Galatians 3

Galatians 3:1

The apostle Paul was deeply concerned about what was happening in the series of towns and cities known as Galatia. You see, after he had shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with the Galatians, men came in who began to complicate the gospel. “Paul’s message is cool,” they said, “but not complete. In addition to believing on Jesus Christ, you must show you are serious about Him by keeping rules and regulations.” In this third chapter of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he shifts his focus from his personal experience with grace (chapters 1 and 2) to doctrinal instruction about grace (chapters 3 and 4). “Why do you no longer embrace and enjoy the simplicity of Jesus Christ? Who put this spell on you?” Paul asks the Galatians.

Galatians 3:2

“How did you receive the Spirit when you were born again? Was it by the works of the lawdoing this or refraining from that? No. You received the Word simply by faith.” This verse speaks not only of being born again, but also of receiving the fullness, baptism, or “coming upon” of the Spirit to empower one’s life. After Jesus was crucified and had risen again, He appeared to the disciples in the Upper Room and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” As He breathed on them, they indeed received the Spirit (Joh_20:22). At that point, the disciples were saved. But then Jesus said, “Go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father” (see Act_1:4). “You shall receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you and you shall then be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth” (see Act_1:8). So they went to Jerusalem and waited. On the tenth day, as they were in the Upper Room, they heard the sound of a mighty rushing wind, and saw cloven tongues of fire hovering over their heads. The Spirit came upon them. They began to praise the Lord in other tongues. They were energized to boldly proclaim the gospel. And the world has never been the same. That is what the Lord wants for you and me. When you became a Christian, the Holy Spirit came in you. But has the Holy Spirit come upon you? I know you have the Holy Spiritbut does the Holy Spirit have you? “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?” Paul asked the people of Ephesus (see Act_19:2). And I ask you the same question. In years past, many of us were part of churches or traditions that said, “The way to receive the power of the Spirit is to get rid of all of the sin in your life. Give up your drinking. Sell your TV. Stop smoking. Get it together. Then the Holy Spirit will come upon you to empower and use you.” Consequently, many people spent months, years, even decades trying to clean up their acts in order to earn the power of the Holy Spirit. Others of us waited day after day in what used to be called “tarrying meetings.” “We’re going to wait for the Holy Spirit to come upon us,” we said. “And if we praise loud enough, pray hard enough, and wait long enough, the Lord will give us the Holy Ghost. Then we’ll be changed. Then we’ll impact people radically.” Both of these methods would be foreign to Paul. How do you receive the Holy Spirit? Neither the indwelling of the Spirit through salvation nor the empowering of the Spirit through baptism come by works of the law. They come by faithjust by hearing the Word. “That’s it?” you ask. “You mean I don’t have to clean up my act, get it together, or fast thirty days?” No. We receive the Spirit not by works, but by the hearing of faith. Therefore, by faith I can take that which was provided for me and say, “Thank You, Lord. Even as I sit in this pew, I ask of You and receive from You the power of the Holy Spirit upon my life right now.” “That’s too simple,” you say. Talk to Paul. He said, “Don’t let anyone complicate this. You receive the Spirit simply by the hearing of faith.”

Galatians 3:4

“You began in the Spirit,” said Paul, “hearing the Word, and receiving it by faith. So don’t let people tell you more is required of you. That’s foolishness.” “When you began,” said Paul, “you were persecuted because of your simple faith in Jesus Christ. People came down on you, laughed at you, and made fun of you. Yet you continued to believe in the simplicity of the gospel. You’ve gone through the put-downs and persecution. You’ve already taken some hits and experienced some beatings because of your belief in grace. Don’t turn from grace now.” The same is true today. Those who are under bondage to the law and live their lives by trying to earn blessings from God will make fun of those who live by faith and have confidence in grace. They’ll mock you. They’ll say you’re immature. They’ll say what you believe is frivolous and trite. Mark it well, saint: If you are an embracer of grace, people will call you shallow. “Our group is really heavy,” they’ll say. “We understand what it means to carry the Cross and pay the price. We’re the few, the chosenthe spiritual marines.” There’s an arrogance that permeates those who are trying to earn God’s blessings. But when you celebrate what Jesus did on the Cross, you are free from exalting yourself.

