Now we find in Galatians chapter
3, Galatians chapter 3, we find again the good news of the gospel,
and that's what the gospel means, good news. And I'll tell you
who it's good news to. It's good news to those who are
guilty. You see, grace is for the guilty,
mercy is for the miserable. The gospel is good news. The
promise of God to save sinners, based upon the merit and work
and righteousness and blood and sacrifice of another. Upon a
life I did not live, upon a death I did not die, another life,
another's death, I rest my hope eternally upon the merit and
righteousness and blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ alone. The Gospel
is good news. And I tell you, it never grows
old. It never grows old. It's like
the Lord's mercy. It is of the Lord's mercy that
we're not consumed. Do you remember that scripture
from Lamentations chapter 3? His mercy is new every morning. And the gospel of God's grace
to the guilty never grows old. We rejoice to hear this message
of salvation in Christ over and over and over again. Notice,
if you will, in Galatians chapter 3 verse 13, And the essence of
the Good News is Christ. Christ. Christ. He is the Gospel. He is the sum and substance of
the Gospel. And He is the subject matter.
The Gospel of God is concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. It says
there that the Lord Jesus Christ, He has redeemed already done. He already has delivered us from
the curse of the Law. He came in the fullness of time.
God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
to redeem them that were under the law. Christ hath redeemed
us. He's delivered us. Stand fast
therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free. He said, you shall know the truth,
and the truth will liberate you. It will set you free. and whom
the Son sets free, He is indeed a free man. He has been liberated
by God Almighty, by His decree. He said, loose Him, let Him go. I've set Him free. That's why He came. He came to
redeem us from the curse of the law. And He did so by satisfying
God's law and justice. He didn't push it aside. The
Lord Jesus Christ came and died under the penalty of that law,
satisfying that law, enabling God to be both just and the justifier
of the ungodly, enabling God to be a just God and Savior. That's the mystery and the beauty
of the Gospel, how God can remain holy and just and yet save wretched,
miserable sinners and not compromise His holy character. And that's
through and only by the Lord Jesus Christ. He was made sin
for us who knew no sin that we might be made the right... Now
get a hold of that. Made the righteousness of God
in Christ? We read in Romans 10 that He
is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for it is written,
Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. And that's according
to the law of God. Those who were stoned and put
to death for a capital offense against God, against God's law,
they were displayed publicly, demonstrating that the wrath
of God fell on them justly. And that's exactly what happened
at Calvary. It wasn't what wicked men did
to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's our hope. It's what God
did that day at Calvary. You see, it pleased Pilate to
bruise him, didn't it? It pleased those Roman soldiers
to drive those nails. They got a thrill out of that. But what we must know and must
understand is what God did at Calvary. It pleased the Lord
to bruise him. in our room and in our stead.
Now, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. That, verse
14, now look at this carefully. Christ has redeemed us from all
sin, all condemnation. There is therefore now no condemnation
to those who are in Christ Jesus. That, the blessing of Abraham. Salvation in Christ Jesus. That's the blessing of Abraham.
might come on the Gentiles, might come on us, might come on us
through, and notice this word is so key, through, through the
Lord Jesus Christ. Everything God has for any guilty
sinner is always through, in, and by the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no salvation apart from
Christ. There is no spiritual blessing
apart from the Lord Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ. He is the
Savior, anointed of God in all of His offices, prophet, priest,
and king, that we might receive, receive as the gift of God, receive
salvation, receive Him as the gift of God, that we might receive
the promise. Not that we might earn the promise,
we receive the promise, the promise of the Spirit through God-given
faith. God-given faith. Christ has fully
blessed us with all grace now and all glory hereafter, made
known unto us by the regeneration and revelation of God the Holy
Spirit, whose principal office, what's the principal chief office
of God the Holy Spirit? I'll tell you what it is, to
magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. It's to honor Him. Now hold your
place here and find I Corinthians, I Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians
chapter 2. Our Lord said, when He, the Spirit
of truth has come, He'll take the things of mine and show them
unto you. He shall not speak of Himself,
but He shall reveal Christ unto His people and magnify Christ.
1 Corinthians chapter 2. Look what it says here in verse
9, But as it is written, I have not seen, nor ear heard, neither
hath it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him, but God hath revealed them unto
us by his Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. Look what it says in
verse 14, The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God. They are foolishest unto him, neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned. God must reveal Himself
unto us. Now listen to this. Now this
is not profound, it's just simple. It takes God to reveal God. It
takes God to reveal God. And that's what happens in salvation.
