalists because we write our own law apart from the law of God.
And surely you've heard the term in today's cultural climate, virtue signaling. Virtue signaling is when a person wants to parade their own virtue in front of everybody else. And as Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, if that's what people are after by the good things that they do is praise from men, then I tell you that they've already received their reward.
But you must give in secret. You must do in secret. And your father who sees in secret will reward you. So we do things not for the benefit of heaping praise upon ourselves from people, but we do all things for an audience of one.
It's the term you've probably heard. That audience being Christ, who searches mind and heart, he says, and will give to everyone according to their works. May our works be done, carried out in the righteousness of Christ, and not trying to merit our own righteousness.
So when we're using that term, works of the law, I equated it with legalism last week. That can certainly apply, but that's not exactly what Paul is referring to here when he says works of the law. He's talking specifically about those who rely on keeping the law, like what the Judaizers were saying that you had to do in order to gain righteousness.
Now, anytime that Paul talks about works, he's not always talking about works of the law. In Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, we read, for it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing.
It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no man may boast. And in that particular context, Paul is saying works of any kind, not just talking about works of the law. We're talking about anything that you think that you can do in order to attain righteousness, and it is evidently clear.
In all of the New Testament, even the Old, we'll talk a little bit more about that next week. I won't go into that so much here, but it is evident throughout the biblical narrative that we are never justified by our works, works of any kind.
Whether we're talking about works keeping the law or works by our own justification, by our own righteousness, by thinking that if I do this, I will be a good person. Works do not always mean works of the law, but in this particular context, since this is the problem that's going on in Galatia, Paul is specifically talking about the Judaizers who have said, these works of Moses, you must keep in order to be justified.
And all who rely on works of the law in order to be justified will not be justified, but they are rather under a curse. Now, this is Paul coming back to something that he stated in the thesis of his letter.
All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. The Judaizers were saying, you must follow the law. And what did Paul say of them? These who come preaching to you a different gospel, a gospel of works, which is really no gospel at all.
What did he say of them? Galatians 1, 8, and 9. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one that we preach to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, he is accursed.
And these are those who have come preaching that it's great that you have faith, it's fine that you believe in this Jesus, but you must also abide by these things. And if you're not doing these things, then you're not saved.
The works of the law. All who rely on works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them. That comes from Deuteronomy 27, 26.
And as James will repeat this in James 2, 10, not just as it pertains to the law, but by any command of God, whoever breaks one law or stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking all of it. So we cannot find righteousness by the law.
We're not even gonna be graded on a curve. That's the way that we all like to grade ourselves, right? Do you consider yourself a good person? Well, sure, I consider myself a good person. I mean, I'm not Hitler, right?
And everybody compares themselves to Hitler. I'm not Hitler, so surely God has to accept me into heaven. And apparently, hell is occupied by just a few people. There's hardly anyone there at all. But we will justify ourselves trying to compare ourselves to other people.
But curse be everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the law and then does them. Verse 11, now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith.
We are not justified by the law. We are justified by faith. And like I said earlier, we've seen this statement before. Paul quotes this also in Romans 1 .17, the righteous shall live by faith. Where does it come from?
He gets it from the Old Testament. Habakkuk 2 .4, the righteous shall live by faith. Now, some of you may have a translation that says, the just shall live by faith. The righteous shall live by faith, the just shall live by faith.
What's the difference? Well, there really is no difference. Whenever we're talking about righteousness or justice, we're talking about doing what is right. And not just doing what we think is right, but specifically what God says is right.
It is doing what he says is just. And God in the book of Deuteronomy is described as just and all his ways are justice. So we know what is right and what is righteous by what God says. What has he said?
We find it in the law. You know the mind of God when you read his word. What does the righteousness of God look like? What does the justice of God look like? It's what we have found in the scriptures.
And our culture and our society today, I mean, justice is like one of the top talking points right now. Everybody wants to tell you what they think justice is. Justice is this. Justice is getting what you owe me.
The whole social justice argument. Social justice in a nutshell is this. You owe me and I deserve to be compensated. That's what the social justice outcry is right now. And there may be a few that are speaking on behalf of somebody else or think that they are anyway.
That person has been wronged. You owe that person and they deserve to be compensated by you. But the message of the gospel is rather this. You deserve death but what you get instead is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
The justice of God. Justification that you stand before God declared righteous, innocent, cleared of all wrongdoing. Not because of anything you did because you couldn't do it but because of what Christ has done for you.
And the wonderful thing about this gospel message is that the way that God has chosen to transmit all of the wonderful promises that come with justification in Christ Jesus. He transmits the promises, the benefits, the treasures, the pleasures, the blessings.
All of this are given to us, the grace of God upon us by faith. By faith. By believing. And you're cleared of guilt. You are forgiven your sins. You are adopted into God's family. And even greater still, you become a fellow heir of his kingdom.
The kingdom that you had treacherously, treasonously betrayed by your breaking of his law. And God has changed you from being a rebel into a recipient. From being an enemy into an heir. From being a sinner into a saint.
And that is all by the gracious work of our Lord God, which he gives to us by faith. And faith itself is not a work. It's the work of God. In John chapter six, Jesus says, this is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent.
And I've already quoted to you Ephesians 2 .8, by grace you are saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God. In Hebrews chapter 12, Jesus is described as the author of our faith.
