Galatians 3:3-14; 21-25,
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
4 Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
5 Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS SHALL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”
9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.
10 For 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.”
11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.”
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE”—
14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”
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21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.
22 But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.
24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.
25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
We can see by these Scriptures that salvation has always been based on faith, and never on the Law, for two reasons,
(a) no one could keep the Law (verses 10-11; 21-22)
(b) to make a way for Gentiles to partake of the kingdom of the God of the Jews (verses 7-8; 13-14)
Ephesians 2:14-22,
14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups [Jews and Gentiles] into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross,
16 by it having put to death the enmity.
17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
18 for through Him we both [Jews and Gentiles] have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
20 having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord;
22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
Jesus broke down the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles, that He might make them into one new man, the body of the risen Christ. He did this when He hung on a tree and thereby became cursed. Thus He became sin for us.
As a result of this, everyone is to look to Jesus for salvation and not to the Law, for all in Christ were crucified with Him and have become a brand new creation. So, having been crucified with Jesus, buried with Him, and raised up into newness of life with Him, we are freed from the Law; we are dead to it. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free man, and there is neither male nor female; for we are all one in Christ Jesus. We are one new man.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and of death. Today if one looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does, Romans 8:2; James 1:25.
So Christians, both Jew, and Gentile, are freed from the Law and no longer under its curse. We who are in Christ are now under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the perfect law of liberty, the royal law, according to Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” If we are doing this, we are doing well.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
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