Galatians 3:5

To whom does “he that ministereth the Spirit and worketh miracles among you” refer? I believe the reference is to Paul himself. When he entered the region of Galatia, seeing a lame man in the city of Lystra, Paul healed him. How did he do it? Was it by fasting and praying? Was it by proving to God that he was worthy to be used in a powerful way? So many books are written, and so many testimonies are given by people who say, “I really began to move in the power of God when I did this, that, or the other.” “Not true,” says Paul. “The one who ministers the Spirit, the one who is used by God is not the one who does works, but the one who simply believes.” This solves a huge problem for me. No doubt you’ve seen all kinds of people being used by the Lord whose lives are far from perfect. I think of one well-known healing evangelist, and I marvel. This man supposedly heard Jesus tell him that unless he was given money to complete a certain project by a certain date, he would die. It made the news, of course. The world chuckled. Christians hid their faces in embarrassment. The more I read about this particular man and his family, the more I found myself saying, “This is bizarre.” Yet, interestingly enough, when I was a little boy suffering from acute asthma, there were times my mom would rush me into the bathroom, turn on the hot water, and fill the room with steam, just so I could breathe. Concerned about the situation, the doctor gave Mom a little vial of kerosene, with the instruction that, should I come to the place where I would die if I couldn’t get another breath, she was to pour a drop down my throat. On a number of occasions, close to the point of having to use the kerosene, Mom would hear the very radio evangelist of whom I’m speaking, say, “Place your hand upon the radio as a point of contact. Expect the Lord to heal you. Something good is going to happen to you.” As my mom did this, time after time, the Lord intervened. Thus, this evangelist about whose ministry I wonder, this evangelist whose methods I question, had an undeniable impact upon my life. If you go back even further, to the days when the healing evangelists criss-crossed the country, drawing huge crowds under big-tops, many thousands of people were truly touched and definitely impacted by one of the biggest faith healers of all: A. A. Allen. A. A. Allen had the biggest meetings and the most powerful impact in the healing arenauntil he died in San Francisco in a cheap motel of cirrhosis of the liver. A servant of God an alcoholic? How could this be? It is because the miracles wrought and the Spirit given are not by the works of the law, but simply by the hearing of faith. A. A. Allen understood that what he did was centered not upon his great faith in God, but upon God’s great faithfulness to him. And once you understand that simple truth, it will affect everything you do in ministry. For years, I was under the impression that the key to ministry, to being used by God, to seeing folks saved or filled with the Spirit, was my faith. Therefore, the greater my faith, the more God would do. Not true. The key was not my faith in God at allbut His faithfulness to people. Many years ago at Caveman Park in Grants Pass, Oregon, at the end of my teaching, I gave an invitation to the two hundred high-schoolers in attendance. I just expected kids to respondnot because of the persuasiveness of my message, but because I know the goodness of God. He wants to save people. He cares about every single kid there. It wasn’t because of my presentation or preparation that I expected them to respond. No, it was because I knew God was eager to respond to any of those kids who wanted to come to Him. So, when I said, “Who wants to receive the coming upon of the Spirit right now?” most of them raised their hands. Uh-oh, you may have thought had you witnessed the scene. What are you going to do now, Jon? What if you pray and nothing happens? What if they don’t speak in tongues? Worse yet, what if they do? Folks, it’s not my job to be concerned about those things. I just have total confidence in the great faithfulness of God to touch anyone, anytime, anywhere who is hungering and thirsting for righteousness. When this is understood, it is so incredibly freeing. But until it’s understood, Satan will whisper in your ear, “You don’t have the technique down. You don’t know enough verses yet. You haven’t prayed hard enough. You haven’t worshiped long enough.” Precious people, Satan will paralyze you until you understand that every area of ministry is based not upon your faith, but upon God’s faithfulness. If you believe this, you’ll find yourself talking to people and expecting them to respond in some way. If it’s dependent upon me, my knees knock, my forehead breaks out in beads of sweat, my mouth gets dry, my lips become sealed. I am paralyzed by fear because I know I haven’t done enough. But once I understand that the One who ministers the Spirit, the One who works miracles doesn’t do it by the works of the law, I am free! Ministering the Spirit A Topical Study of Gal_3:5 The Galatian believers were bewitchedbut not in the way you might think. It wasn’t Samantha Stevens wiggling her nose, but a group of men pointing their fingers. “It’s nice that you believe in Jesus Christ,” they said, “but it’s not that simple. In order to be used by the Lord, or to go deeper in the Lord, you need to keep certain rules and regulations. You need to deal with your flesh. You need to be circumcised.” “Who has bewitched you?” cried Paul. “You began in the Spirit. You were saved simply by believing in the Lord, trusting in Him, enjoying what He’s done. Why do you now think you’re going to be made perfect by the energy of the flesh?” I ask that same question today. When you were savedthe day you opened your heart to Jesusyou didn’t come to Him in the energy of your flesh, making promises to Him, pledging to clean up your life, or vowing to get your act together. No, you came as a sinner, saying, “I have nothing to offer, Lord, but if You want to save me, if You want to do a work in Me, I gladly accept it.” Why, then, do we think we will be perfected by striving to keep our own rules and regulations? “He, therefore, that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Paul asks. “I would love to minister the Spirit,” you might be thinking, “but I’m so afraid I’m not capable of being effective in service. What if someone told me he wanted to know the Lord, or to be empowered by the Spirit? What would I do? What if I laid hands on him, prayed that the power of the Holy Ghost would come upon him, and nothing happened? What if I tried to teach a Bible study, and no one came? What if I witness, yet people just walk away?” You who long to be used, but are afraid you can’t be, understand this point: The one who ministers the Spirit and works miracles is not the one who says, “God can really use me because I’ve taken care of this sin; I’ve overcome that problem; I’ve mastered theology.” No, the one who ministers the Spirit and works miracles is one who simply hears in faith. Hears what? The Word. “Go and teach all nations, and lo, I am with you always” (see Mat_28:19-20). “Ye shall be witnesses unto Me” (Acts 1: Act_1:8). “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father give the Holy Ghost to them that ask” (see Mat_7:11). We have a tendency to say, “I can’t teach. I can’t witness. I can’t pray for the empowering of the Spirit because I don’t have the technique down yet. I don’t have the necessary insights and the understanding.” But in so