We began a short four-part series on the book of, or I should say, the chapter of Galatians, third chapter of Galatians. Last week we considered verses 1 through 9. Today we continue and we begin with verse 10 and we'll be considering through verse 14. Galatians 3, 10 through 14, let's hear now God's Word. for all who rely on works of the law are under a curse for it is written cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law for the righteous shall live by faith but the law is not a faith rather the one who does them shall live by them Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree, so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised spirit through faith. Let's open in prayer. Our God and Father, we come before You humbly desiring to hear from Your Word. We pray, O God, that You would bless us with Your Spirit to open our eyes to the truth of Your Word. Father, that You would humble us in our sin. But Lord, exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst as we run to Him for rescue, for forgiveness, for full righteousness, and for eternal life. Lord, may you be honored and glorified this hour in our hearing, our reading, and the preaching of your word. It's in Christ's name that we ask. Amen. Congregation of the Lord Jesus, I want you to consider with me how you might respond if someone asked you, what is the gospel of Jesus Christ? Now, of course, that's a broad question. There's a lot to that question. But what would you say if they pressed you on the good news of salvation? How are people saved? How may we have eternal life? Of course, we know that the Gospel, the term, the Gospel is very prominent in the New Testament. Our Lord Jesus Christ, before He descended to heaven, His great commission he leaves with the church is go into the world and preach the gospel. So obviously this gospel, this message is something objective. It has content to it. But perhaps just as important as how you might respond with what is the gospel is the question of do the specifics of the gospel really matter? You know, we live in a postmodern world. We live in a world where the society at large is suspicious of anything that claims to be absolute truth. You know, to say that one thing is right and this thing is wrong, oftentimes it's seen as intellectually arrogant, as insensitive, intolerant. And of course, much of this thinking has crept into the church as well. Many Christians would prefer not to make objective, clear, succinct statements about what Scripture teaches in some areas because they're afraid they might offend other people. They might offend other sincere Christians. They might come across as arrogant and boastful, as proud. In fact, this week I ran across a recent poll of Protestant Christian leaders, not just people who profess to be Christians, but Christian leaders. And this poll found that 61% of these people polled believed that following Jesus in the way we live is more important than a proper understanding of the gospel. 61% of Christian leaders responded that the specifics of the Gospel are less important than how we live our lives. Brethren, this reveals an increasingly popular rallying cry or trend in today's church that there's so much disunity, there's so many fights about who's right and who's wrong, so let's just all agree to love Jesus and what we believe on this or that matter is not of great importance. But friends, as a result of this cry to just obey and love Jesus rather than be careful about defining truth, Christians have become fuzzy, blurry. They've become unclear about what the gospel message is and what it is not. Another poll in 2003, a Barna poll, revealed that more than 54% of professing Christians believe that if someone is good enough, they will go to heaven. Brethren, this is a fundamental error of tragic proportions. That if people are good enough, they will go to heaven. This is the result of a fuzzy understanding of the gospel. What it is, and what it is not. Of course, polls do not pinpoint for us with 100 percent certainty what the views are in today's church, but they do provide a window into prevailing opinions. And so we see, brethren, this question of great importance. What is the gospel? How are we saved? And does it really matter? Well, as we come to the book of Galatians, it's very clear that the Apostle Paul did not want the Galatians to be in a fog about the Gospel. In fact, all things considered, Paul makes it very plain that there was nothing more important in his letter than the Galatians having a clear grasp of the true message of the Gospel. What it is, but also what it is not. Consider how Paul opens in chapter one, verse six. He says, I'm astonished that you were so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed." You see, Paul isn't chiefly concerned with whether the Galatians were following Jesus in how they lived. He wasn't chiefly concerned with coming across as intellectually arrogant by saying, this is a false gospel that brings the curse and condemnation of God upon people who believe it and teach it. Paul's concern here, from the very beginning to the end, is that the Galatians were distorting the gospel message. And as a result, their very souls were in danger. As we considered last week, the Galatians were distorting the truth by adding on personal obedience or works