Wherefore Then Serveth The Law

Q: What does the Bible say about the purpose of the law?

The Bible teaches that the law was given to identify, expose, and condemn sin, not to provide salvation. In Galatians 3:19, the Apostle Paul addresses the purpose of the law, stating it was added because of transgressions. The primary function of God's law is to reveal sin and make humanity aware of their sinful condition. Romans 3:20 reinforces this idea, declaring that through the law comes the knowledge of sin, effectively showing us our utter inability to achieve righteousness through our efforts. The law acts as a mirror, reflecting our failures and emphasizing our need for a Savior.

Q: How do we know salvation is by grace alone?

Salvation is by grace alone because any addition of works denies the entirety of Christ's sacrifice. Paul clearly states in Galatians 2:21 that if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ's death was in vain. This underscores the belief that grace alone is sufficient for our salvation; our works cannot contribute to our justification. Such a view aligns closely with the Five Solas of the Reformation, which declare that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. To mix faith with works is to frustrate God's grace and misunderstand the core of the gospel.

Q: Why is understanding justification important for Christians?

Understanding justification is crucial as it clarifies that we are declared righteous solely through faith in Christ's work. Justification is the act of God declaring a sinner to be righteous based on faith alone in Christ. This doctrine is central to Reformed theology and emphasizes that our standing before God is not based on our works but on Christ's righteousness imputed to us. As seen in Galatians 3:24, the law serves to lead us to Christ, confirming that our justification comes by faith. This understanding frees believers from the burden of trying to earn acceptance with God, resulting in true peace and assurance of salvation.

Q: How does faith relate to salvation in Reformed theology?

In Reformed theology, faith is the means by which we receive salvation, but it is Christ's faithfulness that secures it. Reformed theology teaches that faith is a gift from God, enabling us to trust in Christ for salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, and this faith itself is not of ourselves but a divine gift. Furthermore, the grounding of our salvation lies in Christ's obedience and faithfulness, as outlined in Galatians 3:22, where the promise is received through faith in Jesus Christ. Thus, while faith is essential, it is Christ's work that is the true basis of our salvation.

Q: What does it mean to be adopted as children of God?

Being adopted as children of God means believers are granted full rights and privileges as heirs in God's family. In Galatians 4:4-7, Paul expounds on the doctrine of adoption, where God sends the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, resulting in our ability to call Him 'Abba, Father.' This signifies that believers are not just servants but beloved children, chosen freely by God. The significance of this adoption lies in the assurance of our identity as heirs, securing the promise of eternal life and fellowship with God. This transformative relationship impacts how we live, knowing we are accepted and loved unconditionally by our Heavenly Father.

