Galatians: Chapter 3

God’s Wisdom Versus Man’s Foolishness

Any so-called ‘wisdom’ other than that which is founded in the Truth of God’s Word, is utter foolishness. Be careful to judge all wisdom, learning and Truth, against the True Word of God.

3:1

Paul uses strong and powerful language in calling them foolish! He accuses them of being deceived so badly that it is as if they had been bewitched, or perhaps brainwashed! He reminds them that Jesus Christ had been clearly revealed to them as having been crucified, died, buried, and then risen; ALL on their behalf, for their Eternal Salvation. They knew the Truth of Jesus’ sacrifice for them, yet they had rejected the Cross and instead embraced the Law and legalism. How often we foolishly do the same thing; we ignore the Truth and slip back into a DO and DON’T legalism. Remember, whenever we do this, we declare that Jesus’ death was worthless!

3:2

Paul asks the question of how they had received the Holy Spirit? Was it by obeying ALL the Laws and earning it? Or, was it by hearing the Truth of the Gospel and believing it through God’s Grace? Paul wants them to stop and think it through and search their hearts and minds to come to the obvious conclusion that it is by Grace and Grace alone that they were given Salvation!

3:3

Paul continues by directly demanding how they could be so ridiculously foolish. We would probably equate it with “What kind of idiots are you anyway!” Paul reminds them that they began their spiritual journey with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. They were BORN AGAIN from above; all God’s doing, they knew they had done NOTHING to earn Salvation. So why in the world would they try to become sanctified by trying to ‘earn maturity’ or ‘become more spiritual’ by works of the Law? The Judaizers promoted the idea that the gift of Grace was free, BUT then you had to ‘earn your way through works of the Law’.

This is one of the KEY TRUTHS of this Book: We become the person God meant us to be, through Sanctification; yet this lifelong process is always done through the WISDOM of the Holy Spirit working in us, through Grace. Again, it is Grace alone. Why? So, we won’t brag, take credit, or become prideful. All honor, praise and glory ALWAYS belongs to God, NEVER to us.

3:4-5

Now Paul reminds them of what they have suffered and experienced after becoming Believers. Was all that suffering for Nothing, or In Vain? Paul reminds them of the persecution they experienced because of believing in Jesus Alone. Now would they ‘throw that away’ and live as if they had made a mistake in trusting in Jesus alone? Paul refuses to believe that they would really do this. (5.) Paul continues to ask them hard questions. “If God, who gave them the Gift of the Holy Spirit; Who works His power and might among believers; does He do it because of the Law, or because of their Faith and Trust in God?”

These three crucial questions are asked down through the ages of all Believers: Who saved you? How were you saved? How are you being sanctified? The answer is simple: JESUS, through the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT, who lives and works in us!

Beware of trying to reach ‘perfection’ by our own works. Paul warns them, and us, that if we insist on trying to accomplish sanctification on our own merits, then all Jesus suffered for us, and our own suffering is in vain! Think about it, we have come too far with Jesus to quench or destroy God’s purpose in us. We MUST allow the Holy Spirit through God’s Grace to transform our lives to become more Christ-like. We know the right way to follow His Word; obey the Holy Spirit. Our sanctification is based on faith in what Jesus has done, not on what we can do. If we believe, for even a moment, that our acceptance with God is based on our DOING, we will always fail and feel rejected. But when we truly believe and see that our acceptance is based on what Jesus has done; only then will we be truly free! We want to be Free in Christ; Free to become the person He meant us to be. This Truth is crucial to living a victorious Christian life. Don’t miss it. Only Jesus can transform us, we can’t transform ourselves. Jesus does it one step at a time. He helps us confess our sins, totally repenting, and changing our heart attitude. We are BECOMING sanctified; hearing and obeying the Holy Spirit.

3:6

Now Paul tells them about Abraham. How Abraham believed in and obeyed and trusted and relied on God and God alone. Abrahams total obedience and belief were counted to him for righteousness. Notice all the action verbs. We cannot SAY we believe God, and then ACT as if it depends on us or someone or something else; that is NOT FAITH. Think about Abraham. He was NOT A JEW and Jesus had not even died for his sins yet! Yet, God’s Word tells us he, Abraham, was Justified by his Faith. He believed God would raise Isaac from the dead! He was willing to kill his only son to honor his belief in the One True God!

3:7

Paul conclusions pull it all together by assuring them that the True sons of Abraham, are those who live by Faith. The Judaizers insisted that THEY were the true sons of Abraham, because of their lineage. Yet, God’s Word tells us, we, who have Faith and Belief in Jesus ALONE, are true sons of Abraham.

3:8

The Scriptures foretold, down through the ages, that the Gentiles, including us, would be declared righteous, just as Abraham was declared righteous, in believing the Truth of God’s Word. Gen. 12:3 “In you shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Jesus is a descendant of Abraham. So, our Faith in Jesus as our Lord, God and Savior, makes us truly blessed. Notice that this Truth completely negates the Judaizers claim to be ‘sons of Abraham’ because of their keeping the law and their lineage. God always knows the future, and He knew that Gentiles would become Believers centuries after Abraham walked the earth. Another interesting thing is that Paul quotes the Scriptures as if God Himself is doing the speaking. This fact should encourage us to ALWAYS believe the Truth of the Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant. Always accurate and Truthful.

