Galatians 3:19-25 The Purpose of the Law

Galatians 3:19-25         The Purpose of the Law                   WC McCarter

Introduction

Are you with me? Are you following what the apostle is teaching in Galatians? Do you understand that you will be saved by faith and not by works?

Now that we have established that no one is made right with God by the law, let me ask you this, what is the purpose of the law? What is the value of the Old Testament? We are New Testament believers, right? Do we even need the Old Testament? Can we not just get rid of it? Should we just ignore what God said to and did with Israel? We will see today that the Law was for a limited time and specific purpose (Moo, 232), and also that the OT has tremendous value for Christian.

When I was in high school, I did not know exactly what career I would begin. I did not know what I would be doing for the rest of my life. Thus, I did know exactly what to study or how to prepare. So, the educational system put me through all sorts of disciplines that I did not necessarily care for. I was forced to take several years of math, science, language, and more. This was to get me to a certain point. It was to prepare me for whatever I would go into.

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#1 Because of Transgressions (19-20)

The law had a definite beginning (430 years after the promise was made), and it has a definite end (until the Seed should come to whom the promise was made). So, Paul says that the law was given until the Seed of the promise came on the scene. Whatever the law was for, it was only for a certain period of time and not forever. The promise is what God was wanting to accomplish. The promise is what God would surely accomplish in human history. And He has.

“Transgressions” is a very specific word. Paul does not say “sins,” but “transgressions.” Transgressions refers to breaking a certain, established law. This brings greater punishment. Sin is bad enough, but when one is fully informed that they should not cross a boundary and they do, then the punishment must be more severe. The law was the revealed will of God for the people. It demanded holiness. God said, “Be holy for I am holy.” What God did in giving the law was make rebellion against His will a legality. Humanity could no longer hide behind the notion that God’s will was not clearly revealed. Israel was supposed to be a light to the nations. They were to share the instruction and demands of the Lord with the whole world, but they failed miserably. They themselves could not even keep the law, much less teach it to others. So the law was given for the simple fact that God could then say, “You have broken my law by transgressing its commands.”

It is well known in Jewish tradition, and even in the New Testament, that the Law was given by God to Moses through angels. After that the law was then given to the people by Moses. The Law, then, was given by God through the angels through Moses to the people. On the other hand, the promise was given directly by God to Abraham. The blessing associated with the promise was of the one God from beginning to end. However, the blessing associated with the Law was dependent on both God and the people.

Law Cannot Give Life (21)

After tearing down the law as a means of justification, Paul asked the question, “What is the purpose of the Law?” He answered by saying that it was to make sin transgression, which warrants a greater degree of penalty. He will give two more answers to this question, but before doing so, he will ask and answer another question in v21. The next logical question, then, is to ask, “Is the law against the promises of God?” To that Paul answers, “Certainly not!” The question is not so much important as is the answer. Paul only poses the question so that he can make the answer clear. His point in v21 is, The law is certainly not against the promises of God, but the law does not give life. That is why the promise still stands and is necessary to make us right with God. The law promises to give life to all those who keep every command, but no one has ever perfectly kept all the demands of the law. Thus, the law cannot give life.

#2 To Confine All Under Sin (22-23)

The next two verses, 22-23, give us a second answer to the first question, What is the purpose of the law? #1 To make sin transgression. #2 To confine all under sin. The law cannot give life, and, in fact, it does the opposite–it confines all under sin. And we all know that the wages of sin is death. The term “confine” in the NKJV is “locked up” in the NIV and carries this meaning of being imprisoned. So, the human offense is sin. Transgression is what has put humanity in prison. The Law is seen as the prison guard, the jailer. Now, we are the ones who have sinned, and God is the one who has handed down the law so that all things are confined under sin. Why has God done this? Why put mankind in this prison? “[It was so] that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” Humanity was going to have to (and many still must) come to the realization that their righteousness is as filthy rags before the Lord, that they are poor in spirit, and they need Christ to save them. Thus, we were (and many are) in prison until Christ freed us.

#3 To Bring Us to Christ (24-25)

The NIV does a much better job in translating these two verses: “So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”

V24 “παιδαγωγὸς” is where we get the word “pedagogue” which means teacher. Yet, that is not what the word originally meant. The word literally means “boy-leader” and refers to a male–usually slave–who was a trusted member of the family in charge of leading a boy to and from school, watching him while he played, supervising the boy’s overall conduct, guarding him, and disciplining him. He was not necessarily a teacher but was a leader, guardian, and guide. He was the restraining influence. Respect was due to him and obedience. This guardian would accompany the boy until he reached a mature age and was no longer needed. They were often seen as overly harsh in their discipline which was the acceptable practice.

