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I am very excited to bring you this study. It was not written by me, but by a Freshman in College, majoring in graphic design…… Sierra Cole. She has always been an enthusiastic follower of Jesus Christ, but was in the group of those described by James…..until recently.
Acts 21:18-20 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James, and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had worked among the Gentiles by his ministry. And when they heard, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe; and they are all zealous of the law;
These law-zealous believers are the ones who took Paul and tried to kill him. (see study Paul’s Trip to Jerusalem) And why? Because he dared preach and teach what Sierra will lay before you today.
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“The Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.”
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our attendant until Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under the attendant’s supervision.
The Greek term for “attendant” is paidagogos, referring to the personal slave attendant who accompanied a freeborn boy wherever he went and had disciplinary power over the boy, functioning as a babysitter in the absence of parents, especially as regards the freeborn boy’s education.
This is the best analogy I have ever seen, and it’s all right there in the text – the Law was simply a babysitter, keeping God’s people as disciplined as possible without having the full authority of parenthood. Babysitters do not demand as much love, respect, and discipline from children as the children’s own parents do.
So the Law does not have the power that Faith does. When a child’s parents return, the babysitter no longer has power over the child. So it is when Faith is revealed – the Law no longer holds power over us. Those who choose to let both parent and babysitter …… both Faith and Law hold authority over them are slaves by choice, remaining under Law’s curse.
Galatians 5:10 Stand fast in the freedom with which Christ has made us free, and be no longer entangled with the yoke of bondage.
Some translations read “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free“. Faith has set us free from the Law’s curse, yet believers still choose to let this curse of Law reign in their lives. When this occurs, Christ has no value at all.
Galatians 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if you be circumcised (derive your identity in your Law-prescribed circumcision), Christ shall profit you nothing.
When we try to be justified by law, we have alienated ourselves from Christ, and fallen away from grace.
Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from grace.
Like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we are allowed a choice – so this destructive option remains.
This temptation to live by the law is so destructive to God’s people, that the apostle Paul goes so far to “wish [those preaching the Law] would go the whole way and emasculate themselves”.
Galatians 5:12 I would they were even cut off who trouble you.
(Steve’s note – this literally says that Paul’s preference toward those who wanted to demand a fleshly show of faith from others, by demanding they be circumcised (in the case of Galatians, this fleshly show was circumcision, but today it can include water baptism, church membership, committee involvement, and more), was that they rather cut off their own penis!)
Considering the loving and forgiving nature of the Apostles, this truly demonstrates the scale of what we are fighting in the enemy which is the Law.
You see – the only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision accomplishes (verb form of kratos) anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which is energized by love.
(You might want to take a look at the study Power and Authority for further explanation of kratos).
Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.
Another translation reads, “All who rely on observing the Law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of Law.’ …Christ redeemed us from the curse of law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’
Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree;
He redeemed us… so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Galatians 3:22-25 But the scripture has concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the Law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the Law was our attendant until Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the attendant’s supervision.
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The book, Give Me Christ … Revelations of the Glorified Christ is now available on Amazon.
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Other related studies on this blog:
Freedom from Sin’s Domination
The Form of our Doctrine
Dead to the Law
The 2 Systems of God
The Law of God
