Fighting for the Gospel of Grace

  

GALATIANS 3:6-29

THEME: The biblical teaching of Salvation by Grace through Faith can be clearly explained from the Old Testament Scriptures. The way to salvation and authentic Christian expression is always by grace and through faith; we must never look to religious systems, man-made metrics, or carnal strength to experience salvation, blessing, sanctification, or to sustain our service to Christ.  

INTRODUCTION:

The Gospel of Jesus Christ has been under assault from its very inception, so disagreements surrounding the significance of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are not new. Initially, opposition came from jealous opponents of the Gospel and eventually confusion rose up among the churches that had been infiltrated with false notions. The Galatians churches fit in this last group; Judaizers had come into the churches insisting that elements of the Law must be observed to be fully Christian. This was a gross perversion of the Christian Faith. Today this perversion survives in a number of legalistic forms—requiring baptism as an essential part of salvation, requiring Sabbath observances as vital to salvation, requiring membership in a Catholic church or any other denomination as essential to salvation, and generally requiring “good works” or “exceptional performance” as a means of salvation. All of these perversions fit in the larger category of religious legalism. Legalism is a distortion because it attempts to couple human performance or religious activities with the grace of God as a means of earning God’s forgiveness and salvation. Once again let us look to the Scriptures to clarify these concerns.

LESSON:

THE GOSPEL OF GRACE IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE WHOLE BODY OF SCRIPTURE (Gal. 3:6-14)

Paul turns to the objective evidence of the Word of God to make this critically important point. We must never judge the Scriptures by our experiences or opinions; we must painstakingly examine our experiences by the Word of God. The whole body of Scripture is God’s standard and not humanly devise notions. The Scriptures prove that salvation is by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Old Testament Law. Since these Legalists wanted to take the Galatians back into the OT Law, Paul uses the Law to show differently! And, since they magnified the place of Abraham in their religion, Paul uses Abraham as one of his witnesses! (Wiersbe)

A.  ABRAHAM WAS SAVED BY FAITH (vv. Gal. 3:6-7).

Paul begins by quoting Moses to show that God's righteousness was placed to Abraham's account only because he believed God's promise (Gen. 15:6).

     1.  Righteousness Was Accounted to Him.

The words accounted in Galatians 3:6 and counted in Genesis 15:6 mean the same as imputed in Romans 4:11, 22-24.

         A.  Imputed Righteousness to Sinners.  The word ‘impute’ means "to put to one's account."  When the sinner trusts Christ, God's righteousness is put to his account. 

         B.  Imputed Sin to the Savior.  (2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 1:16-18; Philem 1:18)

More than this, the believer's sins are no longer put to his account (see Rom. 4:1-8). This means that the record is always clean before God, and therefore the believer can never be brought into judgment for his sins.   (Isa 53:5-6; 1 Peter 2:24)

         C. Imputed Righteousness by Faith Alone.  Gal. 3:7 “they which are of faith”

(Rom. 4:16-17)    Those men of faith; that is, who derive their position from faith, belong to faith, are above all things characterized by faith.  Just here, what he is concerned to affirm is that the possession of faith is a complete and sufficient qualification for sonship to Abraham. There is, perhaps, a argument against the teaching of certain false teachers in Galatia, that, to be sons of Abraham or interested in God's covenant with his people, it is needful for men to be circumcised and to observe the ceremonial Law. This error would be satisfactorily met by the clear teaching of the Gal. 3:7, that by simply being believers, constitutes men sons of Abraham.

IMPUTATION: The great theme of the book of Romans has to do with the doctrinal expression of imputation of the righteousness of God to the believer as it pertains to his salvation. It is quite obvious, therefore, that this truth is of great consequence to the Christian's salvation. The Pauline epistles in general clearly show that this phase of imputation is the groundwork of the Christian's acceptance and standing before an infinitely holy God. Only this righteousness can find acceptance for salvation, and through it alone one may enter heaven. The pregnant phrase "the righteousness of God" (Rom 1:17; 3:22; 10:3) signifies not merely that God Himself is righteous but that there is a righteousness that proceeds from God. Since no human being in God's eyes is righteous (Rom. 3:10), it is clear that an imputed righteousness, the righteousness of God Himself, is sinful man's only hope of acceptance with the Holy One. Possessing this righteousness is the only thing that fits one for the presence of God (Phil 3:9; Col 1:12). When this righteousness is imputed by God to the believer, it becomes his forever by a judicial act, since it was not antecedently the believer's. It is thus patent that this demands a righteousness that is made over to the believer, just as Christ was made to be sin for all men (2 Cor 5:21). By the believer's baptism "into Christ" this righteousness is made a legal endowment by virtue of the death of Christ. Indeed, imputed righteousness becomes a reality on the basis of the fact that the believer is "in Christ. --Merrill F. Unger