3 and verse 19. Galatians 3 and
verse 19. You'll find my subject in the
opening line of this nineteenth verse. Wherefore then serveth
the law? Now, there had been false teachers,
legalists, Judaizers, who crept into the church at Galatia and
they cunningly, craftily attempted to subvert the gospel of God's
grace. They did not openly deny that
salvation is by Christ, that salvation is by God's grace.
They did not openly deny these things, but practically and by
implication in everything they taught, they totally denied salvation
by God's free grace in Christ alone. They taught that believers,
though we are saved by grace, Though we are saved in Christ,
certainly it just stands to reason we must do something for ourselves. That just stands to reason. It
just makes good sense to human flesh. That if God's going to
save us, then he's going to save us, certainly he will be gracious
to us, but we must make some difference ourselves. And so
they're taught two things. They're taught that believers,
though we are justified by grace through faith in Christ, If we
would indeed be justified, we must keep the law. And when they
talked about keeping the law, they were talking about all the
Old Testament law to the degree that it pleased their flesh.
They said you've got to be circumcised. They said you've got to walk
according to the Ten Commandments. If you would be sanctified, then
you certainly must do something yourself to sanctify yourself. You must live by the law. So
Paul opens the third chapter by saying, oh foolish Galatians,
Who has bewitched you? Somebody cast a spell over you.
Somebody cast a spell over you. Who's bewitched you? Having begun
in the spirit, are you now made perfect through the flesh? What
foolishness. Now in the 11th chapter of Romans,
you don't need to turn there, but Paul gives this statement.
I'm going to give you the summary of his statement. You can look
at it yourself in verses 4, 5, and 6 of Romans 11, but this
is what he says. If you add your works, anywhere,
in the beginning, in the process, or in the end. If you add your
works to the grace of God for your salvation, whether you talk
about justification or sanctification, acceptance with God, if you add
your works to God's grace to any degree, you have totally
denied the grace of God. You're lost, you don't know God,
you don't know Christ, you don't know the gospel. Well preacher,
are you suggesting that men and women who believe that somehow
their works contribute something to God's salvation and God's
grace, are you saying they're lost? I wouldn't think by saying
that, but this book says that. That's exactly what Paul says.
He says in Galatians 5, listen to this, if you be circumcised
Christ shall profit you nothing. Nothing. If you just so much
as for the sake of getting acceptance with God, just one thing, cut
off a little piece of flesh, that's all. If that's what you
do, and you add that to God's work, you add that to God's grace,
you've missed Christ. You've fallen from grace. You've
departed from the whole gospel. Well, if that's the case, then,
pastor, this whole religious world is an utter apostasy. That's exactly right. That's
exactly right. Look in Galatians 2 verse 21,
having basked in pieces the notion of mixing law and grace, Paul
makes this bold dogmatic assertion, I do not frustrate the grace
of God. For if righteousness come by
the law, What kind of righteousness? Any kind before God. If justifying
righteousness, sanctifying righteousness, if it comes by the law, then
Christ is dead and gone. That's just about it. That's
in that most forceful language you could possibly have used.
Paul simply could not have used a stronger statement to declare
his case. He tells us that those who teach
that righteousness can be after all. in some way to some degree
obtained by our personal obedience to God's law, those people frustrate
the grace of God and by their doctrine declare that Christ
died for nothing. Died for nothing. If you can
be saved by your works, there wasn't any need in Christ's death.
If you can be saved by your works, there's no such thing as grace.
Now with that as the background, let's look at these 11 verses
in Galatians 3 beginning at verse 19, going through the end of
the chapter, and I want to answer this question. Wherefore then
serveth the law? The Apostle Paul, being inspired
by the Holy Spirit, anticipated the coughing of legalists who
would come along and they would say, now you fellas, y'all Y'all
teach the salvation by grace alone. Y'all teach that we're
not justified by the law, we're not sanctified by the law, the
law is not a rule of our life, then the law is useless. Then
what's the purpose of the law? And in anticipation of the carping
legalist, Paul raises this question. Wherefore then serveth the law?
Why was it given? What was the purpose of God's
holy law? Look at verse 19. It was added
because of transgression. Do you see that? Here's the reason
the law was given. The law of God, the Ten Commandments,
the legal precepts of worship, the civil government, the daily
life laws given in the Old Testament, all the law of God was never
intended to be a means of grace, a means of righteousness, or
a means of salvation. The purpose of God's law is this. Listen, it is to identify, expose,
and condemn sin. That's his purpose. Paul said,
I had not known since that the law had said thou shalt not covet.
Look in Romans chapter 3. I want you to turn back there
for a moment. Romans chapter 3. Hold your hands here in Galatians.
We're going to stay right here tonight. Romans 3, night 10. Now we know,
we know Paul is He has, in the book of Romans, laid the foundation
with regard to the gospel of God's grace. He has declared
the total depravity of the entire human race, Jew and Gentile. And after declaring the depravity
of the race, he says, We know that what things however the
law saith, it saith to them that are under the law, that every
mouth may be stopped. That means, Bob Pontius, you
ain't got any excuse for anything. No excuse. I know I shot that
fella, but no excuse. I know I've got horrible hatred
in my heart, but no excuse. No excuse. I wouldn't have done
