Part LX on The Study of Galatians

Acts 15:5
"But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying. That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses."  This is what Paul was constantly up against. Everywhere he had begun a little congregation of primarily Gentile believers these Judaizers would come in and torpedo Paul's message with this kind of teaching. They would say, "You can't be saved by faith alone." We're sure there are people out there who say, "Don't listen to faith + nothing, because you can't be saved by faith alone." Well, it isn't us that is saying that, but rather it's this Book that says it. Now come back to Galatians 3:11. Here we find Paul confronting this false teaching that was leading these people astray, do you remember what he said in chapter 1? You are falling for a perverted Gospel.


Galatians 1:8
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."  So if we add or take away from Paul's Gospel we are in trouble. Well here in verse 11 Paul is still dealing on that same premise.


Galatians 3:11
"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, (Maybe we can fool people that we're a Christian by Law keeping, but we will never fool God) it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."  There is nothing else added to that verse. So it's faith + nothing. Verse 12.


Galatians 3:12
"And the law (works religion, legalism, or idolatry) is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them (these works under legalism) shall live in them."  To-day to do so brings the wrath of God upon our head, why? Because we remain clueless and in lawlessness, not in subjection to God's Will and Christ's purpose. We remain of the deceived of the world and in sin.


In other words if we're going to try to keep the Law or add works for salvation then we need to keep the whole Law. It's like a dear brother in the Lord that lives near us who was talking to a neighbor, and this neighbor thought he needed to keep the Law for salvation. He told his neighbor, "Now wait a minute if you're going to keep the Law then you need a temple. You had better find a priest, and you'd better go buy a flock of sheep, because if you're going to keep the Law, you've got to keep it all if my Bible means what it says." And we couldn't have told his neighbor any better, because this is where most people are. If they want to keep the Law for salvation, then they had better keep it to the last iota. Remember there was only one way they could keep the Law and that was to have the Temple, priesthood, and the sacrifices, and even then they couldn't accomplish it because it's impossible. The other thing that many have on understanding of is that Christ took the curse of the Law or became a curse for us and therefore the Law no longer has a curse attached to it. So they practice the feast-days, dietary customs, and other religious ceremonies and ordinances that are part of the Law. And therefore this is now become the Law of God, is that what Paul has said? NO, we don't believe so. The Hebrews have been set free from the Law and the works it took to be in obedience to it, all of it and the ministration of death which it required (the key of the ordinance of our first estate and the purpose of our being given the Holy Spirit to bring us to that place of being without self sufficiency in Him). 


So here's where we've got to get people to stop and think, "Am I trying to obtain salvation by some kind of a works religion?" Which is idolatry. When we add anything to faith then it becomes a legalism under religion. Religion is man attempting to somehow merit favor with God where Christianity is God reaching down in Grace and saving sinful men. Oh! what a difference. There's no comparison between the two. Religion will always demand works, religion will always tell people what they have to do and what they can't do. But true Gospel Christianity says, "you do nothing because God has done it all for us we just have to receive, Him."  How do we receive the benefits through death, death to religion, death of all ego or self-will and death to the spirit of the world or the power of the prince of the air, religions legalism (separation from all of this). Now verse 13.