Epistles of Paul 22

Well, good evening, brethren. Tonight we're going to continue our study on the Book of Galatians. We will not cover many verses today. We'll only cover a few verses, but I want to talk quite a bit about the relationship between the law and faith, because it was an area that the Galatians, the brethren in Galatia, struggled with, and many today struggle with that as well. So it is an important topic, and particularly as we approach Passover, it is very important for us to look at this topic in quite a bit extra detail. The world today struggles with the world, which I put it between inverted commas, which you are saved by grace alone, and that becomes a motto to many people saying that you're saved by grace alone. Now, if we look at Romans chapter 3 verse 23, and we'll refer to Romans a few times today, so we might want to put a marker there as well as in Galatians, but if we go to Romans chapter 3, I meant to have said verse 28, Romans chapter 3 verse 28, it says, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. People use this verse like others similar to this one to say that we're saved by faith alone. It is important to note that the word alone is not in the text, but there is also a very important difference between justification and salvation. Granted, we know that salvation is the final outcome, but justification is, let's put it, one of the initial steps, and it's talking in this specific verse, in verse 28, about that a man is justified by faith. In my New King James Bible, there is a little one next to the word justified, and then on the margin says declared righteous. So we are declared righteous by God, right, as it says here, by faith, apart from deeds of the law. So obeying any law does not pay for infractions to that law. Say, for instance, you break a law, let's say, of traffic, just because now you're obeying it does not pay the fine. And so obeying any law does not pay for infractions. What pays for our infractions or transgressions or sins, which are, which are, because we break God's eternal law of love, what pays for our sins is not any law or obeying any law, but what pays for our sins is Christ's sacrifice, his blood that he gave for us, as an act of grace, a gracious act from God, which is in faith. Look with me, please, into 2 Corinthians chapter 5, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 18 through 20, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 18 through 20. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ. You and I are reconciled, are brought back into a relationship with God. It was God has reconciled us to him through Jesus Christ, through the act of Jesus Christ, through his sacrifice, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. Our ministry, our job, one is ministers, but we all have a job of being reconciled to God and also to one another. And then verse 19, that is, that God was in Christ, through Christ, reconciling the world to himself through the act of the sacrifice, the death of Christ, giving of his life. He was reconciling the whole of mankind, just not you and I, ultimately will be the whole of mankind, to him, not imputing mankind's trespasses, not imputing mankind's sins on them, on mankind, on us, and has committed to us, and we as the ones that God is walking through first, he has committed to us the word, this message, this gospel, this good news of reconciliation. Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ. We represent Christ. We, as these first ones that he is working with, we are examples and ambassadors represent this, what Christ is, as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

We can be reconciled to God through Christ's blood, but Paul is here, says we implore you on Christ's behalf to be reconciled to God. So, what is the fruit or the result of our sins? We read in Romans 6, verse 23, that the wages of sin is death.

The outcome, the salary, the end result of our human actions, which are sinful, unless we repent, is death. But what God is giving to us is a gift, a gracious gift, an act of grace. The gift of God is not death, not eternal death, but the gift of God is eternal life. In Christ Jesus, our Lord, in other words, through Christ Jesus, our Lord. So, through him, through his act, because of what he's done, he's the mediator. God is giving us eternal life. So, God's gift of eternal life comes at an extremely high cost.

The cost of the life of the eternal being that became flesh and gave his life and his blood for us. It's the highest cost we could ever imagine. Jesus Christ gave his life for us, and therefore, we must be willing to give our lives to follow him.

We'll talk a little bit more about this point of grace. Look at Philippians chapter 1 verse 6.

Being coffin of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. So, now we're putting a few things together. We are justified by faith, by the sacrifice of Christ, by this act of grace.

