Galatians: Chapter Three

• The ‘egg’

• The ‘flip-flop’

• Today’s question: This life in Christ and spirit that we live in — did we receive that because we obeyed all the laws of the Old Testament? The answer is no! 

• You came to this life in Christ by first believing in the message of Jesus Christ.

• Many of us tend to drift and try to become perfect by our own ways and the ways of the world. 

• Another question: By living in a culturally and politically correct way — does it bring about the works of God's miracles, wonders, life, and grace in our lives? The answer is no!

• These things come because we believe in Christ, His message, and His ways.

• Galatians 3:3-5

  • Don’t be fooled by spiritual performance — the Galatians were drifting from Christ back toward rule-keeping as the basis of acceptance with God.

  • The Spirit comes by faith, not effort. Paul reminds them that they received the Spirit through faith, not by works.

  • Abraham shows the way — he was counted righteous because he believed God, and believers are his children by faith.

    • The promise to Abraham was never meant to stop with Abraham; it was always moving toward Christ, and in Christ it reaches us.

  • Christ redeemed us from the curse — Jesus took the curse of the law upon Himself, so the blessing promised to Abraham could come to all nations.

  • We are one in Christ. In Christ, old dividing walls are broken down; believers are one family and heirs of the promise.

[Gal 3:23-29 NLT] 23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. 24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. 26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God's promise to Abraham belongs to you.

• The Genesis Promise: 12, 15, 17, 22

  • “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise…”  — The Apostle Paul

  • You belong to the family of faith promised to Abraham.

  • You inherit the blessing God promised to bring to the nations.

  • You receive that inheritance through Christ, not through the law.

• “The promise to Abraham was never meant to stop with Abraham; it was always moving toward Christ, and in Christ it reaches us.”

• The ‘new cloths’