The True Gospel is Reaffirmed to the Galatians Volume 8

Paul contrast “faith in Christ” and “works of the Law”

Galatians 3:11-14 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. KJV

Paul concluded in the last verse of his discourse declaring every person under a “curse” if they do not continue to do or perform or in other words carry out complete uninterrupted obedience to the law of God perfectly at all times. Paul’s purpose in quoting this Old Testament scripture written by Moses in Deuteronomy 27:26 were to draw a line clearly in the sand between what the “works of the law” require and what “faith in Christ” requires. The “Law” says one must do it to be right with God, but the “Law” supplies no power or in other words gives no controlling influence or mental qualities to carry out full and complete obedience to its thundering demands. This is the very reason God at His determined time gave His Law that it would shut every human beings mouth completely that thought of themselves as “good” people and make them see their wretchedness “in His Presence”.

Paul has already illustrated how Abraham was declared right with God (even before Moses and the Law was given), therefore, now he is going to contrast the Law and Faith for these Galatians in order that he might break the “bewitching” teaching of the Jewish legalist they have allowed themselves to come under. The Law was never given by God through Moses to the Jew with the promise that it would change them, but it was to prepare them for the One (Christ Jesus the Messiah) who would come and fulfill all of the Law’s requirements in His death and resurrection from the dead. Paul made it perfectly clear what the purpose of the Law of God was for as he wrote in this manner to the Roman believers, “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. 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.” (Romans 3:19-20).

Our Lord Jesus met this same opposition to the Gospel of Grace when he walked this earth as the God Man. Perhaps the clearest rebuke He gave to Jews who thought they knew God and could be right with God by “keeping the Law” was with these words He spoke to them, “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you keepeth the Law? Why go ye about to kill Me? (John 7:19). It is sheer fallacy or false belief for any person to think or suppose that they live by or keep the Ten Commandments, because without Christ this is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE  and this is what our Lord Jesus was trying to get these “spiritually blind” Jews to see regarding themselves. The Law had no power in it to remove sins stain upon the heart and soul of man, but faith in Jesus Christ brings about His Resurrection Life in the heart and soul (the inner man) of every repentant sinner and Christ through His Spirit breathes newness of life upon a dead spirit as Paul declared with these words to the Roman believers, “For if we have become united with Him (Jesus Christ) in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His Resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:5-7).

Paul wants the Galatians to realize what they are signing up for if they will follow the way of legalism. Because the “Law” requires perfect and continual obedience then they will be duty bound to live in it and by it at all times, but Christ says trust Me and I will make you My son and then give you My Righteousness as well as unite your spirit with My Spirit to enable you to obey Me. Our Lord Jesus said it to the Jews while on the earth before His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension with these words, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. ‘So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31-36).

What does our Lord Jesus mean by free? He means that His son’s will be forever free from being sin’s continual and constant slave yielding at all times to sins demands and dictates. He did not mean that His children would never sin again while He kept us down here on the earth, but only that we would never again be sins slave as He inspired the Apostle John to write these words that the Galatians and us would be true to ourselves, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10).

Christ Jesus has made His Father also our Father (John 20:17) and just as the overwhelming desire for every son and daughter with a loving earthly father wants to be obedient to him and do those things which please him from a loving heart, likewise these Galatians and all of us want to please our Heavenly Father with loving obedience to His Word for what Christ has done for us on the Cross through His Resurrection Life imparted to us as the Apostle Peter declared with these words, “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” (2 Peter 1:1-4).

The person who is not Christ born again son or daughter is a natural man or woman and has no power ever to cease from gratifying sins demands as Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers with these words when he contrasted for them the difference between those who belong to Christ and those who do not, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:12-16). Christ sacrifice for our sins has conquered the “curse” that we were under by virtue of the “Laws” requirements from us that we could never ever satisfy in our humanity. The Galatians and us were under God’s wrath before our receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through the preaching of the Gospel (Romans 5), but now we have complete peace with God.

Christ stepped into our place and bore the “curse” in His Own Body for us and rescued us from the penalty of death required by our inability to satisfy the “Laws” demands (Colossians 1:13-14) as Paul wrote in this manner to the Roman believers, “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:20-23). Paul concludes this great contrast of “works of the Law” verses “faith in Christ” to the Galatians and to us by showing that through the gift of “Faith” we receive the precious Promise that our Lord Jesus Christ gave to the first Disciples or Apostles when He said, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18). It is the reception of God the Holy Spirit that enabled these Galatians and us to satisfy the “Laws” requirements and to live a life down here still in this sin cursed world that is pleasing to God the Father by virtue of “living by faith” in Jesus Christ our Lord (2 Corinthians 5:14-21).

My own Personal Note: The “Law” says do, but we cannot do, yet our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ says, “It is Finished”, now believe and receive “in Me” the newness of life that is yours freely so that you may now do through Me (John 15:5).

“The two paths now lie before us-the Pauline and the legal method of salvation, the Abrahamic and the Mosaic scheme of religion. According to the latter, one begins by keeping so many rules-ethical, ceremonial, or what not; and after doing this, one expects to be counted righteous by God. According to the former, the man begins by an act of self-surrendering trust in God’s Word of Grace, and God already reckons him just on that account, without his pretending to anything in the way of merit for himself. In short, the Legalist tries to make God believe in him: Abraham and Paul are content to believe in God. They do not set themselves over against God, with a righteousness of their own which He is bound to recognise; they commit themselves to God, that He may work out His righteousness in them. Along this path lies blessing-peace of heart, fellowship with God, moral strength, life in its fulness, depth, and permanence. From this source Paul derives all that was noblest in the Church of the Old Covenant. And he puts the calm, grand image of Father Abraham before us for our pattern, in contrast with the narrow, painful, bitter spirit of Jewish legalism, inwardly self-condemned.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…