righteousness onto the work of Christ. They were saying that if you want to be saved, yes, you need Jesus as your Savior, but you also have to be circumcised. And you also have to commit obedience to the law if you are to obtain final salvation. And so, as we began to consider last week, Paul says that if you add anything to the gospel and work of Christ, you're removing the gospel. You're denying the gospel by adding to the gospel. He says this plainly in Galatians 2.29, right before Our chapter 3 where we're considering he says in 229 if righteousness were through the law then Christ died for no purpose If you add your obedience to this gospel Then you nullify the very reason that Christ came in the first place And so, Paul is beginning here in chapter 3, this defining of what the gospel is. This true gospel in contrast to the admixtures of these false teachers and what they had added to it. Last week, as we considered in verse 1-2, he says, the Spirit is a gift that you received when the gospel was preached to you and you believed. It was not something that came to you when you obeyed the law. Furthermore, we saw with the example of Abraham that Paul mentions, picks up in verse 6 of chapter 3. He says, what you are experiencing here with the gift of the Spirit is this fulfillment of the promise that was given to Abraham. This promise of the pouring out of the Spirit, this promise that Abraham believed by faith and not by his obedience. So what we're seeing is a very carefully thought out, dense theological argument from the apostle where he's defending the true gospel in the face of how it has been distorted. And so as we come to our passage today in verse 10 through 14, we see Paul continuing this defense. And he's not just content with leaving them with Jesus and recounting the specifics of His death. He's not content with just giving them a few nudges and saying, you know, you can work out the details yourself. He labors to demonstrate with crystal clear clarity that the message of the Gospel is not faith plus good works. But that righteousness works righteousness, our obedience and faith are actually two opposites. Things that have absolutely nothing in common. So, brethren, let us see today that the gospel is not something we should be unclear about. Let us see the importance of getting the gospel right. That is not simply a matter of secondary importance. So what exactly is this gospel? How does Paul describe it? Often the best way to understand the thing is to make contrast, to compare and to contrast. And this is exactly what we see here by the Apostle Paul. What he's doing is he's going to discuss the law. In fact, this begins a discussion on the law that stretches into chapter 5. And in his discussion of the law, he continually contrasts the purpose and the function and the role of the law as opposed to the gospel of grace and the gospel of faith and the eternal life that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. So as we consider this contrast, I've broken it down under the following three headings. Essentially answering, what is the gospel? What is it and what is it not? First, we'll see that the law is not the gospel because the law demands perfection. We'll see this in verse 10. Secondly, we'll see that the law is not the gospel because the law was never meant to bring life. Verse 11 and 12. And thirdly, we'll get to a positive statement of the gospel. The heart of the gospel is the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ, which removes the curse of the law and brings eternal life, received by faith. So first, let us consider the law is not the gospel because the law demands perfection. We see this in verse 10. Look with me. For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them." Remember, the teachers in Galatia were appealing to the Old Testament. They were defending their views from the Old Testament. They were saying, you're not paying attention to the Old Testament. And so, Paul here picks up his pen, and what he does is, he goes to the Old Testament, to demonstrate the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And of course, this is important for us to pay attention to as well. After all, the Old Testament is three-fourths of our Bible. We confess it as being inspired, the inspired Word of God as well. So we need to pay attention to what the Old Testament teaches, lest we, too, fall in this error of defying the gospel based upon the Old Testament or improperly distorting the gospel because of our misunderstanding of the Old Testament. So what Paul does here is he says, OK, you want to return to the Old Testament, then let's return to the Old Testament. And let's be careful to listen to what the Old Testament actually says. And what follows in the next five verses are eight allusions to the Old Testament or specific quotes. And his goal here is to demonstrate the inability of the law to save. The inability of the law to bring eternal life the inability of the law to bring the blessing of Abraham. He does this based upon what the Old Testament says about itself. The first thing he says here, the very blunt and seemingly harsh statement, all who rely upon the works of the law are under a curse. An important point I want to make here, I just quoted the ESV, for all who rely upon the works of the law. Unfortunately, I