doing, we’re saying, “The ministry of the Spirit, the ministry of miracles, being used by God, and seeing the power of God is dependent upon my knowledge, my togetherness, and my worthiness.” No. No. No. You were saved by faith. You will be used in the same mannerjust believing not in who you are and what you know, but in who God is and in what He has promised to do. Therefore, our ministry, our service, our walk with the Lord is not based upon works of great faith, but simply upon our faith in a great God. When Bartimaeus asked to receive his sight (Mar_10:46-52), Jesus didn’t say, “Why do you want to see? Is it so you can behold My beauty? Is it so you can study the Torah? Is it so you can do the work of God? Get your act together, Bartimaeus, and when you have your motives purified, then I’ll deal with you.” No, He simply said, “Be healed"no questions asked. We think we need to analyze our reasons for wanting to be used by the Lord. “I better go through a year of heavy introspection,” we say, “before I dare ask the Lord to use me in ministry. I better make sure my motives are pure and my methods are proper before I can help someone else.” Not true. If you want to be used by the Lord, just go to Him and say, “Father, use me.” Then, when someone comes to you, struggling with a marital problem, physical disease, or emotional depression,” you can simply say, “Let me pray for you.” You don’t need to put people on a program or teach them a procedure. Simply take them to a Person. Take them to the One who said, “He that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out” (see Joh_6:37). Jesus didn’t say, “I’m not interested in those who don’t have their theology down, their lives together, or their motives pure.” No. He said, “I will not cast out anyone who comes to Me.” And that’s what makes service such a joy. That’s what makes walking with the Lord so delightful. Precious people, the hearing of faith says, “Lord, You said, ‘Come to Me,’ so here I am.” “I have a problem with that,” you say. “You see, I’ve come to Him concerning my daughter’s situation. I’ve come to Him about a physical infirmity. I’ve come to Him about a broken relationship. But nothing happened.” That’s because all too often we come to the Lord and give Him instructions or directions instead of just saying, “Lord, here’s my situation. You see what’s best for me.” I am so thankful that the Lord in His goodness did not answer thousands of my prayers. I was convinced I knew what I needed. I thought I knew what was right for this person or that situation. I was so sure I knew what was best for Applegate Christian Fellowship. I can recall walking around the Grange Hall on Upper Applegate Road, saying, “You told Joshua that the land whereupon he set the sole of his foot would be given him. So, Lord, I’m claiming this building. It’s perfect for us. Why, it seats sixty easily!” But because the Lord had something entirely different in mind, the deal we were pursuing with the Grange Hall didn’t work out. And I’m so glad. You see, the key in praying for your own situation or for the people with whom you’re sharing or ministering is not to give God direction, but simply to say, “Lord, here’s the situation. You do what’s right.” As I left Germany one day, the plane was packed. It was stuffy and noisy, and all I wanted to do was get home. I sat down next to a guy who, although he was from a Mediterranean country, spoke English. I need to share with him, I thought. But, having arrived in Frankfurt only three days earlier, serious jet lag was beginning to set in, and I was not in a real pleasant mood. So when he put his earphones on and tuned in the music, I was thrilled. “No open door here,” I said to myself, relieved. “The guy doesn’t have ears to hear, so what’s the point in talking?” Consequently, on the entire twelve-hour flight to Chicago, I didn’t speak a word to him. He had his earphones on the entire timeand that was fine by me. But as we landed, I felt in my heart that an opportunity had been missed. So when I got on the plane that would take me from Chicago to San Francisco, I bowed and prayed, “Lord, I feel like I missed an opportunity on the previous flight. Use me on this one in some way.” No sooner had I prayed that prayer than one of the stewards came on board, saying, “The thermostat on this aircraft is not functioning properly. You’ll have to de-plane and wait for another flight.” When it was time to board again, I said to the steward, “Sir, I’ve got to preach in Medford, Oregon, tomorrow morning. Will this flight be able to make the connection?” “No way,” he said. “We’ll have to find something else for you.” As a result, I found myself all alone in first class. This is amazing, I thought. Here I prayed to be used on the flight headed for San Francisco. And what did He do? He kicked me off the plane and put me here, all by myself. Shortly into the four-hour flight, a steward named Ricardo, who had heard of my plight, approached me and said, “So you’re going to preach?” “Yep,” I answered. “I’m going to preach tomorrow morning in a place called Applegate.” “What’s Applegate?” he asked. That was the only opening I needed to start sharing with him about what the Lord was doing there by His grace. “It’s the greatest thing,” I said. “There’s a group of people who just love Jesus and who celebrate what He’s done.” Then a stewardess, a Jewish lady named Ellie, joined us. So here I was, talking about grace to a Jewish stewardess and a Catholic steward. Before long, the other steward and stewardess assigned to first class joined our group. I’m not exaggerating when I say that from the moment we took off until the time we touched down in Portland, we talked nonstop about the gospel, end times, the finished work of the Cross, evolution, and creation. Did they fully understand and embrace what I shared with them? I don’t know. But each of them asked me to take his or her phone number and address, and to be put on our mailing list. I share that with you to say this: I prayed specifically to be used on the flight to San Francisco. I felt it was a very noble prayer, a very spiritual thing to do. But I got kicked off the plane and was put in a cabin all by myself. Why? The Lord saw what was ahead in ways I could never have figured out. That’s why He says, “Come to Me. And as you talk things over with Me, trust that I’ll do things in the right way, at the right timenot because you’re naming it and claiming it, not because you’re instructing Me as to what you think should happen, but because you’re just trusting Me.” So I say to any who are wrestling with troubled marriages, to any who are struggling with physical problems, to any who are emotionally depressed or financially stressed, to any who are worried about a father or mother who’s not saved, or a son or daughter who’s falling away: The Holy Spirit is given and miracles happen not by the works of the law, but by the hearing of faithsimply by believing that the Lord cares about you and that He’ll do the best for you. Rejoice. You were saved in a simple way, embracing a simple message. You began in the Spirit. Now walk in the Spirit. Depend on the Lord. Have confidence in Him. Come to Him, all you that are heavy-laden. He will energize and empower. He will save and worknot because of who you are, but simply because of your faith in who He is. Your motives may not be pure. He doesn’t ask for that. Your methods may not be perfect. That’s irrelevant. Just come to Him, and you’ll see miracles happen. You’ll be escorted to first class, and you’ll fly highmarveling at what He does.