God is giving us a ministry of reconciliation, of being reconciled with him, being made right with him. And this is a gift of the final end result to have eternal life. And then he says here in verse 6 of Philippians chapter 1, we need to be confident. Be confident. We need to really trust God of this very thing that he, which is God, which has begun a good work in you, you know, what he called us, he's bringing us to repentance, he is working with you and I, he will complete it until the day of Christ, when Christ will return. He will complete it. You and I, in a sense, are guaranteed to be in the kingdom, obviously under some conditions, which we'll talk about it, but he will complete it.

The condition is that we have to stay in this way, in this process. We have to persevere. We, you and I, must not give up. Look at Romans chapter 2 verse 13. Romans chapter 2 verse 13. For it's not the years of the law, who are just in the sight of God. So ultimately, yes, you and I, as we read in Romans 3 verse 28, are justified by faith apart from the works of the law. But once we made right with God, we must now, must not just be years of the law, but we must be doers of the law. And therefore, if we now stay in the process, stay and persevere till the end by now, returning, let's call it, the favor, the grace that God has given us to forgive us, and to undeservably forgive us, we need to return that grace, that favor, by now being faithful and persevere and be doers of the law. Not that we are justified by works of the law, but we are being justified freely by faith. But now that sins have been forgiven, does not give us a right to continue sinning. We now have a responsibility, an accountability, an obligation to return that gracious act of love, of grace, that God has given to us by being doers of the law. Let's confirm this with a scripture which is quite often not understood, and that is in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 10. And brethren, I'm going through this in quite a bit of detail because we are just before the Passover, and we need to look at this gift from God as a very positive, positive act from God to us. So let's look at it in Hebrews chapter 10. We're going to first read verse 10. By that will, and it says, Behold, it says, Yea, I've come to do your will, O God. That's Christ talking. It takes away the first, then he may establish the second. By that will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. So in this section from verse five to verse nine shows that Christ is referring to Yea about in the volume of the book, it is written of Christ, and he says that Christ was given a body. The word was given a body that became a human being through the miraculous birth through Mary. And then he says, verse seven, Behold, I've come. And he says, Christ says, I came to be a human being to do the Father's will. And then he says, verse nine, he says, Behold, I came to do a will. And then in verse 10, which is the one we're reading, by that will, we have been sanctified. We have been sanctified. We have been made right with God. We have been set apart from the sword. We have been separated from the sword. We have been made right with God. As we read a little earlier, we have been made right with God. We've been justified, made right with God through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's physical body, once for all. In other words, we don't need any additional sacrifices or bulls and goats. And this was an issue that some of the people in Galatians were having. And that's why Paul addresses that in the book of Galatians. But yeah, in Hebrews he's saying, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all. That is it. We have been set aside. We have been made right with God. So that's what it says. We've been sanctified.

This is very pertinent to the Passover because the Passover is obviously a very solemn ceremony. But it is also very joyous. It is a very joyous ceremony in our hearts.

Now, before Passover, we get attacked by Satan, and normally that happens before God's festivals. It seems to be that Satan is more active in putting different pressures and difficulties in the brethren. And therefore, one can look at the Passover in a negative way by focusing on the negative. Christ dying, a negative. But it should be very positive because Jesus Christ paid. He gave his life for our sins. It's like baptism. It's a very joyous occasion.

