GALATIANS…THE GOSPEL OF GRACE…GIVES US FREEDOM THROUGH FAITH…TO BRING GLORY TO GOD!
GOD CANNOT FAIL IN PERFECTLY KEEPING HIS PROMISE…AND MAN CANNOT SUCCEED IN PERFECTLY KEEPING GOD’S LAW…GOD’S PLAN HAS ALWAYS BEEN FOR SALVATION TO COME BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
GOD CANNOT FAIL IN PERFECTLY KEEPING HIS PROMISE
Galatians 3:15-18 ESV
To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. [16] Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ. [17] This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. [18] For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
A TEMPORARY LAW CANNOT NEGATE A PERMANENT COVENANT…GOD CANNOT FAIL IN PERFECTLY KEEPING HIS PROMISE
MAN CANNOT SUCCEED IN PERFECTLY KEEPING GOD’S LAW
Galatians 3:19-22 ESV
Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. [20] Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. [21] Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. [22] But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
THE LAW SHOWS SINNERS THEIR GUILT…GRACE SHOWS THEM THE FORGIVENESS THEY CAN HAVE IN CHRIST
DEATH ROW
The word ‘Gospel’ simply means good news. In fact God tells us in His Word that it is not just good news but it is the greatest news for all of mankind.
But in order to understand how great this good news is we must first understand how bad the bad news is.
The Word of God tells us that when we come into this world we are not perfect. We all do things that are wrong and none of us do everything that is right.
Since God made us and we are all guilty of this we often believe God will overlook and excuse our imperfections.
But again from God‘s Word, we are told that these imperfections or sins actually make us an enemy to God and that we have earned a terrible penalty.
Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. What this means is that through our imperfections, or nature to want to please ourselves instead of please God, we have all earned a death sentence of eternal separation from God. And the only place we can be eternally separated from God is Hell.
In other words, we, regardless of our status here on earth, have all earned a Death Sentence. We have all received a Death Penalty and we are all on Death Row waiting for our time to go.
On our own we have no hope of an appeal and no way to earn a pardon. Our only hope is if someone with the authority and ability to freely give us a pardon decides to do so.
And this is where the good news, or the greatest news comes in!
Romans 6:23 does tell us that the wages of sin is death but it also tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Jesus Christ, as 100% God and 100% man came to this earth to be our substitute and make a pardon from Death Row available to us all, by faith, and through His grace.
As a man he was tempted in all ways like us and never sinned. But then on the cross He died the death of a sinner in our place.
God the Father said He was satisfied with what Christ did on the cross and has offered us a pardon from Death Row if we put all of our faith and trust in Him.
John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in him will not perish but will have everlasting life.
John 3:17 tells us that God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world But to save the world that was already condemned because of sin.
God, through his son’s sacrifice on the cross, freely gave us a pardon from Death Row. All we must do is believe…if He has given you the faith to believe, through His grace.
The word ‘believe’ simply means to surrender everything we know about ourselves to everything we know about Him...
The same way we do with a chair when we sit down in it. We surrender all that we know about ourselves to all that we know about that chair!
It is that same kind of surrender to Christ, that is required from us, to have what He did on the cross, applied to our sin.
When we make that surrender, our sins are forgiven, our penalty is removed, and we are pardoned from Death Row.
The only kind of person that I can think of who would reject a free pardon from Death Row is a person who doesn’t really believe they are on Death Row.
If you realize you are there, and you need that pardon, all you have to do is simply repent and ask God for it.
That is the gospel and that is the greatest news for all of mankind!