Galatians 3:6

Abraham wasn’t doing something to impress God. He just believed God, and God declared him righteous. Paul pointed to Abrahamthe father of the Jewish nation, the one whose heritage the religionists and Judaizers claimed as their ownas an example of the all-sufficiency of faith.

Galatians 3:7

“Whether you’re Jew or Gentile,” Paul continued, “if you have faith in God, then you are linked to Abraham, the father of faith.”

Galatians 3:8

“Because you believe in Me, Abraham, I can do a mighty work through you,” said the Lord.

Galatians 3:9

Why is the law a curse? Because if you’re going to try to earn God’s favor through keeping rules and regulations, you’ve got to do it all. Suppose you are one of the thousands of refugees who are presently making their way to America via raft. You carefully construct your little boat, using ten boards to make up the hull. Then you set sail. Thirty miles out to sea, one of the boards comes loose and floats away. The water comes flooding in, and you go downbecause in that situation, even 90 percent isn’t good enough. The same is true with regard to the Ten Commandments. If you’re going to try to earn God’s favor through keeping them, you’ll have to keep all ten. or else you’re lunch for some hungry shark. Jesus gave us an understanding of what this really means when He said, “You’ve heard it said of old you’re not to commit adultery, but I say unto you if you have lust in your heart you’re guilty. You’ve heard it said of old you’re not to commit murder, but I say if you’ve been angry with someone you’re guilty” (see Matthew 5). You’re cursed if you try to keep the law because unless you keep all of it perfectly, you’re sunk.

Galatians 3:11

The words “the just shall live by faith” are first seen in Hab_2:4, when, in response to his complaints concerning the prophesied Babylonian invasion, the Lord told Habakkuk to look to Him rather than at the circumstances. They are seen again in Rom_1:17, where Paul stresses justification; and in Hebrews 11, where the emphasis is on faith. Here in Galatians, the accent is on live. Want to be happy, fruitful, excited, and set free in your Christian life? The just shall livereally liveby faith. Martin Luther beat his body, crawled on his knees, and fasted in order to get close to God. But nothing worked. And then one day he read this verseand he understood that the Christian experience is not “Do, do, do"it’s “DONE!” Jesus did it all. Dear saints, get rid of the burden of trying to be spiritual. Get rid of the notion that since you had morning devotions ten times in a row, God owes you a blessing. It doesn’t work that way. You are justified by faith alone. “Then I don’t have to have morning devotions?” you ask. No, you don’t. “I can sleep in?” Yeah, you can. “I don’t have to pray, or study the Word?” Nope. You don’t have to do any of those things. You get to. You get to check in with God morning by morning, moment by moment. You get to spend time late at night or before the sun rises, seeking the face of the Lord. It’s not got to, it’s get to. And that makes all the difference in the world, for once you’re free from the “got to’s,” you invariably do more than you ever did before. James said, “Faith without works is dead” (Jas_2:20) because true faith will always bring about lots of works. When you fell in love with your husband or wife, you didn’t have to be told to call her; you didn’t have to be reminded to hold his hand; you didn’t have to be urged to communicate. When you’re in love, you long to be in touchand that’s what the Father wants from you and me. “Love Me,” He says. And the more I realize that He loves me by His grace and mercy being poured out upon me, the more I have no choice but to love Him in return. So I do more under love than I ever would do under the law. Think about that first letter your girlfriend wrote you, guys. As you stuck it in your pocket, did you say, “Boy, one of these days I really need to read this letter. I’ll set my alarm fifteen minutes earlier tonight and read it first thing in the morning”? And then as you rolled out of bed half an hour after the alarm went off, did you say, “I really want to read this letter, but I don’t have time now. Maybe tonight. No, Home Improvement is on. Can’t miss that. I’ll get to it tomorrow”? No! It doesn’t work that way. When you got that letter, you ripped it open, read it, analyzed it, parsed the verbs, researched it, and read between the lines. You couldn’t put it down! The same thing happens when you understand grace and mercy. You say, “You bless me, Lord, when I don’t pray. You love me when I’m not lovable. You take care of me when I fail to walk with You. You’re faithful to me day after week after year. I want to find out more about You.” That’s what it means for the just to live by faith.

Galatians 3:12

The law says, “You must do it and keep doing it” (see Lev_18:5). Faith says, “He did it. It’s done” (Joh_19:30).