He's the one that gives it to us. And the perfecter of our faith. He is the one that keeps us in it and is growing us in it as well. All of this is the work of God. And we receive these wonderful treasures and promises by faith in his son.
It is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith. But the law is not of faith. Rather, the one who does them shall live by them. Verse 13, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.
For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Now that particular word comes from Deuteronomy. It's Deuteronomy 21 verses 22 through 23. And if a man has committed a crime, punishable by death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day.
For a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. Now, whenever we think about being hanged on a tree, we probably think about, you know, like a rope around somebody's neck.
That's because of like the Old West and being hanged by the neck until dead. That was the death sentence given to a person before we had the electric chair and then lethal injection and on and on. Firing squad was a waste of bullets.
So you had hanging by rope, lynching. That's what we think of whenever we hear that term hanged. But specifically, we're talking about nailing someone to a tree or impaling them, skewering them on a post and hoisting them up in the air.
Those were the two kinds of hangings that were being done in that part of the world at this particular time. Either nailing a person to a tree, tying a person to a tree until they die, suffer and die, or you're talking about impaling someone on a stake and hoisting them up.
I know you didn't come for the blood and guts this morning, but nevertheless, Deuteronomy 21, 22 through 23, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. Why? Because a person's been hanged there for breaking the law.
That's what has result, their hanging there is the result of having broken the law. So the punishment has been death, so they've been hanged on a tree. And God says you shouldn't leave a hanged person on a tree because it will defile your land.
A person that's been hanged on a tree is cursed. What happens to our Lord Christ? But He becomes a curse for us. As Paul says here, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.
2 Corinthians 5, 21, for our sake, He became sin who knew no sin so that we might become the righteousness of God through faith in Him. Jesus takes the curse that was upon us for our sinfulness, He takes that upon Himself with His death on the cross.
He gives us His righteousness. This is that double imputation doctrine we've talked about in recent weeks. We were going through 2 Corinthians, I mentioned it to you, it was either last week or the week before, but our sins have been imputed upon Christ with His hanging on the cross, the wrath of God taken upon Himself as He died in our place and His righteousness has been given to us.
And again, this is all by faith. So when God looks at us, He sees not our sin, not the curse of sin that is upon us, not the wages of sin, which is death, but He sees someone who is clothed in the righteousness of His Son.
Someone who stands before Him justified because by faith we have believed in the one who has paid the debt for us so that God may be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3 .26, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.
And we're gonna look a little bit further next week as to how the Old Testament even reveals to us that we are justified by faith and not by works of the law. We think of the Old Testament as being the law.
That's where all the law is. So you are justified in the Old Testament by the law and you're justified in the New Testament by grace through faith. Nope. Justification was by grace through faith, whether you're talking about the Old Testament or the New.
In the Old Testament, they were looking forward to the one who would redeem us from the curse of the law, who would fulfill all of the ceremonial laws and sacrifices that had been done throughout the Old Testament in so keeping the law, but did not have the ability to justify a person.
This was all pointing towards something greater. And all of those things were fulfilled in Christ. The New Testament looks back at the cross. The Old Testament looks forward to the cross. But in either case, justification was by grace through faith.
The penalty was ultimately paid by Christ with his death for us. So that in Christ Jesus, verse 14, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, not just Jews, but Gentiles, all who believe in him.
That's the context of John 3, 16, by the way. For God so loved the world. This was Jesus telling Nicodemus, this savior who is coming is not just a savior for the Jews. He is a savior for the whole world, Jews and Gentiles.
For God so loved the world, he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but will have everlasting life. That was a splash of cold water in the face of Nicodemus for Jesus to say that.
That you are not redeemed by the law that you've been keeping. And as a Pharisee, you're imposing upon everybody else to keep. You are redeemed by the one whom God gave to die, not just for Jews, but also for Gentiles, so that all who believe in him will not perish.
In Christ, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promised spirit, the Holy Spirit of God, through faith, filling us up. We have the presence of God himself living within us for all who have faith in Jesus.
And those who do not have the spirit, it's impossible to please God, according to the Apostle Paul in Romans 8. So we have God himself dwelling within us by his spirit that has made our bodies a temple of the living God and the presence of the spirit within us is also a seal for the promise of that great day when we will be with our Lord forever in glory.
And we receive all of these things, not because of the works that we have done, but because of the works that Christ has done and the righteousness that we have received from him by faith. Now we must live as one who is walking, not in the pattern of this world, but is being renewed after the image of our creator.
And we walk by faith, keeping the commandments that Christ has given to us. But we do this not believing that the commandments will redeem us, but knowing that we have been redeemed by Christ who kept the commandments for us.
And so now it is our delight to do what Christ our Savior has asked of us to do as a statement of faith, as the evidence of our faith, for it is the righteous who shall live by faith in Christ alone. We are saved by faith alone, in Christ alone, through the glory of God alone, according to scripture alone.
This is all the grace of God.
This has been When We Understand the Text of Pastor Gabriel Hughes. For all of our podcasts, episodes, videos, books, and more, visit our website at www .utt .com. If you'd like to submit a question to this broadcast or just send us a comment, email whenweunderstandthetext at gmail .com and let your friends know about our ministry.
Join us again tomorrow as we grow together in the study of God's word, When We Understand the Text.