The Book Of Galatians – Chapter 3:10-12 - Message 7 – The Law Will Not Justify But Faith Will Series

THE BOOK OF GALATIANS – CHAPTER 3:10-12 - MESSAGE 7 – THE LAW WILL NOT JUSTIFY BUT FAITH WILL

These messages in Galatians continue as we see the opposing sides of Law, and faith alone without the Law.

[A]. THE LAW BRINGS A CURSE

{{Galatians 3:10 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.”}}

We have been looking at the blessings Abraham received through faith. We saw how all nations were/are blessed through the father of faith in this section where Paul is contrasting Law and faith. Paul is still in the area of the Law and Abraham and there is a distinct contrast here. The Law brings a curse for all who think they can keep the Law. That is the problem, for the Law can not be kept by sinful men and women. The Law is God’s perfection; His yardstick for righteousness. If one breaks the Law then one is under the penalty of the Law and the penalty is a curse, to use Paul’s word in verse 10. That curse is death.

In verse 10 there is the word “ALL” as in “ALL THINGS”. This is like a chain of links. All links must hold in place or you will fall to your doom. In fact, just one slip and the attempting keeper is condemned by the Law. If I was a perfectionist building contractor, and said to my subcontractors, “If you work for me I will pay you 10 times the award wage and provide you with a free house as well while you are employed by me, but I will supervise carefully and if I find any defect in your work, you will no longer be with me and you lose everything you could have had.” That is what the Law was like. The condemnation came through the inability of man to ever keep the Law.

“Why then,” you may ask, “why did God give the Law for man to keep when He knew that would be impossible. Was God being mean?” The point is, it was necessary for all men to know what it was to achieve the righteousness of God, and sinful man failed in that. Did that mean that all were condemned because they were unable to keep the Law?

Well, yes, all were condemned, but God’s graciousness made provision for that until the better way came in. God provided a means of forgiveness and acceptance through the Law. The sacrifices for sin were all outlined in Exodus and Leviticus. It was a temporary provision as repentant man had his sins covered but not righteously or legally expunged. That could only happen through the shedding of the blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. The Law was applicable to Jews, not Gentiles.

The Law was Jehovah’s covenant with Israel but in time a better covenant would come in that guaranteed all sin would be cancelled out. That means that the ones declared righteous before the cross, and after the cross, would know the full justification of God. For all in heaven in a coming day when the whole Church is raptured to that glorious scene in Revelation chapters 4 and 5, every single one of them there from Adam onwards will be there because of Calvary. Jesus Christ became the curse for all so that the curse of sin would be removed.

One came to Jesus with a question – {{Matthew 19:16 Behold, one came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?”}} Of course Jesus knew his problem and said to him, “but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments,” and Jesus mentioned a few of them to him and an astounding answer came from the man – {{Matthew 19:20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept. What am I still lacking?”}} Mark adds that the man said he had kept all those commandments from his youth up.

Jesus ignored that reply and put his finger on the real problem – {{Mark 10:21 and looking at him, Jesus FELT A LOVE FOR HIM, and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven, and come, follow Me,”}}. Actually the man was not truthful even though he thought he was. No one was able to keep the commandments, so his “all these things” was not correct.

The Apostle James the Less elaborates on this even more – {{James 2:10 “for whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, HE HAS BECOME GUILTY OF ALL.”}}