Galatians 3:13

When man sinned, God said to Adam, “From this point on, you will labor for bread, live by the sweat of your brow, and work through thorns and thistles.” Then came Jesus, the Last Adam. In the Upper Room, His broken body became our bread. In the Garden of Gethsemane, His sweat mingled with blood. On Calvary, the thorns of the earth were embedded in His brow. “I’ve absorbed it all,” Jesus said, as He who knew no sin became sin for us, as He Himself became the curse. This is what Paul is driving home. What Jesus did is so incredible, so wonderful, how could we think that through our own efforts we could add anything to His work on our behalf? This verse has obvious application to Jesus Christ as He hung on Calvary’s tree. Yet I believe it has application for us as well if we look at it in light of another who hung on a tree… Hanging on a Tree A Topical Study of Gal_3:13 A sixteen-year-old boy was recently sentenced to thirty years in prison for the stabbing death of a fifteen-year-old girl who shunned him at a party. “From everything this court has seen of you,” said the judge, “the bottom line is, you don’t have a conscience. Certainly no culture tolerates the kind of behavior in which you have engaged.” Contrary to the judge’s statement however, so common is such behavior that stories like this don’t even make the front page of the newspaper. After serving only a fraction of their sentences, most criminals repeat their offenses again and again because legislation doesn’t deal with the real issue. What is the real issue? Old Testament Israel had no penitentiaries, no prisons, no penal system. Why? Because in that culture, crime was dealt with swiftly and severely. Stoning was the most common form of punishment for capital offenses that included cursing or disrespecting one’s parents, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and murder. This was not cruelty on God’s part. People knew that breaking God’s law resulted in immediate consequences. Therefore, it kept people free from the junk that permeates and pollutes our culture presently. If a particular sin was committed, the perpetrator wouldn’t be stoned. He would be hung on a tree. “My goodness,” you say. “If murder merited stoning, what would possibly cause one to be hung on a tree? Child abuse? Mass murder?” I think you’ll find the answer shocking as we look at a story in the Old Testament that shows us from God’s perspective what merited death by hanging… He seemed to have everything going for him. He was the most handsome man in the country, and the Word of God declares that from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet, there was not a single blemish upon him. We are told that when the barbers cut his hair, the weight of it was two hundred shekels’ worth, or five times the weight of the hair of any other man. Not only was he unbelievably good-looking, but he had a winning personality. Scripture records that, with the men wanting to be like him, and the women swooning over him, he actually stole the hearts of the nation of Israel. In addition, he had prestige. His mom was a princess, and his dad was the king of the most powerful empire of the day. So with his handsome countenance, his engaging personality, his prestige and power, his name seemed to summarize what people thought of him: “The father of peace"Absalom. But this one who had everything going for him, this one whose name was synonymous with peace was a man greatly troubled within. You see, Absalom had a sister named Tamar who also possessed unsurpassed beautyso much so that Scripture tells us her half brother, Amnon became sick with lust toward her. Cousin Jonadab, noticing Amnon’s deteriorating condition, said, “Hey, Amnon, you don’t look so well. What’s wrong?” “I’m in love,” answered Amnon. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. Tamar has captured my heart.” “You’re the heir apparent,” said Jonadab. “If you want Tamar, just pretend you’re seriously ill. Send word to your father saying that you want Tamar to come in and feed you. Then, when she’s in your room, have your way with her.” “Sounds great,” said Amnon. Why? Because when lust is ruling someone, he doesn’t think straight. Amnon called for Tamar, and, as planned, he pulled her to himself. “Don’t do this,” pleaded Tamar. “You’ll shame yourself. You’ll shame me. You’ll bring disaster upon us all.” Amnon was deaf to her cries, however, because lust demands satisfaction. Scripture records that the hatred Amnon felt toward Tamar was exceedingly greater than the love he had for her before he raped her (2Sa_13:15). Girls, here’s how to lose your boyfriend: Give in. Once he’s through with you, the guy who once said, “I love you,” will hate you. That’s what makes lust so tragic: Once it gets its way, it turns to hatred. How many people become involved in a relationship based on lust only to discover that there’s no communication, no relationship, only bitterness. How right our Father is to tell us not to give in to the lusts of the flesh (1Pe_2:11). So it was that with ashes in her hair and garments shred in mourning, Tamar went to her father. “What?” the king cried, “Your brother raped you?” But although he was angry, he did nothing to discipline Amnon. Why? It could be that, as a poet, he lacked the strength to deal with his son. Or, perhaps, like many of us, rather than seeing his children walk in righteousness, he desired to be liked by them. Most likely, however, the king didn’t discipline his son because the king’s name was Davidand he was guilty of satisfying his own lusts with a woman named Bathsheba. Mom and Dad, when we sin, we lose a great deal of authority. We can’t talk to our kids about the dangers of alcohol if we’re sipping wine with dinner. We can’t deal with the drug problem if we ourselves are dependent upon certain questionable habits or medications. In forfeiting our authority, we lose our credibility. “My son has blown it,” lamented David. “But what can I do? I’m guilty of worse sins than his.” So David did nothing. For two years, anger seethed inside Tamar’s brother, Absalom, causing him to hate not only his brother Amnon, but his father as well. Want your kids to hate you, Dad? Here’s how: Don’t be strong in the family. Don’t bring about correction in the home. It interests me that the kids who dislike their moms and dads the most are most often the ones who are the most undisciplined. The parents who try the hardest to be a buddy are often the ones who end up mocked and despised. Be warned, Dad. When you see things wrong in your family and you fail to deal with them, like Amnon, your son will one day despise and mock you in his heart. After two years, Absalom decided to deal with the situation himself. “Father,” he said. “My servants have just finished shearing the sheep at Baal Hezor. We’re going to celebrate. Come and join us.” “Oh, Absalom,” David said. “I can’t get away right now.” “Well, can my brothersespecially Amnoncome?” Although David should have been somewhat suspicious, he gave his permission, thereby unwittingly enabling Absalom to put his plan into action. “Bring out the wine,” Absalom said as the celebration began. When everyone was drunk, Absalom raised his hand and gave the sign for his servants to thrust their swords into Amnon, while the rest of David’s sons immediately awoke from their stupor and stumbled out to their donkeys to ride for their lives. With word on its way to his father, Absalom knew he needed to flee for his life as well. So he mounted his mule and headed for his mother’s hometown of Geshur. Although David could have easily sent an army to pursue Absalom, he continued to do nothing. For three long years, Absalom remained in Geshur while David’s heart pined for his Amnon. Seeing the king eaten up