Willing. Galatians 10. The Apostle says, "...for as
many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written, Cursed is
everyone that continueth not in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them." 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,
Curses everyone 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."
Now, the Apostle Paul, having set forth Abraham as God intended
to be the imminent type, the eminent picture of every true
believer in Jesus Christ. Abraham is the best picture. He is the picture that God intended. As God said, he is the father
of the faithful. He is the father of the faithful.
Now, Paul proved by the salvation of Abraham through faith, which
was before the law was given. Abraham was justified before
the law was given. The law was not 430 years later,
after. And especially, Abraham proves
that his salvation, his justification was before even the token of
circumcision. And the Apostle has done this
for a very specific reason, because these Judaizers came into the
church of Galatia teaching that circumcision was necessary for
justification, that faith in Christ plus circumcision. So Paul destroys that argument
completely by using Abraham as the imminent type and example,
because he was justified before circumcision. And so Paul proves that we are
justified before God by the faith of Christ, and then His righteousness
is imputed to us through faith, through faith. And therefore,
all who are of the same faith as Abraham, Paul says this, we
are blessed with faithful Abraham. Has that not a wonderful thing
to consider that you and Abraham on equal ground, equal footing
before God? And so now in verse 10, Paul
turns again to those who would profess Those who would still be looking
to law. He turns again to those who profess
to be justified by Christ plus the law. And he declares this
unto them. He says in verse 10, for as many
as are of the works of the law are under the curse of the law. For it is written, Curse is every
one that continueth not in all things written in the book of
the law to do them. He's saying, you that are still
looking to law, you who are still looking to the obedience of the law, don't you know that
you are under the full weight and responsibility of the law? He says that you that are under
the law, you that are under the works of the law, are under the
curse, under the curse. In other words, returning to
the law, friend, is no light matter. Returning to the law
is no light thing. I'm speaking to everyone. I'm
speaking, as Paul did, to everyone who desires to use the law in
any measure to be justified before God. Any measure. If you were to take one law,
as these Judaizers were doing, taking one law, circumcision,
that's what they took. Now, in our day, people are taking
ten, the ten commandments. That's what they're doing. And
I'm speaking to everyone who takes those ten commandments
and uses them as a means to obtain merit or favor with God, plus
your faith in Christ. I'm not saying that they don't
believe in faith in Christ, but they're adding the commandments
of the law. I want you to know this. You
are under the law completely. I know people suppose this, that
they're just using that as a rule, that they're kind of in the middle
somewhere. They're standing faith in Christ,
yes, but I need to hold to this. So they're like in the middle.
And Paul says there is no middle. There is no middle ground here. You are either or. You are either
under the law or you are under grace. You cannot be under both. And He says to you that would
be under the law, you are under the full measure, the full weight,
and the full penalty of the law, the full authority of the law.
To all who would begin by faith in Christ and finish by the law,
As a rule of life, you are under the law and not under grace. That's as clear as Paul is making
it. He's saying, look, you that desire
to be under the law, I want you to understand. I want you to
be fully aware of what you're doing. You are under the full
responsibility to obey every jot and tittle of the law. He
said that, didn't he, in verse 10? Read again. As many as, I
don't care who it is, as many as of you that are under the
works of the law, listen, you're under its curse. You're under
its curse. For it is written, cursed is
everyone. I don't care who it is. Cursed
is everyone who continueth not in all things written in the
book of the law to do them. You take one, you own them all.
You take ten, you own them all. The law is not divided. Men divide
the law because they think they're academically smart. They try
to say, well, we're dividing this law into ceremonial and
governmental law, and then the moral law is what we're talking
about. No, you cannot, because God does not. Find me a place
God divides the law. He doesn't. Doesn't this make
it clear that all the law is included in this? Paul said you
are under the responsibility to fulfill all the law, which
is impossible. You consider that, that it's
impossible? That there is a mosque over the very place that God
ordained to have the sacrifices today? There is no temple. There
is no Holy of Holies. There is no Ark of the Covenant.
There is none of this. You cannot do it. You cannot. It's impossible. And listen, if you're under the
law, this is not one isolated event. The people, they do something. They didn't lie today. And boy,
they're just so happy. I didn't lie today. And what
do they do? They pat themselves on the back.
You know what the law does? He said, look, that's just your
responsibility to do it every day. And if you didn't do it
the day before or the day after, you're just as guilty. It doesn't
matter if you did it one day. You're guilty of the whole thing.
James said you offend in one point. You're guilty in what?