God who commands the light to shine out of darkness has shined
in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God that shines in the person of our blessed Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is a revelation of
Christ. Christ in you. Christ in you,
the hope of glory. He shines. You know, when we
talk about irresistible grace, irresistible power, where it
says, Thy people shall be willing in the day of His power. You
know how He makes us willing? He so works in our hearts He
shows us the ugliness of ourself and He shows us the beauty and
sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. So much so that we say
in our heart, I must have Him. I must receive Him. I must be
one with Him. And I tell you what, we throw
everything else out of the way. And when God does that work in
our heart, we do seek salvation where it's revealed in the Lord
Jesus Christ. And that's what he's saying here,
that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. You know, faith is a, the foundation
of faith is the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God. But the object of faith, what
is the object of faith? Christ. It all gets back to Him,
doesn't it? The object of faith, looking
unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Saving faith, It
says in Titus, the faith of God the elect acknowledges the truth,
and the truth of salvation gets all back to Him, a person, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now, he begins here in verse
15 by showing that when some covenant is made, even in the
courts of men, Even among men, when a covenant is made and it's
legally documented and legally registered, no one can come in
and change your last will and testament. Now, he's showing
us that the giving of the law has no effect upon the promise
of God's eternal grace to save sinners in Christ Jesus. The
giving of the law does not make null and void the covenant of
grace. Not at all. And he gives this
illustration, verse 15, "...Brethren, I speak after the manner of a
man, that is, among men, in the courts of men. Though it be but
a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, if it be sealed, ratified,
signed, and you take it down to the courthouse, and it's notarized,
and validated, and it's registered, and recorded, A deed or a will? No one's going to come in and
change that, not legally. If that be so among men, how
much so in the courts of God's law and justice? No man can disannul. No man can change. No man can
do this. And this is exactly what God
has done in that covenant of grace. We read that scripture.
Turn back over there to Hebrews 6. We read that scripture earlier.
And it says the same thing here in Hebrews chapter 6, verse 16,
"...for men truly swear by the greater, and the oath for confirmation
is to them an end of all strife." Verse 17, "...wherein God, willing
more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability
of His oath, His counsel, His Word, He confirmed it, interposed
Himself that by two immutable things in which it is impossible
for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation based upon
what God said, His promise, His oath, His covenant. He could
swear by no greater than God Almighty. We might have strong
comfort, strong consolation, and we have fled for refuge.
And we have laid hold upon the hope that's set before us, and
that hope is Christ. Which hope we have as an anchor
of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within
the veil. He's ascended and seated on the
throne of glory, absolutely victorious over all things. Where the forerunner
is for us. Notice this, the forerunner is
for us. Entered in. Even our Savior made
a high priest. He is our high priest. He represents
me eternally before God. And that's what a priest does,
represents the people unto God. And we have, seeing we have a
great high priest that is passed into the heavens, who is it?
I'm not looking for a priest here down on the earth. In some religious circles they
have that priesthood. I'm not looking for that earthly
priesthood. I'm looking for that heavenly
priesthood. The heavenly priest, the Lord Jesus Christ made forever
after the order of Melchizedek. Now, look back to Galatians chapter
3. Brethren, I speak after the manner
of men, verse 15, though it be but a man's covenant, yet if
it's confirmed, no one's going to change that covenant or add
therein to. Now, how much more that covenant
promise of God to save sinners in Christ Jesus by that sacrifice
of Christ alone. Now look at verse 16. The promise of salvation in Christ
was given to all the elect of God based totally, based totally
upon the covenant of grace in Christ Jesus from all eternity. Let me show you an interesting
scripture that I've turned to Galatians or Ephesians chapter
3. We read in Revelation chapter
13 of the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. Ephesians
chapter 3, but if you ever notice this scripture, verse 11, Ephesians 3 verse 11,
"...according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in
Christ Jesus our Lord." I'd like to preach a message someday on
the eternal purpose of God. Everything God does, He does
on purpose. And the purpose of God is an
eternal purpose. With God there's no time. It's
just eternity. The eternal purpose of God, which
He purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And that's what he's
talking about here. All believers in that covenant
promise, all believers are unconditionally chosen and given to the Lord