think this is an imprecise translation of the Greek. I believe the New King James, the NASB, translate it much more accurately. And there in the New King James it says, it doesn't say for all who rely upon the law, it says for as many as are of the works of the law. or under a curse. And the reason I point this out is because this term, this very same phrase, of the works of the law, or by the works of the law, is used three times in this context. It's a repetition here. He says it in 3.2, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law? He says it in 3.5, as he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, do so by the works of the law. This by the works of the law is used twice in 2 and verse 5. And now again here in verse 10. And so I believe it's important that we keep the same translation of the very same term in order to understand that Paul is making an intentional contrast. This is a continual argument here. This is one argument where he's continually contrasting by the works of the law and by faith. In fact, to be more specific, Paul is contrasting law and gospel, faith and works, doing and believing. And we touched upon this last week. Last week we considered the distinction between law and gospel, and how they are two contrary principles when it comes to our standing before God. Now, let me just also make it clear that when it comes to our growth and obedience, when it comes to our sanctification, the law and the gospel, they sweetly comply, as one author has put it. They go together. when it comes to our obedience, because the law teaches us what is pleasing to God. But when it comes to how we are saved, when it comes to how we are justified, when it comes to how we relate to God on an ongoing basis, on a daily basis, the law and the gospel are opposites. They are competing principles. The law comes to us and it tells us what to do. It concerns our doing. It comes to us with commands. But it brings no power with it, no ability with it to fulfill what it demands from us. And it offers no mercy when we are unable to meet those demands. The Gospel, on the other hand, comes to us and it tells us what has been done by Christ for us. And it comes to us, as we saw last week, when we hear it preached, when we hear it read, when we hear it proclaimed, it comes with the very power to grant what it demands of us. Namely, faith and repentance. So I want you to understand here, Paul is drawing this contrast when it comes to our standing before God, our righteousness between law and gospel, doing and believing, works and faith. And so he draws out this contrast by saying the law demands perfection. This is one reason why it is not the gospel. It demands perfection, and if you're unable to meet this perfection, the result is a curse. To prove this, Paul quotes scripture. He quotes Deuteronomy 27, 26 at the end of verse 10. Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to do them. So he's saying here, those who are of the works of the law are under a curse. This is what the Old Testament claims about itself. Now, as we think about this idea of being a curse, how it applies to us, what it means in this context, it's easy to think of curse and we think of Hollywood, Harry Potter or other types of movies where someone puts a hex on somebody else. But the term cursed is specific, and it means injury or harm brought on here by a deity. In other words, to be under a curse is to be under the anger and judgment of God, as our catechism says. To be under a curse is to be under the anger and judgment of God. This is something that is not in any way delightful. It results in severe punishment. In the Old Testament, this is illustrated for us in the nation of Israel. To be under a curse, God said there's going to be famine in the land. There's going to be drought. There's going to be disease. There's going to be all sorts of evil things that befall you. And ultimately, God says, to be cursed, Israel, you're going to be thrown out of the land. A foreign power is going to come in and take you captive. Literally, He says, the land will vomit you out. This is a picture to us of an earthly example of a heavenly reality. God is enacting judgment and anger and retribution upon the nation of Israel because they underwent and broke the law and underwent a curse. So what Paul is saying here is, look, you want to go back to the law? You want to go back to this standing before God which depends upon personal obedience? If you do that, you're bringing a curse upon yourself. Because the law demands absolute perfection. Secondly, as we see this idea of curse here in this verse, also note what it means to abide by the works of the law. Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to do them. We consider this Actually, this morning, in the reading of the Law, where there is personal and perfect and perpetual obedience that is demanded by the Law. This isn't just one-time obedience. The Law just doesn't come to us and say, if you obey most of the time, if you obey most, not every time without exception, but if you obey as a general kind of character of your life, if you try really hard, This is not what the law demands. The law calls for perfect, unending, and perpetual obedience. And anything less brings down the very curse of God. Brethren, what I want you to see here is that there is no mercy in God's law. He does not bend the rules because of our imperfect condition. He does not grade on a curve. God will not compromise His holy standards. If He did, then He wouldn't be holy. And as such, if we try to relate to God based upon what we do, as if God will show us kindness because we've tried our best, then what we're doing is bringing a curse upon ourselves. For the law demands perfection. And as such, the law is not to be confused with the Gospel. The law was not given to us in order for us to save ourselves with it. And we cannot be fuzzy or ignorant about the role and the function and the purpose of the law. In fact, reflecting on this, aspect in our text, I was reminded of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. If you've ever read Pilgrim's Progress, you know the kind of imagery that Bunyan uses to illustrate the Christian life. And I was reminded of that one episode where Christian, he's on the road and he meets Faithful. And Faithful begins to tell Christian about what he's encountered and he tells Christian about how he encountered Moses. If you'll recall, Faithful tells Christian here, he starts climbing this hill of legality. You know, this hill of self-righteousness, as it were. He was going to ascend to God by his good works. And as he starts up the hill, though, Moses comes from behind him and starts pounding him on the head with a law. And he's pounding him, and pounding him, and pounding him, and he knocks him down, and the imagery is that he's left for dead, and he knocks him out. Because Moses is hitting him with a law. And so, eventually, Faithful wakes up, and he looks up to Moses, and he goes, what are you doing? What are you doing? And he cries out. He says, Moses, show mercy. And you remember how Moses replies? He says, I don't know how to show mercy. I don't know how to show mercy. And then he starts beating him again. Congregation, the law does not know how to show mercy. That's not its function. That's not its purpose. And because we can't meet its demands, the law serves simply to call a curse down upon us in exposing our sin. Let us never assume that the law is a rope for us to climb to heaven, for us to ascend into that righteousness worthy of the presence of God. Because when we assume that the law is a rope on which we can climb to heaven, the law turns into a rope which only serves to hang us and confirms our sin, our death, our curse. Brethren, let's take seriously these words that those who rely upon the works of the law are under a curse. And if we are to be saved, if we are to escape this curse, we need something other than the law. We need something other than this principle of do, do, do and live. We need the gospel of Jesus Christ. So secondly, we've seen that the law is not the gospel because the law demands perfection. But secondly, here we see another reason why the law is not the gospel. The law is not the gospel because it was never meant to bring life. We see this in verses 11-12. Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith. But the law is not a faith. Rather, the one who does them shall live by them." Again, Paul goes to the Old Testament. He's not quoting people who've distorted the law. He's not saying, well, you're hearing this distortion of the law. He's saying, this is the law. You haven't paid attention to it. And he goes to Deuteronomy and he says, I'm sorry, after he goes to Deuteronomy, he now turns in verse 11 to a prophet, the prophet Habakkuk. And he quotes Habakkuk 2.4 and it says, the righteous shall live by faith. And Paul's point here is that, look, righteousness and justification and man standing before God has always been on the basis of faith. This isn't new with me, he tells him. This isn't something that's just in the New Testament alone. Righteousness and life, eternal life, have always been on the basis of faith. And so, where's the law in all this? He says in verse 12, in contrast, but the law is not of faith. You see what he's saying here? Let me break it down. Clearly. Paul shows that righteousness and right standing with God comes only by faith. But the law is not of faith. Therefore, no one is righteous and no one receives life through the law. The law is not of faith. And again, so Paul is highlighting these competing functions of the law and the Gospel. You know, we might be uncomfortable at times by saying, well, the law is not a faith. You know, the law is good and holy, just and right. And there's a way that we can lawfully use the law, and there's a way we can unlawfully use the law or wrongly use the law. Well, absolutely. But we've got to listen to what Paul says here. He's making a specific point here. Before we go and we run to other passages which balance out this view of the law, we've got to see what he is saying here. And he is saying that the function of the law is not of faith. It's not that we are misusing the law. It's not that we just simply have a faulty reliance upon the law. Inherent within the law itself, As a covenant given to Israel is a principle that is contrary to faith. The law functions as a curse. It demands doing. And thus, it does not function as a principle of life. For the righteous shall live by faith. You see, the bigger issue here is that the Jews were given a law and they were required to keep it in the Old