3:9

So Paul assures the Galatians, and us, that we who are Believers in Faith, are also blessed along with Abraham. The blessing is Justification before Almighty God. All this because Jesus died for our sins!

3:10

Now Paul uses more Scripture to make certain they, and us, NEVER try to depend on the Law to be Justified or self-righteous. ‘ALL’, this means that we too, who depend on the Law, and our attempts to obey the Law, rituals, etc. are under a curse and doomed to failure and destruction. Why? See Deuteronomy 27:26. Because to fail in even one little area is to fail totally and completely. We know that everybody fails sometimes in something, so we are all under the curse of sin. The idea that somehow, we can gain God’s forgiveness, or approval, by our own effort is indeed utter foolishness.

3:11

Now Paul tells them, and us, that is proved beyond any doubt that NO ONE IS JUSTIFIED and declared Righteous before God through the Law. Scripture tells us that the JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH! See Hab. 2:4. “Behold, look at the proud man, his soul is not right within him. But the just and righteous man shall live by his Faith and in his faithfulness.”

This KEY TRUTH is so crucial to our understanding and application to our lives that we need to memorize it and repeat it every day of our lives! The person who lives every area of their life, only by Faith in Jesus, is declared Just and in Right Standing with God. How we think, what we say and desire, our attitude, emotions, everything we are, must be by Faith. This Truth shows us that those who are filled with self-pride are NOT upright before God. They can’t be because their self-pride leads them to sin and death. Only those who humble themselves, admitting we are miserable sinners, incapable of saving ourselves, are given the Gift of God’s Grace, which is the free, unmerited Gift of Eternal Life through Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins; so, we might be Justified and made clean before our Holy and Loving God. Wise men follow Jesus; foolish men follow self.

This Truth was made a reality to Martin Luther in 1509. The rest of the story of Martin Luther, who was a Roman Catholic Monk, is he nailed his famous 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church and began a movement we now call the Reformation and gave rise to what is known as Protestantism. This Truth in God’s Word shows us that our Faith is in Christ alone.

3:12

In contrast, the Law does not depend on Faith at all. In fact, it has nothing to do with Faith. Leviticus 18:5 even tells us that “Those who do the things demanded by the Law, shall live by the Law.” But isn’t the Law important? Don’t the Ten Commandments count for something? Maybe both Faith and the Law are needed? No. Because all through the Scriptures we are told ONLY by keeping ALL the Law are we justified. The Law serves only to condemn us. See James 2:10. Think about those commandments; how many have you broken? Thou Shalt Not Murder? Oh you’re innocent? Oh really? Jesus says anyone who hates, dislikes, or even says “you fool” is guilty of breaking this one. So, we admit that we have broken ALL of them. We stand guilty before God, condemned to Hell … unless Jesus is our Savior and Lord.

3:13

Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. Jesus alone purchased our freedom from sin and Eternal death in the Lake of Fire. Jesus became cursed, condemned, for us. He became sin to pay the awful price of separation forever from a Holy and Just God. This was predicted thousands of years ago. Deut. 21:23. “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” In those times lawbreakers, criminals, were executed, usually, by stoning. Then their dead bodies were displayed on a stake or tree post to show God’s divine rejection. Thus, Jesus’ death by crucifixion was the ultimate curse of God. This incredible sacrifice was substitutionary redemption. Jesus took the penalty of all guilty lawbreakers for all time on Himself. We cannot even begin to comprehend what this means. The agony, pain, humiliation, and horrible physical suffering was not the ultimate price Jesus paid; the most severe price was separation from His Father for the first time in Eternity. This Truth is beyond our imagination; we simply can’t understand or imagine the horrible suffering it brought to Jesus.

3:14

The result of Jesus’ death is that through Jesus, the blessing promised to Abraham, might come upon the Gentiles; so that we, through Faith, might receive the realization of the promise of the Holy Spirit. This means ALL who believe in Jesus through Faith are given the Holy Spirit. We receive salvation first, making us right with God; then the sanctification process comes through the Holy Spirit by Faith, not by works.

3:15

To explain further, Paul uses the example of a Will. This is a human document that stipulates certain future things pertaining to a man’s estate. Once he drafts the Will and signs it and has it ratified (Notarized in our times) then no one can change it. During Paul’s day, the Roman covenant of a Will was unchangeable, thus no one could come and alter the original stipulations. Therefore, Just as God had given Abraham the promise, Covenant Agreement, to bless the Gentiles through his seed, the Messiah, (Jesus); the Law given to the Jews did not change or alter the original Covenant Agreement. Judaizers claimed that the Law was added to the original agreement, but God never did that, and it was His Covenant with Abraham, that promised the seed, (Messiah Jesus), to bring blessings to all believers. No one can change the original Covenant Agreement.

