Law vs. Faith
Galatians 3:10-14 NLT
10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”
13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 3:10-14 NLT
Law vs. Faith
10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God
Circumcision would be one example of this. Dietary restrictions are other examples.
are under his curse,
- People who depend on following the law to make them right are under a curse.
for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”
Quote from:
Deuteronomy 27:26 NLT
26 ‘Cursed is anyone who does not affirm and obey the terms of these instructions.’
And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’
Fact:
- “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.”
Name someone who believed that the law made them right with God.
Who believed that he could obey the law without fault?
Paul.
Philippians 3:4-7 NLT
4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!
5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
Galatians 1:14 NLT
14 I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.
Paul sees things differently now.
11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law.
James 2:10 NLT
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
Divine acceptance by human effort is totally destroyed by failing to keep any part of the Law.
- The Law demands perfection and a curse is attached to failure to keep any part of it.
“Rabbit trail”
But still. The Law is good.
Romans 3:20 NLT
20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
More about the “Law”.
Romans 7:7-13 NLT
God’s Law Reveals Our Sin
7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11 Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12 But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. 13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.
For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Here Paul is quoting Habakkuk 2:4
Romans 1:17 NLT
17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Romans 3:24 NLT
24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Hebrews 10:38 NLT
38 And my righteous ones will live by faith.
- Scripture clearly says, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”
- The way of faith is very different from the way of law.
- Salvation does not come by combining faith with the law.
Faith vs. “Law”
Believing vs. doing.
Leviticus 18:5 NLT
5 If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.
Life under the law comes by obeying (doing) rather than believing.
Romans 10:5 NLT
5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.
James 2:10 NLT
10 For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.
13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law.
Philippians 3:8-9 NLT (Paul speaking to the Philippians.)
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Quote from:
Deuteronomy 21:22-23 NLT
22 “If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and hung on a tree, 23 the body must not remain hanging from the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone who is hung is cursed in the sight of God. In this way, you will prevent the defilement of the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession.
Galatians 4:5 NLT
5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
Titus 2:14 NLT
14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
1 Peter 1:18-20 NLT
18 For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value.
19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
- Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law.
14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.
- When the Gentiles believed in Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14) God gave them the Holy Spirit.
- We who are believers receive the Holy Spirit through faith.
Ephesians 1:13-14 NLT
13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
See also Romans 8:1-17, 23.
- The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people.
