In our last episode we hear Paul tell the Galatians that to adhere to the Law is to condemn oneself, but he then goes on to quote scripture from Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Habakkuk that declare that if we don’t follow the Law we are cursed. I know that if I were a Galatian, I’d be a little confused. Heck, I’m a little confused right now myself. Which is it Paul? To not follow the Law and be cursed or to follow the Law and be cursed? Here in the remainder of chapter 3 and on through the letter, Paul begins to resolve this confusion.

Read verses 15-18
"15 Brothers and sisters, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as one would in referring to many, but rather as in referring to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise."

The blessing of the Holy Spirit does not come based on the Law but because of faith—I think Paul has already said this. But it seems that after entering into a covenant relationship with God through Christ, the Galatians are beginning to amend that covenant by taking up the legal practices of the Law of Moses.

In verse 15, he examples a human will. He tells the Galatians that after a will has been ratified, things cannot be added or removed from it. It is the same with the covenant with God that has been ratified by Christ’s death on the cross. The Galatians cannot add anything to this covenant. In fact, I know he was speaking to Peter at the time, but the Galatians taking up the law after this ratification is just as sinful as he, as a Jew, taking the law back up.

Paul explains in verse 16 that the promise of God was made to Abraham and his descendant—his “seed”. Initially, this would have been Isaac, but teaches here that the seed of which the promise refers is ultimately Jesus. And the Galatians can only receive the blessing because of this. This blessing is based on a promise that God made AND IT CANNOT AND WAS NOT NULLIFIED BY THE LAW OF MOSES.
“For it’s the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer a promise; but God granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.” (18)

The blessing that Jesus procured for all the nations was the Spirit, and that Spirit is given only by means of a promise. Therefore, Paul explains to the Galatians, following the legal works of the Law will not give you access to the blessing of God’s Spirit.

Read verses 19-22
"19 Why the Law then? It was added on account of the violations, having been ordered through angels at the hand of a mediator, until the Seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; but God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Far from it! For if a law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22 But the Scripture has confined everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in [or the faith of] Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."

The purpose of the Law—as stated here—is to “confine everyone under sin”. This Law defined those actions that are contrary to the righteousness that God demands. The Law itself, Paul says, cannot give life—which we learned a second ago is the Spirit—because to do would not be its purpose. To put this another way, the Law doesn’t make us better but only proves to us how bad we are. This is why the Law cannot produce righteousness. Therefore, only through faith can human beings receive the promised blessing.

This is because—as Paul stated in chapter two—we no longer live but Christ lives in us. This teaching deserves its own episode…so maybe one day. We receive the blessing because it is Christ who lives in us, and He lives in us through faith. Now if we use that blessing or not, that is a different story.

Read verses 23-29
"23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise."

Paul tells the Galatians that the Law existed in order to keep God’s people set-apart. It was a custodian and a guardian to keep them from destroying themselves and their status as God’s instrument of blessing. The law didn’t save them but simply kept them from jumping off a cliff because everyone else was jumping off a cliff.

“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” (25,26) Paul tells the Galatians that the Law was never for them anyway! It was for God’s people—the Jews—in order that they might be set aside as “a kind of first fruits among His creatures,” (James 1:18) in order that through them the world might be blessed through a faith that is open to all.

Paul says here that in Jesus all people—all people—receive a new identity, since they are “clothed in Christ.” (28) We do this when we say yes to the life of Christ and allow our old lives to die. And we clothed in Christ through faith—by believing God and ordering our lives accordingly.

We are clothed in Christ when we love our neighbor as ourselves. Who we were before, however, whomever, or by whatever we defined ourselves as before faith came, we must let it die so that we can be “one in Christ Jesus.” (28)

We are subsumed into Christ Jesus and can, therefore, be recipients of God’s promise because in Christ we become Abraham’s seed. This is how they become members of the household of God—not by following the legal requirements of the Law.