(Read Galatians 3:23-29)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to look at The Law given under Moses vs. the Grace provided by Jesus. Last week we almost walked through the entire third chapter of Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia. Let’s finish the chapter this morning.
Paul said, “Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.” The Law was like a tutor, or a nanny, that protected God’s followers by warning them what NOT to do. But simply telling me what NOT to do does not really help me understand what I SHOULD be doing. That is the role of the Holy Spirit.
Paul continues, “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.”
So what does this mean to you today? Let’s seek to glean a few golden nuggets:
1. Paul called The Law of Moses a guardian or a tutor, which was designed to “protect” believers until Jesus came.
2. The guardian of The Law protected God’s people by telling them what NOT to do. But it never empowered them to do what God wanted them to do, nor did it give Old Covenant believers access to the supernatural.
3. Once Jesus came, Paul said, “we no longer need the law as our guardian,” and we are now able to live a life of faith. Through faith in Jesus we have access to the supernatural.
4. Jesus gave us access to the Holy Spirit. Like the Law, the Holy Spirit will tell us what NOT to do. But unlike the Law, the Holy Spirit will also tell us what TO DO in order to maximize our purpose and potential in life.
5. When we accepted Jesus as Lord we were baptized into Christ and Paul says it is like, “putting on new clothes.” While the Old Covenant was external and it could never really change you, the New Covenant changes you from the inside-out. When you are in-Christ and Christ is in-you, you are Born-Again and all things are new.
6. The Old Covenant was limited to the descendants of Abraham and the culture favored men. Under the Old Covenant women and Gentiles were treated like second-class citizens. However, the New Covenant is open to all people, regardless of race or gender. Blacks and Whites, Hispanics and Asians, Catholics and Baptists, Pentecostals and Protestants, men and women, young and old, rich and poor, we are ALL ONE in Christ Jesus.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank you for taking the time to teach me Your Word. Your Word changes the way I think, feel and make decisions. Your Word changes me from the inside-out. My mind is being renewed daily through Your Word. I learned today that the Law was given to be like a guardian, to protect Your Old Covenant followers, until Jesus came. The Law of Moses was limited, but the New Covenant of Grace is not. Under the New Covenant I have been Born-Again by Your Holy Spirit. Your Holy Spirit now lives in me 24x7x365. I don’t need an external set of rules to guide me, because Your Spirit, who lives in me, guides me in the way that I should go. I have access to Your Supernatural power, through Your Spirit, who lives in me. Additionally, I have put on Christ and it was like putting on new clothes. I am different. I have been changed. I have been made new. I am in Christ, Christ is in me, and I will never be the same! I have a new perspective on life. Under the Old Covenant of the Law of Moses, women were often not honored and anyone who was not a descendant of Abraham was shunned. But now, under this new Covenant of Grace, we are all one. Blacks and Whites, Hispanics and Asians, Catholics and Baptists, Pentecostals and Protestants, men and women, young and old, rich and poor, we are ALL ONE in Christ Jesus. I walk in love and I don’t put down anyone. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