Testament. They weren't required to keep it in order to be saved. That was never the purpose. And these Galatian teachers had misunderstood the original purpose. Israel was required to keep the law. They were given blessings and cursings. But they were required to keep the law in order to stay in the land. That says, if you want to live in the land, if you want to enjoy my blessing, my protection, my abundance of favor, then you're going to keep the law. And if you disobey, the land will vomit you out. But God never intended the law to be seen as something that would justify sinners before God. Justification and righteousness has always been by faith. The purpose of giving the law was never meant to dissuade from that reality. And of course, we saw Habakkuk says the same thing. Abraham, we saw last week that Paul appeals to. We see the very same thing. He was justified before circumcision. He was justified before the law. Life and blessing and forgiveness and salvation have always been on the basis of faith. So, brethren, the law is not the gospel because life only comes through faith. The law is not the gospel because the function of the law is concerned with doing in perfect obedience. And as such, because we are sinners, we fall under its curse. The law isn't just inferior to the gospel as if the gospel is a better option. If we are to be saved, eternal life must come to us through a different channel. Well, by way of contrast, we've seen these things as Paul is laying the groundwork here, showing us what the gospel is not. The law is not the Gospel because it's perfection that it demands, and it's not the Gospel because it's never meant to be given as a means for eternal life. Thirdly, now, we're going to see what the Gospel is. What is the Gospel? What is the positive side of the Gospel? And how does Christ meet these demands for us? So thirdly, v. 13-14, we see that the heart of the Gospel is the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ, which removes the curse of the law and brings eternal life. Read with me verses 13 and 14. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree, so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Congregation, here is the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ in the place of sinners. The law has brought us a curse, but Christ has rescued us from this curse by incurring this curse for us in our place. And once again, Paul goes to the Old Testament to demonstrate his point, to prove his argument. He says here, he quotes Deuteronomy 21, 23, Cursed is everyone who is hanged upon a tree. And what I want to point out about this that's important. Is that punishment, capital punishment in the Old Testament law, Well, I should say hanging on a tree was never prescribed as a capital punishment given in the Old Testament law. Rather, this reference that he alludes to here, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, this refers to something very specific. It refers to the unique punishment of a covenant breaker. In the Old Testament, there were many things that might bring the punishment of death upon you, to which the normal method is you would be stoned. But there was something additional given to the covenant breaker, the very worst of sinners. That is, they would be stoned to death and their dead bodies would be put up on a pole, essentially, in a public place, as a demonstration that they were under the curse of God. So, it is something that was reserved for the worst of sinners. And so, Paul, tying Jesus Christ in here, what he's saying is that Jesus Christ underwent the penalty of a covenant breaker. In other words, He received the curse reserved for the very worst. of sinners, the most heinous of lawbreakers. His point is that Christ did not die for pretty good people who just need a little bit more. Christ didn't come to save those who were good, but just not perfect. Jesus Christ doesn't come in just to fill in what's remaining as if we've tried our best And Jesus kind of makes up the difference for us. Paul is saying that he died for the worst of sinners. That he underwent the very worst of punishments. That it is in our place, bearing the curse we deserved, He brought about our redemption. What hope this should give us. Not only that as the chief of sinners that we might feel at times or how far we may feel from the grace and mercy of God. What hope this should give us. That Christ underwent the worst and for the worst of sinners. It is for those who realize they have no hope. They have nothing to offer God that might please Him. It is for those sinners who understand their emptiness, their lack of righteousness to the depths, that Christ came to save, standing in their place, bearing their punishment. Literally, to redeem means to cause the release of someone by means that is costly to the individual bringing about that release. He was most prominently referring to slaves, how someone who incurred so much debt. We talked about that this morning. Someone had incurred so much debt that they became enslaved to the one that they owed. To redeem someone from that debt, you had to go and you had to pay what they owed and release them. Again, Paul's nailing down the point with every single word. You don't earn redemption. That's not something you can do. You can obey the law, but we've all broken the