with grief, David’s right-hand man, Joab, enlisted the help of a woman who said to David, “I am a widow and I had two grown sons who took care of meuntil the day they got in a fight and one killed the other. Now the people in my community are demanding that my living son be put to death. But if that happens, I will have no one to care for me. What should I do?” “Woman,” David said, “truly I say to you that not one hair on his head shall be hurt.” “What about you?” the woman said. “Don’t you know that our days are short, and, like water spilt upon the ground, cannot be gathered up again? God is not a respecter of persons.” In other words, “Time is short. God forgave you. Forgive your son. Bring him back” (see 2Sa_14:13-14). Unable to deny the wisdom of her words, David sent Joab to track down Absalom and bring him home. But when Absalom entered the city of Jerusalem, David refused to see him. For two years, Absalom had no communication with his dad whatsoever. Finally, not knowing how else to get his father’s attention, Absalom lit the fields of Joab on fire. Parenthetically, I cannot help but wonder what fires our own kids have to light in order to get our attention. “Send him in,” commanded David at last. And Scripture records that when David saw his son, he kissed him (2Sa_14:33). But the plot thickens. After Absalom received the kiss of his father, he left the palace and got a new chariot with fifty men to run before him, announcing his arrival. With his hair blowing in the breeze, and the bass thumping on his stereo, Absalom’s daily rides through Jerusalem were impressive, indeed. Thus, it is no wonder that when he parked his chariot at the gates of the palace, those who were waiting to get an audience with David would bow before him. “Don’t bow to me,” Absalom would say. “You’re my buddies.” “Us?” they said. “We’re nobodies.” No,” said Absalom, throwing his arms around as many as he could. “You’re my buddies. If I were king, I would take care of whatever it is that’s troubling you.” That is how this good-looking, prestigious, rich, seemingly together individual who was a mess inside, stole their hearts. And one by one, the men of Jerusalem began to say, “Absalom, you’re our man.” When Absalom felt he had enough support, he went to his father and said, “While I was in exile, I made a vow to God that I would offer Him a sacrifice in Hebron. I need to fulfill that vow.” So Absalom headed for Hebronnot to worship the Lord, but to wrest the throne from his father. When the trumpets sounded in Hebron, the prearranged signal was translated throughout Jerusalem: Absalom is taking over. Upon hearing the news, David prepared to leave Jerusalem. “We’ll grab the ark and go with you,” said the priests Abiathar and Zadok. “No,” insisted David. “The ark must not leave Jerusalem. God is not on the run. The fault is mine for not dealing with my sons. Stay here in Jerusalem, and be my eyes and ears.” Taking a few of his men with him, David left his ten wives to keep house in the palace as a sign he would be back. Upon his departure, Ittai, the Hittite, said, “Six hundred of our men are traveling with you.” “You’re Philistines,” said David. “You don’t have to come.” “But we do,” said Ittai. “Although you were once our conqueror, we now count you our friend. Where you go, we’ll go. If you die, we’ll die beside you.” “Okay,” said David. “Let’s go” (see 2Sa_15:22). At this point, Hushai, one of David’s advisors, approached him and asked to be included in the entourage. But David refused his request on the grounds that he was too old and too valuable. “Stay here, Hushai,” David said. “Pretend you’re on Absalom’s side, and give him bad advice.” As Absalom assumed power, Ahithophel, David’s former top advisor, told him to consolidate his power at once. “Take David’s ten wives upon the palace roof where the whole nation can see,” he said, “and have relations with them. Meanwhile, I’ll take twelve thousand men, track David down, and do him in.” The question arises: Why did Ahithophel defect to Absalom after being loyal to David for so many years? One possible reason was that his granddaughter was a beautiful woman named Bathsheba. His resentment over David’s affair with her, along with the subsequent murder of her husband, could have turned to revenge as soon as Absalom came into power. But Ahithophel’s sin had a far worse outcome than did David’s. Thousands would be killed in the war that would result from his encouragement of Absalom’s rebellion. Watch out, gangthe sin you resent in others may be far less dangerous than the sin of resentment in your own heart. “Wait,” said Hushai, “David’s sly. You’ll need more than twelve thousand men to get him. Gather an army of hundreds of thousands. Then make your move.” “No, no, no,” argued Ahithophel. “Give your dad time, and he’ll regroup. You must strike now.” Absalom listened to both advisors. In the end, he sided with Hushai. Hushai’s plan worked. David now had time to regroup. He crossed the Jordan River and received word that Absalom would be commanding a massive army from his chariot. David decided to set up his ambush in Ephraim, where Absalom’s chariots would have trouble navigating the woods. With his men in position, David sounded the trumpets, and the battle began. But as Absalom entered the fray, he found himself in unfamiliar territory. Too busy cultivating his image, he had never fought a day in his life. When David’s men began springing out from all sides, unable to control his chariot, Absalom abandoned it for a mule. But even the mule was unprepared for battle. As it ran wildly through the woods of Ephraim, Absalom’s long, flowing hair became entangled in the branches of a tree. Absalom’s hair got caught; the mule kept going; and Absalom was left hanging by his hair. This is intriguing to me. After all, if you were in battle and your hair got caught, wouldn’t you take your sword or knife, cut your hair, and set yourself free? Not Absalom. Either he was so inexperienced in warfare that he didn’t even have a weapon with him, or, he said, “I would rather die than lose my hair.” Either way, it’s amazing. Upon hearing of Absalom’s predicament, David’s general, Joab, found him still hanging by his hair. Straightway, Joab fired three darts into Absalom’s chest, putting an end to Absalom’s life as well as his attempted coup. “That’s an interesting story,” you say. “But what does this have to do with Galatians?” Everything. “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” wrote Paul. Who hung on a tree? A mass murderer? No. A crazed rapist? No. It was a man who was proud, manipulative, and ambitious. That is the man whom God says is especially cursed. That’s you. That’s me. But wait. “O, Absalom. O, Absalom, I would die if you could live,” cried David. “O, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, I will hang on the tree in your place,” cried the Son of David, Jesus Christ. Absalom rebelled against his father. Jesus said, “I do the will of My Father.” Absalom had beauty. Jesus had “no form or comeliness.” Absalom sounded the trumpet. Jesus walked in humility. They’re opposite in every way. Yet they both hung on a treeAbsalom because of his sin, Jesus for mine. The biggest difference between Absalom and Jesus Christ is that only One burst forth from the stone that covered His grave. Only One rose from the dead. Only One says, “Because I hung on the tree, you are forgiven.” Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree. It should have been you. It should have been me. But He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be forgiven. Consequently, we’re saved. We’re forgiven. We’ve been brought back from exile." I’m Absalom. But because Jesus hung in there on the tree for me, I’m free. And I want you to be, too."