Jesus Christ. We call that election. God, out
of his own determinate will, chose a multitude of sinners
out of Adam's race and gave them to the Lord Jesus Christ and
made that promise of salvation complete and eternal in and because
of Christ. Christ alone. Our Lord said,
"...all that the Father hath given Me, they will come to Me,
and those that come to Me I will in no wise cast out." We are
one with Christ based upon that covenant promise. Now back to
Ephesians chapter 1 this time, look at this. It's so important
we understand this being made one with Christ. This vital union,
the believers are one with Christ. What's true of the head is true
of the body. If the head is blessed, the body
is blessed. And we are members one of another
and there's one body and that body is Christ. Salvation is
in Him. Look what it says in Ephesians
chapter 1. Look at verse 19, we'll start there. What is exceeding
greatness of His power to usward who believe, and we do believe
according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought
in Christ when He raised Him from the dead. set him at his
own right hand in heavenly places, far above all principality and
power, might and dominion, and every name that is named, not
only in this world, but also in that which is to come, and
put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over
all things to the church, which is his body." We are one with
Him, His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. We are one with Christ, made
one with Him because of that covenant promise, that eternal
covenant of grace in Christ Jesus. Secondly, all believers are given
all spiritual blessing based upon that covenant being made
one with Christ in that covenant of grace. He calls this over
here if you'll find II Peter chapter 1. Turn over there and
look at this. II Peter chapter 1. He calls
these promises, the promise of God to bless Abraham and all
the elect of God based on that covenant arrangement in Christ
Jesus. II Peter chapter 1. Look at verse
3. according as his divine power
hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory
and virtue." Glory and power, whereby are
given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by
these, by these promises, by these promises, might be partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is
in this world through love." The divine promises. What does
this involve? Turn over here to Ephesians chapter
1 again and look at verse 3. Christ himself is the promised
seed. God promised Abraham salvation
based upon that promise of giving Christ honoring the law, satisfying
the law, putting away sin. Ephesians 1, verse 3, Ephesians
1, verse 3, "...Blessed be the God and Father by the Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
things or places in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without
blame before Him in love, having predestinated us under the adoption
of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good
pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace,
wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin, according
to the riches of His grace." Now back to Galatians chapter
3. Now to Abraham and his seed were
these promises made. Is God good on his promise? Is
God good on his word? Absolutely. Abraham was fully
persuaded that all that God promised, he was able, he is able to perform. All that he promised, God is
able. And he saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and
that seed is Christ. one way, one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one church. And that church is the church
of the firstborn, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, verse 17, let's
read on. And this I say, that the covenant,
the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, of God,
the covenant confirmed before of God in Christ, The law, which
was given 430 years after, cannot disannul, it cannot change the
promise of God, the covenant of grace, it cannot change it,
that it should make the promise of non-effect. The everlasting,
eternal covenant of grace in Christ cannot be made void or
of non-effect, not at all. None effect by the giving of
the law. The promise of grace goes back and is prior to, now
listen to this, before Adam fell, before Adam sinned, you know
who stood as a surety of that promise? As a guarantor of that
promise? The surety and the guarantor
of that promise is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Before Adam sinned, before Adam
fell, the Lord Jesus Christ stood. as the surety of that covenant
promise in Christ Jesus. He stood before Adam fell. Let me show you that. He's a
surety. I like that word. Turn over here to Hebrews 7.
Back to Hebrews 7. He's a surety. Salvation is certain
and sure based upon Christ. Hebrews 7, look at verse 22.
Hebrews 7, 22. by so much with Jesus, made a
surety of a better covenant, better testament. And they truly
were many priests because they were not suffered to continue
by reason of death. But this man, because he continueth,
how long? Forever. Forever. He has an unchangeable
priesthood. And because He has an unchangeable
priesthood, because He's the surety, the sacrifice, and the
Savior of that covenant of great, that covenant promise. Look at
verse 25. I like this verse. One of my
favorite verses. Wherefore, and here's this word able. Wherefore
He is able. He is able also to save them,
His covenant people. His elect to the uttermost or
forevermore." You see, everything God does for us, He does eternally.
