Galatians
Salvation by
grace! Justification by faith! Sanctification by faith!
Galatians 3
The Doctrinal Defense of
Justification by Faith
-From Experience – 3:1-5
-From Abraham – 3:6-9
-From the negative effect of the Law –
-Priority
of the covenant of promise over the covenant of Law – 3:15-18
-The real place and purpose of the law – 3:19-25
Verses 15-18
Priority of the Promise
over the Law
God
gave both the Covenant of
Promise and the Covenant of Law, in that order. The latter did not take the place of nor add
to the former.
The
contract was made between God and Abraham and Abraham’s seed (singular), which
is Christ. Thus the promise must be
fulfilled in Christ, the Messiah.
The Covenant of Law, which
came long after the promise, could in no way void the promise or alter God’s
faithfulness in fulfilling the promise.
Verses 19-25 The real
purpose of the Law
Reason:
“…added because of transgressions…”
So that sin might be
unmistakably revealed.
Time
Limits: “until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made.”
POINT: The Law covenant
was temporal, limited, and subordinate to the Abrahamic
Covenant which is eternal.
The real place and purpose
of the law – 3:19-25
Significance
of the mediation of the Law:
Angels are associated with the giving of the Law –
Deuteronomy 33:2
Moses is the mediator – Exodus 20:19
POINT:
The Law was administered by secondary agencies (angels and Moses), therefore it was inferior to the promise.
Where mediation is necessary, there must be mutual
obligations agreed upon by two parties.
The promise contract is absolute and unconditional;
its fulfillment rests totally with the One who made it, God!
The Law Covenant The
Promise Covenant
-Given to point out sin -Given
to save men by the
grace provision
of Christ
-Temporary -Final
and permanent
-Agency
of angels -God
Himself
-Human
mediator (Moses) -Received directly by faith
-Required
fulfillment by both parties -Absolutely
dependent on God
The
divine design was for law to complement the promise.
The
righteousness which God demands, could never be
produced in us by any type of law system.
The
law locked everyone under sin, Jew and Gentile, that the promise system might
clearly be the only way of salvation.
All
the benefits of promise are by faith directed to the Savior, Jesus Christ!
CONCLUSION:
Justification must be
solely by faith in the merits of Christ’s work for the sinner.
The Law was added so that human beings would stop looking to themselves for salvation and look only to God’s graciously provided Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.