And now we have Jesus Christ's dead and act of faith showing his absolute trusting relationship with the Father. It shows the singularity of purpose and love for mankind. And God wants the same unity with us in a loving and mutually trusting relationship with us to be one with him. Look at Titus chapter 2 verse 1 through 11. Titus chapter 2 verse 1 through 11. But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. I beg your pardon. I'll be reading verse 1. I should be reading verse 11. Titus chapter 2 verse 11 through 14. My apologies. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. The grace of God that brings salvation. The grace of God has appeared through the act of Jesus Christ becoming a human being and giving his life for us. And that grace of God that brings ultimately salvation, initially brings justification, but ultimately through that act will bring salvation, teaches us. You see, that act teaches us that we've got to do the same thing like Christ did. We've got to act like he did. We've got to return that favor by becoming like him. It teaches us that denying and ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are waiting for the appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. You see, Jesus Christ is a God-being. The ultimate, the supreme God, is the Father. But Christ is also our God, as it says here, our great God and Savior, who gave himself for us. He gave his life for us. Why? That he might redeem us, it was biased back, from every Lord's deed. So he bought our lives back from death and purified for himself us. Purify. So we've got to become pure. We've got to change. We've got to return that favor and become like him. Purify for himself. He's his own special people, zealous for good works. So we have to be zealous for good works. So God is looking in us, is looking for his expectation. The outcome of this act that he did is that he wants us to have also a trusting relationship with him, and therefore for us to be faithful and be obedient to him, to be faithful people. God is therefore looking at us at how we are living and how we're conducting us. He says, because he says, teaching us that we've got to deny those worldly lusts, and we should live soberly, righteously, and godly. So God is looking at us to change. So yes, we're justified by faith. It's an act of grace, but God expects in return us to change, to repent, to commit, to live a new life. For instance, how do we treat people? I think that's one of the most important things, is how we treat other people. In other words, love your fellow men like Christ loved us. You see, God expects us to be a lot better than we are. In fact, if we read in Matthew chapter 5 verse 48, Matthew chapter 5 verse 48, Christ tells us, be you perfect. Let me just get to it and read it.

Matthew chapter 5 verse 48. Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. That is a high bar. That is a high standard. So it's not just like the world says, you're saved by grace alone and you can keep on being wherever you are. No, God expects a change, a big change, a big change. Be perfect. God expects you and I to become perfect, to put away sins in our lives and to really learn to treat other people in a very respectful, kind, godly way. And that is a high bar, because it's so easy for us to say something unintentional that hurts others. Well, it's even worse if we say it intentionally. That is a big problem. And so God wants us to, quote unquote, deliver ourselves, to examine ourselves so that we are becoming better people.

And through that, we are becoming more like Jesus Christ is. That's why at the end of the second epistle of Peter, 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18, 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18, 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 18 says, grow in the grace. Now, God is gracious to us. By giving us Christ and suffering, we have to return that favor. We are obliged to become gracious like Christ is. How? By growing in the knowledge of what Christ is. He says he had the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So we got to know what Christ is, how is he like, and therefore, by knowing what is he like, we got to apply that and become more gracious like he is gracious. So we got to become gracious like he is gracious. So that is our goal, to be like Christ. Now, getting back to Hebrews chapter 10, Hebrews chapter 10, we read verse 10. But there is another very important verse here, and that is verse 14. He's talking about that. We sanctify it through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. But then in verse 14, it says, by one offering, which is the offering of Jesus Christ, right? By one offering, the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, he has perfected forever.

Look at that. Perfected forever.

That offering, the outcome, the final outcome, God looks at it and says, things have already happened. And the final outcome is that you and I will be perfected forever. That's why Christ said in Matthew 5.48, be you perfect like your father in heaven, he's perfect. He knows, he trusts us that we are going to do our part. That we're going to be faithful because of the magnitude of the high cost that has been paid. We are so grateful and thankful that we will not give up, that we'll remain faithful till the end through thick and thin. And the outcome is by that one offering, he has perfected forever. So God is already looking at the final end result. And the final end result is you and I will be perfect. Wow! God trusts us that we will stick to it. Not not all, but he says, he that perseveres to the end will be saved. So we have to do our part, but he trusts that a large number of us will be faithful and the outcome will be perfected forever. Who? Who are those that will be perfected forever? Those who are being sanctified. Present continues. Those of us that are taking this seriously and are going through the process of sanctification.

It's our continuous part. We gotta do our part. So yeah, we're justified by faith, but it's not as the world says we are saved by faith alone. No, we are justified by faith. But we then, once we are made right with God, gratis by his grace, gratis. We now have to be faithful. We have to believe that that is sufficient. We gotta do our part and remain faithful till the end.