He saves us with an everlasting salvation. He obtained for us
redemption. But what kind of redemption is
it? It's an eternal redemption. Wherefore He's able to save them
to the uttermost or forevermore. those that come to God by Him,
seeing that He ever lives to make intercession for them. For
such a high priest became us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, made higher than the heavens." Turn over
here to Hebrews 2. Have you ever noticed this? Hebrews
2 verse 14, "...for as much then as the children are partakers
of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same,
that through death he might destroy him that had power of death,
that is the devil, and deliver them." He destroyed Satan's dominion,
Satan's power. He destroyed the one who had
introduced sin, destroyed him, and delivered them, his covenant
people. who through fear of death were
all their lifetimes subject to bondage. Now watch this, look
at verse 16, "...verily he took not on him the nature of angels,
but he took on him..." Here's this seed of Abraham, this seed
of Abraham. Now he's saying, not only was
he made flesh, but he took on him the seed of Abraham, that
is, he laid hold of those covenant people. covenant people by God's
promise. He laid hold of them. Wherefore,
in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren,
that he might be a merciful, faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make," and the word there is atonement. Reconciliation is the fruit of
atonement. "...to make an atonement for
the sins of the people." Now that's particular redemption.
That's particular redemption. For in that he himself has suffered,
being tempted, he is able," here it is that word again, he is
able. I love that word, he is able. I'm unable. But I tell
you what, our God, he is able. He is able in all things. Able
to keep you from falling, able to present you faultless before
the presence of God's glory with exceeding joy. He is able. For
in that he himself has suffered, being tempted, he is able to
succor them that are tempted. And that word there means to
help, to help them, to save them. Well, the Lord Jesus Christ is
the surety of the covenant. And salvation is certain and
sure because of Christ, because of Him. So, the giving of the
law had no effect upon the covenant of grace. That's why he's saying
in verse 17, that's what he's saying. 430 years after God gave that promise of salvation
in Christ to Abraham. The law came along 430 years
after. But it did not change God's promise
to save sinners by grace and grace alone. Grace alone. Now, look at verse 18. For if the inheritance be of
the law, then it's no more by promise. But God gave it to Abraham
by promise, not by law, but by promise. So the inheritance,
the inheritance of grace, it's not by law, it's by promise,
by promise. the whole inheritance of grace,
whereby guilty sinners are fully redeemed by the merits of Christ
Jesus alone, and made heirs of God, and joined heirs with the
Lord Jesus Christ," now listen to this, "...is no way attained
by the law, nor maintained by the deeds of the law." It's all
of grace, grace alone. Notice, you remember my favorite
verse, Galatians 2.21, "...if righteousness I do not frustrate the grace
of God, for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ
is dead in vain." So it's all of grace. The inheritance can't
be of law and promise. It has to be all by promise.
It can't be grace and works, can it? No. It's grace and grace
alone. Grace alone. Now, verse 19, the
question is asked then, verse 19, Why was the law given? Well,
that's a good question. Good question. Why was the law
given? Why don't we just skip that part? Wasn't God's purpose
to do so? Wherefore, why? Where then serveth
the law? Wherefore then serveth the law?
Why was it given? Well, he answers the question.
It was added because of transgressions, till, until the seed should come. Until the Lord Jesus Christ should
come, to whom the promise was made, and it was ordained by
angels, attended by angels, and it was given through a hand in
the hand of a mediator. Vital question. Why was the law
given? What was the purpose? What did it serve? Well, two
things. It was added because of sin. Added because of sin. Now, turn back to Romans chapter
5. It's added because of sin. to more fully reveal the wickedness
of our sinful nature, and to more fully show us the necessity
of the Lord Jesus Christ to undertake for us, that's why the law was
given. Notice in Romans 5, verse 19, For as by one man disobedience,
many were made sinners. So by the obedience of one, that
is the Lord Jesus, shall many be made righteous. Moreover,
the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded,
grace does much more abound." Now look at verse 21 carefully.
"...that as sin has reigned unto death, even so might grace reign
through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."
The law was added, the law was added because of transgression,
because of transgression. to more fully reveal the wickedness
of our sinful nature. Secondly, it was added on a temporary
basis to restrain, to expose sin until Christ came to fulfill
all righteousness for us." That's why He came, to honor God's law
and justice for us. Every precept of that law, our
Lord said, I didn't come to destroy the law, I came to honor the
law. Now listen to me. Get a hold
of this. Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has kept the
law, has honored the law. In Christ Jesus, my substitute,
that's right, blessed is the man whom the Lord would impute
righteousness without word. Whose righteousness is it? His.
