What the Law Meant to Us?

TRANSCRIPT

I greet you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In our previous message we have considered two questions. Firstly, is the Law without purpose? The answer is no. The purpose of the Law is to reveal sin, not to remove sin. It is to bring men who are under sin to the point whereby they would cry out, ‘Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the death of this body?’ (Romans 7:24). Secondly, is the Law contrary to the promises? The answer is no. Instead of contradicting the promises, the Law actually complements the promises because the Law shows to us that no matter how hard we try, we cannot save ourselves by our own efforts, by our own works, by our own obedience. We have to run to the promised seed of the woman; the only Mediator between God and man, that is Jesus Christ. Only Jesus alone can save us. Then Paul went on to speak about what the Law meant to us, which is the title of our message for today. This is what we want to learn from this morning’s passage in Galatians chapter 3 verse 23 to 29.

I. The Law as a prison

Our first point is: ‘The Law as a prison’. Let us begin with verse 23. “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” Notice the word “we”, which means that Paul included himself because this was a universal problem. It is not just a problem pertaining to the Jews but to everyone – everyone who lived on the face of this earth. The word “kept” means to be in custody, like someone in prison. And to be “shut up” means almost the same thing, to be confined. Remember the Law was to reveal sin, not to remove sin. Not to save us from sin but actually to show us our sin. The Law is like a mirror: it magnifies our sin so that you and I can see it more clearly. When a man looks at the Law, he sees that his life is more than just wrong. It is more than just a behaviour problem. It is more than just an emotional struggle or a temperamental issue. It is sin, a transgression. And when he has transgressed the Law, when he breaks the Law, there are serious consequences.

The Law demands that there will be accountability and there will also be a judgement. In other words, before faith came, which means before a person believes in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, in a sense, he was on a death row, sentenced to condemnation because of his sins. That is exactly what Romans 6 verse 23 teaches us, “For the wages of sin is death”, not just this physical death but it includes spiritual death and eternal death. Forever and ever we will be separated from a holy and just God. But the Bible did not end there. Thanks be to God the Bible says, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Otherwise, you and I would be in a most pathetic situation. In a prison, condemned to death and unable to escape, but thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, before we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, we are imprisoned under the demands of the Law, under the judgement of the Law and the condemnation that the Law brings. So, the Law warns us of this serious predicament we are in.

Yesterday I was having dinner at Gilbert and Susan’s house. One of their friends shared about his diabetic medical condition. Well, the body will give off certain signals to warn him. Perhaps tiredness, hunger or being hungry, numbness, blurry vision, and so forth. It warns him that it is time to take the medication. If he chooses to ignore, deny, or reject the body’s warning systems he will have to pay for the consequences, and it can be very devastating. My friends, it is the same with the Law which warns a person through conviction, guilt, fear, and helplessness of the great danger of being imprisoned under the Law, awaiting the judgement of God which he must pay with eternal death and hell. If he chooses to ignore, deny, or reject the warning the consequences are eternal; he is destroying his soul. The soul is that part of us that will last forever and ever. So, the purpose of the Law is like a prison to drive a person to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ the only one who can save us.

II. The Law as a schoolmaster

Next, Paul moved on to talk about ‘The Law as a schoolmaster’. Verse 24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” To be justified by faith means to be saved by faith. Verse 25, “But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” Here Paul described the Law as our schoolmaster. The word “schoolmaster” is a tutor or an instructor. In those days, the people would employ a slave to supervise the young children on behalf of the parents. He would take them to school and make sure they did their lessons. He would teach them obedience and manners. He would often be strict in discipline. He would scold and whip them if it was necessary to make sure they learned what was right. Paul was using the responsibility of the schoolmaster to explain the purpose of the Law in our lives. The Law was like our schoolmaster.

