You Foolish Galatians!

Galatians 3:1-25

Key Verse: 3:1

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

Read 1-5.  What message had the Galatians clearly heard from Paul?  How had they received the Spirit?  How did they begin their Christian life?  How were they trying to attain their goal now?  In what respect were they being foolish?

The Galatians had heard the message of Jesus’ crucifixion through Apostle Paul.  Paul not only preached this message (Gal 1:3-4, 11) but also lived this message (Gal 2:20).       

The Galatians received the Spirit by believing what they heard.  Believing the message is essential to receive the Holy Spirit.  

They began their Christian life with the Spirit.  When they believed they received the Holy Spirit.  They should have continued to live by the Spirit.    

They were now trying to attain their goal through human efforts.  They tried to be righteous through keeping the law; such as the law of circumcision.

They were being foolish because they were trying to attain righteousness through human efforts; according to the law.  Jesus was crucified and poured out the Holy Spirit on them in order for them to be righteous before God, but instead of moving forward in the righteousness of God they were going backward.       

  

Read 6-9.  How did Abraham attain righteousness?  Why is it important to consider his example (7, 9, Rom 4:16)?  How did God announce the gospel in advance to Abraham (8)?  What can we learn about how God wants to bless all nations?

    

Abraham attained righteousness through believing God’s promise.  He was credited with righteousness—meaning that God deposited righteousness into his spiritual bank account for him to draw from anytime, anyplace.

It’s important to consider Abraham’s example because Abraham is the father of faith established by God.  We must become children of Abraham through learning Abraham’s faith and take hold of the blessings promised to Abraham.

God announce the gospel in advance to Abraham through the promise, “All nations will be blessed through you.”  This promise looked ahead to Jesus who would come from the line of Abraham.

God wants to bless all nations through Jesus.    

Read 10-14.  Why are all those who rely on the law cursed?  How has Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (13)?  Why has he redeemed us?  What promise should we claim by faith? 

          

All those who rely on observing the law are under a curse because the law requires perfect obedience at all times.  No one is able to obey the law on all counts, all of the time.       

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.  He took our curse upon himself on the cross. 

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law in order to give us the blessings giving to Abraham, especially the Holy Spirit.

We should claim the promise of the Holy Spirit by faith.   

Read 15-18.  What were the covenant promises given to Abraham (Gen 12:1-2; 15:4-6; 22:18)?  To whom does the seed or offspring in verse 16 and in Genesis 22:18 refer to?  Why doesn’t the law set aside the covenant or do away with the promise (15, 17-18)?        

Gen 12:1-2:  “The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.  I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.””

Genesis 15:4-6:  “Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”  He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be.”  Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

“…and through your offspring [seed] all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Seed or offspring refers to Jesus, whom God promised through the line of Abraham.  

First, the covenant precedes the law.  The promise was given to Abraham 430 years before Moses received the law.

Second, the law does not do away with the promise because the promise is not dependent on the law but independent of the law.

Read 19-25.  Why was the law added?  Why couldn’t the law impart life (21)?  How did God impart life (22 Rom 8:3)?  What is the purpose of the law (23-24)?  Why are we no longer under the supervision of the law (25, Rom 8:9; 6:14)?   

The law was added because transgressions continued after promise to send Jesus and continued until Jesus came and solved the sin problem once and for all.   

Rom 8:3:  “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in sinful man,…”  God sent Jesus and Jesus died on the cross to impart life to all who believe in him.  

The purpose of the law is to lead us to Christ.  The law makes man conscious of sin and together with the promise leads man to Christ.

 Rom 8:9:  “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

Rom 6:14:  “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.  We are no longer under the supervision of the law because we are under the supervision of Jesus by faith and through grace.