How righteous must I be to stand before God accepted? I must be
in the Beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ. has to be as perfect
as God demands righteousness to be, and that is only had in
Christ. In Christ. He was added to the
seed should come to whom the promise was made. He fulfilled
the law for us. He honored the law of God for
us. And it says there, it was ordained by angels or attended
by angels in the hand of a mediator. The law was but a picture until
the reality came. Christ is the true mercy seeked.
Christ is the real atonement for sin. And Christ is the end
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. Do
we make void the law of God through faith? No. We establish the law
in Christ Jesus. And that's the blessedness of
the gospel. The blessedness of the gospel. Now, the last part
of verse 19. I said the law, the giving of
the law was ordained by angels or attended by angels in the
hand of a mediator. God used his servants, ministering
angels, in the speaking and the giving of the law. Don't ask
me to explain that, I can't, but somehow that was done. They
had no part in forming it or framing it, but they did have
a part in delivering it in some aspect. I don't know how. but
in the hand of a mediator. Moses was a mediator between
God and the people. Now remember this scripture,
turn to Exodus 20. In the giving of the law, Exodus
chapter 20, in the giving of the law, remember those people,
when God gave that law, the mountain smoked and there was lightning
and darkness and the people were fearful and here's what they
said, Exodus chapter 20. All the people saw, verse 18,
the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet,
the mountain, the smoking. When the people saw it, they
removed and stood afar off. Here's Moses, the mediator. And
they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear. But
let not God speak with us, or we're going to die. Stand for
us as a mediator. And Moses said unto the people,
Fear not, for God is come to prove you that that his fear
may be before your face, that you sin not. And the people stood
afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where
God was." A picture of a mediator between the people. They were
fearful. They were fearful. And Moses stood as a mediator
between the people. and God Almighty. And that is
a fit picture of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Mediator
of a better covenant based upon better promises. There is one
God and one Mediator between God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that Mediator of a better
covenant. And it tells us, in closing,
it tells us about that in verse 20, about this idea of a Mediator. A mediator is not a mediator
of one, but God. But God is one. Now, a mediator.
What is a mediator? A mediator is a middleman. A
lot of times when there is a contract strike between labor and management,
and when they can't reconcile, here's two parties who are at
odds over a particular issue. And when they can't come to terms,
what do they do? They get a mediator. A mediator
is one, a middle man, who mediates between two parties and his goal
and his objective is to bring them together in unity and in
harmony. That's exactly what the Lord
Jesus Christ has done and is doing for us. A mediator is a
middle man between two parties that are in disagreement with
a goal of bringing the two parties together. We know that God is
the offended one And we are the ones who have offended God. Now,
He's holy, we're sinful. How can we be reconciled? We are poles apart. How can we
be reconciled unto God? You want to know how? I'll give
you the answer from the book. Let's turn and read it. 2 Corinthians
chapter 5. Here's the answer from the book.
God's book. Here's the answer. You see, the
law and Moses can never serve as a mediator, effectually and
permanently, because it cannot justify, it cannot reconcile.
It cannot bring us unto God justified. By the deeds of the law shall
no flesh be justified in His sight. But here's how we're reconciled. Through the mediation of the
Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5. Look at verse
18. Let's read verse 17. Therefore
if any man be in Christ, He is a new creation. Old things are
passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. And all things are of God, who
reconciled us to Himself." Now, who did that? He did. He reconciled us to Himself by
the Lord Jesus Christ. And given to us, He's given to
us this ministry of reconciliation. To wit, that means namely that
God was in Christ, reconciling the world. Now, don't get confused
there. It's not teaching universal redemption. Reconciling, because
just read on. It tells us who these people
are. Reconciling the world, that is, all His elect throughout
the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and
have committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then,
we are ambassadors for Christ. as though God did beseech you
by us. We pray you in Christ's stead,
now be you reconciled." Be you reconciled. Lay down your shotgun. Look at verse 21 now. Here's
the gospel in a nutshell. For God had made him, and leave
out the two words there that have been added. God had made
him sin for us. He knew no sin. He had no sin. He did no sin. But our sin was
laid on Him. God made Him sin for us who knew
no sin that we might be made. The righteousness of God in Him. He is that Mediator. He has reconciled
us unto God. How? By that promise. The eternal
covenant of grace. God promised to save a multitude
of sinners for one purpose, His glory, His glory, and in Christ
Jesus. Well, we'll pick up there next
week in verse 21, down through verse 29. If ye be Christ, then
are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according, according to promise,
according to promise, according to grace. Same thing, isn't it?