Now, Galatians chapter 3, Galatians
chapter 3. I want to bring a message today
from verse 21 down through verse 29 as we continue in this study. And we know that Paul, by inspiration
and the instruction of God Almighty, continues to show us how foolish
to entertain any notion of pardon or salvation through the deeds
of the law. And that's the same as saying,
by the deed of our hand. How foolish any notion to think
by the puny work of any creature that could satisfy the Holy Creator. That's why he says, O foolish
Galatians, who has deceived you that you should not continue
to obey the truth of salvation in Christ Jesus? There never
has been or never will be any sinner saved by creature merit,
or creature righteousness, or by the doing of the law, by our
obedience unto any command, not at all, but always upon the grace
and merit and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. It's upon His obedience unto
God that God is pleased to save us because of the Lord Jesus
Christ, honoring God's law in every precept, and satisfying
God's law even in the penalty of that law, which was death,
death. Now, the question has been asked
in Galatians 3, verse 19, well, why was the law given? Why, wherefore
then serveth the law? Well, two things. It was added
because of transgression. And it was added to restrain
us and to expose sin till the seed should come. And that's
speaking of Christ Himself. Until Christ should come to whom
the promise was made. And this law was given, attended
by angels in the hand of a mediator. The law was given never to save,
but it was given to expose us, to show us how guilty we are. Don't turn me, let me just quote
a part of this. Romans 5.20 says, moreover the
law entered that the offense might abound. Again, in Romans
7, verse 13, sin by the commandment, by the law, might become exceedingly
sinful. Exceedingly sinful. It was added
because of transgression. It was added because of sin.
The second thing he says, until the Lord Jesus Christ came in
the flesh to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself to fulfill
the law. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
end of the law. Did you hear me? The end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believes. The end of the
law. He appeared once in the end of
the age to put away sin. Did he get it done? to put away
sin by the sacrifice of himself. And I know this book, this record
of God said he didn't fail to do so. The atonement of the Lord
Jesus Christ was not an attempt. We don't say and we don't call
it an attemptment, do we? Now that's what we try to do.
We try to attempt certain things. The Lord Jesus Christ never made
an attemptment at righteousness, he never made an attempt at righteousness,
nor did he make an attempt at atonement. It's not an attempt,
it's an atonement. Complete covering of all our
sin. The law could never serve as
a permanent and effectual mediator because of two reasons. Cannot
put away sin, we read it a moment ago, by the blood of bulls and
goats, it's impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should
take away sin. The law could never put away
sin, therefore it could not serve as a mediator, it could not reconcile
us unto God, because the law cannot put away sin. The Lord
Jesus Christ came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Now listen to this, we have just
one Mediator between God and men, and who is that? One Mediator
between God and men. Now most people quote that wrong. They say man, as to indicate
that all mankind. The Lord Jesus Christ is not
the Mediator of all mankind. that high priest of old, when
he went into the holy place, and in the holy of holies, he
was representing not the Philistines, the Amalekites, the Jebusites,
the Hittites, and all the other ites, he was representing Israel
before God. And our Lord Jesus Christ, seeing
we have a great high priest, he intercedes for us, not in
the earthly tabernacle, but into heaven itself. He went into heaven
itself to appear as our sacrifice for sin in the presence of God. He ever lives to make intercession
for us. Now listen to this. The law could
not put away sin, could not serve as a mediator. The law manifests
what is in men. Sin. Grace manifests what's in
God. Love. Law demands righteousness
from men. The law demands righteousness.
Grace brings righteousness to men. Now, which way are you going?
Law or grace? Law sentences men to death. Death,
the guilty must die. Grace brings dead men to life. Oh, what a difference. What a
difference. Law speaks of what I must do. Do, do, do, do, do. Grace in the gospel of Christ
tells us what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. You see the difference? Oh, what
a difference! Law gives knowledge of sin. Grace puts away sin by
the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Aren't you thankful that
salvation is by the grace of God alone? And aren't you thankful
that the Lord has revealed unto you as a sinner, that salvation
is complete and done. That's what the Lord said upon
Calvary's tree. It is finished. It's not started. He didn't start
a part and then you add a part. He said it is done. Done so much that God said, I'm
well pleased with him. Done so much that God raised
him from the dead. Why was he raised from the dead? Delivered for our offenses and
raised again because He did justify us when He died. He justified
us with His blood. Therefore, being justified, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, look
at Galatians chapter 3, verse 21. Is the law then against the
promises of God? Is the law against the promises
of God? Well, He answers the question.