Conclusion and Christian Application

(1) So, what is the purpose of the OT law? The apostle gives us three answers:

          #1 To make sin transgression.

          #2 To confine all under sin.

          #3 To bring us to Christ.

(2) The Old Testament is vitally important to the history of redemption in that it demonstrates the holiness of God (you cannot approach God in just any old way); it determines our sinfulness and causes it to be transgression; and the OT has set boundaries morally, ethically, and religiously. By the way, it is decidedly difficult to understand the NT without the OT. Therefore, we should be sure to read and meditate on the OT often so that we may know who God is, how He has dealt with humanity, and that we may know our need of grace.

(3) You have been given life by the grace of God. Glory in that. You have been made alive, freed from sin to live as God desires. Although you were once confined by sin, overwhelmed by the burden of your sins’ consequences, you have now been made alive and free! Be satisfied in Him. Rest in faith.

Why Pursue Holiness?

Why Pursue Holiness (Progressive Sanctification)?

Here are some brief, bullet-point answers to the question that may be elaborated upon later:

1) Sin displeases God, and I want to bring Him glory.

2) Sin does not accurately reflect our calling in Christ.

3) A lifestyle of sin is a red flag that you are not bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

4) Sin is destructive to me, so I want to get rid of it.

5) Sin is destructive to my relationships, so I want to get rid of it.

6) I want to be everything that God has freed me to be.

7) Progress in Christ ensures that I will not “backslide.”

8) I do not want to be entangled or enslaved by sins.

9) I want to be light in a dark world.

10) God demands it; “Be holy for I am holy.”

What would you add?

Galatians 3:10-18 Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse

Galatians 3:10-18      Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse      WC McCarter

Introduction

We are continuing the thought that we have seen over the past couple of weeks with only a “new stage in Paul’s argument” (Moo, 201). What is it that we have seen but faith versus works of the law? The apostle wants to continue to demonstrate that works of the law will not and cannot justify a person, that is, make them right before God. Paul will use a few OT references to prove his point. The Galatians are those who heard Paul and his companions preach the true Gospel message of grace in Christ Jesus by faith. They believed what Paul said, trusted in the Lord for salvation, and were given the gift of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Spirit was doing sorts of wonderful miracles among them.

It was not long after Paul left that false teachers came in among the Christian churches in Galatia and began teaching that to be completed they would have to submit to circumcision, dietary laws, and all of the Mosaic Law in the OT. Thus, the Galatians were faced with two paths to ultimate justification: works of the law or faith in Christ. There were two options, but only one would secure salvation. There are not several roads to heaven. There is only one way. The Galatians had to choose their path. One would bring the blessing associated with Abraham the other would leave a person cursed by God. To put it simply, the Galatians were faced with heaven or hell in this moment. They would either find life or death. Which would they choose?

Main Message: The law cannot secure the Abrahamic blessing and actually brings you under a curse.

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Cursed by the Law (10-12)

The apostle introduced the blessing associated with Abraham in the previous passage and now wants to show how the Law cannot bring someone into that blessing. All those who are under the law are under a curse. Paul quotes from Deuteronomy 27 where Moses says that everyone is cursed if they do not continue in the law. When a person submits to the law as a means of justification before God, then they elect to keep every point of the law perfectly. Therefore, Paul says that all who are under the law are cursed because they do not continue in all of the things which are written in the book of the law. James is very helpful on this point. In 2:10 he teaches, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” You see, you may keep 612 of the 613 commands of the law perfectly but because you failed at the one point, you are then labeled a “law breaker.” To submit to the law is to commit to keeping in completely.

Paul next wants to show that even the OT is clear that law-keeping is not the way to be right in God’s eyes. God said long ago that the just shall live by faith. This quote from the prophet Habakkuk becomes a very important one in Paul’s theology. He utilizes it here in Galatians and also in Romans. If the just shall live by faith and the law is based in performance, then the law is not of faith, and one cannot be justified by religious performance according to the law. This is a very strong argument. The logic here is solid. This apostle who argues against the law as a means of justification is a Hebrew among Hebrews. He has submitted to the law and tried to keep it perfectly, yet even he has abandoned the law as a means of a right relationship with God. He turned to Jesus Christ by faith in order to be called “not guilty” and “free.” If he has abandoned it and can argue this way, then why would the Galatian Christians leave Christ and go to the law? It makes no sense. It will be devastating. They will be cursed.