law. No one can be justified before God, Paul says. But we can't redeem ourselves once that law has been broken. Our only hope is that someone redeem us, is that someone rescue us and pay the debt we are unable to pay. Now, a quick side note here. Perhaps you may have been wondering, or maybe you've wondered even from the beginning of this reading, what this has to do with us. We're not Israel. Our forefathers did not stand before Sinai and receive this law covenant. They didn't hear the blessings and the cursings, do this and live. Why does it matter? that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law if we were never under that law to begin with? We're Gentiles. This is an important question. And it's a question that will help you understand the Gospel deeper and fuller. We talked about it briefly this morning in Sunday School if you were here. That God gave Adam a covenant that required obedience from Him. And that covenant came with a curse. If you eat of this tree, the day you eat of it, you shall surely die. But Adam doesn't just represent himself. He represents all of humanity. In Adam, all die. Sin came through one man's transgression. When Adam sinned, we sinned because he was acting as a representative for us just like Christ acts as a representative for us as well by incurring our debt of sin and paying for it and redeeming us with his righteousness. So the deeper reality that's going on here is that the Mosaic Law mirrors that deeper truth of our association with Adam. In other words, Israel is A picture, an earthly example of who we really are in Adam. It is a replay, perhaps. It is a replay where Israel is put in a land flowing with milk and honey, just like the Garden of Eden. They were promised this law. Do this and live. I will be with you if you obey. I will bless you. Your vineyards will be overflowing with wine. Your flocks will be fruitful. Your children will prosper. I will keep all of your enemies at bay if you obey. But if you disobey, a curse will come upon you. Dealing with Israel is just a picture of how God dealt with Adam. And it's an earthly representation to teach us about who we really are in Adam. And how we have disobeyed again and again and again despite all of the mercies and favor and blessings of God in this life. We have life. We have health, many of us. We have been given good things in life. And we yet abuse these things. And we sin against God. So, our redemption from the law brought by Christ is reflective of our redemption from Adam. As we have been transferred from the old Adam, and Adam all die, to the new Adam. And Christ all shall be made alive. The second Adam. The greater Adam. And because the law given to Israel mirrors the law given at Eden, our redemption of it, freedom from it, freedom from its curse, is a marvelous and wonderful truth of what Christ has done for us. So, brethren, Paul declares here that through Christ this redemption is finished. Christ has brought an objective state of freedom from the law that we enjoy through our union with Him. The law no longer pronounces a curse over us. The law no longer has the power to terrorize us, to crush us under its weight of guilt. It is because the law and all of its requirements have been met for us in the person and the work of Christ. And finally, we see that as a result of this, in verse 14, this blessing of Abraham comes to the Gentiles. This blessing of Abraham that in you all the nations will be blessed comes to us, not through circumcision, but through Christ. And we also see here in verse 14 something secondly. We might receive the promised Spirit by faith. Just as we saw last week, the Spirit has arrived in this completed work of Jesus Christ. When we receive the Word of God by faith, we receive the Holy Spirit, and it is the Spirit. that leads us in obedience to the law. It is God Himself who promises, I will write my law upon your hearts. You will be careful to walk in my statutes. Why? Because we're earning favor with God? No. Why? Because we're scared of punishment? Because we see that the law calls out for our curse, and so we obey out of fear and trembling? No. It's because God leads us and causes us to walk in obedience to the law because all of its requirements have been met. And we can do so joyfully, with great joy, as a privilege, knowing that when we do so, the Spirit is working in us and we are pleasing God. Well, brethren, this has been a very densely packed sermon, deep theological things, which any number of which we could spend another few weeks on. But I trust and I pray that you've seen that the gospel of Jesus Christ and the law must be kept distinct when it comes to our justification, but that they meet in Christ and that in Christ they sweetly comply And let us be careful about mixing law and gospel, loving Jesus with how we live, with how are we made right with God. So in closing, brethren, I just want to draw a few conclusions, a few applications. Let me stress again. What is the gospel? Is it trying hard to please God? Is it making a commitment to live like Jesus lived? Is it trying our best and hope that God will show us grace? That actually is the gospel of Mormonism. That is, after we've done all we can do, God then shows us grace, seeing that, well, we've tried hard, so now I'm going to show them grace. Brethren, listen to