Faith
Or Observance Of The Law
YOU
FOOLISH GALATIANS!
Who
has Bewitched you?
Before
your very eyes
Jesus
Christ was clearly portrayed as Crucified.
2 I
would like to learn just one thing from you:
Did
you receive the Spirit by Observing the Law,
Or
by believing what you heard?
3
ARE YOU SO FOOLISH?
After
beginning with the Spirit,
Are
you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
4
HAVE YOU SUFFERED SO MUCH FOR NOTHING--
IF
IT REALLY WAS FOR NOTHING?
5
DOES GOD GIVE YOU HIS SPIRIT
AND
WORK MIRACLES AMONG YOU
BECAUSE
YOU OBSERVE THE LAW,
OR
BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU HEARD?
6
Consider Abraham:
'He
Believed God, and it was credited to him as Righteousness.'
7
Understand then, that those who Believe are Children of Abraham.
8
The Scripture foresaw
That
God would Justify the Gentiles by Faith,
And
announced the Gospel in Advance to Abraham:
'ALL
NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED THROUGH YOU.'
9
So those who have Faith are Blessed along with Abraham,
THE
MAN OF FAITH.
10
All who rely on Observing the Law ARE UNDER A CURSE,
For
it is written:
'CURSED
IS EVERYONE
WHO
DOES NOT CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING WRITTEN
IN
THE BOOK OF THE LAW.'
11
Clearly No One is Justified before God by the Law,
BECAUSE,
'THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH.
12
The Law is not based on Faith;
On
the contrary,
'THE
MAN WHO DOES THESE THINGS WILL LIVE BY THEM.'
13
CHRIST REDEEMED US FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW
BY
BECOMING A CURSE FOR US,
For
it is written:
'Cursed
is everyone who is hing on a tree.'
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.
The
Law And the Promise
15
Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life.
Just
as no one can set aside or add to a human Covenant
That
has been duly established,
So
it is in this case.
16
THE PROMISES WERE SPOKEN TO ABRAHAM AND TO HIS SEED.
The
Scripture does not say 'AND TO SEEDS,'
Meaning
many people,
BUT
'AND TO YOUR SEED,'
Meaning
One Person, Who is Christ.
17
What I mean is this:
The
Law, introduced 430 years later,
Does
not set aside the Covenant previously established by God
And
thus do away with the Promise.
18
For if Inheritance depends on the Law,
THEN
IT NO LONGER DEPENDS ON A PROMISE;
But
God in His Grace gave it to Abraham
THROUGH
A PROMISE.
19
WHAT THEN IS THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW?
It
was added because of transgressions
Until
the SEED to Whom the Promise referred had come.
The
Law was put into effect through angels by a Mediator.
20
A mediator, however, does not represent just one party;
BUT
GOD IS ONE.
21
Is the Law, therefore, Opposed to the Promises of God?
ABSOLUTELY
NOT!
For
if a Law had been given that could impart Life,
Then
Righteousness would certainly have come by the Law.
BUT
SCRIPTURE DECLARES
THAT
THE WHOLE WORLD IS A PRISONER OF SIN,
So
that what was Promised,
BEING
GIVEN THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST,
Might
be given to those who Believe.
23
BEFORE THIS FAITH CAME,
WE
WERE HELD PRISONERS BY THE LAW,
LOCKED
UP UNTIL FAITH SHOULD BE REVEALED.
24
So the Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ
THAT
WE MIGHT BE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH.
25
NOW THAT FAITH HAS COME,
WE
ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LAW.
26
YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD
THROUGH
FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS,
27
FOR ALL OF YOU WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
HAVE
CLOTHED YOURSELVES WITH CHRIST.
28
There is neither Jew nor Greek,
Slave
nor free, male nor female,
FOR
YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.
29
IF YOU BELONG TO CHRIST,
Then
you are Abraham's SEED,
AND
HEIRS ACCORDING TO THE PROMISE.
(Galatians
3)
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