All. You're guilty of all. If you fail in one point or miss
the mark by one sinful thought, one sinful motive, one sinful
deed, you are under its penalty. And what is it? Cursed. Damned. Damned. Damnation is its penalty. Eternal,
everlasting damnation. It's the holy vengeance of God.
And Paul said this, you that would be under the law, Christ
shall profit you nothing. Galatians, if you go over to
Galatians 5, this is his conclusion. He says in verse 4, Christ has
become of no effect to you. Whosoever you are that are justified
by the law, you are fallen from grace. You're not under grace.
By no measure are you under the grace of God. So then why would anyone who
professed to be saved in Christ desire to go back? Can you find
a reason you have been saved and justified by Christ? Is there
any reason, is there any motivation to return to the law for you?
No. No, there's no motivation there
for us to return. Listen, it is madness to return. It is utter insanity. In other
words, you've never experienced the grace of God if you turn
back to the law. Why? Because we who have been
taught of God, we understand this is evident, that nobody's
going to be justified by the law. Now, what he said in the
very next verse here, he said, but that no man is justified
by the law in the sight of God is what? That's just for us. We understand that. We know.
We've been taught of God. We know this is evident. It's
clear by the Word of God and it is clear by our own experience
that there is no way to be justified by that law. No way at all. This
is clearly seen for all who are quickened by the Holy Spirit
to life in true faith in Christ. For God told us what the law
we should live by. And what is this law that we
should live by? He says it in verse 11, for the
just shall live by faith. There's our law. Our law is a
law of faith. We live not by the law of Moses. We live by the law of faith. The just shall live by faith. Now, the law cannot apply to
our justification before God, listen, on any level. in any measure. It cannot have any part in our
justification. I'm talking about our obedience
to that law. Cannot have any part to our justification. It never did. It never could
be the means of our justification. You know why? Because we were
sinners from birth. That's why. We were sinners from
birth. There was no way to possibly
obey the law of God. We were sinners from birth by
nature. We were opposed to the law. The natural man receiveth not
the things that are of God. Why? Because we're at enmity
against the law of God, Paul says in Romans 8. The flesh,
the natural man, is at enmity against God, for he's not subject
to the law of God. Listen, neither indeed can be.
Impossible! Impossible. You see, the law, Paul says the
law is spiritual. And it is. It's spiritual. And
he means by that that the law is not just carnal outward works.
It has to do with thoughts, motives, intents of the heart. It has
to do with something spiritual. But what the law demands of us
is impossible. It demands that we become spiritual
by carnal actions. It can't happen because we are
carnal creatures sold under sin. We cannot become spiritual creatures
by carnal obedience. carnal obedience to the law.
But see what faith is. Faith is purely spiritual, isn't
it? It's purely something outside
of ourselves that God puts into us, that God creates in us. It is truly a spiritual experience. We were not by any carnal means
meriting faith. We did not by any carnal means
even employ faith. This is something God did for
us, and in us, and through us. It is purely a spiritual thing.
We are born again of the Spirit of God, quickened to life and
faith, which is a gift of God and not of works, lest any man
should boast. And so what does God say about
this? He says, Now if the just shall live by faith, and if any
man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. You
see the... this is... This is very serious. This matter
that Paul is dealing with is very serious. It's not a light
matter of academic. Well, we just differ academically.
No, we don't. We differ spiritually. If a man
says he can be justified by faith and law, we differ completely. He is completely under the law.
Cursed by the law, but we who are spiritual our life is ruled
by what faith the just shall live by faith how daily constantly
perpetually living looking only to Jesus Christ only to his blood
for our redemption only to his righteousness for our merit before
God and We will not draw back What are we going to draw back
to? Where would we go? Why would we go back? And so then the apostle shows
us how this wonderful justification was accomplished by declaring
the true order and what it means to live by faith. You want to
know what it means to live by faith? What does that mean? Well, first of all, living by
faith is this spiritual life. We must continually understand
it has nothing to do with the works of the law. Just as our
justification before God, so is our living. We're not justified
by the law and therefore we don't live by the law. We live by faith. So living by faith is not living
by law. The spiritual birth, the spiritual
walk of every believer is only by faith. But any man who takes
the law as his rule, I want you to see it is not of faith. Isn't
that what Paul says? Look at verse 12. The law is not of faith. As I thought about that, I said,
how can I expound that any better? What else could I really add
to that? Law and faith. Two distinctly separate things
that cannot be mixed. Just as works and grace. Isn't
that what Paul said? He said, look, if it's of grace,
it's no longer of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
And if it's of works, then work is no... What is that? You change
the definition if you mix them. Law and faith are diametrically
opposed to one another. Now, let the legalists rage.
