Galatians 3:23-29.                            By faith alone??                                19/6/16

23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 

24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 

25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 

27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 

28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

This week God, through Paul, continues to remind us of that which is a central truth, so that we are not led astray from the true faith. At the beginning of the letter he reminds them and us of the seriousness of this when he talks about the false teachers being cursed. So this is not just a matter of people having a different understanding of Christianity. Even though they claim to be Christian and talk about Jesus, this is a matter of heaven and hell, life and death. Here he talks of it in terms of being imprisoned and being free. So it is very important indeed that we hold to the faith!

The Galatians were being encouraged to do works of the Law, and particularly the ceremonial laws, and to see them as necessary for their salvation. They were putting their trust in their doing, as well as acknowledging Jesus Christ. This imprisons them once again and gives no certainty of freedom and life. Paul clearly states that this is not just bad and a bit off track, but it is damnable.

We too are in danger of doing the same thing. Today more and more the emphasis is taken off of Christ and placed on things that we do and must be done: we must do certain things if we are to be acceptable. We are to perform in order to be right.

Alongside of that we have this other idea, that nothing much at all matters. As long as I am a ‘good person’ or that I am loving or sincere and that is all that matters. We don’t need the church, or the Bible our any rules for that matter. We can change what God says in the Bible to suit our own thinking. As long as I think something is right, then I am okay. Yet we still want to be popular with the world around and so do what others are doing, whether it is good or not.

In going down this track we find that we become imprisoned in our thinking and in our lives. In our chasing our freedom we become more and more locked up in our lives. Our world becomes more and more closed in on ourselves. We are never quite sure that we are doing the right thing. Also we are never sure of our being acceptable. We try and fool ourselves into thinking everything is okay, but it belies what is going on inside of us. Deep down we know.

These days we are facing issues of homosexuality, wanting political tolerance and unity, wanting a financial free ride from our politicians, and more. We wanting to achieve these things by our own rules and determination. In the process of all of this, we are finding less and less peace and trust, growing violence, more loneliness and frustration.

When Christ and what he has to say is left out of the picture we become more burden, imprisoned and struggling. We try harder and harder to achieve acceptance and life through all kinds of nice ‘flowery’ thinking but end up further burdened and feeling under the curse of the ‘gods’.

This is so sad when we are reminded here that there is a whole new dimension opened up to us the truly frees us and unites us. The prison gates are open for all who receive this new reality as a free gift. We are no longer under a guardian. This old reality is no longer. We are no longer bound, but free. This is ultimately what we all long for; yet our rebellious nature rejects it because we do not want to take Jesus Christ and what he says seriously.

Here though, let us take some time and reflect again on what it is that does away with the guardian and burden from our lives. We read: Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So here again we are reminded that it is the faith that is the critical factor in our lives.

This faith is first and foremost, not what we so often think about when we think of the word, faith. It is at this point, not our belief and trust; though this is often what people fall back on when queried about, where they stand before God. ‘I have my faith, so I am okay.’ It is not primarily about our being sincere. Initially it has nothing to do with us and what we think and do.

It is all about Jesus. Here it is not just any Jesus that we are talking about. It is not simply the great teacher Jesus, or the miracle working Jesus, or the good bloke Jesus. If that is all we have then we are still ‘cursed’ and imprisoned. The faith is first and foremost the object – Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.

The Jesus that is at the centre of this faith is the Jesus who did what was necessary for the imprisonment and curse of the Law to be removed from our lives. This Jesus is the one who takes the curse on himself and allows himself to be punished for all our rebellion and sin. God comes and dies on the cross so that we can be free, and so that nothing now stands between God and us.

Christ came that we might be justified by faith. He does what is needed for us to be justified – declared in the right with God – just as if we had never sinned. There is nothing more that we must do in order to be saved. There is no more ‘must do’ in order to be acceptable. Jesus death on the cross all those years ago has done it all for us. His death on the cross paid the penalty for sin once for all. So the Law no longer condemns us: we are no longer under a guardian. 

So where the faith is – that is where Christ is – where the cross is – where forgiveness of sins is, there is freedom from the burden of Law. The Law is no longer a threat for us, but is now a guide for how we can live in order to please this one who has done such a great thing for us. This is the most amazing thing that could ever happen in life for us. We are now freed by Christ to be the people that we were meant to be.

So with that, we now are compelled to look to this one who has done such great things for us. How can we not but look to him and trust that in him we now have everything that is important? Now we follow him and do what he would have us do. Now we will be baptized because in it he wants to gift to us great blessings in and through it.

There in baptism he joins us to himself and his death and resurrection so that we can be absolutely sure that the condemnation of the Law no longer applies to us. We are washed clean – forgiven – and assured of a new life in connection with Jesus Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit. There also he now gives us the faith to believe it and live in light of it. All this he gifts to us so that we can be absolutely sure of all of this is there for us – not be our works and ‘must does’, but by grace alone through faith alone.

Now as Paul says: So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Here is another amazing aspect of this faith. Because of Christ and our connection to him through baptism we are now clothed with Christ. His righteousness covers as and ensures that God sees us as he sees Jesus. That also means that his life is now our life. What he sees and says is important, so will we. Now we will seek to do what his Law says in loving and thankful response to all that he has done for us. Recognising that the faith that is centred in Jesus Christ also tells us how to live and act in a way that is good for us, even if it is at odds with the world around us.

As we are joined to him and follow him and live in accord with his Word then also we have a unity that can be relied upon. Together with him: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Every one of us has equal standing before God. Yes, we are still different nationalities, sexes and roles in life – all which are important and good – but each of us is equally acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.

However, here it has to be said, for those where Christ is not the centre, these things sadly do not apply. Christ has died for them too, so that forgiveness can be theirs. However, their unbelief and rejection of Christ and his saving work, leaves them without Christ and the salvation and life that he has made possible. Those who look to themselves and what they do in order to be acceptable are not living in the faith, and as Paul said earlier on, they are to be cursed.

So let us never forget that it is Christ alone who saves. His death on the cross has freed us from the curse of the Law. He alone has made it possible for us to inherit all the wonderful promises that he has given. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. In him we are freed to now live. We are freed to now give all glory and honour to our great God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish