Galatians, Part 3 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. We’re reading through the book of Galatians in the Bible this week and just seeing what God has to say to us. And in this letter from the apostle Paul to the church in Galatia, Paul is just defending the truth of the gospel.

And he knows some people have come to that church and are trying to tell them you’re Gentiles, but you have to follow all the rules of the Jewish Old Testament, the law, in order to really be right with God. And certainly many people today also think that it’s by keeping religious rules and following the law that they have to be right with God. And Paul says, no, no one can be good enough for God. It’s only through what Jesus has done.

Listen as we pick up in chapter 3.

You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? ² This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of ^[b]the Law, or by hearing ^[c]with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun ^[d]by the Spirit, are you now ^[e]being perfected by the flesh? ⁴ Did you ^[f]suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works ^[g]miracles among you, do it by works of ^[h]the Law, or by hearing ^[i]with faith?

⁶ Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. ⁷ Therefore, recognize that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. ⁸ The Scripture, foreseeing that God ^[j]would justify the ^[k]Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” ⁹ So then, those who are of faith are blessed with ^[l]Abraham, the believer.

¹⁰ For all who are of works of ^[m]the Law are under a curse; for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law, to do them.” ¹¹ Now, that no one is justified ^[n]by ^[o]the Law before God is evident; for, “^[p]the righteous one will live by faith.” ^12 [q]However, the Law is not ^[r]of faith; on the contrary, “The person who performs ^[s]them will live by ^[t]them.” ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a ^[u]tree”— ¹⁴ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Intent of the Law

¹⁵ Brothers and sisters, I speak ^[v]in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s ^[w]covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds ^[x]conditions to it. ¹⁶ Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. ¹⁷ What I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is ^[y]based on law, it is no longer ^[z]based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.

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¹⁹ Why the Law then? It was added on account of the ^[aa]violations, having been ordered through angels at the hand of a ^[ab]mediator, until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made. ²⁰ Now a mediator is not ^[ac]for one party only; but God is only one. ²¹ Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? ^[ad]Far from it! For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness ^[ae]would indeed have been ^[af]based on law. ²² But the Scripture has confined ^[ag]everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

²³ But before faith came, ^[ah]we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. ²⁴ Therefore the Law has become our ^[ai]guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. ²⁵ But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a ^[aj]guardian. ²⁶ For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is ^[ak]neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you ^[al]belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s ^[am]descendants, heirs according to promise.

I’m John North.