Grace and The Law
Galatians 3:24-29 (KJV) “24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
Here we see that we were once under the tutelage of the Law. The Jewish Law showed the whole world its slavery to sin. Romans 3:19–20 (KJV) tells us, “19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Once exposed to God’s Law, even we as Gentiles can see that it is an impossible standard to keep. It shows us our sin and condemns us for imperfection. This is the reason that Paul, in 2 Corinthians 7-9, calls it the ministry of death and condemnation.
But the law was only the rule of life until faith came. Once that happened, we were given the ability to become children of God. According to John 1:12 (KJV) “…as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” That Jesus gave us the power to become children of God means that He made it possible for us. He has not bestowed some power upon us. Rather, He has made a way for us to come into relationship with God where there was no way. 2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us that God was in Jesus reconciling the world to Himself and not counting people’s sins against them.
Those of us who have believed on Jesus were baptized, or immersed, into Christ and have “put on” Christ. We’re in Him and He’s in us. We can see this in Romans 6:3–4 (KJV) “3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
As verse 29 of our text points out, this makes us heirs of the promise; heirs of the blessing God promised to Abraham; joint heirs with Christ. Ephesians 4:4–6 (KJV) shows the unity this brings. There we read, “4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Whether Jew or Gentile, we constitute one body and are all given the same Spirit who raised Christ form the dead. We are God’s children.
Now let’s begin walking through Chapter Four beginning at verse one. Here Paul continues to expound on our current state; the current relationship between us and God.
Galatians 4:1-31 (KJV)
1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
“The elements of the world” refers to the rudiments, or fundamentals, with which mankind, like infants, were indoctrinated before the time of Christ.
For the Jews, this was the Law, and the traditions of the religious leaders.
For the Gentiles, it’s idolatry and the need to work hard to get ahead and be accepted; both by God, and in society. Due to the difficulty of observing these things (the Law, or the performance requirement) both are heavy yokes. Peter pointed this out as it applied to Gentiles being required to obey Jewish Law and traditions.
In Acts 15:10 (KJV) he says this:
10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Galatians 4:4-6 (KJV)
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
One thing to notice here is that Scripture is very clear about the fact that Jesus was born of a woman. Far too often we impose our tradition of patriarchal society upon our reading of Scripture. If we aren’t careful, we can be tempted to see women as having less value than men. Let me assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. It’s true that Adam was created first and that Eve was made from part of Adam. It is also true that every single person born since then has been born of a woman. We see Jesus, a male, as being the exact image of the invisible God, but Jesus was born in humanity of woman. God could have materialized Himself as Jesus without woman if He had wanted to, but He didn’t. So here we are, men and women and we have identical value and worth.
Jesus was born under the Law. He had to keep all 613 laws of the Mitzvah (the Law of Moses) perfectly. If He had not, we could not be redeemed. He was born under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law, so that we (all) would be able to be adopted as His children.
Because we are His children, we get to call Him Dad.
Galatians 4:7 (KJV)
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
You are not a servant. Did you catch that in there?
The word for servant is <G1401>: δοῦλος (doulos), which is often translated as bond servant and can denote either voluntary or involuntary servitude but carries with it the clear sense of being subservient. You are not a servant, you’re His child!
Acts 17:25 (KJV) points out that God doesn’t need our help. It says, “Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing…” This means that He is not served by us in any sense that would indicate need . Rather, we get to participate in what He is doing.
The word translated “worshipped” here is <G2323>: θεραπεύω (therapeuō), which means “to wait upon menially.”
Romans 8:15-17 (KJV)
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…
It’s important that we think of ourselves in the way that Father says we are, rather than in the way people say we are. You are no longer servants. He doesn’t need anything from you. You’re His children. You participate in His divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)
Now you get to help Him as He works for good in all things. You get to hold the light and hand Him the screwdrivers and wrenches. You get to plant seeds, or water the garden. You get to roll out dough and sometimes lick the spoon.
Galatians 4:8-11 (KJV)
8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
Paul tells the Galatians that they are not acting like heirs of God. They are not acting like who they are. You’ll find this pattern in many places in the New Testament. Letters are addressed to saints, they are told who they are in Christ, they are reminded of what Jesus has done for them. Then after that you’ll find passages that talk about the sort of behavior that flows from that.
Notice also, the sort of things Paul points out as bondage here. Days, and months, and times, and years are all references to religious obligations.
Paul had earlier preached the Gospel of the grace of God to the Galatians. Having heard that they are beginning to mix that with various forms of obligation, he has spent a lot of effort in this letter reminding them that it’s about belief, faith in Jesus Christ, and not religious behavior. I think he shows a little frustration here when he talks about the possibility that he has labored in vain among the Galatians. It’s like he’s saying, “Don’t you get it!? After all the teaching you’ve heard from me, do you really still not get it?
Galatians 4:12-17 (KJV)
12 Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. 13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. 16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? 17 They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
Romans 10:2-4 (KJV)
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
We find this same problem today. Many would encourage us to believe that we need God’s grace to be saved, but then we need to be zealous in our efforts to remain in God’s good graces. When we begin acting morally upright out of a sense of duty or obligation, our hearts are no longer in it. It becomes nothing more than fleshly religion.
Grace is the answer. In verse four, we see that Jesus Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness. Righteousness is a gift. We get the righteousness of God when we are placed into Jesus. In the churches he visited in the first century, Paul was dealing with the same human tendencies we see today. Nothing has changed. There are many who tempt us to revert to the Law, but we can be certain that nothing has changed with the Gospel since the time of Paul. It’s still grace upon grace. It’s grace for salvation, and grace as the rule of life. When we get that right, we effortlessly obey God’s will from the heart without a carrot and stick to keep us on track.
Now let’s watch how this all plays out. Paul will underscore this point in no uncertain terms.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. 19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. 21 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? 22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Hagar.
Do you see it? The life of Abraham was a picture of the two covenants. It pictures flesh giving birth to flesh, and Spirit giving birth to spirit. It shows that things done according to our own plans result in bondage, while faith in the promise of God, faith in Jesus, results in life and freedom.
25 For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
People don’t like to hear that salvation and sanctification, life and freedom, are given freely and require no effort on our part. That seems too good to be true. They call it cheap grace, greasy grace, easy-believism, but it all boils down to the fact that God offers abundant life and radical freedom to anyone at all who will believe. Childlike faith in God’s promise to deliver us from slavery to sin and death is all it takes.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.
At the end of the day the only thing that matters is faith, and faith works itself out of us in love. This is why there are just two commandments written on our hearts. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and love one another. Everything else is just noise.
