GALATIANS 3:1-14BASED ON BE FREE BY WARREN W. WIERSBE

Bewitched and Bothered

• Galatians 3 and 4 have 60 verses and are some of the strongest Paul ever wrote.

• In these two chapters, he proves that Salvation is by grace alone and not by works of the Law.

• Paul uses 6 different arguments to prove this:

• Personal argument (Galatians 3:1-5)

• Scriptural argument (v.6-14)

• Logical argument (15-29)

• Historical argument (4:1-11)

• Sentimental argument (12-18)

• Allegorical argument (19-31)

• The key word in this section is suffered (v.4). This could also be translated as “experienced.”

• Paul started with their Christian experience because he was there when they trusted Christ.

• Remember, subjective experience must always be balanced with objective evidence because experiences (and our memory of them) can change while the truth never does.

• It was obvious they had experienced a change in their lives when they accepted Christ, but the Judiazers had convinced them they needed something else (the Law).

Personal Argument (Galatians 3:1-5)

• In verse 1, Paul calls them foolish, meaning spiritually dull.

• They saw God the Son in Paul’s portrayal of Christ’s death and resurrection during his visit.

• They heard this truth, believed it, and obeyed it, and as a result were born into the family of God.

• V.2-4 They received God the Holy Spirit.

• The Holy Spirit is mentioned 18 times in this book.

• The only real evidence of conversion is the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

• So did they receive the Holy Spirit by trusting Christ or by obeying the Law?

• He convicts sinners and reveals Christ to them (John 16:7-11)

• The sinner CAN resist the Spirit (Acts 7:51) or yield to the Spirit and trust Jesus Christ.

• When the sinner believes in Christ, he or she is then born of the Spirit and receives new life (John 3:1-8)

• The believer is baptized by the Spirit to become part of the spiritual body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-14)

• The believer is sealed by the Spirit as a guarantee that he or she will one day share in the glory of Christ

• The Spirit is with us forever (John 14:16)

It’s important to understand the work the Holy Spirit does in salvation and Christian Living.

• Why? Because He lives inside us (I Corinthians 6:19-20)

• We should walk in the Spirit by reading the Bible, praying, and obeying God’s will (Ephesians 5:16, 25)

• When we disobey God, we grieve the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)

• Continual disobedience leads to quenching the Spirit (I Thessalonians 5:19)

• That means He cannot give us the strength, joy, and power needed for daily Christian living.

• We are to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21)

• This is a continuous experience (John 7:37-39)

He does so much for us, we have a responsibility to the Holy Spirit!

• This all leads Paul to the question: “If you didn’t start with the Law, why bring it in later? If you began with the Spirit, can you go on to maturity without the Spirit and depend on the flesh?”

• V.5 They experienced miracles from God the Father (the He in this verse refers to the Father as the One who ministers the Spirit and works miracles among them)

• The miracles referred to here were done both through Paul and within the believers (i.e., the wonderful changes within the lives of Christians as well as the signs and wonders within the church fellowship)

• Paul goes from the subjective experiences to the objective evidence of the Word of God.

• Remember, never judge the Scriptures by our experiences; instead we test our experiences by the Word of God.

• Since the Judiazers wanted to take believers back to the Law, Paul quotes the Law.

• Since they magnified the place of Abraham in their religion, Paul uses Abraham’s life to witness against them.

The Scriptural Argument (v.6-14)

• Genesis 15:6

• Abraham believed God’s promise, and God’s righteousness was placed on his account. Simple.

• Romans 4:20-24

• When the sinner trusts Christ, God’s righteousness is put into his or her account. That means the record is always clean before God and the believer can never be brought into judgment for his or her sins.

• Salvation is not inherited; it must be sought individually.

Abraham was saved by faith (v.6-7)

• “Heathen” is another word for Gentile and means anyone who is not Jewish.

• Genesis 12:3

• God promised the blessing of salvation to all nations through Abraham.

• If God promised to save the Gentiles through faith, then the Judaizers were wrong to take people back to the Law.

• Everyone who are “of faith” (or believers) are blessed with “faithful Abraham.”

This Salvation is for the Gentiles (v.8-9)

• Deuteronomy 27:26

• The Law brings a curse, not a blessing. It demands obedience in all things.

• Paul then quotes Habakkuk 2:4. This statement is so important the Holy Spirit inspired 3 NT books to explain it.

• Romans explains “the just.” Galatians explains “shall live.” Hebrews explains “by faith.”

• Nobody could ever live by Law because the Law kills and shows the sinner he or she is guilty before God (Romans 3:20; 7:7-11)

This salvation is by faith, not law (v.10-12)

• Leviticus 18:5 is used to prove that it is doing the Law, not believing it, that God requires.

• Our relationship with Christ is one of love and life. Abandoning faith and grace in favor of works is to lose everything exciting about the Christian life.

• The Law cannot justify sinners, give him or her righteousness, give the gifts of the Spirit, guarantee a home in heaven, give life or liberty. Why go back to Law?

• Since the Law puts us under a curse, Christ redeemed us from the curse!

• The blessings of Abraham and the gift of the Spirit are given through Christ.

• Deuteronomy 21:23. Jews didn’t hang or crucify; they stoned criminals. If there was a shameful violation of the Law, the body was hung on a tree for all to see for a time, and then buried.

• Paul of course refers to the Cross. Jesus wasn’t stoned; He was nailed alive to the tree and left there to die.

Salvation comes through Christ (v13-14)

• Redeemed means to purchase a slave for the purpose of setting him free.

• Jesus purchased us that we might be set free.

• Here’s the thing: Legalism appeals to the flesh. The flesh loves to be “religious” – obey laws, observe holy days, and boast about its religious achievements.

• Legalism appeals to the senses. Instead of worshipping God, the legalist invents his own system that satisfies the senses.

• Legalism lets you measure or compare yourself with others.

• As Christians, we are to measure ourselves with Christ (Ephesians 4:13)

• Legalism is a trap, campers. We are saved by grace, through faith. This is the only way to blessing.