this with my mom and dad. No excuse. The law has given
that every mouth may be stopped. Now you're gonna have to have
your mouth stopped or you'll never meet God in grace. That's
exactly right. You're gonna have to have your
mouth stopped. No excuse. I had no excuse. That every mouth may be stopped
and all the world may become guilty before God. Look in verse
20 of chapter 5. Moreover the law entered that
the offense might abound. The law came, the law was given
so that the offense might abound, not that you might be more and
more sinful, but that you might be made to know your sinfulness
more and more. But where sin abounded, oh, when
your sin is made to abound in your soul, made to abound in
your eyes, so that you look at yourself and see yourself to
be obnoxious and worthy of damnation from God Himself. When your sin
abounds, grace also will abound. that grace also may abound. Grace
did much more abound. Before any man is converted then,
he must be convinced of his sin and guilt. So we preach the holy
law of God to convince men of their sin. Before a man can be
given newness of life in Jesus Christ, he's got to be slain
by the law. The law is the deep, deep cutting
plow of God Almighty. The plow by which he breaks up
the fallow ground of our depraved hearts, the conscience and the
minds of men, and prepares us for the gospel of his grace.
Now then, look at verse 19 of Galatians 3. Look at it again. Here's the next line. The law
was given until the seed should come. Now underscore that, he
didn't say seeds. He said seed, he didn't just
say a seed, he said the seed. The law was given until. That
word implies that the law has some time of termination. The
law was given until the seed should come. To whom the thummus
was made. Now the seed spoken of here,
you know of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ. The promise spoken
of is the promise that God the Father made to God the Son before
the world began in the covenant of grace. It was a promise of
eternal life, of grace, salvation, and life everlasting to those
who are represented in the Son. It was God's promise of eternal
life before the world began. You say, well, preacher, you're
just guessing about that. Oh, no. The context declares
that this is exactly the case. The Mosaic law, look at verse
20. The Mosaic law was given at Sinai and given to Israel
by the hands of a man, a mediator man, Moses. That man, however,
through whom the law of God has been established and through
whom the promise of God was made is a mediator, but this mediator
is God himself. This Mediator is God. You see
that? God is one. God the Father who promised life
and Christ the surety to whom life was promised are one. He is God himself. This then,
the promise of God, is a promise given to a Mediator who is himself
both God and man, Christ Jesus the Lord. Now then, hold your
hands here and turn to Titus 1. Don't you see this? The promise
was made. made by God Almighty. And Paul's
not talking here about just any promise. He's not talking about
just some ambiguous promise. He's talking about the promise,
the promise made to thee, seed, thee, seed. Look here in Titus
chapter 1 now. Here's the promise. Paul, a servant
of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's
elect, and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after
godliness, in hope of eternal life. You live in hope of life? You have hope of eternal life?
It's because it is eternal life which God, that cannot lie, promised
before the world began. Well, who did he make the promise
to? Rex Barton? No, he wasn't around. He wasn't
around. Who did he make it to? His substitute,
our surety, the Lord Jesus Christ. Look back at Galatians 3 again.
We who believe have obtained the promise of eternal life in
Christ because the Lord Jesus Christ purchased it and effectually
obtained it for all the seed of Abraham, that is of all Abraham's
true seed, who are God's elect. Here in Galatians 3 verse 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. Now don't stop reading there.
Look at the next word. It's a connecting article. That. That. Why did Christ redeem us? Why did he bear the wrath of
God for us? Why did he die as our substitute?
In order that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles
through Jesus Christ. Well, what's that? That we might
receive the promise of the Spirit What is it? The blessing of Abraham,
that blessing represented in circumcision, is the new birth,
it is the blessing of God giving us His Spirit, the everlasting
life which He promised to Christ before the world began. Neither
by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, the Lord
Jesus entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. For verily He took not on Him
the nature of angels, but it took on him the seed of Abraham. All right, now look at Galatians
3 and verse 21. Is the law then against the promises
of God? God forbid, for if there had
been a law given which could, and notice the words, if there
had been a law given which could have given life. If there was
any possibility, if there was any possibility that God's elect
could have life granted to them by anything they could do, if
there could have been a law given which could have given life,
verily righteousness should have been by the law. You don't really
think God would have killed his son if there was salvation some
other way, do you? You don't really imagine that God would
have sacrificed his son if he could have just given a commandment
and said now you just obey this and everything will be alright.
You don't really think God's law and justice and honor could
have been established and you live and God slays his son anyway
if you could have obtained those things by something you do. That's
exactly what he's saying there. Now look at verse 22. But the
scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise of
faith of Jesus, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might
be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were
kept under the law, shut up under faith, the faith, which should
afterward be revealed. The law was not given to make
us righteous, not at all. The law was given to shut us