Redeemed from the Curse (13-14)

In verses 13-14, Paul in effect says, “Listen, the bad news is that under the law all are cursed because they do not continue in all the things that it commands. Yet, the good news is that Christ has redeemed us from that curse.” How is it that He has redeemed us from the curse? Here is the Gospel: Christ became a curse for us. How did He become a curse for us? He laid down His life and hung on a tree for us. The law even says in Deuteronomy 21, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Now, this is hard for us to understand at first, but imagine how difficult it would be for a Jew to believe that Christ secured a blessing even though it appeared that He was cursed by God because He was condemned to death on a tree. The only way to come to a true understanding of the cross is to understand that Christ was not punished for His own sins. He was sinless, but He laid down His life for “us.” He became a curse “for us.” He has redeemed “us” from the curse. As Paul famously says in 2 Cor 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Do not get in your mind that what Christ has done is for everyone without distinction. It is not automatically given to all people. What Christ has done is available to all people but only given to those who access it by faith. Look at what verse 14 says plainly:  the blessing and promise come upon the nations in Christ Jesus through faith. You are put into the category of “blessed” through faith in Christ Jesus. You receive the Holy Spirit who is you guarantee of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Paul is telling the Galatians, and I am warning you today, “Do not put yourself in the category of “cursed” by trusting in your on religious performance to save you.

God Gave it by Promise (15-18)

After laying before us the two categories of blessed and cursed, life and death, Paul wants to show us how the whole Bible holds together by the theme and function of the promise of God. The story of salvation is based on the promises of God. Of preeminent value is the promise that God made to Abraham that through his seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. The primary covenant that God has made is one of promise. But, the Judaizers might say, what about the law? The law was added to the covenant of promise, right? Paul says that the Mosiac law that came 430 after the covenant of promise does not and cannot annul the promise already made to Abraham. Thus, verse 17 is the key verse of the paragraph that includes verses 15-18.

The apostle starts in verse 15 with a practical example from everyday life. Of course, we are not familiar with all of the legal practices of the first century or before, but I think that point being made is simple. If a covenant is established and confirmed, even if the parties agree to add something to the arrangements, the original premise(s) of the covenant cannot be revoked. If a man’s covenant cannot be set aside, then God’s promises can certainly not be undone no matter what may come later (Stott, 88). In verse 16, which is somewhat of a parenthetical statement (Moo, 228), the apostle wants to argue that the promise made to Abraham was in direct reference to Christ. Paul says that God did not use “the plural ‘children’ or ‘descendants’, but the singular ‘seed’ or ‘posterity’, a collective noun referring to Christ and to all those who are in Christ by faith” (Stott, 88). The promise was to Abraham and his collective “Seed” in Christ who are all linked by one thing: they all approach God and are counted righteous by him through faith. This premise (faith alone) cannot be undone, set aside, or annulled. This is the promise of God.

Conclusion and Christian Application

Thus, we should not only sing, “The world behind me, the cross before me;

No turning back, no turning back.” We should also sing, “The law behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.” All of you who are believers, united with Christ’s death and resurrection, you have come into a right relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ. I don’t care if you are ten years old or 100 years old. You have been saved by grace through faith. Now, (like the option that was spread before the Galatians) if you turn away from faith in Christ, you are turning away to cursing and death because the just shall live by faith.

The most important thing that you must consider in this life is how to come into a right relationship with God. We have two options put before us: performance or faith. Either your human works will save you or your full reliance upon the accomplishments of Christ. I am convinced by the Scriptures that faith is what God requires for salvation. I am also persuaded by the witness of the NT Scriptures that none are righteous, that we are all under sin, and that all are guilty before God. Lastly, I am assured by my own experience that my religious efforts are far from perfect. I am weak and am a sinner. Therefore, by the testimony of these three witnesses, I find that my only option for forgiveness of sin, salvation from the wrath to come, a right relationship with God, and eternal life without the sufferings of this age is to throw myself at the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. I surrender to the sacrifice of the Savior. I have no hope apart from Him. I have no righteousness outside of Him. So, I trust Him to make me right and to save me. I hope you will do the same.