I mean, let them rage. They will. They will. Let them stomp and kick. Let them hold their breath until
they're blue in the face. They cannot put these two together.
The law is not of faith. The law is not of faith. Secondly,
the law says do, and faith says done. That's what it is to live
by faith, isn't it? The law says do. That's what
Paul says. He said, the man that doeth them,
the man that liveth in them, the man that doeth the works
of the law, what is he going to do? He's going to live in
those works. He does it. But to us who are of faith, what
joy is this? The work is done. The work is
done. You see, we're not doing to be
justified. I'm not doing this. I'm not preaching
to be justified. You're not hearing to be justified.
You are justified if you believe on the Son of God. You are justified
not even by your faith, but rather by the object of your faith you
are justified, and by faith you receive that justification. The work is done. what is religion religion is
all about doing now is it's it's it's very evident
when is doing when is enough enough when you suppose religion has
so many books so many bylaws so many things that they continually
add because doing is never enough doing law is never enough they're always
adding They blindly imagine by this they should be accepted
of God, that they're closer to God. Isn't that it? They think
by their obedience they become closer to God. Now I'll tell
you this, they may feel closer. They do, don't they? Religious,
pious people feel close. But you'll know that it's not
of God because of the arrogance and the self-righteousness it
breeds. Legalism breeds self-righteousness. But to us who are of faith, there
can be no self-righteousness. There can only be humility. Grace breeds humility, not pride. Why? Because the work was done
by another. Isn't that wonderful? The whole
work was done by another outside of me and then graciously applied
to me. And now I just simply receive
the work that's done. I believe the work that is done. What do I do? Nothing. Matter
of fact, I cease from labor. I cease trying to be accepted
with God because I am accepted with God. Why should I try to
be accepted with God when I am accepted with God? Thirdly, all who do one thing
in the law You are to live in all the law continually. He said,
they that do them shall live in them, and they must live in
them continually, and by doing so will live under a just and
righteous sentence of the law. Cursed is everyone
that continueth not in all things written in the law to listen."
Not just know them. Legalists are mental acrobats
when it comes to understanding mentally what the law requires. But friends, they are as dead
as a doornail as to how to do them. They cannot do them. We cannot. Like I said before, I think they
should try to call them the Ten Suggestions. Because that's all
they are to them is suggestions of how to live. That's not what
they are. They're commandments. If you don't do them, you die. To all who live under them, we
cannot You cannot visit. Paul says, in other words, one
cannot live under grace and under the law. You cannot live under
grace and return. You can't visit one and then
the other. That's what people are trying
to do by this. They're trying to balance it.
They're trying to walk a tightrope and keep grace and law in balance. No, you cannot. You cannot visit
the one and leave the other. You will either live by the one
or you'll live by the other. We cannot move from bondage to
freedom and from freedom to bondage. To be under the law is to do
the law and to live by faith is to live by faith. You can't
do both. Therefore, Paul says to us who
believe, stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us
free. Made us free. And be not entangled
again with the yoke of bondage. See the great contrast of these
who live and stand fast in the perfect liberty of Christ and
with those who live by the law. We live in Christ. We live in
Christ. Our life is hid with God in Christ. My life is not dependent upon
my obedience to the law in any measure. My life is dependent
upon my union with Christ. All our justification is by Him,
and we now have received this justification through faith and
have been set free. Look now. You who seek Christ
see your chains of sin. You who feel the just sentence
of death in your souls. If the Son shall make you free,
you shall be free, what? Indeed. You shall be free indeed. Without question. You will surely be made free.
Surely be made free. Free from what? The guilt of
sin. You have been made free from
the guilt of sin. How? He was made sin for us who
knew no sin, that you might be made the righteousness of God
in Him. And what has the law to say to a righteous man? Nothing.
Nothing. What sentence can the law put
on a man of faith? Nothing. The sentence has already
been carried out. God has seen Christ and His death
and He was satisfied. Satisfied. with His one offering,
free from the dominion of sin. We were free from the guilt of
sin. Now we're free from the power of sin, the dominion of
sin. What does this mean? Does it
mean we're free from sinning? No. Why? We still have the old
nature with us. We still have the old man of
death that hangs about our neck. We are not free from sinning.
