Monday, June 30th
Read: Galatians 3:10-14
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 the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Spend a few minutes discussing questions you have about the passage. Here are a few to get you started:
What is the Book of the Law?
What does it mean to live by the law?
What does it mean that Christ became a curse for us?
How do we receive the promise of the Spirit?
Due to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we no longer live by the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. This statement is easy to say, but it can be hard to understand. The Law, given to Moses by God, was given as guidelines for the Jewish people. These guidelines said how the Jewish people were to live, and spelled out clearly what the different sins were. Because the Jews did not have a Saviour (Jesus) yet, it was important for them to understand sin, and how it would keep them from relationship with God.
When Jesus died on the cross for the sin of the world, the law was broken. The prophet Habakkuk prophesied, before the birth of Jesus, that once the Saviour had come and died, the righteous would begin to live by faith. This is contrary to the law because the law in not based on faith. Although faith was involved in following the law, it was not solely based on it. The Jewish people had faith that God would be with them if they followed the law, but most of the experience was based on following the rules.
Deuteronomy 27:26 states that anyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law will be cursed. This verse seems to cause confusion because it says that if we do not continue to follow the Law, we are cursed. So, how does Jesus’ death deliver us from the curse?
When Jesus had died, all the sin of mankind died with him. This sacrifice destroyed the wall between man and God, and took away sin’s power. Because of this, man no longer needs to rely on the law to live according to God’s will. It is through faith and relationship with Jesus Christ that we are saved.
Before the law was instituted, Abraham believed in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. This is why the scriptures say that all nations will be blessed by Abraham. Jesus died so that the blessing given to Abraham would be open to all. And through faith in Jesus, we are open to receive His promised Spirit that writes His law in our heads, and on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).
Process:
–Does the law still have any significance today? What caused the breaking of the law? Because of Deuteronomy 27:26, are all who do not follow the law cursed?