Romans 3:19-20 – “Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are under the law, let every mouth be closed, and that the whole world is responsible before God; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified in His sight, for it is by the law that the knowledge of sin comes. The Exodus was a sign for Israel, just as the death and resurrection of Jesus is a sign for the church. The meaning of the sign is that God is for you and will work for you and take care of you if only you trust Him. The past event of the Exodus is a sign of God`s willingness to help Israel in the future. Therefore, the faith that God wants to generate through the Exodus is a trust that God will do for us in the future what He did in the past. This is evident in Deuteronomy 1:29-32, where Moses explains why Israel refused to enter the promised land and was forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Moses had told them when they first approached the promised land, “Do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who precedes you, will fight for you himself, as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes. But despite this word, you did not believe the Lord your God.
(See also Numbers 14:11; 20:12; Deuteronomy 9:22–24.) Therefore, we can understand Galatians 3:20 as follows: The promise did not need mediation, because it depended solely on God alone. God promised that He would keep it. We cannot amend or change it. It tells us who God is, what God said He would do, and what He did. In Galatians 3:21, Paul continues to passionately and categorically state that the law does not contradict God`s promises! The law was not given to give life, and justice did not come from the law. The law focuses on man`s duty and is based on obedience. It is based solely on God`s sovereignty and blessings. Romans 8:1-4 – “Therefore there is no condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ has freed you from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, however weak it may be in the flesh, God did: He sent His own Son in the image of sinful flesh and as a sacrifice for sin, and condemned sin in the flesh, that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, that we might walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. The phrase “because of” in the verse could mean either the cause or the purpose. This could mean that the law was added to curb man`s deeds and sins. This seems plausible because we knew that evil was on earth and that evil was constantly in their hearts (Genesis 6:5). It could also mean that the law was also added for the purpose of something. Romans 5:20 tells us that the law “increased trespassing.” But that`s not all. “But where sin increased, there was all the more grace.” There is a grace greater than all our sins. Paul speaks here with full apostolic authority.
Stick to this insurance! We know that we will never be sinless on this side of eternity, but we never lack God`s grace. Grace does not exist as a license to sin, but as a path to Jesus Christ. Someone may ask, “Well, if you can die for someone and have no love, what is love?” The answer is that love is not in the world. “Love comes from God” (1 John 4:7). Where there is no faith that connects the heart to God, there is no true love. Love is the work of authentic and saving faith. Here are the most important passages: Galatians 5:6: “In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor circumcision is useful, but faith that works by love.” The origin of love is the heart of faith. Further down in Galatians 5:22, love is called the fruit of the Spirit. In other words, it is something we cannot produce without the power of God. So how can we become loving people? Galatians 3:5 answers, “He who gives you the Spirit and works miracles among you does not do so by the works of the law, but by listening to the faith.” The way the Spirit comes to us is through faith in God`s promises; And when it comes, the fruit it produces is love. Love is therefore the fruit of the Spirit and the action of faith.
In 1. Paul puts it this way in Timothy 1:5: “The purpose of our mission is love, which comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.” Only authentic faith will lead to love. Author Sheila Alewine is the wife, mother and grandmother of a pastor of five children. She and her husband run Around The Corner Ministries, which is designed to equip followers of Christ to spread the gospel where they live, work, and play. She has written several devotions, including Just Pray: God`s Not Done With You Yet, Grace & Glory: 50 Days in the Purpose & Plan of God and her latest, Open The Gift, and Going Around The Corner, a Bible study for small groups who want to reach their churches for Christ. His ministry also offers discipleship resources such as One-To-One Disciple-Making in partnership with multiplication services. Sheila has a passion for God`s Word and shares what God teaches her on her blog, The Way of The Word. Connect with her on her blog, Facebook and Instagram. When Adam and Eve failed, God intended to create a new nation of a man, Abram, and his wife Sarai, who would live under His rule.
This young nation, commonly referred to as “the children of Israel,” grew up, but was captured by a ruthless ruler. God delivered them from their oppressors and led them to the place of promise, where He would dwell with them as their God if they loved and obeyed Him. He presented them to a chief, Moses, who was to be his spokesman before the people. God`s law does not produce sin; He simply names it for what it is. So the first point in our theology of the law was that love fulfills the law. The second point was that love comes only from faith in God`s promises. So, the third point is that the law did not require meritorious works, but obedience that comes from faith. If love is what the law aims for, and only faith can love, then the law must teach faith. This is what has so often been overlooked. But this can be demonstrated by Paul`s teaching and by the law itself. The key passage is Romans 9:30-32.
Here, Paul explains why Israel did not keep the law, even though it persecuted it for centuries.
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