We are free from the dominion of sin. What was the dominion
of sin? It kept us dead. It kept us enslaved. It kept
us from believing in Christ. It kept us from serving God.
It kept us from being able to approach unto God. Now we are
free to believe. Now we are free to serve. Now
we are free to worship. Now we are free to come to God.
And nobody can put that chain back on the new man. God has
created a new nature inside of us that is free from all sin.
Cannot sin that cannot be tempted with sin. It cannot be moved
to sin and that's something wonderful Grace, how do we know this my
faith? Yeah, I know these things I'm
free from the guilt of sin. Well, how do you know that I
believe on the Son of God? How do you know you're free from
the power of sin because I can believe on the Son of God I can. Can you believe on the Son of
God? Do you believe on the Son of God? Then sin hath no more
dominion over you. And third, we'll be free from
the very presence of sin soon and very soon. You know, friends,
we got a bright future. We have a very bright future
who believe on the Son of God alone. We have a good hope. But the moment we close our eyes
in death, the instant we breathe our last, we shall be in the
presence of Christ forever. And all of His promises that
He gave us, that we now receive by faith, then we will not need
faith anymore. Then we will experience for ourselves
the full measure of blessings that God promised to give. Then
we shall see this. Believer, we are free, free to
go in and out and find pasture. I know people use that day. It's
not free to go in and out and find law, free to go into the
law and free to go out to grace. No, that's not what it means.
It means we are free to come to Christ, come in unto our shepherd
for protection. For comfort, for sure, do you
need these things? Do you need them now? Then you
are free to come into His presence and be protected. And you know
what? Once you receive that strength, once you receive that encouragement,
you are free to go out and live by faith and manifest His glory
before men, His salvation before men. That's what we're free to
do. We're free to go into Him and we're free to go out and
serve Him. Free. We walk by faith. and seek no
merit but Christ. We desire only to be found before
God in His righteousness. We seek forgiveness, pardon,
and justification only on the grounds of His merits. Therefore,
we who are of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. We have
the best. Don't you know you have the best
that God can give you? Now listen, your flesh don't
believe that. I know it. Your flesh does not believe that.
Oh, but the inner man does. The new man believes that. And
what does he do? He puts away the old man. I don't care what you feel and
I don't care how you think this is true and right. We have the
best. And we will not return to the
law which cannot bless but only curse. Now are we the sons of
God. Now are we the heirs of God.
Now are we made the righteousness of God in Christ. Now are we
fully and completely perfectly justified before God by the faith
of Christ. Why then would we ever return
to the slave market from which we were bought? Why would we
ever desire to be chained again to the sin that enslaved us? Why? Were we ever to seek to
go back from freedom to bondage? And yet this is what they were
doing. This is what men do when they use the law as a rule of
life. They are going and grabbing the
chains and trying to shackle themselves back under the law.
It's madness. It's insanity. Why? Because to do so is to forsake
grace and go back to curse. And so then, the question then remains, if all is done, if the law says
do and faith says done, are we then to cease from good works? God forbid you should even think
that. That is none of what... I know
that's what we're accused of. I know that's what we're accused
of. Antinomianism. We don't have any law at all.
We're just out there and we just go back to our... I just said,
why would you go back to sin? We wouldn't go back to sin. We're
free from sin. Why would we return? We don't
want it. We loathe our own selves already. Does that mean we cease from
good works? We who are walking by faith,
no, we do good works because that's what God ordained for
us to do. We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto
what? Good works. And listen, you cannot
do any good works without faith. Why? Because whatever work we
do, we don't trust it. We don't depend on it for any
merit. It doesn't make me closer to
God. To love you doesn't make me any closer to God, yet I love
you. I'm commanded to love you. And I do love you. Does that
make me closer to God? Nope. I'm just as close to God
because I'm in Christ. See, I love you by faith. And
faith, what does faith motivate by? Love. Faith is moved by love. Because Christ loved me, I can
love you. We do good works Because we are
already justified. We don't do them to be justified. Faith works not by law, but by
love. I know I have more, but I think
I'll close there. I want to get a full measure
of this next time. But give you something to consider.
You know there's a difference between good works and righteousness?
Righteous work. Good works and righteous work.
Righteous works. Those works done by the law are
righteous works. But do you realize that to do
good works, often you would have to defile yourself according
to the law? But because we're free from the
law, we can do all kinds of good works that we could not do being
prohibited by the law. I'll let you think on it. God bless you and let's be dismissed
in prayer.