LAW VERSUS FAITH
(Galatians 3:1-14)

"He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." (v14)

In popular legend, dragons guard treasure troves. Whether you're Beowulf or Bilbo Baggins, to get at the treasure you've got to get past the dragon. Galatians contains priceless treasure for the Christian church. But it's guarded by the dragon of 2:15-21. This compact and complex paragraph which we studied last week contains the entire message of Galatians which is unpacked in subsequent chapters. If 2:15-21 isn't understood, then the treasures of Chapter 3 onwards cannot be received. On its own, Chapter 3 looks like a diatribe against justification by works, explaining why justification is by faith. This is certainly a vital truth, but one that has no direct application to the Christian church since such a truth has to be understood and accepted in order to enter the Christian church. 2:15-21 has shown us rather that Galatians is about a subject much closer to home. Galatians addresses the issue of how believing, born-again, justified Christians should live. This is a much more immediate question, directly relevant to every Christian believer. And in this context, Paul presents the church with devastatingly radical teaching.

Paul taught us last week that Christians should not live their lives under obligation to the law - including the Ten Commandments. Yes, he's that radical! Through faith in the death of Jesus Christ, Christians have died to the law (especially the Ten Commandments). They have no further relation to it - and to live as if they do is to set aside the grace of God and act as if Christ died for nothing (2:21). Does that therefore remove all moral restraint from Christian lives? Is Christ promoting sin? Absolutely not (2:17)! If I live under law, I place myself under what formerly condemned me (2:18). Through Christ I have died to the law so that I might live for God (2:19). Christ has released us from the passive, self-serving, evangelistically inactive, mechanistic rule-keeping religion that characterizes those who regulate their Christian lives only in terms of boundaries (within which they seek to serve themselves). Rather Christians are now free to honour the Maker of the law in a new life that is not negatively constrained by rules but positively lived for God - that is surrendered to God. Christ's death enables Christians to turn from a grudging submission to the letter of the law to a joyful and proactive honouring of the spirit of the law. All Jesus' teaching on the law makes this point. For example, when asked to comment on the law in Mark 12:28-34, Jesus spoke not of obedience but love - the very transition that the book of Galatians is demanding should characterize the lives of all Christians. And Old Testament theology is no different. The prophets looked forward to a time when God's law would be written on people's hearts (eg Psalm 37:31).

And what will characterize Christian lives that are lived for God? They will be energized, active, outgoing, innovative, sacrificial, attractive, effective and infectious. Who could say that those things aren't the pressing need of today's Christian church? This is what Galatians is all about!

But letting go of our law-keeping attitudes isn't so easy. Hiding our Christian lives behind legalistic boundaries is very, very attractive to us. For one thing it licences selfishness. Under law we can have our cake and eat it. We imagine we can stay legal by staying within the boundary - but at the same time serve ourselves by exploring and exploiting whatever scope remains within that boundary. Law is also a licence for laziness. Staying within the law perimeter means that passive respectability can replace sacrificial commitment. Such is the source of spiritual couch potatoes (and there's no shortage of those in the Christian church). Under-law Christianity also promotes our pride and comforts our complacency. Yes, given the choice, we'd all choose to live out our Christian lives under law.

But there is no choice, says Paul. And Chapter 3 explains why. Paul wants justified Christians to let go of law. Paul wants to slay law before our very eyes. And the assassin he chooses here is faith.

To begin with, Paul reminds his readers that they first became Christians by faith (vv1-5). The reception of the Holy Spirit - which is how the Christian life begins (v3) - was by faith in Paul's preached Gospel (v2), not by observing the law. Subsequently to place that life under the rule of law is sheer foolishness (vv1, 3).

Paul goes on to explain (vv6-9) that faith was God's means of salvation from the very beginning. Abraham (the founder of God's people) was saved by faith. And God's first recorded promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 was actually the Christian Gospel (v8) - the means by which God's offer of salvation by faith would be extended to all nations. And Abraham's true descendants (ie the true people of God) are those who believe (v7) - not those who are racially descended from Abraham or who circumcise themselves!

What the law provided was a curse (vv10-14), a curse that Christ took upon himself when he died on the cross in our place. And that work on the cross for us is received by faith. How idiotic to trust in Christ's work, fulfil God's original faith-salvation plan, begin one's Christian life by receiving through faith God's Holy Spirit - and then place that life back under the rule of law! Such a life-style negates everything that God has done for us in Christ.

These are the reasons Paul gives to Christians to move out from under the comfortable cover of law and instead surrender their lives to God - lives that faith, not law, has given us. This is the route to a gracious, sacrificial, other-people centred Christian life that is ruled by love, not law. What a challenge to us all!

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