Galatians 3:14

Jesus paid the price so we could receive the promise of the Spiritall the power and blessing of the Holy Ghostnot by our works, but by faith in what He accomplished on Calvary.

Galatians 3:15

“Let me use an example you’re familiar with,” said Paul. “Once two parties sign their names on a contract, neither can add to it nor take away from it.”

Galatians 3:16

In the minds of most, “Abraham’s seed” is synonymous with “the Jews.” Paul contended, however, that the promise was made not to seeds, but to one seed. And that one Seed is Jesus Christ. The promises of God to bless the world come not through the Jewish nation, but through Jesus; not through any national entity, but through Jesus Christ exclusively to all people, in all places.

Galatians 3:17

God made a promise, a covenant, with Abraham that through his Seed, Jesus Christ, everyone who wanted would be blessed. Four hundred and thirty years later, the law was given. But the law could not take away the promise of blessing given to Abraham. In other words, the law does not legally or logically have the power to negate the blessing God gave to Abraham through Christ. And Paul is about to show us that, since we are in Christ, the blessing that comes to us is neither given because we keep the law nor nullified by our failure to keep it. The law is completely irrelevant as it relates to the blessing of God. What a fabulous truth! It was when Abraham had no children that God told him his offspring would number as the stars of the sky and as the sand on the seashore. But Scripture records that Abraham believed God anyway. “Okay, Lord,” Abraham replied, “I don’t know how You’re going to do it, but if You want to bless me in that way, it’s fine with me.” And God said, “That’s the faith that will justify you, Abrahamjust believing in Me.” Time passed and again the Lord appeared to Abraham. “I am your shield and your great reward,” He said. “That’s great, Lord,” answered Abraham, “but I still don’t have any kids. The years are going by, and I’m not getting any younger.” “Abraham,” said the Lord, “let’s cut a covenant.” In Abraham’s day, when two parties wanted to seal an agreement, they would cut an animal in half and meet each other in the middle, thereby saying, “We’re dead serious about this.” So Abraham got a bullock, cut it in half, laid it out, and sat there waiting for God to show up. He waited and waited, wondering where God was. When birds started swarming around the carcass, Abraham shooed them away. Time passed. Abraham’s eyes grew heavy. His head started bobbing, then slumping. Finally, he was sound asleep. Sometime later, he awoke, looked at the bullock, and saw it had been barbecued. God had come when Abraham was asleep and had moved all the way through the carcass (Gen_15:17). God didn’t meet Abraham halfway. He did the whole thing, saying, “Abraham, this promise I’m giving you is not based upon your agreeing with Me and doing your part. No, I’m going to do it all. I’ll even do it while you’re asleep.” God still does it all, precious people. Your salvation, the blessings that are poured upon you, the work of the Spirit flowing through you in ministryit’s all God. “Don’t I have any part to play?” you ask. Yes. Your part is to shoo away the birds of unbelief that will invariably come and pick at the promises of God’s Word. Whatever God said He will do is an accomplished fact. Yet vultures of doubt and buzzards of cynicism will come and say, “God’s not going to use you. He’s not going to bless you. You haven’t been praying enough.” Peck, peck, peck. Your part is to chase away those birds by saying, “Lord, You told me You would supply all my needs according to Your riches. You told me You would never leave me. You told me You’re preparing a place in heaven for me. You told me You would give the Holy Ghost to me. Thank You, Lord.”

Galatians 3:19

If our walk is to be based simply upon believing what God said, receiving His promise, and resting in what He’s done, then why was the law given at all? Because of sin, the law was given until Jesus Christthe Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the worldcame on the scene. On Mount Sinai, the law was given to angels. Angels gave it to Moses; Moses brought it down to the people. In other words, the law was not directly communicated. The promise, on the other hand, was given without mediators or middlemen. It was given to Abraham directly and intimately.

Galatians 3:21

Does the law given to Moses contradict the promise given to Abraham? No. The law doesn’t contradict the promise. It simply gives an alternative to the promise. The law offers man a choice. You see, we can either receive a righteous standing before God by simply believing what God saysor we can keep every point of the law. If any legal system could bring a person salvation, it would be the Ten Commandments. The law is absolutely perfect. The only problem with it is this: It can’t be kept. “You’ve heard it said you’re to love your neighbor, but I say, you’re to love your enemy,” Jesus said in Matthew 5. “Therefore, if you’ve ever been angry at an enemy, you’re guilty. You’ve heard it said you’re not to swear falsely, that you’re to commit your oaths to the Lord. But I say unto you, anything more than a simple yes or no is from the evil one.” If you’ve ever failed to love your enemy or made a promise and backed it up with anything more than a simple yes or no, you’re guilty.