But there was something very interesting about the role of this schoolmaster: it was never permanent in the lives of the children. It was never forever. There would a time whereby the children would grow up and then there be this special day whereby the child would finally receive his freedom from the schoolmaster. You see, the schoolmaster would tutor him until a certain age, perhaps fourteen years old, to seventeen years old, and then the child would be considered an adult no longer needing to be tutored or under the schoolmaster. Although the child would be free from the schoolmaster because he had gained his freedom as an adult, yet he would still have a special kind of relationship with that schoolmaster for the rest of his life.

The Law served the purpose of a schoolmaster until Jesus came in our lives. The purpose of the Law was to bring the people to Christ. After they had been brought to the saving knowledge of Christ, the Law had done its work as the schoolmaster.

Let us take a moment and consider what the Law meant to the Jews during Paul’s time. When we talk about the Law to the Jews, it not only means the Ten Commandments, but it also means the ceremonial laws. The Jews followed the laws of the ceremonies, especially the sacrificial systems, very strictly. But all the laws pertaining to the external rituals and ceremonies were pointing to someone. They were all pointing to the once for all, perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world. So, when Christ came there was no longer a need for all the external rituals and ceremonies and they were done away, abolished. Sometimes you will see this theological word: “abrogated”.

When the perfect Christ came into the believer’s heart, those imperfect pictures of Him (as in ceremonies so to speak) had no more purpose or significance. So the Law as in the ceremonial laws had been done away because they were types and symbols of Jesus Christ and they were fulfilled by Him. But the sad reality is that the Jews, many of them who profess to believe in God, they still want to go under the schoolmaster. They still want to be under the tutorship of the Law.

What about the Law as in the Moral Law, or the Ten Commandments? You see, the Ten Commandments are God’s moral standard of right or wrong. And God’s moral standard of right and wrong will never change. In time past and in time future, it will always be the same moral standard. So although the moral standard, the Ten Commandments, had served the purpose of pointing us to Jesus Christ, it will always remain. It will not be done away because they are God’s moral standards. It will always abide as our intimate friend like the special relationship this child, though now would have grown to be an adult, he would still have this very special kind of relationship with the schoolmaster. That is why you and I would love the Law of God. We would have this special relationship with the commandments of God.

The believer now has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as Romans 8 verse 9 says, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” So as a believer you must have the Holy Spirit indwelling in you, I must have the Holy Spirit indwelling in me. Now as believers, we obey the Law – ‘Do this; don’t do that. Do that; don’t do this.’ – not our of fear or obligation, but out of love. We obey the Law through the working of the Holy Spirit which takes residence in our lives guiding and leading each and every one of us at every moment of our lives.

Perhaps this moment you woke up late, you forgot about daylight saving. I’m not referring to those of you who are sitting here, but those probably who will hear this message. And you miss the worship service. You know that you must keep the Christian Sabbath, but you woke up late. You feel guilty so much so that you are unable to do anything for the rest of the day. For some people, every spiritual activity is a law. Attending Bible studies is a law. Attending fellowship meetings is a law. Attending prayer meetings is a law. Serving in the church is a law, etc. We have to be very careful that we do not live our lives with this law-keeping mentality, putting ourselves under a whole list of things that we have created for ourselves and then missing the heart of it all.

There’s no greater way to learn about our relationship with the Law than from our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments when He taught the disciples and He said this: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”, and “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37, 39) In other words, as believers, we will try our best to obey the commandments of God with all our hearts, with all our soul, with all our strength, with all our minds. Why? Because we love God. This is the special relationship you and I have that will remain for the rest of our lives in regards to the Law as our schoolmaster. We are not under this schoolmaster, but we love this schoolmaster, and we obey him, because we love God.

III. The Law brings us to Christ

Our third point is: ‘The Law brings us to Christ’. Verse 26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” We are all children of God by believing in Christ Jesus. Apart from the saving faith in Christ, all of us are enemies of God, all of us are under God’s wrath. No man can belong to God unless he first belongs to Jesus Christ. No man can be connected to God unless he first be connected to Jesus Christ. It’s always by Christ.

