Authentic Christianity Means Justification by Faith

1. Read: Galatians 3:1-14

2. About the Text:

1) Paul is heavy into the doctrinal part of the book.

2) He is setting forth his evidence that justification is by faith in Christ.

3) This is in contrast to those who were teaching it was through the Law of Moses.

4) Today, it is easy to just want to check the boxes of religion.

5) That’s not what Christianity is about.

6) God wants us to live by faith in Jesus Christ every day.

7) All of our thoughts, words, and actions must be informed by faith in Christ.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?”

1) Paul’s point is that they did not have to observe the law of Moses to receive the Spirit.

2) God gave them the Spirit when they believed.

3) “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).

4) “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41).

5) “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied” (acts 19:5-6).

6) “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).

2. “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”

1) The law of Moses was fleshly.

a. It has a physical tabernacle/temple.

b. It offered physical sacrifices.

c. It served a physical nation.

2) Christianity is spiritual/heavenly.

a. It serves God’s throne in heaven.

b. It offers spiritual sacrifices.

c. It is a heavenly kingdom.

3) You do not complete or perfect a spiritual/heavenly system by returning to what is fleshly/earthly.

3. Does God supply the Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

1) “And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, ‘See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them’” (Matthew 8:2-4).

2) “And He said to her, ‘Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace’” (Luke 8:48).

3) What healed them? The works of the law or the hearing of faith?

1. Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6).

1) It was Abraham’s faith in God that was accounted for righteousness (Romans 4:9)

2) It was not faith without works of any sort, though (James 2:22).

2. Only those who are of faith are children of Abraham.

1) To be in Christ is to be in the family of Abraham.

2) “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:26-29).

3. “In you all the nations shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, 18:18).

1) “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities” (Acts 3:26).

2) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

1. Moses said, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them” (Deuteronomy 27:26).

1) A curse was placed on anyone who did not keep all the law of Moses, and everyone failed.

2) This means that the law of Moses could not justify anyone.

2. The prophet Habakkuk wrote, “the just shall live by faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

1) The just are those who hear God’s word, believe it, and practice it.

2) They continue in God’s word trusting in God to be faithful.

3) Their faith is not in their own works, but in God who saves.

3. Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel and Zechariah prophesied of a time when God would pour out His Spirit.

1) “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,? And My blessing on your offspring; They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.’ One will say, ‘I am the LORD’s’; Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; Another will write with his hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ And name himself by the name of Israel” (Isaiah 44:3-5).”

2) “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10).

3) ““I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27).

4) “‘And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 39:29).

1. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law.

1) He became a curse for us.

2) “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:5-6).

2. He did this by going to the cross.

1) Deuteronomy 21:23 says “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”

2) “Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS” (John 19:19).

3. He did this so the blessings of Abraham might come upon the gentiles.

1) “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

2) “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

4. He did this so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

1) ““Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33).

2) “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).

1. Authentic Christianity means being justified by faith because …

1) Christians Receive the Spirit by Faith

2) Abraham was Justified by Faith

3) The Prophets Confirm It

4) Christ Died for It

2. Invitation