And therefore, we have to trust that what God has done is enough from the point of view to pay for all our sins. And we're trusting that even when we trip again and again and again and again. And we do trip. You trip, I trip, we all trip. But we don't want to trip. Our desire and intent is not to trip. Our desire and intent is to be better and better. But we do trip, and we're fighting it, and we strive to overcome. Like Paul said in Romans 7, what a rich man I am. What I don't want to do, I do. But thanks to Christ, he's helping me through his Holy Spirit. And so what we have here is, as we read in Galatians chapter 2 verse 16, Galatians chapter 2 verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified by works of law, but by faith in Christ. But as the old King James Version says, the faith of Christ. But whichever way, the faith of Christ is done, and we need to have faith in Christ. That's why it says even we have believed in Christ because of what the unifying work, the reconciling work that Christ has done for us, we now need to believe in that. We gotta do our part. That's why it says from faith to faith. We need to do our part, that we might be justified by faith of Christ and not by works of law. We are justified by Christ's faith, but we have to have our faith as well. The two go hand in hand. It's very difficult to separate the two. We can't because it's an act of mutual trusting relationship. And then in verse 17 he says, But if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found sinners. We are justified by Christ, by what he did. We therefore need to obey. We are obliged to return the grace, else Jesus Christ would be a minister of sin. That's why he says we ourselves also are found sinners if we don't change. If we don't change, then Christ would be a minister of sin. Certainly not. We gotta change. We gotta, once we're justified, we gotta be justified. By faith, we need to change.

And that's why he says, I am not building again those things which are destroyed. What did I destroy? The old man. The old man I've destroyed. The sinning person I destroyed. And that's what we do when we commit baptism to change and to become a new man. Because if I would continue sinning, then I would continue being a transgressor. And the salary of sin is death. So what we have is that both are necessary. The law teaches us how to live, and God's grace forgives us freely. And now we have a combination of God's grace and the law working together. And that grace tells us that we are obliged to return the favor, the gracious act. Now, we have a booklet that we produced recently in the church called What Does the Bible Teach About Grace? And in this booklet, sorry, sometimes it doesn't come across all that well, so I apologize. But anyway, in this booklet, What Does the Bible Teach About Grace?, in page 68, in page 68, it says, we're talking about a powerful relationship between the giver of gifts, which is God, and the recipient of those gifts. That's what it says. What did grace mean in the chapter? What did grace mean in the first century world? So it meant there is a powerful relationship between the giver of gifts and the recipient of those gifts. Now, in page 70, in page 70 of this booklet about grace, What Does God, What Does the Bible Teach About Grace?, in page 70 under the heading Grace and Faith, it reads, and I'm going to quote for you from it, what are the benefits in this relationship to both the patron, patron, that one that gave the grace, and the client, the one that received the grace. Then it says that the charis or charis, it was the gift of good, translated grace, chorise, the gift of good, translated grace, would be made with the understanding that the gift could never be repaid. So in that early first century world, in the Roman world, they had this thing that a patron would do something for somebody, and with understanding that person who's doing the gift giving to, you would never be able to repay it. And then it says here in brackets, in the sense of simply repaying alone. It says the expectation of the patron was that the client would maintain high degree of loyalty and gratitude towards the patron. And that's why Paul used this example very nicely about grace, because in that society, people understood what it meant, that the people receiving the grace from God, God expects a high degree of loyalty and gratitude towards God, using this analogy. Then he says that aspect of the relationship is contained in the Greek word pistos, which is the same word translated, fife, and faithfulness, in the English versions of the New Testament. And so, required faithfulness back from the recipient. So the giver would give a lot of grace, a big gift that couldn't be paid, and the recipient would be faithful, would show a high degree of loyalty and gratitude to that person. In other words, a client under the Roman patronage system would receive the gift, carise, that likely could never be fully repaid in money or goods. Just like God gives us a gift, which you and I can never repay.