3:16

Paul goes on to clarify and state that to Abraham and his Seed were given the promises, not seeds, plural. That Seed was the Messiah, Jesus. Even Matthew in his first chapter declares Jesus to be the son of David, the Son of Abraham. Then Matthew continues to give us the entire genealogy to make certain we know and believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah! The True fulfillment of the promises to Abraham are all fulfilled in Jesus, not in the Law.

3:17

Now Paul confirms the Truth that the Covenant God made with Abraham, and subsequently reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob, was made 430 years before the Law was given to Moses on Mt. Sinai. For those who question the time frames, note that the Covenant was reaffirmed with both Isaac and Jacob; so, the 430 years comes after the death of Jacob. The Law could not, and did not, nullify the original Covenant. It simply showed the Jews they were sinners, and needed God’s redemption. All this continued to point to Jesus.

3:18

If the promised inheritance is of the Law, then it is not God’s promise; yet God gave it to Abraham by promise, without the Law. Thus, the Law did not have anything to do with the original promise (Covenant). The promised blessing was to be Justification by Faith. It was given to Abraham, and all those who believe in Jesus, as an unconditional gift. We don’t earn it. Judaizers insist we must keep the Law, and thereby, earn our salvation.

3:19

So what was the purpose of the Law? The Law came to reveal sin and expose men’s guilt because of their sins against the Law. The Law clearly showed men where they had failed. The Law was to guide and direct men on how they should worship God and treat their fellow human beings. The Law served as a tutor and guide. The Law was given to Moses by angels for the benefit of the people. Thus, Moses and the angels served as intermediaries between God and the people. The Law depended on the people keeping it. Notice that after the Law is given, God says “If you keep my words, then I will bless you.” Notice the conditions; IF THEN. We see If NOT, then Bad things will happen. All this was to teach and train the Jews to obey God.

3:20

Yet the Covenant God gave Abraham, and us, was unconditional, given directly to Abraham, no mediator. God alone was responsible for the Covenant being fulfilled. The Jews couldn’t do it, nor can we. Only Jesus could fulfill the promise.

3:21

Is the Law against the promises of God? Absolutely not! If any law could have given us life, the law given to the Jews would have done it. However, we know that the Law could never give life because no one can keep it perfectly. The promises given by the keeping of the law were temporary blessings here on earth. The Law also prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. Now Jews knew their only hope was the Messiah.

3:22

The Law clearly showed that ALL mankind were sinners. We are imprisoned and held captive by sin, unable to free ourselves. Now we clearly see that the blessing, which was promised through Faith in Jesus, the Messiah, might be given and delivered to all those who believe, trust in, and rely only on Jesus. We can understand that we cannot ever save ourselves, we must give up any attempts to please God by our own efforts and instead humbly accept the free gift of salvation only through Jesus, our Lord, God and Savior.

3:23

Before Faith came, Jews were guarded under the Law. Kept in ‘custody’ or protection, in preparation for the faith that was to be revealed and disclosed. So the Law was designed to show men their sinfulness and guide them to act and behave in obedience to God. The Law also served to protect them from the heathen lifestyles around them. When men ignore God’s law and live according to their own guidelines, depravity, and inhuman behavior results. See Romans 1.

3:24

The Law served as a teacher and guide to bring us to Jesus. The Jewish guardian-tutor was a strict tutor that stayed with the child until puberty. This meant that the teaching and training were to make certain the child adhered to strict Jewish law and avoided any evils of society; they protected the child from being led astray. It was also intended to make certain their moral beliefs and lifestyles were morally pure.

3:25

Now that we have True Faith in Jesus we no longer need, or require, the guardian-tutor of the Law. The Holy Spirit lives within us, constantly leading and guiding us toward continual sanctification. We must seek the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives; otherwise, we rely on our foolish thoughts and ideas.

3:26

For you are all children of God through Faith in Jesus Christ! As True children of God, we do not need to be treated as sinners under the law; so why would we act like it, by trying to keep the Law? Keep in mind that Satan wants us to think we must keep the law, that way we do not grow under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, because we are trying to do it ourselves. We cannot please God, nor bear fruit for His Kingdom, by doing it ourselves! See how sneaky Satan is?

3:27-28

For if you are truly ‘born again’ as believers and followers of Jesus; then you are united into a spiritual union with Jesus; the Holy Spirit lives within you. We have put on the robe of righteousness given us by Jesus. Avoid putting on the rags of the Law. (28.) We are all one in Jesus Christ. This is the Body of Christ; all believers are one in Jesus. No one is considered better, or more worthy, than another.

3:29

Summing it all up, Paul tells us we belong to Jesus, bought with His blood, and heirs of Abraham and the promises of God. We are the spiritual seed of Abraham. We may not be the genetic seed, a Jew, but we are the spiritual children of Abraham. “All nations shall be blessed through you.” The promise given to Abraham has come true for us!

GRACE ~ God’s eternal love for us, revealed through His sacrifice of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sins; then His incredible gift of the Holy Spirit to live within our hearts, to give us His Power and Wisdom; and to guide and direct us in following God’s perfect will for our lives. Don’t miss this crucial Truth for your own life! Do you want God’s very BEST for your life? Of course, who wouldn’t? Remember you MUST seek God’s WISDOM, not your OWN foolishness!