Galatians chapter 2 verses 19-21, For I through the law am dead
to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with
Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace
of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain. My title is, Is Christ Dead in
Vain? Galatians 2.21 which we just
read, I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness
come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. So the other
question we would ask is what? Does righteousness come by the
law? I have to answer this question right now, right off the bat.
No. Righteousness does not come by
the law. Not before you are saved and
not after you are saved. Paul's already told us this.
This statement of the Apostle Paul is a statement to show us
the seriousness of trying to follow the law as your way of
life. And I want to give you a quote
by Scott Richardson, and I don't know if any of you all knew Scott
Richardson or not, but here's a quote by him. I defy anyone to find a solitary
text of Scripture in the New Testament that uses the law to
motivate, inspire, regulate, or even guide the believer. Believers
are motivated by love, inspired by gratitude, regulated by grace,
and guided by the Holy Spirit. The whole Word of God, the complete
revelation of His will is our law. Our lives are governed by
love, not by fear. We walk by faith, not by legislation. We walk in the spirit, not in
the flesh." When I first read this text thinking
about this message, one thing jumped out at me. In Galatians
2.19 it says, for I through the law am dead to the law, that
I might live unto God. to the law." And this just kind
of stuck out at me, but let me read the Young's literal translation
of this verse. I like it a little bit better.
For I through law did die, that to God I might live. This makes
it a little bit clearer to me. This law killed us is what this
is saying. We will look at that some more
a little later. So let's answer some questions today. Does righteousness
come by the law? And what did Christ do? So does righteousness come by
the law? We read in verse 16 of our chapter that no flesh
will be justified by the works of the law. That is the law will
not make us righteous before God. That's exactly what it says. If we are not justified by the
works of the law, then what is the point of the law? There is
a point to the law, but it has nothing to do with us doing the
works of the law, not for righteousness before God. But first let me
add something in here. There have been those who I've
heard with my own ears when talking about Galatians where they say
that Paul the Apostle was not talking about the Ten Commandments.
You know there are some who separate out God's law in different groups,
right? Ceremonial, civil, and moral
is how most of them kind of separate it out. God know wherein His
words separate His law into different categories. are in fact told
in James that if we break one point, meaning one command and
even the Ten Commandments, but one point that is any part of
those ten we break the whole law. God's law is a whole. But they, that in Galatians that
Paul is not, they said that Paul in Galatians is not including
the Ten Commandments. The reason they give a I'm not
clear on, but the Ten Commandments were not written down other than
by God on tables of stone, that's what they say. This sounds good,
but it is not true at all. We go back into Exodus and read
the Ten Commandments, so they were written down. But they say
that the Ten Commandments have always existed. To that I'm not
going to argue with them. However, I will say about the
law what God says. especially the Ten Commandments.
What are some things God has inspired to be written in His
Word? Galatians 3.17 it says, And this I say, that the covenant
that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the Law, which
was 430 years after, cannot disannoy, that it should make the promise
of none effect. God says His Law was 430 years
after the covenant made with Abraham. So who do we believe? God or man. Romans 5.20 says,
moreover the law entered that the offense might abound, but
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. God tells us
in His Word that the law entered. It entered where it was not before
according to what God tells us there. There are more, but I
want everyone hearing my voice to know when Paul is writing
here about circumcision, he is talking about circumcision, but
it's not all he is talking about. He is talking about the whole
law. So with this question, does righteousness
come by the law? Let's look at some other questions
that will help us answer our main question. What is the purpose
of the law? What is it that God tells us
in His Word as to why the Law came? Transgressions, Galatians
3.19, Wherefore then serveth the Law? What was the Law given
for? It was added because of transgressions till the seed
should come to whom the promise was made, and it was ordained
by angels in the hand of a mediator. It was added because of transgressions.
Was it added so that it might cause us to stop committing those
transgressions? No, it was given so that we,
those whom God opens their understanding, that we might know that we have
committed trespass against God. We even read in Galatians 3 that
the law is our schoolmaster, but it does not remain our schoolmaster. It is there until faith comes. more on this a little later.
