Galatians 3:10-14
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
It is my joy to study God’s Word and to write these life lessons I have learned for this blog every day. God has given me a passion and zeal to understand and to communicate the application of Scripture that God, the Holy Spirit, has shown me in Scripture. I am not saying I know everything. I do not consider myself to be a superior Christian, greater than others, and can say, “God told me…” Absolutely Not! By the grace of God, I am what I am for His glory. So, I’m just the messenger, and I hold myself accountable to God to ensure that I share His truth. One of my favorite Bible verses that mean so much to me is Amos 7:14-15, which says, ‘“I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15 But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’’ Living as a retired Christian man who recently lost his wife to cancer, has been difficult except for this passion of mine to read, study, and teach God’s Word. On my small 2.5-acre farm, I have a small herd of goats and a couple of stands of fruit trees, one being fig trees. So I am a herdsman and a gatherer of figs. And to prophesy to my people is nothing more than me sharing Scripture from the Word of God. That is what I do. This is my joy!
Today, our Scripture passage is Galatians 3:10-14. Please read this passage first for a moment; reread it very slowly again and consider what is unique and stands out. It is quite obvious that the Apostle Paul has repeated the Word “curse” five times in this very short paragraph. This stands out like a pimple on the tip of a teenager’s nose. We must deal with this “curse” and try to understand the true significance that Paul is trying to communicate. He is being intentional and purposeful. As I write using my wife’s laptop, the program has an application to correct my grammar. It tells me when I have repeated a word and need to go to the Thesaurus and find a synonym. But, this is different. Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is purposefully communicating God’s Word. Today’s lesson is about the curse!
The curse was first introduced to the man in Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve rebelled and disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. Because they sinned, Adam, Eve, Satan, and the earth was cursed. Adam, as our representative and federal headship, brought sin upon us all. We became spiritually dead except by the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit who can regenerate hearts so we may be “born again.” John 1:12-13 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Here in Galatians 3:10-11, Paul is explaining that everyone who tries to live under the law is under the curse. We all know that it is impossible to keep every law and command of God. Therefore, cursed is everyone who does follow everything that was written in the Book of the Law exactly. But, we need to consider how a man today responds when He breaks God’s law. We have heard it said over and over again. People who love their sins and do not want to repent to follow God’s commands will justify their sins by saying that God made them this way, or that, God is a loving God and we all will go to heaven when we die. That is not what Scripture says. John 3:31-36 says,
“He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
This is the curse, which is, the wrath of God will abide upon those who do not believe and obey (John 3:36). This is another great Bible verse that we all need to memorize.
Galatians 3:11 is extremely significant. Since no one can live under the law and be free from the curse, how shall we live? This passage is a quote taken from Habakkuk 2:4 which says, “the righteous shall live by faith”. That is, those who repent and believe and have the righteousness of Christ, are to live by faith. As Paul will explain later in Galatians 5-6, living by faith is living by the Spirit of Christ, who is in the hearts of the believers. We are not to live in the fleshly desires of the world. Instead, we are to abide in Christ and be taught by the Holy Spirit through Scripture. This is why I included the introductory paragraph above. Again, I am not saying I am a superior Christian and have a special divine revelation. Not at all! Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” Living by faith is living devoted to God by abiding in Christ as we read and study God’s Word. There is no magic or hidden gift from God. The Spirit of God is the promised One given to all believers whereby we can now know the mind of Christ. Philippians 2:5 says, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, ‘“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.’ Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Therefore, those who are in Christ, are led by the Spirit and are walking by faith.
Those who have faith, do not need to fear the curse. The next few verses in Galatians 3 help to explain the true theology of the Gospel of Christ. Christ knew no sin because He was all God and all man; He was the God-man. He was all man, therefore, He had flesh and blood like all men of creation. Because Jesus was all God, He was sinless. Therefore, He provided a perfect, sinless sacrifice for our sins. Christ redeemed us from the curse (the wrath of God) when He became cursed for us. Jesus took our sins upon Himself and gave us His righteousness. Jesus Christ was cursed when He died upon the cross, because as it says in verse 3:13, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”.
That is the gospel that Paul preached. This is the gospel that we must believe if we are to have the free gift of faith. We need this faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Without faith, we cannot go to heaven and be with Him for eternity. Without faith, we will be in torment in a fiery hell. Without faith, we cannot walk by the Spirit of God and please Him. Truly, we must consider, without faith, are we able to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Christ? This is the blessing that was given to Abraham, so he can bless all nations, whereby, the Gentiles can now receive the promised Spirit of God and walk by faith as Abraham did.
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Most merciful Father God, I thank You that You provided an escape from this curse through the blood atonement of Jesus Christ, Your Son. Thank You for the free gift of faith. Thank You for the promised Holy Spirit who now dwells within me. Help me, Lord God, so I may daily abide in Christ through the reading and studying of Your Word. Help me, Lord, to daily communicate truth to others. Open hearts to the Gospel message of Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen!
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.We’ve a Story To Tell to the Nations by H. Ernest Nichol in 1896