The client's role, which is our role towards God, was to exhibit and demonstrate faithful loyalty, pistos, faithful loyalty, including public demonstrations of gratitude. The exercise of pistos, right, and that is faithful loyalty or faithfulness, reflects grateful trust, a powerful energetic living belief that the patron will actually do what he promised to do. So, yeah, the patron will do what he promised to do, and the other one would trust in that. A little later, in page 71, says, it is also important to understand that the complex relationship formed in the giving of carise or grace was not a mere transaction. The first century giving and receiving of carise created a powerful and dynamic relationship, a positive connection that lasted a lifetime. And that's what God wants us. Remember in John 17, Christ prayed and he says, prayed that they may be one in us. You know, it was they may have this absolute unifying relationship. And then he goes on. In the New Testament, this carise relationship, which is this loving relationship, is underlined by faith or trust on the human side, as expressed in Hebrews 11.6, that we must believe that he, God, exists and that he rewards those who seek him. And they must be continuing faithfulness. So I thought I would share that with you because it is important for us to understand the grace of God. The grace of God is an act of building trust between God and us, so that we have a unity, a perfect bonding unity.

And this is the outcome that God wants, and that we will be perfect with him. We'll have this trusting relationship, bonding to be one. But sin still has to be paid. There was a cost, and that was Jesus Christ's death and blood. Now, putting it another way, if we look at Matthew 7 verse 21, Christ puts this very plainly, or let's put it another way, very bluntly. In Matthew 7 verse 21, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. So it's not just faith alone. We have to do the will of God, the will of my Father in heaven. So unless, put it another way, unless you and I surrender our will to God and commit to do his will, we will not be in the kingdom of God. God has freely given us undeserved favor, motivated by his love and concern for us, and provided we accept his invitation to enter into a trusting relationship with him, and by trusting him we surrender and commit to love according to his law of love. And so, going back to Hebrews chapter 10, verse 16 through 18, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 16 through 18, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 16 through 18, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 16, This is the covenant that I'll make with them. After those days, says the Lord, I'll put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I'll write them. So God's laws have to be in our hearts and minds, and in the end their sins and lawless deeds I'll remember no more. Now, where there is remission of sins, now through Christ's blood, freely, graciously, gratis, there is no longer an offering of sin, because that offering has already been done once for all. So, going back to Galatians, now we're going to Galatians chapter 3, verse 1, Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? Who is deceiving you that now you still need to have sacrifices and ceremonial laws on top of Christ's offering? You know, so the truth is, the truth is that we need no more sacrifices, no more an offering for sin by the ceremonial law, because of the undeserved favor, grace given to us by God. Verse 2, Galatians 3, this is this only I want to learn from you. Did you receive God's only Spirit by works of law or by the hearing of faith? We receive God's only Spirit because we preached the gospel and you believed in faith, you trusted, and then you've repented, you've counted the cost, and you've made a commitment through baptism. And therefore, verse 3, having begun in the Spirit, through God's Spirit, a new life of a new man, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Are you wanting now to be made more perfect by physical laws and ceremonial laws? No, but he's not saying that we don't have to obey God's law. You see, he's talking about two different laws, ceremonial law versus God's law.

We are sanctified. We are being made right with God, as we read in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 14, we are being sanctified. Oh, by God's only Spirit! Look at 1st Peter chapter 1, verse 2. 1st Peter chapter 1, verse 2. It says we are being, you know, Peter is writing to the pilgrims of the dispersion, and he says, he let according to the foreknowledge of God the Father in the sanctification of the Spirit. They have been selected, and we are selected, and ultimately the whole world will be selected in the sanctification of the Spirit. For what? For obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. For obedience, and when we fail, and we slip up, we need a little bit more sprinkling of the blood of Christ to cleanse us out of those things that still crop up. You see, so we are sanctified by God's only Spirit for obedience. Look at now Galatians chapter 3 verse 10. Galatians chapter 3 verse 10. For as many as are led by the works of law are under the curse, for it is written, curse is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. So what do we have here? Works of law do not pay for our sins. For instance, like I mentioned earlier on, if you have a fine because you broke a traffic law, you will not pay that fine by simply, simply in now obeying all the traffic laws. You have a fine. You're going to pay the fine. Obeying the law does not pay the fine. So he's saying, if you break the law, you have a penalty. You have a penalty. You see, the law doesn't pay for the penalty.

