Man’s Best VS God’s Best
Gal 3:10-14
--The merit system represents the best that man can do.
--The faith system represents the best that God can do.
–-I heard this week where some school system I think it was in Florida but I could be wrong, has decided to pass every child no matter what their grades, up through the third grade.
–-I don’t know what you think about that, but the merit system for passing to the next grade always seemed logical to me.
–In fact much of our society continues to use some form of merit system even after you have left the education system.
–Some employers pay and give promotions based on the merit system.
–-The Boy Scout’s and other organizations give merit badges for every stage you go through.
–-I believe AWANA does the same.
--How else are we going to know how we are doing?
–The merit system literally is the best system we have for judging the value or worth of many things.
–-I spent sometime looking at the 7 man made wonders of the world this week.
--It’s amazing what man can accomplish.
–-The pyramids, the Taj Majal, The Inca Ruins, The Roman Colosseum
–The problem comes when man tries to use the merit system for acceptance before God.
–-It just doesn’t work. And Paul explains to us why, in Gal 3:10-14
I. Man’s Best (10-12)
A. The effect of man’s best to be cursed. (10)
1. Those who hunt for acceptance with God through the doing of the law are under a curse. (10a)
2. We are cursed because we fail to keep the whole law. (10b) Deut. 27:26
Deuteronomy 27:26 (NASB95)
26 ’Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ’Amen.’
B. The evidence against man’s best. (11) Hab 2:4 (Gal 3:11; Rom 1:17; Heb 10:38)
Habakkuk 2:4 (NASB95)
4 "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.
Romans 1:17 (NASB95)
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."
Hebrews 10:38 (NASB95)
38 BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.
C. The entanglement of man’s best and God’s best leads to the same result. (12)
How many have ever mixed Baking soda and vinegar. To common household items, both good things, but when mixed they literally cause a volcano like eruption.
Bleach mixed with any type of acid cleaner, even vinegar gives off a deadly poisonous gas.
James 2:10 (NASB95)
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
II. God’s Best (13-14)
A. Christ’s work. (13)
1. Paid for us with His life.
a. By fulfilling the whole Law. Matt 5:17ff., 22:37-40 Chafer say "not something yet to be done, but something to be believed"
b. By nailing the Law to the cross and canceling out our debt. Col 2:8ff
B. Christ’s purpose. (14)
1. The Blessing of Abraham might come to Gentiles
2. The Promise of the Spirit might be received through faith.