During World War I there was a peace talk among the Arab tribes in Paris where the famous British scholar, Lawrence of Arabia, participated. Several Arab leaders came with him to Paris and they stayed in the same hotel. These Arab leaders lived in the desert. So when they entered into the hotel, they went into their bathrooms, they were amazed to discover that they could bring an unlimited amount of water into the bathtub simply by turning the tap. So when preparing to leave Paris, they removed the taps and packed them in the luggage thinking that the taps themselves magically created the large amounts of water. When they told Lawrence what they had done, he explained that the taps were useless unless they were connected to the pipes which were in turn connected to a source of water.

My friends, in the same way a person who is not connected to the Son of God is not connected to the Father. He or she, no matter what he or she says, has no source of spiritual life or power. God has no children who are not identified by faith in His only begotten Son. Parents, are you worried about the salvation of your children? Are you concerned whether your sons or daughters are truly children of God by faith in Jesus Christ? Surely you will say, ‘Yes I do.’ It is not about creating a set of laws. ‘Well children, you must attend church services, you must attend Bible studies, fellowship groups, you must do this, you must do that, you must attend to this, you must not attend to that.’ While all these things are good, but rather you must ask, ‘Is my son or my daughter connected and abiding in the only source of life that is Jesus Christ?’ If he is truly connected to Jesus Christ, you will be able to know. You will be able to tell because it will be manifested through his life. It will be manifested through his prayer life. It will be manifested through his love for God’s Word. Through his love for the church. Through his participation and services in all the spiritual activities you will be able to tell.

That is why verse 27 says, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Here, Paul was not talking about the modes of baptism (whether you have been sprinkled or immersed, with more water or less water), but rather what baptism signifies. Baptism signifies the washing away of sin and the renunciation of one’s sinful past. It signifies our entry into the new covenant and our admission into the church of Jesus Christ. It also signifies a total commitment and a lifelong allegiance to Christ and Christ alone. Essentially it is about our spiritual union with Christ. If we are truly born-again believers, united with Jesus Christ, then we must put on Christ. Often people know that it means to be clothed with Christ’s righteousness. No doubt that is true. When God the Father sees us, He sees you and I clothed with the righteousness of His only begotten Son.

But is also means another thing. If you and I are in Jesus Christ, we would always be surrounded, encompassed and consumed with the life of Jesus Christ, His presence in our lives, and His righteous nature. You and I will live our lives with this one sole purpose: we want to glorify Him, we want to honour Him for the rest of our lives. So it is not just, ‘Well I’m clothed with Christ’s righteousness. When God sees me He sees the righteousness of His only begotten Son.’ Well, that is true and that is well and good. But what about you putting on Christ? You life would be consumed with the life of Jesus Christ, you would always consider His presence, you would always be considering His righteous nature. ‘If I do this, will my Lord be dishonoured? If I go to this place, what would my Lord say? If my Lord is with me, would I be saying these things? Would I be thinking these thoughts?’ Put on Christ. As Galatians 2 verse 20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

It does not mean that the believer is perfect; no man is perfect. But there will always be this desire in our hearts to be like our Master. If I can give you an illustration, it is like a little child who went for a walk with his dad and it was snowing heavily outside. The father would take huge steps with his big boots making big footprints. The little children would try to put his little foot into those huge footprints. Sometimes his tiny legs would not be able to reach out to the next footprint. At other times he would stumble and fall, pick himself up and try again. But there is one undeniable fact that when you look at that picture, it is a child who desires to walk as daddy walks.

My friends, if we are true believers then that is a glimpse of your life and my life. We are not perfect. Sometimes we say and do the wrong things. At other times we may stumble and fall terribly. But when people look at our lives as a whole, they cannot help it but to see a picture of someone who is trying to be like his Master. Is this a picture of our life? Is your life a resemblance of your Master? I’m not talking about being perfect. No one can be like Jesus, perfect. But is there a glimpse of your Master in the way you talk, in the thoughts you think, in the places you go, and you represent the Lord to this world? As an ambassador for Christ, is there a resemblance of your Master?