We all have sinned. You just have to read in Romans 3 verse 23. We all have sinned and the wages of sin is death, Romans 6 23. And then we read in Romans 3 verse 24. We are justified freely by the redemption, by the repurchase, which is in Christ. You see, what pays for our sins is Christ's sacrifice, not works of law. And so, when Paul de Angelatians chapter 3 verse 10 is saying, cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, where is he quoting that from? Well, he's quoting that from Deuteronomy 27, last verse of Deuteronomy 27. So let's look at Deuteronomy 27. Deuteronomy 27.

Last verse of Deuteronomy 27.

1. Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of the law, and the people shall say, Amen. And you know what's the next chapter? Deuteronomy 28, which is the blessings on obedience and the curses on disobedience.

You see, and then 28, at the beginning, says, YHAN, if you obey God's laws, if you obey the laws, you'll be blessed. Then in verse 15, onwards, if you disobey God's laws, you will be cursed. There'll be curses for disobedience. You see, it is our disobedience that brings curses. It's our disobedience that brings curses. The law is not a curse. So you go back, read now Galatians chapter 3 verse 10. Galatians chapter 3 verse 10. He says, for as many as are of works of law are under a curse. So if you are standing up and expecting to be made right or justified by the law, you are under a curse. Why? Because we all sin, because we all have sinned, and therefore we have penalties. We have penalties. And then in verse 11, he says, that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident. You and I are not made right. The sins are not paid by obeying the law or any law. The sins are by paying the fine. And the fine is life for life. And Christ had to give his life for our lives. Life for life. And he says, yeah, the just shall live by faith. We have to trust that what Christ has done has paid for our transgression. Christ has done an amazing act, a supreme act of absolute trust in the Father, the Father would resurrect him. You never doubt that. The Father loved him. He loved the Father. The two were one. There was no division in purpose. There was unity. There was absolute trust. And you and I have to trust. We have to believe. We have to have faith. Trust in things unseen is faith. We have to trust that that will pay for our sin. And the just shall live by faith is a quote from Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 4.

So we've got to live. If we believe that we, by obeying the law, we are going to be justified, then we always have to obey the law. We can never sin. But we all sin. We all have sinned. So our only hope is trusting that the sacrifice that Christ has done is enough for all our sins. For all our sins. It's enough. It doesn't have to sacrifice again. Once for all. It's enough. Therefore, the law is not of faith. Verse 12, but the man who does them shall live by them. In other words, the man that obeys the law and lives by it, fine, great. But if he fails, as will do, then there'll be a penalty. Verse 13. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Not that the law is a curse, but the curse of the law is that if we disobey it, there is a penalty. The law is a penalty. The penalty of the law when we disobey it. The problem is us. We disobey it. Having become, therefore, Christ having become a curse for us. What do you mean by that? Christ became a curse for us. Christ had to take our sins. Had to be our sin offering. You see, Christ never sinned, but he became our possible land. Never sinned, but he became sin for us. Not that he became sin, but he became a sin offering for us. He became a sin offering for us. And that's what he says. Have he become a curse for us? In other words, he became as if he was a law breaker. Well, he didn't break the law, but he says, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree. And yes, he was hanged on a tree. He was crucified, hanged on a tree. And what does that come from? From Deuteronomy 21, verse 22 and 23. So let's look at Deuteronomy 21, verse 22 and 23. Deuteronomy 21, verse 22 and 23.

If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he's put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day. Well, Christ was buried that same day. So that you do not defile the land which the Lord your God is giving you as in the other. For he who is hanged, he is a cursed of God.

So he was hanged, crucified. But he never committed any sin. He was wrongfully accused, but he took mankind's sins for us. He became sin for us. It does not mean that he's sinned. It means that he became our sin offering for us. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21.