up to Christ. The law of God set forth in Holy
Scripture concludes all under sin. We are, all of us, by nature,
by birth, by choice, by practice, we are all under sin. That's
our nature. Flesh is flesh. Bobby is always
going to be flesh. It's still just sin, just sin. We are under sin's dominion.
We were under sin's corruption, under sin's penalty, and under
sin's curse. But now look at verse 22 again. The reason why this is the way
it is, is this, that the promise, that the promise, the promise. Remember now, he's talking about
the same promise he's been discussing throughout the chapter. The promise
of grace, salvation, and eternal life. That the promise, by faith
of Jesus Christ, might be given to them that believe. Now read
the words carefully. grace, salvation, and eternal
life come to chosen sinners upon the ground of and because of
the faith of Jesus Christ. Now wait a minute, you mean he
believed God? Yeah, yeah, but that's not, that's
not really what this text is talking about. Our Lord Jesus
believed God like never a man believed him. He believed him
perfectly, but he's talking about his faith. the faithful obedience
of Christ, he said, Lo, I come to do thy will, O my God. And this promise of life is by
faith, or the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, his faithful obedience
to God, even unto death. He came here, he emptied himself,
he made himself of no reputation. He took on him the form of a
servant and still humbled himself more. He became obedient, obedient
to death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath
highly exalted him. You see this? We are saved then
on the grounds of this promise of eternal life comes to us because
of the faithful obedience of Christ unto death as our substitute,
not because of our faith. It was Christ alone who brought
in everlasting righteousness. It was Christ alone who satisfied
the justice of God. It was Christ alone who brought
salvation to us. Salvation is of the Lord. Well,
what does faith do? What does faith do? Some of you
are sitting here and you, you yet don't understand what faith
is. What does faith do? Not a blessed
thing. Not a blessed thing. Well, if
you can call falling down, doing something. If you can call falling, doing
something. That's what faith does. Faith
falls on Christ. That's all. That's all. Faith's
the gift of God. We are not saved by our faith,
we're saved by his faith and he gives us faith to believe
him and we rejoice and receive and experience his grace as he
gives us faith. Before faith came, that is before
we came to trust Christ, before God gave us faith in his Son,
look at it, we were kept under the law. As Rex read to us just
a little bit ago in Ephesians 2, We were by nature children
of wrath just like everyone else. We were justified from eternity.
We were justified by the blood of Christ at Calvary. But we
didn't know anything about it until faith came. But when God
gave us faith, look here, he put away my sin. He justified
me. He declares me free. Why? Why is it that Paul tells
us plainly When the law came, sin revived, and I died. That's exactly what he says.
But why? Because that's what we've experienced.
The Spirit of God tells us when we were thus, by the terror of
God's law, terrifying our consciences, declaring us to be damned, worthy
of everlasting damnation, damned before God, damned and deserving
His wrath, He declares us that and we were terrified with it.
We were shut up to faith. Shut up to faith. Oh, blessed
is that sinner who in God's grace and mercy has had the law of
God to strike terror in his soul and shut him up to faith. Shut
up to faith. Shut up not just faith. Everybody
talks about faith, you know. Just believe and enjoy it. Oh
no, peace comes Sam when you believe Christ. We were terrified
under God's law, shut up to faith, faith which should afterward
be revealed. Look at verse 24, wherefore,
and he's going to explain that faith for us. Wherefore, the
law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by
faith. The law's purpose The law's function, the law's use,
is to bring chosen, redeemed sinners to Christ. And once it
serves its purpose, it's got no other. It's got no other. Look at verse 25. But after that
faith is gone, when God gave me faith in His Son, to look
away to Christ for everything, He spoke peace to my terrified
soul. And the only time I'm ever terrified,
the only time, the only time, the only time I'm ever terrified,
it's been now 33 years, he spoke peace to my soul. And the only
time I'm ever terrified before his law is when I'm looking for
something in here. That's the only time. All but
looking away to Christ for everything. When faith is come, then the
peace of God says, not to look. Now jump down. Somebody reads this text and
says, well, what does this mean? We're no longer under schoolmaster.
It means just exactly what you think it means. I mean, I don't know how many
ways Paul can say this. He said we're not under schoolmaster. I didn't care much, still don't
care much about Martin Luther King's theology. It was horrendous.
But he had a good statement when he made this statement concerning
the passage of the Bill of Rights, or the passage of the Civil Rights
Bill, excuse me. He responded like this, free
at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I'm free at last. That's my theology. I'm free! Free! And I'm not going to let
you, me, or anybody else lay me in bondage again. I know what
it's like. Salvation comes to sinners. I mean salvation in
its entirety. In its entirety. Justification,
sanctification, peace, pardon, forgiveness, everlasting life,
the blessed glory of heaven, everything comes to centers by
free grace on the grounds of Christ's faithful obedience unto
death when faith comes without the law. Without the law. Now
then, look at verse 26. This one stumps a lot of toes. For you are all the children
of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Well, how could Paul say that?
He's written to these Galatians, and boy, the indication is that
some folks in that church is like they are in every church.
Some hares as well as wheat, some goats as well as sheep.