Fathers, when your children look at you do they see Christ in you? Mothers, do they see Christ in your life? And children, why are your parents worried about you? Is it because they do not see the resemblance of Jesus Christ in you? Take a moment and consider our lives. Has it anything to do with our Lord? Any desire that we want to walk as Jesus walked?

Verse 28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Paul was not denying that there were people who were Jews, there were people who were Greeks. Some were slaves, some were free. Some were born to be males, others were female. He was simply speaking about their standing before the Almighty God. There were no spiritual differences because they all shared the same rights, the same blessings, the same privileges. Romans 10 verse 12 says, “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.” You see, it was very important for Paul to stress this point because the Jews were very proud of their spiritual heritage. They took great pride about themselves circumcised according to Abraham, that they were the recipients of the Law of Moses. So there was this wall of separation between the Jews and all the rest.

It is interesting that Paul used three groups of people. Do you see that? Greeks or Gentiles, slaves and women. In those days the Jews would often begin every morning with a word of prayer. Many Jewish men would pray with a prayer that goes something like this: ‘I thank you Lord that I was not born a Gentile, that I was not born a slave, that I was not born a woman.’ The reason why they did that was because of the low status of such individuals in the land. The Gentiles were despised because of their uncleanness. They did not participate in the purification rights of the Jews. The slaves were despised not because they had no properties to their names, but they also did the most dirty and degrading task in the land. The women were despised because they were considered a burden to the family with no wealth, with no heritage to their names.

Is it not true that even in our time there are differences? Look around you. In this world there would always be differences. There are some races classified as the elite race. In some nations they have different caste systems. The rich would not mingle with the poor. Men would despise the women. But in God’s eyes there’s no difference. In God’s eyes, all of us, regardless of our race, our culture, our social standing, our gender, there’s no difference. My wife has all the rights of a child of God as I have. Someone who is poor has the same rights as a child of God; there’s no distinction.

So Paul said, finally in verse 29, “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Remember the promise of blessings that were given to Abraham? The blessings of love, grace and mercy. Essentially it was the spiritual aspects of salvation. In other words, Paul was saying, ‘If you are a child of God, if you are in Christ, if you believe in Him, then you are also a child of Abraham, spiritual speaking. And as a spiritual child of Abraham, you will have the inheritance that God has promised to Abraham.’ Can you imagine that all of us share the same privileges, the same rights, the same blessings as Abraham?

Let us conclude by reading Revelation 21 verse 3 to 7. Maybe you can turn with me. This is a most comforting passage. Verse 3, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”

Isn’t it wonderful that all the promises contained in this passage about the eternal heaven where there would be no death, no more sorrow, no more crying, no more pain. And then the streets are made of pure gold, garnished with all sorts of precious stones in the new heavens and the new earth, the new Jerusalem which will be our eternal home. It belongs to every single one of us who has called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. We are all sons and daughters of God. We all share the same standing, the same blessings, the same privileges whether male or female, whichever nations you may come from, it doesn’t matter. Before God there’s no distinction. All these blessings belong to us.

But it must begin somewhere, right? That is where we learn about the Law. Remember the Law, as a prison, showed to us that we were in prison because of its demands, its judgement and its condemnation. The Law as our schoolmaster was meant to teach us, instruct us, discipline us regarding our sinfulness and regarding God’s holiness that might bring us to Jesus Christ. And once we are brought to Jesus Christ, we are saved. We no longer live our lives under the Law as in a prison, we no longer live our lives as in a schoolmaster, but as children of God. That is why you and I love the Law of God. We want to obey the Law of God not that we want salvation, we already have salvation, but we want to glorify and honour Him. And as children of God, we have all the privileges and blessings that God has promised us.