God forbid, God forbid, for if there had been a law given which
could have given life, truly righteousness should have been
by that law. Now, both the law of God and
the gospel of God are both given from the same hand of God Almighty,
and each serve a distinct purpose according to the will of God. The law to kill, to strike dead
all of man's hopes by the deeds of the law. That's what the law
was given. To strike dead any hope we have
of satisfying God by the deeds of the law. Now hold your place
here and I want you to turn and read this with me. You find 2
Corinthians 3. 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And while you're turning there,
let me read this to you. You find 2 Corinthians 3. For
when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, this is Romans
7, don't turn there, but let me just read it to you. The motions
of sin which were by the law did work in our members to bring
forth fruit Not to life, unto death. Now look what it says
over here in 2 Corinthians 3, beginning at verse 5. Not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything of ourselves,
but our sufficiency is of God, who also hath made us able ministers
of the new covenant. The new covenant, not of the
letter, but of the Spirit, for the letter killeth, killeth. But the Spirit gives life. But if the ministration of death,
written and engraven in stone, 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 done away, how
shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation,
of condemnation, be glorious, how much more that the ministration
of righteousness exceed in glory." You see what he's saying here?
Now turn back to Galatians chapter 3. The law killeth, killeth,
killeth. The gospel gives life. the dead
sinners, the gospel to quicken, to comfort, to give life based
upon the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ who honored the
law of God for us. Now hold your place here and
find Romans 8. Romans chapter 8. You see, there's nothing wrong
with God's law. It's good, holy, and righteous.
The problem is with us. We're exceeding sinful and we
cannot satisfy that law, which is against us and which is contrary
to us. But in Colossians 2, it says
that the Lord Jesus Christ took it away and nailed it to His
cross, having spoiled all principalities and power by the sacrifice of
Himself for His covenant people. Now look at Romans 8, verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit, and
that word there is the principle, the principle of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. The law of the Spirit. That's
the gospel. "...hath made me," what? Free!
Free from the law! Oh, happy condition! Jesus had
bled and there is remission. Free from the law of sin and
death for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the
flesh. God sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemns sin in the
flesh. Now watch it, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us. How? In Christ. We do not walk after
the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit
do think of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is
death, but to be spiritually minded, oh, that is life and
peace." Life and peace in Christ Jesus. Okay. Back to Galatians
3. Let's move on. Now here's the problem, verse
21, if there could have been a law given which could have
given life, righteousness, it should have been by the law,
but here's the problem, verse 22, God had concluded, what? We're all under sin. All have
sin that comes short of the glory of God. That the promise by the
faith of Now, that is key. I pointed this out before. By
the faith of Jesus Christ. It's by the faithful obedience
of the Lord Jesus Christ that we have righteousness before
God. It might be given to them that
believe, believe. God has plainly declared in His
Word that there is none righteous, no, not one. And Adam all died. You say, well, I don't like that
idea of original sin being imputed to me, being reckoned to me.
Well, let me ask you this. How have you done on your own? You're still a sinner by original
sin and by actual sin, on two counts, sin of commission and
sin of omission. We're guilty before God. Guilty
in Adam. and guilty by our own willful
rebellion against God Almighty. But the good news of the gospel
is, my friend, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners
by the faithful obedience of Jesus Christ. Now, I want you
to turn to this. I know we've seen this before,
but I want you to find Matthew 9. Matthew chapter 9. I talked to Pastor John Chapman.
