Galatians Chapter 3 Part 1 Anchoring Our Hearts to God's Word

Led astray by false teachers who corrupted the gospel of Christ.

Galatians 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 

The main theme of salvation by faith versus Judaizers false teaching of salvation by works continues.

Paul said the Galatians who followed after false teachers were "foolish".

The word "foolish" is a very strong word in the Greek language. 

It means Galatians who fell into error were inconsiderate of Christ and His gospel, and they were unintelligent in believing false teaching.

Paul demanded to know the persons who "bewitched" Christians in Galatia. 

This word literally means using persuasive speech that fascinate others in order to gain influence over them.  

This word also implies that someone or something is slandered in the process.

It was the apostle Paul's character and the glorious gospel of Christ that were slandered by Judaizers.

Paul is dealing with those who embraced faith in Christ but added justification by the works of the law. 

They depended on their own obedience to the moral precepts as their source of righteousness before God. Then, they offered sacrifices to atone for their sins.

This runs completely counter to the gospel of Christ. 

In fact, engaging in sacrifices while claiming to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation disparages the work of Christ on the cross.

Paul sharply reproved them by the evidence of truth from scripture. 

Judaizers had misplaced zeal for God and refused to submit to the gospel.

Romans 10:1-4  Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2)  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3)  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4)  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 

Paul's heart for the Jewish nation was that all would repent and be saved by faith in Christ.

The Judaizers propagated serious spiritual error but they did have zeal for God, but it was not according to the Word of God.

The source of their zeal was rabbinical teaching and traditions of men that were elevated higher than the authority of scripture. 

Notice what the Holy Spirit guided Paul to say regarding keeping the law while professing faith in Christ.

He wrote that Christ's redemptive work was the end of the law for all who believe. 

Let me be clear. Those who profess faith in Christ will seek to live according to the moral law of God as the standard for our behavior. 

Why will believers in Christ seek to live according to God's moral precepts? Because the Spirit of God lives in us and this is the desire that He puts into our heart. 

There is no more sacrifices for sin that can be offered. Christ Jesus has done everything necessary in regard to saving us from our sin.

The law points to Christ on the cross as God's perfect Lamb.

Hebrews 10:1-4  For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2)  For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. 3)  But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. 4)  For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. 

The law with all its required sacrifices for sins was a picture of something good to come.

That the law cannot perfectly cleanse anyone from sin is proven by the fact that people had to offer sacrifices each day.

Sacrifices had no power to pay for and remove our sins. It is not possible that animal blood can take away and remove sin.

In the Old Testament, Israelites who genuinely repented of their sins, made the required sacrifice by faith. 

They believed that God would cleanse them as He promised to do through sacrifices.

However, all the animal sacrifices pointed to the work and person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Each lamb had to be perfect with no disease or defect, because it symbolized what God's perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ, would come to do for all humanity (See John 1:29-34).

Each lamb was a substitute, taking the place of a sinner so that the lamb died but the sinner could be cleansed and live.

Christ came to die for us that we might live unto God through repentant faith in Jesus.

The birth, perfect life, and perfect sacrifice of Christ was settled long ago.

Hebrews 10:5-10  Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: 6)  In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. 7)  Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. 8)  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9)  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10)  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 

This paragraph is a conversation between the Godhead before creation. 

The Son of God is saying that the Father prepared a body for Him through the virgin birth of Christ. 

Sin could not be purged nor could the law of God be satisfied by the blood of bulls and goats.

Mankind sinned and a perfect man who would choose to die in our place was needed. This perfect man that could perfectly obey God's law is the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is no other name under heaven whereby sinners can be saved (See Acts 4:12).

No person comes to the Father in heaven except through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, the only true Savior of all humanity, the only giver of eternal life and the only source of truth (See John 14:6).

Thus, the sacrifice of Christ is very different from sacrificing an animal. 

His blood was the eternal blood of God shed to pay for our sin (Se Acts 20:28).

He lived a perfect life that complied with the law of God in every respect. 

Just as Jesus' death is counted for our death because the wages of our sins is death, so His perfect obedience to the holy law of God is counted for our obedience.

Old Testament priests had to offer sacrifices for sins for people every day, but Christ offered Himself once as God's perfect Lamb to take away the sins of the world.

One sacrifice for all humanity. Christ's perfect work of redemption from sin means that nothing more can be done.

The Father is propitiated by the work of His Son on the cross. This means He is satisfied and our sins have been completely and righteously dealt with.

Jesus Christ's redeeming work is the basis of the new covenant where God gives all who repent and believe in Christ, a new heart, a new spirit and a new life to live.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say that those who try to add law keeping to faith in Christ are guilty of trampling the blood of Jesus shed for their sins.

God knows that His children will still sin and fail Him and He made a provision for that. 

We must confess and forsake our sins and our Father is faithful, just and ready to forgive us and cleanse us from our sins (See Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:7 to 2:2).

There are many more texts that we could examine to support what Paul is getting at.

Nothing can be added to Christ's perfect saving work. 

Paul preached the gospel with plain,  preaching so that they understood.

Galatians 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 

To suggest that Jesus' work need something additional is blasphemy against the plain and clear evidence of scripture.

This is why Paul strongly rebutted false teaching and rebuked the Galatians for following it.

The Galatian Christians could not deny that Paul powerfully and effectively preached the gospel of Christ to them. 

He used simple words and plain speech so that they fully grasped the gospel's meaning and intent to bring all to repentant faith in Christ.

Galatians were seduced away from Biblical  justification. 

It is a great folly to leave Christ for Moses, to leave the Gospel for the law, or to leave justification by the righteousness of Christ, for justification by the works of the law, which leads to bondage. 

They did not obey the truth which says Christ is the end of the law for all who repent and believe on Him.

They did not obey the truth about confessing sin to God in order to be cleansed and restored.

They did not adhere to the truth about justification by faith in Jesus Christ alone. 

Many Christians in Galatia were caught up and blown around by the winds of false doctrine.

Many were seduced by the lying words of false teachers that undermined the gospel of Christ. 

They fell prey to false wisdom and the cunning words of Judaizers.

Which foundation are we building our lives upon? Rock or sand?

Matthew 7:24-27  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26)  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 

Let the words of Jesus guide us as we think about Paul's letter to the Galatians.

Many false teachers preach false gospels today.

Jesus made it clear that each one who hears the gospel of Christ will either believe it or reject it. 

Those who believe the Word of God spoken by Jesus are those who build their lives upon the foundation of the Rock (the Lord Jesus Christ). 

Their lives shall be unshaken by calamity and their homes shall endure.

Those who reject the gospel are like a man building his home on the sand. 

Storms come and quickly destroy that man's home because it was constructed on shifting sand instead of solid rock.

A true Christian will build his or her life upon the rock of God's Word, keeping and obeying its truth until Christ calls us home.

Many believe doctrines of devils and follow seducing spirits. 

1 Timothy 4:1-2  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2)  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 

This is a danger that every generation of Christians must deal with. 

Spiritual error will flourish when the children of God do not read their Bible. 

False doctrines will multiply when the children of God attempt to add something to the finished work of Christ.

Seducing spirits will have their way and Christians will fall into error or blasphemy if their faith is not founded upon the rock of God's Word.

Let us be known as people of the Bible.

Let us obey God's word each day.

Let us run to Christ when we sin, confessing our transgressions in order to receive forgiveness and the cleansing of God promises.

Bob