If there is anyone who is still lingering outside the kingdom of God, please do not delay. Please do not deny, reject or ignore this fact. You are under the Law as in a prison. The purpose of the Law is to be a schoolmaster to drive you to Jesus Christ. Come and believe in the Lord Jesus today. Today is the day of salvation because today may never come. Tomorrow, truly, may never come. It is not a scare tactic; it is a reality. Today may be your last day. You reject Jesus you’ll be lost forever and ever. No one can save you, only Jesus saves. He’s the only Mediator between God and man. The only One who died on the cross, shed His precious blood, and only His blood can save away all your sins. Believe in Him, then you can have the forgiveness of sin and you will have Heaven as your eternal home. All these promises will be yours just as they are also mine. Let us pray.

Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to consider this passage. Indeed, there are so many wonderful lessons we can learn from Thy precious, infallible and inerrant Word, Thy Word which Thou has preserved and given to us that we can read, be encouraged, be edified, be comforted, be directed, be taught. Thy Word is so marvellous. We pray that we will not just walk away and forget whatever we have learned. Help us to apply Thy Word into our lives. We give Thee thanks and we pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

SERMON OUTLINE

• I. The Law as a prison
• II. The Law as a schoolmaster
• III. The Law brings us to Christ

THE BOOK OF GALATIANS

A Letter To The Galatians

A Letter To The Galatians

Galatians 1:1-5

The Danger of Preaching Another Gospel

The Danger of Preaching Another Gospel

Galatians 1:6-9

Be a God-Pleaser, not a Men-Pleaser

Be a God-Pleaser, not a Men-Pleaser

Galatians 1:10-12

But When It Pleased God

But When It Pleased God

Galatians 1:13-24

Standing for the Truth of the Gospel

Standing for the Truth of the Gospel

Galatians 2:1-5

One Gospel, Different Ministries

One Gospel, Different Ministries

Galatians 2:6-10

The Need to Confront Sin (Part 2)

The Need to Confront Sin (Part 2)

Galatians 2:14-16

The Need to Confront Sin (Part 3)

The Need to Confront Sin (Part 3)

Galatians 2:17-19

Dead, Yet Alive!

Dead, Yet Alive!

Galatians 2:20-21

Remember How You Were Saved!

Remember How You Were Saved!

Galatians 3:1-5

Saved by Faith

Saved by Faith

Galatians 3:6-9

The Age Old Promise of the Gospel

The Age Old Promise of the Gospel

Galatians 3:6-18

Christ Bore Our Curse

Christ Bore Our Curse

Galatians 3:10-14

Will God Keep His Promise?

Will God Keep His Promise?

Galatians 3:15-18

Why Then Have the Law?

Why Then Have the Law?

Galatians 3:19-22

What the Law Meant to Us?

What the Law Meant to Us?

Galatians 3:23-29

The Son of God Became the Son of Man

The Son of God Became the Son of Man

Galatians 4:1-7

No More a Servant and Child, But a Son

No More a Servant and Child, But a Son

Galatians 4:1-7

Until Christ Be Formed In You

Until Christ Be Formed In You

Galatians 4:8-20

Freedom in Christ or Bondage to Works

Freedom in Christ or Bondage to Works

Galatians 4:21-5:1

By Faith Or By Works!

By Faith Or By Works!

Galatians 5:2-6

The Dangers of False Teachers

The Dangers of False Teachers

Galatians 5:7-12

The Christian Freedom

The Christian Freedom

Galatians 5:13-15

The Works of the Flesh

The Works of the Flesh

Galatians 5:19-21

The Fruit of the Spirit (Part 2)

The Fruit of the Spirit (Part 2)

Galatians 5:22-25

Restoring the Sinning Brother

Restoring the Sinning Brother

Galatians 5:26-6:5

Restoring the Sinning Brethren

Restoring the Sinning Brethren

Galatians 5:26-6:6

You Shall Reap What You Sow

You Shall Reap What You Sow

Galatians 6:7-10

Living for the Praise of Men

Living for the Praise of Men

Galatians 6:11-13

Living for the Glory of God

Living for the Glory of God

Galatians 6:14-18