Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace (Part 36) – Gal 3:24, 26; Gal 5:4

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1.      Gal 3:24

1. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal 3:24)
2. By whose faith are we justified?
3. The faith in context is the “faith of Jesus Christ” (Gal 3:22).
   1. That is the faith that came after the period in which the church was kept under the law (Gal 3:23).
   2. People, such as Abraham, had faith prior to Christ coming (Gen 15:6).

• Faith was a requirement of the law (Mat 23:23).

1. So the faith that came was not men’s faith, but Christ’s faith.

1. The law was the schoolmaster that brought the church (Israel) unto Christ (Gal 3:24).
   1. Unto – 1. Expressing or denoting motion directed towards and reaching (a place, point, or goal)
   2. Christ came and by faith fulfilled the law, thereby justifying His elect by His faith (Gal 2:16).

• Once Christ came, and by His faith redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13), we are no longer under the a schoolmaster (the law) (Gal 3:25; Gal 4:4-5).

2.      Gal 3:26

1. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” (Gal 3:26)
2. Does this verse teach that we became the children of God by our faith in Jesus Christ?
3. No, it doesn’t.
4. We became children of God by Christ’s faith.
   1. The promise of eternal inheritance is by the faith of Jesus Christ (Christ’s faith) (Gal 3:22 c/w Heb 9:15).
   2. We are justified and made heirs of eternal life by the faith and grace of Christ (Gal 2:16; Tit 3:7).

• We are heirs because we are children of God (Rom 8:16-17).

1. We are children of God because God predestinated us to be His children through adoption by Christ’s work on the cross (Eph 1:4-5).
2. We received the adoption of sons by God sending His Son Jesus to redeem us from the curse of the law (Gal 4:4-5 c/w Gal 3:13).
3. This was accomplished by the faith of Jesus Christ (His faith) when Jesus faithfully did the work the Father gave Him to do (Gal 2:16 c/w Joh 17:2-4).
   1. This is the “faith in Christ Jesus” which made us the children of God (Gal 3:26).
   2. “Faith in Christ Jesus” can refer to Jesus’ faith – the faith that is in Him (belongs to Him).
4. Jesus was a man of faith (Joh 8:29 c/w Heb 11:6); therefore there is faith in Christ Jesus.
5. There is faith and love in Christ Jesus (His faith) (1Ti 1:14).
6. Paul commended Timothy for the faith that was in him (2Ti 1:5).
7. Stephen was full of faith; therefore, there was faith in Stephen (Act 6:8).
8. Jesus spoke of faith in Israel (Israel’s faith) (Luk 7:9).
9. God condemned Israel in the OT for being “children in whom is no faith” (Deu 32:20).
   1. We are (we show evidence that we are — not become) the children of God by our faith in Jesus Christ.
      1. Our faith is the evidence, not the cause, of our eternal salvation (See Joh 5:24 – Section III).
      2. We were made the children of God by God choosing us and saving us by His grace (Eph 1:4-7 c/w Rom 11:5).

• Therefore, our faith is the evidence that we are the children of God (born of God) (1Jo 5:1).

1. Faith and obedience evidence that we are (be, not become) God’s sons and daughters (Mat 5:45; 2Co 6:17-18).

1. Our baptism likewise shows evidence that we are the children of God (Gal 3:27).
   1. The local church is the body of Christ (1Co 12:27).
   2. Therefore, when a man is baptized and thereby added to the local church (Act 2:41-42), he is baptized into the body of Christ (1Co 12:13); or in other words, he is baptized into Christ (Gal 3:27).

• When we take Christ’s yoke upon us (Mat 11:28-30) by submitting to His command to be baptized, we put on Christ (Gal 3:27).

1. When we put on Christ, we show evidence that we are in Christ.
2. One is in what one has put on.
3. When we show evidence that we are in Christ, we show evidence that we are the children of God who were chosen in Christ (Eph 1:4-5).

• Therefore, our baptism shows evidence that we are the children of God.
• In like manner, we show evidence that we are the children of God by our faith in Jesus Christ (Gal 3:26).

3.      Gal 5:4

1. “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Gal 5:4)
2. Does this verse teach that a man can lose his eternal salvation (fall from grace)?
3. Paul’s purpose in writing the book of Galatians was to convince the Galatians to forsake the false gospel of works which had been sold to them by the Judaizers and return to the true gospel of grace (Gal 1:6-9).
   1. The Pharisees which had infiltrated the churches of Galatia and Jerusalem had perverted the gospel of Christ (Gal 1:7).
   2. They taught that justification was by grace plus works (being circumcised and keeping the law of Moses) (Act 15:1,5; Gal 2:1-5).

• Sound familiar? “Jesus did His part; now you have to do yours…”

1. They had been bewitched into believing in works-based salvation (Gal 3:1-3).
2. They were desiring to be under the law (Gal 4:21).
3. The Pharisees wanted the Gentile Galatians to be circumcised and keep the law, essentially becoming Jews, so that they would not suffer persecution from their Jewish countrymen for being Christians and fellowshipping with Gentiles (Gal 6:12 c/w Gal 2:12 c/w Gal 5:11).

1. Paul encouraged them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ made them free and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage (works) (Gal 5:1).
2. If a man is circumcised (to keep the law of Moses), Christ will profit him nothing (Gal 5:2).
   1. If a man decides to keep any part of the law of Moses, such as circumcision, then he must keep the whole law of Moses (Gal 5:3).
   2. The reason being is that grace and works do not mix; it must be either all of grace, or all of works (Rom 11:6).

• If a man starts down the path of works by being circumcised, then he must stay on that path and keep the whole law (Gal 3:10).

1. Hypothetically, if a man is justified by the law, Christ becomes of no effect to him (Gal 5:4).
   1. If a man is justified by the law, then Christ’s work would add nothing to that since he is already justified.
   2. If righteousness came by the law, then Christ’s death was in vain (Gal 2:21).
   3. If a man is justified by the law, he doesn’t need to be justified by grace.
   4. If a man is justified by the law, he hasn’t lost his eternal salvation; he has acquired it by his own works.
   5. This, of course, is impossible (Gal 3:11; Gal 3:21).
2. The Galatians had not lost their eternal life.
   1. Christ had redeemed them (Gal 3:13).
   2. Their eternal life could never be lost (Joh 10:28).

• They had fallen from the doctrine and the gospel of grace (Gal 5:4 c/w Gal 1:6).