      2.  Righteousness Was Not Accounted to Every Jew.

The Jewish people were very proud of their relationship with Abraham. The trouble was, they thought that this relationship guaranteed them eternal salvation.

          A.  John Preached Salvation for Individual Jews.

John the Baptist warned them that their physical descent did not guarantee Spiritual life (Matt 3:9; Luke 3:7-9).

These words show that John had the splendid courage to strike boldly at the very root of Jewish pride. Gradually Jewish belief in the especial favor of God, which they were to enjoy through all eternity, had grown up till it resulted in such extravagant expressions as these: "Abraham would sit at the gates of hell, and would not permit any circumcised Israelite of decent moral character to enter it;" "A single Israelite is worth more in God's sight than all the nations of the world;" "The world was made for their (Israel's) sake." This incredible arrogancy grew as their earthly fortunes became darker and darker. Only an eternity of bliss, of which they alone were to be partakers, could make up for the woes they were made to suffer here, while an eternity of anguish for the Gentile world outside Israel was a necessary vengeance for the indignities this Gentile world had inflicted upon the chosen people. --Joseph Exell

          B.  Jesus Preached Salvation for Individual Jews.

Jesus made a clear distinction between "Abraham's seed" physically and "Abraham's children" spiritually (John 8:33-47). Some people today still imagine that salvation is inherited. Because mother and father were godly people, the children are automatically saved. But this is not true. It has well been said, "God has no grandchildren."   (See the account of Zacchaeus’ conversion in Luke 19:8-10).

B.  THIS SALVATION IS FOR THE GENTILES (vv. Gal. 3:8-9).

     1.  God Justifies the Heathen Through Faith.   Vs. 8

The word “heathen” (Gal. 3:8), as used here, simply means Gentiles.

         A.  God Was Always Concerned About Saving Gentiles Through Faith.

Paul's quotation of Moses (Gen. 12:3) proves that, from the very beginning of Abraham's relationship with God, the blessing of salvation was promised to all the nations of the world.

         B.  Gentiles Salvation Was a Part of God’s “Gospel” Good News Promise to Abraham.  Vs. 8

God preached the "Good News" to Abraham centuries ago, and Paul brought that same Good News to the Galatians: sinners are justified through faith and not by keeping the Law.

               1.  Therefore, the Legalists Message Must Be False.

The logic here is evident: if God promised to save the Gentiles by faith, then the Judaizers are wrong in wanting to take the Gentile believers back into Law. The true "children of Abraham" are not the Jews by physical descent, but Jews and Gentiles who have believed in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:25-31; 9:30-33; 10:8-13;11:4-7; Heb. 9:11-15). God still has marvelous future plans for the Jews as a people. But at no time of history-before or after His special calling of the Jews-has any person been brought into saving relationship to God by any other means than faith.

               2.  All Those Who Are “Of Faith” (Believers) Are “Blessed With” ‘Believing Abram.’  vs. 8

Personifying God’s Word, the apostle goes on to say, the “Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen (Gentiles by faith) through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham” beforehand to Abraham-which is an exposition of Genesis 12:3—“In thee shall all nations be blessed” (Gal. 3:8).  And all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in Abraham’s seed-Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16).” “Gospel” means “good news”, and God’s good news to mankind has always been salvation by faith alone, provided by the power of His grace. Salvation by works would not be ‘good’ but bad news. All the nations, Jews and Gentiles alike, are justified and blessed for the same reason Abraham was justified and blessed: their faith. So then those who are “of faith” are “blessed with” Abraham, the believer. To “be blessed” means to be the recipient of all that divine love, grace, and mercy bestows on those who are in Christ (see Eph. 1:3; 2:6–7).