Saturday morning. They had their first service
today in the new building there in Ashland on Hurricane Road,
Hurricane Road Grace Church. They had their first meeting
today, and I called him yesterday, and they were so excited about
getting in their new building and all that was going on. I asked him, I said, John, where
are you preaching from tomorrow? He said, from Matthew 9, and
here's my text, read verse 12. When Jesus heard that, He said
unto them, They that behold need not a physician, but those who
are sick. Now, look at verse 13. Go ye
and learn what that means. Now, that's a good assignment
for you this week. Go, learn what that means. He didn't come to call the righteous.
but sinners to repentance. I will have mercy, not sacrifice. I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy, not sacrifice, for I'm not come to call the righteous,
but I'm come to call sinners, sinners to repentance. Who needs
a Savior? Sinners. You see, grace is for
the guilty. Mercy is for the miserable. Our
problem is there's too many folks. Most folks think they're too
good for grace. They think they're too good.
They don't need a Savior. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation that the Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. Paul said, I'm the cheap one.
Based upon the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not my
faithfulness. You see, it says in Psalm 57,
doesn't it? Psalm 57, I believe verse 2 or
3, along in there somewhere. That it's based upon His performance. He has performed all things for
us. All things for us. Salvation
through the faithful obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
shall not fail. It says in Isaiah 42 that He
will magnify the law. He will magnify the law and honor
it. Honor it. Satisfy it. The Scripture
has concluded, back to Galatians chapter 3, the Scripture has
concluded, all under sin, that the promise, the promise by the
faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. How
do we believe? How does a dead sinner believe?
Well, you know, walk an aisle, stand there and sing 25 verses
of Just As I Am and beg sinners to come forward and make a decision
for Jesus. That's not believing the gospel.
That's you going forward and making a decision. Believing
the gospel. We believe the gospel according
to the working of His mighty power which He brought in us.
The same power as when God Almighty raised the dead body of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's what it takes to cause
us to believe the gospel. Given to them that belief. I tell you, faith is a miracle.
No wonder faith is called precious. Faith is the gift of God. Not
of works, lest any man should boast. Now look at verse 23. But, but, before faith came,
before salvation came, and we can read it this way, before
Christ came, We were kept under that law. What does that law
say in Romans 3.19? That law says one thing to you.
Guilty. You got it. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty
as charged. As a matter of fact, it says,
stop your mouth. You know, we always want to justify
ourselves. But, but, but, but. Make an excuse.
But, but, but. What? No. Stop your mouth. Guilty. Guilty before God. Ah, before
faith came, we were kept under the law. Shut up. Shut up unto
the faith, unto salvation, which should afterwards be revealed."
Aren't you glad that God shut us up to that salvation that's
revealed in Christ Jesus? He shut us up to that salvation
by the grace of God alone. Before God revealed the gospel
of Christ unto us, before the gospel was made known unto us,
before we were liberated and set free in Christ Jesus, we
were kept under the law, guilty. We were dead in sin under the
judgment of God. Shut up to His sovereign mercy
in Christ. Shut up to a sovereign revelation.
He said this, I have hid these things from the wise and prudent
and have revealed them unto My people. Even so, Father, it does
seem good in Your sight. Oh, shut up. Kept under the law. Shut up. Shut up to the faith.
The faith. The faith. which should afterwards
be revealed." You see, there's just one faith. There's just
one faith. One saving faith. Saving faith
has a foundation. What's the foundation of saving
faith? Well, you know, I just feel like I'm saved. What did old Luther say? Feelings
come and feelings go and feelings are deceiving. My warrant is
the Word of God and nothing else is worth believing. So the foundation
of faith is what? The Word, the Word, the Word,
the Word of God. And the object of saving faith
is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The object of saving faith is
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Oh, I tell you, shut up to the
one faith. One faith, one Lord, one gospel,
one mediator. You see, it's the gospel of one.
There's just one way of salvation. There's just one truth. And there's
just one faith. Shut up unto thee faith, which
afterwards in it must be revealed. As I said to you before, it takes
God to reveal God. And that's what has to happen.
God must command the light to shine in our hearts, to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God that's seen
in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He must turn on the light,
or we'll never see Him who is altogether lovely. Now, look
at verse 24. Wherefore, wherefore, it says
in verse 24, wherefore the law, the law, The law acted as a schoolmaster. Now, a schoolmaster unto Christ. Now, leave out those two words,
three words, to bring us. The law doesn't bring us. It's
not the terror of the schoolmaster that reveals Christ unto us. It's the goodness of God that
leads us to repentance. It's the mercy of God in Christ
Jesus. Wherefore, the law was our schoolmaster
unto Christ that we might be justified, that we might be justified
by faith in Christ Jesus. The law acted as a schoolmaster. A schoolmaster, a servant, whose
position it was to discipline the children until they were
grown up. Now, that's what the schoolmaster does. You remember
back years ago, you older folks, when they used to have, believe
it or not, you younger ones, they used to have in school,
when we were in school, Brother Hall and some of us older folks,
when we were in school, they actually used to have discipline.