So what else is the law for? We've already read it, that the
offense might abound. In Romans 5.20, moreover the
law entered that the offense might abound. This is saying
what it said in Galatians 3.19 but in a little bit more detail
if you will. When the law comes to the child of God who has had
his understanding opened by God, he then begins to see a little
of how bad they are before a thrice holy God. They begin to see this,
I cannot do this. they see that the Law, this is
what they see. So in doing what else is its
purpose? It shuts our mouth, Romans 3.19. Now we know that whatsoever things
soever the Law saith, it saith to them who are under the Law,
that every mouth may be stopped. Now I want to say this, the Law
shuts everybody's mouth, some now and some it will later. We
are told that Christ will judge the world by His gospel. But there are those who in time,
when God puts before them His holy law, they will be like Job. They'll put their hand over their
mouth, so to speak, so that not a word will come out, knowing
that everything we say in this flesh is full of hypocrisy and
lies and trespass against God. All else will, all will do this
one day as the judge of all the earth judges them by his gospel. So one more thing the law is
for. It kills us, Romans 7, 8, and
9. But sin, taking occasion by the
commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. This
is Paul speaking. For without the law, sin was
dead. For I was alive without the law once. But when the commandment
came, sin revived and I died. This does not happen for everyone. But for those whom God loves,
He opens their understanding and they begin to see what the
law says to them. It tells them they are condemned
before God because they have already trespassed against His
holy law. They see themselves as dead before
God with nowhere to run. This holy law and it is a holy
law. In fact Paul tells us in Romans
7.12, wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and
just and good. So there's nothing wrong with
God's Law. There is no shortcoming with
His Law. The shortcoming is with us. The
Law is weak through the flesh. What do some come to see in the
Law? The reason it was sent was to show me that this flesh will
in no way and at any time keep the Law of God. That is the Ten
Commandments. This law had to be done away
with, but it was not going to be done away with any of mankind
born in Adam doing any of the works of the law. We've also
read that we have no confidence in this flesh, but this law will
be done away with, and I want you to read with me in 2 Corinthians
2, verse 3. 2 Corinthians 2, verse 3, if
you want to follow along. I'm sorry, 2 Corinthians 3, verse
7. I can't get a little bit on this. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 7, "'But if the ministration of
death, written and engraven in stones,' so we're clear this
is the Ten Commandments, "'was glorious, so that the children
of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for
the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away.'"
The law was to be voided, not by us, by Jesus Christ who voided
the law for righteousness. The law cannot give life and
therefore it cannot give righteousness. never intended as a way to God. We just went through that with
what the Law was for. This flesh will never keep the
Law of God and when it comes to the Law if it was done, will
be done by the works. If you're going to do it, it's
going to be done by the works of this flesh. You can read Galatians
3 verses 1-3 for that. Our righteousness, our life comes
from one source and from one place. That is in light of who
Jesus Christ is and what He would do. So let's look at what Christ
did. Paul the Apostle says in Galatians
3.11 that it is evident that no man is justified by the law
because the just shall live by faith. Faith is their way of
life. is their walk. Faith is counted
for their righteousness. As Walter has told us at Chapel
before, and you can look it up he's correct about this word,
but the word for it was accounted to him for righteousness in Galatians
3.6 that word is an inventory term and you don't count something
that's not there. So faith comes from Jesus Christ. That is a gift from God. If you have faith and that faith
points to Jesus Christ. So what does it say here that
Christ did? And I want to concentrate on
these two things in our text. First, he loved me. Jeremiah
31.3 says, the Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying, yea, I
have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. So God's love for me is an everlasting
love. He loved me before I ever knew
about it. And in fact, he loved me before
I even existed. Other than in the mind of God. Think on this. God chose to love
me. All those who are His, He chose
in His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. I'm not sure we are capable
of choosing to love someone. Jenner, we love those who benefit
us in some way. We call it falling in love sometimes. And man is all about falling
into something, isn't he? God did not fall in love with
us. He chose to love us. And this was an everlasting love. But this love is not just something
we read about. It's something we read about,
but don't get me wrong, but this love was manifested to us, to
the world really. This He did before I was ever
born. But even after I was born, He had did something for me even
when I was an enemy against Him. He did not love me because what
I would do for Him. He loved me in spite of what
I would do for Him. I in my mind raised my fist in
the face of God and said, if that is who you are, I don't
want this God to reign over me. That's what I was saying. And
I did actually say that. He was my God and He is my God. He is in fact the God of all.
But those whom he loves, he comes to in a special way that he does
not for others. And he lets them know where his
love is manifested. And where is that? He gave himself. So second, he gave himself for
me. 1 John 4, 9 and 10 says, in this was manifested the love
of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten son
into the world that we might live through him. hearing His
love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His
Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Jesus Christ put an
end to our sins. Sin is the transgression of the
law. Jesus Christ put an end to that.
This He did by coming down as a man. We're talking about the
Creator here. He come down as a man. He had
to be a man because it was man who offended God. Everything
brings forth of its own kind. Jesus Christ came down and was
born of a virgin and made under the law that he might redeem
those who were under the law. We read of this in Galatians
as well, Galatians 3.13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed
is everyone that hangeth on a tree. Jesus Christ was set for the
wrath of God to be poured out on Him in our place. Redemption
is found not in keeping the law, but in Jesus Christ taking my
place where the Father poured out His wrath against His Holy
Son. He made Him sin. He bore our
sins in His own body. He was forsaken of the Father
in my place. God says He will never forsake
me. I have never known and I will
never know the forsaking of God because of what Jesus Christ
did. The punishment due me was given
to my Lord. I will never know the punishment
for my sins because he took it upon himself. Jesus Christ is
God. God died for me in my place. That is astounding thing for
me to think about. God, the almighty, absolutely
sovereign God who controls even the dust in the air that we see
moving around us from time to time. The one who created heaven and
earth and all that in them is. The one who it is said, who can
say unto him, what doest thou? This one came down and me having
offended him, he took my place to take on the punishment, do
me. He is the one offended, yet He is taking my place. I'm seeing
some love there, aren't you? This is where my righteousness
comes from. It is in what He did and because
of who He is. He loved me and gave Himself
for me. God is the only one that can
really put His money where His mouth is, so to speak. And I
don't mean to be flippant with that either. The whole intention of the law
was to show man that he will never get to God by keeping his
law. This some will know in time.