For he made him, he God made him Jesus Christ, who knew no sin to be sin for us. It was God allowed him, Christ, to be our sin offering.

That's what God allowed him to be, that we might become the righteous of God in him through Christ, through what Christ did. So Christ is a sin offering for us. He never sinned, so he was not sin, but he became a sin offering for us. And so going back to Galatians chapter 3 verse 13, when you read that Christ was reading for us, through him, through his act of being our sin offering, you and I are made right with God.

We become the righteousness of God in him through Christ, an absolute act of faith, his faith, and our requirement to be faithful. Our requirement now to be obliged to be faithful to him because of his act of love that is done for us based in absolute trust. So Galatians 3 verse 14, we read that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in whom Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through him.

The blessing promise to Abraham, what is the blessing promise to Abraham? Looking at verse 6 of Galatians chapter 3 verse 6, he says, just as Abraham believed God and was accounted to him for righteousness, Abraham trusted God. And when he was told, leave the home of your parents and go out and be a pilgrim into a land that you don't know, he trusted God and he did that. And so he believed.

And as Abram believed, it was accounted to him for righteousness. He trusted God and that was before the circumcision, before all the ceremonial acts. And then you read in verse 8, and the scripture foreseen that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand saying, he knew all the nations shall be blessed. And that is in Genesis chapter 12 verse 3, when God told him, leave the land of your fathers and I'll bless you. And in you, that means through his the senate, through his seed, through Christ, all nations will be blessed.

All nations, Jews and Gentiles, all nations. So the promises of blessings to all nations were done based on this act of faith, which basically that's why he and Abram and Isaac and Jacob are the fathers of the faithful. And therefore the blessing of Abram to the Gentiles through Christ. That's why we read in verse 14 that the blessing of Abram might come upon the Gentiles. What is the blessing promise to Abram? Because he trusted God. It was done by faith. And through this faith, we're going to have the blessing would come to the Gentiles, to all nations, to all nations, not just Jews, but to all nations, to the whole world.

So all people that we might receive the promise of God's Holy Spirit through faith, because we are the people who are the people of faith, because we are to believe. You read Acts chapter 2 verse 36 and 37.

Peter preached to them and they realized that they had killed the Messiah and Christ. And when they realized that, it pricked their hearts and their conscience and said, what have we done? We killed the Messiah. In other words, they believed that Christ was the Messiah. They reached the point of belief. And then Peter says to them in Acts 2.38, repent, because they said, what shall we do?

And Peter says, repent. So it's believe, repent. That means change your life and be baptized. In other words, commit. Make a promise. Make the new covenant. Commit. And then you shall receive the Holy Spirit. It was all based on faith, not on works of the law. Yes, you expect to make a commitment to change. You expect it to have that faithfulness. Like we explained, that relationship of grace in the first century was that there is an act of love, of grace, and it's expected a faithfulness, loyalty, back. So, just as it was credited to Abraham, the righteousness of God, as we read in Romans 4, verse 3, it was imputed to him, was credited to him, righteousness.

Then we read a little later in Romans 4, verse 7 and 8, blessed are those to whom sin is not imputed, but they are given righteousness of God, three gratas. And that's why Christ said in Matthew 6, verse 33, seek you his kingdom, the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.

Not my self-righteousness, but God's righteousness, which comes through faith. And so, this section here in Galatians, chapter 3, which I tried to mine out of it a lot of understanding, and particularly as we are now approaching the Passover, I felt it would be very important to really understand that God is building in us a trusting relationship. He wants a trusting relationship between us and him, that we may be one with him, and this is done through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice. The final outcome is that all nations will be blessed and perfected, and that is all based in this relationship for us to be one which requires faithfulness, a degree of absolute faithfulness to one another, a commitment, a loyalty, and a gratitude.

And it's not based on works of law, but granted, we do require to now become like Christies, and we do are required to change and to be a new man, and to live according to God's laws and God's principles.