Then how can he say you are all the children of God by faith
in Christ? He speaks to the Galatians exactly as I speak to this congregation
of many women who believe on Christ. You profess faith in
Christ and in charity because I have no reason to think otherwise.
I say you are believers. You are the children of God.
And that's exactly what Paul's saying here. He's taking them
at their word, these who profess faith in Christ. He's saying
you're the children of God, not by your obedience to the law,
not by your works of the law, but by faith. faith in Christ
Jesus the Lord. He's not suggesting that somehow
our adoption into the family of God is the result of our deleting.
Oh no, it's just the other way around. Our faith in Christ is
the result of our adoption into the family of God. Ephesians
1 5 says we were predestined to this adoption. In Galatians
chapter 4 the apostle tells us the Spirit of God came because
we were the adopted sons of God Almighty. Behold what manner
of love then the Father hath bestowed on us that we should
be called the sons of God. And then look at verse 27. For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Well, Paul must mean that some
of these folks weren't baptized. Nonsense. Nonsense. In the early church, there wasn't
any such thing as a man called a Christian who wasn't baptized.
And I don't mean to have a little water thrown in his face. I'm
talking about being baptized, immersed. Those early believers
submitted to the gospel ordinance of immersion in the name of Christ.
And Paul is not in any way suggesting that some did not. His language
here simply means that there might be some of them who, though
they were baptized in water, had never been baptized in Christ.
I expect they might even be here. Gill explains the text correctly.
He says those who are truly and rightly baptized, who are properly
subjects of it, and to whom it is administered in a proper manner,
are baptized into Christ. This is not just a ceremony.
When baptism is an act of faith, when it is an act of faith, when
we come here as believers, because we seek to obey Christ, we are
baptized in faith. And if it's not an act of faith,
then it's sin. But when baptism is an act of faith, we're baptized
in the name of Christ. on the authority of Christ because
he said we're baptized according to his doctrine in obedience
to his command baptized into the body of Christ his church
and baptized in the hope of Christ in the resurrection so that all
who have truly been baptized have put on Christ put him on
before they were baptized and put him on when they're baptized
before we were baptized believing him we put on Christ as the spotless
robe of our perfect righteousness before God. And coming to Christ
in baptism, confessing Him in baptism, we put Him on publicly
declaring to all be it that Christ alone is our righteousness and
we are baptized into Christ. Now look at verse 28. There is
neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither bond nor free.
There is neither male nor female. for you are all one in Christ." Well, that's the way it ought
to be. No, that's the way it is. That's the way it is. Believers
are one in Christ, male and female, bond and free, rich and poor,
Jew and Gentile, learned and unlearned. You see, in Christ,
this is the only place, in Christ, in his church, in his kingdom,
this is the only place where race makes no difference. This
is the only place where sex, and I mean by that not what you
do, but what you are, this is the only place where it makes
no difference. This is the only place where wealth makes no difference. This is the only place where
poverty makes no difference. This is the only place in the
world where men and women come together and are one. One. And believers are. So I know
some folks who aren't. No, you don't. Not believers.
Not believers. You might know some religious
folks and you might be one of them. But believers are one in
Christ. They're one in Him. We have one
hope. We have one character. We're
sinners. Sinners saved by God's grace.
We have one standing, the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ.
We have one father, one elder brother, one blessed spirit,
one hope of our calling. Now look at verse 29. I want
you to get this and I'll send you home. May God, the Holy Spirit,
gracious to apply his word to your heart and mine for Christ's
sake. And if you be Christ, then are
you Abraham's seed. and theirs according to the promise. As the promise of God. Now here's
the issue. If you do Christ, nothing else
matters. Since I said, Carrie, that darling
little child we've all had a hand in raising, if you do Christ,
nothing matters. I just got one daughter. And honestly, before God, I've
never sought from God but one thing for her. Only one. I've never asked God to give
her wealth. I've never asked God to give her an easy life.
Not one time. I'll tell you what I've asked.
And this alone is what I want for her. Oh, that she be found
in Christ. Nothing else matters. Nothing
else matters. If you're Christ, then you're
Abraham's son, because he was. He's the seed. And not only that,
heirs according to the promise made by God our Father to God
the Son, brought home to our hearts by God the Holy Spirit. Heirs of God and joint heir with
Jesus Christ. according to the promise of eternal
life, which God, who cannot lie, made with his Son before the
world began. Amen.

Wherefore Then Serveth The Law

What does the Bible say about the purpose of the law?

How do we know salvation is by grace alone?

Why is understanding justification important for Christians?

How does faith relate to salvation in Reformed theology?

What does it mean to be adopted as children of God?

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Wherefore Then Serveth The Law

What does the Bible say about the purpose of the law?

How do we know salvation is by grace alone?

Why is understanding justification important for Christians?

How does faith relate to salvation in Reformed theology?

What does it mean to be adopted as children of God?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

Comments

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