Galatians 3:22

No one can be justified by keeping the law. All the law does is tell us that we’re sinners in need of a Savior. That is why it was given. You see, the promise given to Abraham preceded by centuries the law given to Moses. Grace came first. But man began to think, I don’t need to be a recipient of grace because I’m pretty good. I don’t need to embrace this promised Seed, because I’m doing okay. So they began to write books like, I’m OK, You’re OK and Esteeming Yourself Highly. The Word, however, says there is none righteous, no not one. There is none that seeketh after God (Rom_3:10-11). There is not one person who can say, “Because of the sincerity of my search and the integrity of my pursuit of truth, I discovered God.” No, the Bible says none seeks after God. Zip. Zilch. Zero. God sought you. But in order for you to realize that you needed to be sought, the law was given to all mankind as a mirror, saying, “Take a look. You’re a mess. Here’s the standard of righteousness. It’s beautiful. It’s workable. It’s profoundly simplebut you can’t keep it.” The law serves an incredibly important purpose. Suppose I said to my friend John, “John, someone from Applegate Christian Fellowship just went to the Jackson County Courthouse and paid twenty-five thousand dollars on your behalf for a violation.” “What are you talking about?” he would say. “What kind of violation?” “A traffic violation.” “That’s ridiculous,” he would say. And he wouldn’t appreciate the gift given on his behalf, the price paid for his mistake. On the other hand, if I said, “John, didn’t you know there is a new law that protects snails as an endangered species? When you drove through town the other day, you smashed dozens of them and received a fine of twenty-five thousand dollars. But a man in the Fellowship paid your fine,“John’s response would be entirely different. He wouldn’t haughtily say, “A twenty-five thousand dollar fine? That’s ridiculous.” No, in humility and brokenness, he would say, “Who paid for me? Certainly, I am deeply indebted to him. “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” wrote the psalmist (Psa_19:7). Who is converted? The person who hears and understands the lawfor without hearing and comprehending the law, people will not appreciate or receive the Good News. I believe this is a fundamental mistake we often make in modern-day evangelism. We present the gospel, the Good News that Jesus loves us, died for us, and wants to take us to heaven to be with Him foreverbut we don’t talk about the law. We talk about the concepts of salvation without saying anything about the consequences of sin. You’re in a 747 jumbo jet headed to Honolulu. Two hours into the flight, the pilot calls for the senior flight attendant and says, “There’s a leak in our gas tank. We’re not going to make it to Hawaii.” The flight attendant, wiping the sweat off her brow, dabbing the tears from her eyes, smiles as she returns to the cabin, saying, “Greetings, passengers. Could I interest any of you in a parachute? It will make your flight more enjoyable, and in it, I think you’ll discover a new measure of peace, joy, and love. Who would like a parachute?” Maybe three or four people raise their hands. If you are among the three or four taking one, you see the other passengers snickering and pointing at you. Before long, you discover your parachute is tight and uncomfortable. You begin to think, This isn’t giving me any joy at all. This is ridiculous. And after twenty minutes or so, you take it off and say to the stewardess, “You lied to me. You promised I would be comfortable, full of joy, and warmed by love. But all I got were snickers, jeers, and a rash.” Such is what we see happen all too often in present-day evangelism. “I was promised love and joy,” new converts complain, “but my friends made fun of me, and I felt restricted.” That’s why many people who come to Jesus turn away from Him. Another stewardess in the same situation hears the message from the captain. She enters the cabin, saying, “Stop what you’re doing. Put down your reading material. I want your full, undivided attention. The captain has informed me that this plane is losing fuel fast. We’re going down. Who wants a parachute?” Suddenly, people are fighting for parachutes. No one cares if the flight for those remaining minutes is smooth, or if they have enough mobility to play video games. No, everyone is clinging to his parachute, making sure it’s secure because everyone knows the plane is going down. I suggest that oftentimes the reason we are ineffective in long-term evangelism is because we have not been honest enough with people to say, “You are a damned, doomed sinner. You have a hole in your tank. You have broken the law. You’re headed for destruction. I could sit here, hold your hand, and talk about warm, fuzzy thoughtsbut I love you too much. You need to know the truth, and the truth is this: “The soul that sinneth shall surely die, for the wages of sin is death” (see Eze_18:20; Rom_6:23). “Wait a minute,” you protest. “I thought it was the goodness of God that leads men to repentance” (Rom_2:4). It is. “But it sounds to me like you’re talking about the severity of God.” I am. They’re both valid. To the broken of heart, share grace. But to the hard of heart, share the law, for the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. Those who understand they’re damned and weep because of their sin don’t throw off their salvation when people snicker at them or when something more exciting is presented to them. I ask this very pertinent question: Have you shared the reality of the law with the unsaved people you care about? Perhaps you’ve shared your testimony with themand that’s great. But if their heart was hard, they probably said, “I’m glad you’ve found happiness. I’m glad it works for you. I’m proud of you, honey. It’s so good to see your life on a good, solid, moral footing. I’m happy for you, but I don’t need that.” Such arrogance can only be penetrated with the presentation of the law. That’s why the law was givento show people the plane they’re on is going down and that they’re doomed unless they take the gift of salvation, the Promise, the Seed of AbrahamJesus Christ.

Galatians 3:23

We were in trouble because we were supposed to keep the commands of the law, but we couldn’t do it. We were cut off from the faith that would later be revealed.

Galatians 3:24

If your Bible is a King James Version, you’ll see that the words “to bring us” are in italics. Therefore, since italicized words are not present in the original language, verse Gal_3:24 should read: “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster until Christ.” Suppose there was conclusive evidence that O. J. Simpson was guilty. If Judge Ito had said, “I forgive you, you’re free,” O. J. could have gone his way, and I’m sure he would have been happy. But that’s not what justification is. Justification would mean all the evidence against O. J. would be obliterated, that his record would be totally clean. Like O. J., we’re all sinners. God, however, looks at believers not as being forgivenbut as though they had never sinned at all. Why? Because God is a Good Guy who says, “Kids will be kids”? No. Because the blood shed on Calvary’s Cross was so powerful it blotted out every violation written against us (Col_2:14).

Galatians 3:25

The law was a schoolmaster with red pencil in hand, circling our mistakes. But once Christ came into our lives, the law is no longer to be a part of our lives. This is such a radical statement that if God didn’t say it, I would be afraid to share it.

Galatians 3:26

When you became a believer, you put on Christ. You were placed in Christ. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away (2Co_5:17). Therefore, when the Father looks at you, He doesn’t see you in all of your sin. He sees you in Christ Jesus, robed with His righteousness. That’s Good News! So why would you return to rules to try to clean up your act or prove your worthiness? It makes no sense.

Galatians 3:28

Each morning, a Jewish man would pray, “I thank You, God, that I was not born a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.” Referring to this same Jewish prayer, Paul says, “In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female. All those barriers are broken down. You’re all one in Christ.” You see, the law sets up walls and separates those who do from those who don’t, those who are keeping their rules from those who have failed in their attempts. But once you put on Christ, all those walls crumble. We’re all sinners saved by grace. God doesn’t hear men more than women, those who are free more than those who are oppressed, Jews more than Gentiles.

Galatians 3:29

If we are in Christ, we are not of Moses, not of the law, not of performance. We are of Abraham, of faith, of promise.