They had a yardstick. I remember my 6th grade teacher
one time when I got out of sorts, Mr. Dredge was his name, I remember
him very well. I had a disciplinary problem
in 5th and 6th grade. And Mr. Hunter in 5th grade worked
on me for a while, but he couldn't get me straight. But I did pass
in the 6th grade and when I got to 6th grade, Mr. Dredge worked
on me too, but he didn't use a yardstick, he used a ruler.
and whipped me all over the place, constantly. You see, The law
was our schoolmaster to discipline us unto Christ. Unto Christ. Unto the Lord Jesus
Christ that we might be justified, justified by faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ alone. Giving us faith in Him and causing
us to love Him and to live for Him. You see, it's the gospel
It's the gospel that brings us unto faith. It's the gospel,
the good news, that brings us unto Christ. Let me show you
a couple of scriptures here. 1 Peter 3. 1 Peter 3, 18. 1 Peter
3, 18. I shouldn't tell those bad stories
about myself. My wife didn't even know about
that stuff. I've kept that from her for 35
years. Now she knows. It's out. It's
out. I Peter 3, verse 18. I got a weapon. I got plenty
of weapons, but I deserved every one of them. I deserved every
one of them. I Peter 3, verse 18. Look what
it says here. But here's what brings us unto Christ. For Christ also once suffered
for sin, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit,
that he might bring us to God." Now, can we be brought any other
way? Savingly? Any other way? No, sir. The just suffering for
the unjust, that he might bring us unto God. Now, another scripture
on this, turn to Hebrews 2. Hebrews 2. The law made nothing
perfect, but bringing in of a better hope did, by which we draw nigh
unto God. But now read Hebrews 2. Brother
Gary read this the other night. Hebrews 2, verse 10. For it became
Him, that is, it's just like Him, for whom are all things,
by whom are all things in bringing many sons and the glory to make
the captain of their salvation perfect, perfect through suffering. For both he that sanctifies and
they who are sanctified are all of one for the witch cause."
Now look, get a hold of this. He's not ashamed. He's not ashamed
to call them brethren, brethren. He's bringing many sons unto
glory. Now, it's the work of grace.
It's the work of the gospel to bring us to salvation in Christ
Jesus and cause us to live for Him, to just live by faith. Now look at verse 25, Galatians
3 verse 25. Oh, He brings us unto Christ.
the sweetness of the gospel that draws us to the Lord Jesus Christ,
that we might be justified by Christ. But after that faith
has come, after that salvation has come, we're no longer under
the schoolmaster. No longer under the schoolmaster,
my friend, we live under the shepherd. The shepherd. We say with David, the Lord is
my shepherd, I shall not want. What would you rather have? An
old, mean schoolmaster? Or a loving, kind shepherd who
shepherds you, who leads you besides still water, who feeds
you, who causes you to lay down and rest in Him? He said, come
unto Me and I'll give you rest. All you that labor and are heavy
laden, you come unto Me." No longer under a schoolmaster. Well, preacher, are you saying
this? That we're no longer under the law? That's exactly what
I'm saying. You're dead to the law. Dead
to the law through the body of Christ. Dead to the law that
I might live unto God. You see, the law has already
killed us. It's already executed us. The wrath of God's already
fallen upon us. That's why we read a moment ago,
there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Now look at verse 26 in our text. Galatians 3, for you're all children
of God, you're all children of God, realized and made known
by faith in Him. Faith in Him. Faith in Him. The holy, just law can never
make us sons of God. Love, not law. Love, not law. Faith, not works. Christ, not
ceremony. Grace, not merit. You're all
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Now, verse 27. Verse 27. You see, my friend, we're accepted
in the Beloved. We're accepted in Him. Christ
is our righteousness. But of Him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, everything this sinner needs to stand before
God perfect. is fully provided, eternally
provided, abundantly supplied in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only
that, now listen to this, only that which God provides will
God accept. We're accepted in the beloved.