     2.  God Promised to Bless ALL NATIONS Through Abraham.   Gal. 3:8-9

When you read God's great covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3; 22:17-18, you discover that many different blessings were promised some personal, some national and political, and some universal and spiritual. Certainly, God did make Abraham's name great; he is revered not only by Jews, but also by Christians, Muslims, and many others. God did multiply his descendants, and God did bless those who blessed Abraham. He also judged those who cursed his descendants (Egypt, Babylon, and Rome are cases in point).

         A.  The Blessing and the Seed.  Gal. 3:8-9, 14, 28-29             

But the greatest blessings that God sent through Abraham and the Jewish nation have to do with our eternal salvation. Jesus Christ is that promised “Seed," through whom all the nations have been blessed (Gal. 3:16).

         B.  The Christ and the Seed. (Read carefully Gal. 3:13-16)     

Paul argues from the lesser figure of verse 15 to the greater figure of verse 16, that the covenant of promise was superior to the covenant of law because it was Christ-centered. The immutability of the covenant (Gal. 3:15-18; Heb. 6:13-18) involving faith directly relates to God’s last and final covenant established through His Son, Jesus Christ. The covenant of law could not possibly have interrupted or modified the previous covenant of promise (Gal. 3:17-19), because the first one not only was inviolable and permanent in itself but was inseparable from God’s supreme covenant, the New Covenant in the Messiah, the Christ (Gal. 3:16).

         C.  The Spirit and the Seed.   (Gal. 3:16, 28-29)

Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who inspired the writing of both Genesis and Galatians, Paul exegetes the quoted Genesis passage. The term “seed,” he declares, is singular in Genesis 22:18. It was therefore not referring to many, but rather to one, “And in thy seed.”

Based on grammar and context alone, the meaning of ‘seed’ in Genesis 22:18 could be either singular or plural. But in interpreting His own Word through the apostle, the Holy Spirit makes clear it is singular, referring to only one.

         D.  The Serpent and the Seed.    (Gen. 3:15)

In an even earlier promise, a clearly singular use of ‘seed’ also refers to Christ. To the serpent in the Garden of Eden, God said, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it [singular, referring to “her seed”] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15).   (See also Jn. 12:31-32;1 Jn. 3:8; Heb. 2:14; Lk. 10:18-20; Col. 2;14-15).

         E.  The Promise and the Seed. (Gal. 3:22, 29) See also 2Cor.1:19-20

The one and only heir of every promise of God is Christ. Every promise given in the covenant with Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ. Therefore, the only way a person can participate in the promised blessings to Abraham is to be a fellow heir with Christ through faith in Him.

Gal 3:29, [And heirs according to the promise] See Rom 8:17. Are heirs of God. You inherit the blessings promised to Abraham, and partake of the felicity to which he looked forward. You have become truly heirs of God, and this is in accordance with the promise made to Abraham. It is not by the obedience of the Law; it is by faith-in the same way that Abraham possessed the blessing; an arrangement before the giving of the Law, and therefore one that may include all, whether Jews or Gentiles. All are on a level; and all are alike the children of God, and in the same manner, and on the same terms that Abraham was. --(from Albert Barnes' Notes)

Summary:  Whether before or after Christ came to earth, salvation has always been provided only through the perfect offering of Christ on the cross. Believers who lived before the cross and never knew any specifics about Jesus were nevertheless forgiven and made right with God by faith in anticipation of Christ’s sacrifice, whereas believers who live after the cross are saved in looking back to it. When Christ shed His blood, it covered sins on both sides of the cross (Heb. 9:12-15; 10:4-10; Rom. 3:24-26). The Old Covenant goes to the cross (Gal. 3:19); the New Covenant comes from it. On the one hand faith pointed forward, whereas on the other it points back.

There has never been nor can there ever be salvation apart from the finished work of Christ. The covenant with Abraham was fulfilled in the covenant of Jesus Christ, and therefore the covenant of law, whatever its character and purpose, did not abrogate or modify those two covenants, which really merged into one. (Gal. 3:17) Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as the solution for your sins?