Those whom he loves, who he woos them in with his loving kindness,
drawing them to himself. Do you want to do, do, do? Christ is done, done, done. What are you going to add to
him? Jesus Christ did not get to God by keeping the Law. He
did keep the Law every jot and tittle, but He kept the Law because
it was in His nature to do so. What He did is exactly what God
tells us He did. Galatians 4 verses 4 and 5 we
read, But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth
His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them
that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption
of sons. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law, that curse of the soul that sinneth, it shall die. He died, but he also rose again
to the Father's right hand, the Father being satisfied with him.
Now, the law was not a part of our life because the law cannot
give life, only death. We are told that Christ is the
end of the law for righteousness, Romans 10 verses 2-4. For I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to
knowledge. 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.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believes. Christ is our righteousness.
He is our righteousness without the law. Romans 3, 21 and 22
says, but now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested,
being witnessed by the law and the prophets. Even the righteousness
of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ, and that is Jesus Christ's
faith. I want to be specific about that.
It's His faith. unto all and upon all them that
believe, for there is no difference. Christ is all, all our perfection,
all our righteousness, He is all." Kind of goes good with
the song we just sung, don't it? Those who teach otherwise,
those who put something else as even part of that salvation,
what does Paul say about them? Galatians 1, 6-9. I'm going to
turn over there. Galatians 1, 6-9. I marvel that you are so soon
removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ
and to another gospel, which is not another, but there be
some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed. As we said before, so say I now
again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have received, let him be accursed. The other gospel. that perverted gospel that Paul
is talking about it specifically here where some were saying,
and I don't think they were saying Christ was not needed at all,
they were just saying they have to add something in, you have
to be circumcised as well. Paul specifically is talking
about those who taught that you have to be circumcised, but he
included any who teach that the law was in any way a part of
our salvation, even the Ten Commandments. How do I know that? Well, I have
to show you that with Scripture, but if you look in Galatians
6.13, you don't have to turn to it now, but 6.13 it says,
for neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law,
but desire to have you circumcised that they may glory in your flesh. So if Paul is talking only about
circumcision, then what he says here makes no sense. because
they were circumcised and Paul says they were. But he then adds
that they do not keep the law. What law? All of it. The Ten
Commandments and every command that goes along with them. What
else does Paul say, go on to say about these men who taught
this? Galatians 2 verses 4 and 5. And that because of false
brethren unawares brought in, who came in privately to spy
out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might
bring us into bondage, to whom we came, gave place by subjection,
no, not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue
with you. We have liberty in Christ Jesus,
but we are told not to use this liberty as an occasion to the
flesh. But these and those like them who teach that the law is
our way of life, and I mean after we come to know Christ, after
we are believers, those who teach that the law is anything other
than what God says it is for, we do not yield to them. We do
not subject ourselves to that teaching. We certainly let them
know this as well if they are trying to teach these things
in the local assembly, because we are no better than they. We
are not strong enough in and of ourselves, so we must not
subject ourselves to such teaching, because it will draw us away
from the simplicity that is the singleness that is in Christ.
We do not serve God by obeying His law, the Ten Commandments,
because we cannot obey His law in this flesh. What we do is
much more than that. We believe God and love the brethren. How? Galatians 5 verses 18-23. Galatians 5, 18-23. But if ye
be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are
manifested, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations,
wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revelings, and such like. Of the witch I tell you before,
as I have also told you in times past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. We have the fruit of the Spirit,
faith to believe God, and love that energizes that faith. joy
in knowing what Christ has done. Longsuffering toward one another
and ourselves. Peace with God, knowing that
Christ has taken away the curse of the law from us. Gentleness
toward one another, remembering the pit from which we were digged.
Goodness in proclaiming what He has done. Meekness to stand
for the truth because we know God is sovereign. knowing that
we have liberty in Christ, but that we ought not use that liberty
for an occasion to the flesh. Against these things, there is
no law. If you relish the thought of
living in sin, then you have none of these. Although you sin,
there is shame in sin, and we cannot live in it constantly.
So if you have no shame, you do not have any of these. So
what are we to do? Look to Christ. Look to hearing
the gospel as much as you can. Look to His Word which speaks
of Him from cover to cover. We pray God open our understanding
so that we might see Christ, the one and the only way of salvation
to God. Do we want to look at the law
for righteousness when righteousness does not come by the law? righteousness
does not come by the Law then what comes by the works of the
Law? Unrighteousness because of this flesh. That which is
not righteous is unrighteous. Our keeping of the Law is self-righteousness
because it is not the righteousness of God. Christ has ended the
Law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. So is Christ
dead in vain? No. He is the righteousness of
God without the law. Amen. Thank you, brother.