this passage. If you believe such, you are under a curse. If the law comes into play in any respect, you are under its curse. Because the gospel because the law demands obedience. And only in Christ is that obedience met. Let us remember what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21, For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God. Recall also, in Romans 8, a very clear statement. There's no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ, he says, verse 1. He says, for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Jesus Christ from the law of sin and death. Why? For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be filled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. Christ did what we could not and what the law could not. And it results in us meeting the requirements of the law, not only through his imputed righteousness, but as we are conformed into his image and our sanctification. Secondly, I want to point out, first of course, let's be clear about the gospel. Let's be clear about what it is, what it is not. Secondly, I want to just mention, have you ever noticed how prosperity teachers and preachers, they always run to the Old Testament? You know, they're telling you to go sow the seed. That God will bless you if you humble yourself. That God will bless you if you just commit yourself to this step, this prayer, the prayer of Jabez, or this discipline. God will pour out, He will open up the windows of heaven if you do this, if you do this, if you do this. And He promised all sorts of things, health and wealth and prosperity and happiness. And it's all based upon our obedience, if you listen to them. Brethren, these men are operating on the same basis of these Galatians. They've misunderstood the role of the Old Testament law, its proper place. They've misunderstood sin and how we relate to God and how we are righteous before God. Let us beware of this error. Let us know that every single blessing that comes from God comes to us on the basis of Christ's work for us, rather than what we do for Him. Let us resist this false gospel, understand our sin, and understand the grace of God in Christ. But thirdly and finally, brethren, let us take comfort in our freedom from the law, Let us take comfort in the freedom that we have, which Christ won for us and accomplished for us in His life and death and resurrection. Where is your joy as a Christian? Is it based upon how you do on a daily basis? You know, I've read my Bible this morning. I've done a good deed for a neighbor down the street. Things are really good. I'm really just on fire for the Lord. And on the other hand, where is your source of despair and sorrow? Particularly when you sin? When you backslide? Are you crushed to the point where you despair and you wallow in your own guilt? How do you react when people criticize you? How personally do you take it? When somebody says, Yeah, that thing you did or your particular characteristic, it's not very good. Maybe when they say, that sermon you preached is not very good. How do we respond when people criticize us? Does it crush us? Does it disable us? Does it cause us to wallow in despair and guilt? Brethren, when we respond like this, we're revealing that we're operating on the basis of law. On the basis of strict justice. On the basis that God is more pleased with us when we obey, and He's less pleased with us when we disobey. Brethren, of course there is an aspect in which our sin brings the displeasure and punishment of God. But ultimately, in our righteousness and our standing before Him, We are imputed with the righteousness of Christ. And that is which we stand confidently before Him. Always and ever. So when we sin, let us run to the throne of grace. Let us know that our source of joy, our source of ultimate rest, lies not in how we're doing, but how we stand in the righteousness of Christ. And so that when we do break God's law, we run to repentance. We lay it before Him in confession. And instead of despairing over it, we know with confidence that we are forgiven because of Christ. Let us take comfort in the fact that Christ has freed us from the law. Let us take comfort in the fact that the third Person of the Trinity dwells within us because of what Christ has accomplished. And that He has promised to lead us and careful observance to His statutes as He is the one who grows us and sanctifies us and leads us into that behavior that is pleasing to God. Brethren, take comfort in this. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank You, Lord, for the law that reveals who we really are and that it releases us from this the prison of self-delusion and self-righteousness, this prison which we all too often think of as a palace. Lord, we thank You that where the law comes and kills, the Gospel comes and gives life. And that when we are shamed by our guilt, we are shown grace in Christ, and we are empowered to get up from our sin and walk in newness of life in that behavior of obedience to the law that is pleasing to you, because our righteousness rests in heaven in Christ, and not on earth in what we do. Lord, we bless you for loving us how you have loved us, freeing us how you freed us, and enduring the curse that we deserve. Write these things on our hearts. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.