The Lord Jesus Christ is His provision. This is God's Lamb
who did put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Oh, he
said, for you're all children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. Verse 27, for as many of us as
have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Now, I'm
not real smart, but I know this, that's not talking about water
baptism. That's not talking about water
baptism. But I tell you what it is talking
about. It's talking about the greater baptism. What is that? Well, it says over in 1 Corinthians
12, 13, by the one Spirit are we all baptized into the one
body. That's the greater baptism. But
of Him are you in Christ. As many of you as have been baptized
or put into Christ. Being put into Christ is something
that God Almighty does by His sovereign electing grace. We've
been put in Christ as He has chosen us in Him before the foundation
of the world that we should be holy. He didn't choose us because
we were holy. He has chosen us that we should
be holy in Him, having predestinated us under the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His own
will." We put on Christ. We've been put into Christ and
therefore by faith. Look what it says, the last line
of verse 27, we put on Christ. We put on Him. We receive Him,
and we rejoice in Him. We are the true Israel which
worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and we have
no confidence in the flesh. Putting off the filthy rags of
self-righteousness, we say with Paul, who can all things but
loss and dung that we might win Christ and be found in Him, and
putting on by faith that spotless robe of glorious righteousness,
even the Lord Jesus Christ Himself." He is the Lord our righteousness. The Lord our righteousness. You
see, God doesn't tell us to go around and establish a righteousness,
but He does tell us to receive one. that's of His own providing
by the merit of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore, that
being so, that being so, blessed is the man to whom the
Lord would impute righteousness without works. There is, verse
28, there is neither in Christ Jesus, There's neither Jew nor Greek.
There's neither bond nor free. There's neither male nor female.
Well, you're all one. You're all one. There's that
truth of oneness again. You're all one. You're all one. Members one of another. One body.
You're all one in Christ. All believers are one in Him,
fully justified by His grace, fully accepted in the Beloved,
fully redeemed from the curse of the law. How? Christ being
made a curse for us. You see, the law made great distinctions,
did it not? What privileges did the Gentiles
have under the law? None. I mean none. They were
shut out. They were shut out. The law made
great distinctions between Jew and Gentile. Great distinctions
between bond and free. Great distinctions even between
male and female. But in the Lord Jesus Christ
all are blessed and complete in Him. Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Doesn't matter Jew,
Gentile. Doesn't matter bond-free. Doesn't
matter young, old. Doesn't matter black and white.
Whosoever. My pastor used to say this. Whosoever
is a big word. Whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord, on the Lord, shall be saved. In Him dwells
all the fullness of a Godhead bodily, and in Christ we stand
complete in Him." Complete. Full. Fully redeemed. Fully redeemed. Of His fullness, you remember
what John said? John recorded, of His fullness have we all received
grace for grace? Of His fullness. Have we all
received grace for grace? And there we see in that verse
the reason for grace. What is the reason for grace?
Grace? You're right. Grace for grace.
Grace because of grace. Now, in closing, verse 29. And seeing you are His. Notice that apostrophe S. And if you be His property, bought
with a great price, bought with His blood, He bought us. Therefore, glorify Him, honor
Him. He bought us. God purchased the
church with His own blood. And if you be Christ, Then are
you true sons of God, heirs of God according to promise. And
that's the title of this message. Heirs according to promise. Heirs according to promise. We've
been made heirs of God and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ
by the promise of grace. By the promise of grace. Now
we'll look a lot in the weeks to come. I believe it's next
week's lesson. We're going to look a lot at
this word, heir, adoption, and inheritance. We've been made
heirs of God according to the promise of God. Is he good on
his word? I can say with Abraham, I'm the
same persuasion of Abraham of all that God promised. I'm persuaded
he is able to perform all that he has promised. Heirs of God
and joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ. Heirs according
to promise. The whole inheritance of grace
and all of salvation by the promise of God. By the promise of God. And that's the same as saying
salvation by the grace of God in Christ Jesus.