FREE, part 1

Sermon Notes, June 26, 2019

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

Pastor Garry’s sermon was titled “Free, Part 1,” and was based on Galatians 3:23-29.  In today’s passage, Paul addresses the church in Galatia concerning the misunderstanding of whether or not Christians are bound to the Jewish laws.  This puts into question whether or not the Christians of today are bound by those same laws, and the relevance of the Old Testament in society today.  And in order to answer this question we must first understand what a law is.  Then we must understand the Jewish Laws, their purpose, and the purpose of the Old Testament to the Israelites.

Let’s take a look at the definition of a law: law – noun  - the system of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and which it may enforce by the imposition of penalties… “They were taken to court for breaking the law.” 1. An individual rule as part of a system of law.  Plural noun: laws “an initiative to tighten up the laws on pornography”

Laws are meant to help society move forward in a positive manner; however, this isn’t always the case.  Many law breakers never learn the lesson of not breaking the law and get caught up in a downward spiral that they oftentimes feel like they can never break out of.  With that said I have understood that laws are set in place for two simple reasons: someone somewhere did something stupid;  or some laws are put into place simply because of our naiveté. If we see something we don’t understand, we automatically try to put parameters around it just in case it’s dangerous. 

Now that we have a basic understanding of what a Law is, let’s look at the Jewish laws.  The Laws that the Israelites  adhered to fall into three different categories:

Ceremonial Law relates specifically to Israel’s worship.  Its primary purpose was to point to Jesus.  The laws were no longer necessary after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The Jewish Christians would often accuse the Gentile Christians for violating the ceremonial laws.  (Leviticus 1:1-13 is a great example of ceremonial laws.)

Civil Law dictated Israel’s daily living.  Because our society and culture are vastly different today, some of the civil laws are difficult to follow specifically.  Paul would point the Gentiles to follow some of these civil laws to promote unity amongst them.  (Deuteronomy 24:10 is a good example of a Civil Law.)

Moral Laws are direct commands from God.  They require strict obedience and they reveal God’s will and nature to the world.  They aren’t meant to bring forth our salvation, but they are vital to Kingdom living.  (The Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:1-17, are a great example of Moral Laws.)

The purpose of the Jewish Laws and the Old Testament is explained in Galatians 3:24-25.  Paul paints a picture of the LAW acting like a GUARDIAN.  This GUARDIAN is much like a tutor one goes to for assistance in a particular subject.  What Paul is saying here is that we no longer need the same kind of tutoring, guidance, that we once did...before FAITH came.

When Paul says that non-Jews are no longer bound by the Old Testament laws he isn’t saying that they do not apply to us today.  What Paul is saying is that certain laws may not apply to us today.   For example, while we are no longer bound by the Ceremonial Laws, the principles behind them still apply.  They were set in place to teach God’s children how to worship Him.  The principles behind the Civil Laws should help to guide our conduct.  While we are not bound to the same types of civil laws, we would do well to embrace them in order to protect our integrity as God’s children in a world that is rapidly moving away from Christian morals.

However, it wouldn’t be wise to embrace them fully.  For example, some Jewish men were known to start their day by giving thanks that they were not a Gentile, as slave, or a woman.  Even though it is part of human nature to feel uncomfortable around people who are different from us and to stick to those who are more like us, it is a direct biblical violation to allow our differences to cause divisions amongst fellow believers in Christ.  This is why it is important for us to go out of our way to get to know one another better.   This is what Paul is pointing out in verse 28.  One of the roles that Christianity played was to move past the differences among us.  Our FAITH in Christ UNITES all the believers of Christ as ONE.  It is important that we don’t impose our differences when God has removed them because in His eyes we are all HEIRS along with His SON.  This means that no one is superior over another person.

The Moral Laws still apply today, and we should do our best to obey them in order to live a life pleasing to God.  The great thing about the Word of God is that it is constant…never changing.  It reveals God’s plan for redemption for all creation, and that plan is still in effect today!  While we are  no longer bound to the Old Testament laws, specifically the ceremonial laws, we still need Christ  to receive the salvation that God has for us.  We are not saved by obeying the laws of God; salvation comes through the blood of Christ!

The LAW teaches us the need for salvation.  God’s grace gives us that salvation.  This does not mean that the Old Testament is a useless piece of literature for the Believer….NO!  The Old Testament still applies to us today!  The Old Testament teaches us about God, His NATURE, His WILL  for all humanity, His MORALS, and it provides the path to KINGDOM LIVING.

As we move closer to a deeper understanding of God, and as we are being shaped more and more into His likeness, we must understand that the original promise to Abraham was intended for the whole world, not just  for Abraham and his descendants.  The Good News here is that ALL believers in Christ participate in this promise, and are blessed as children of Abraham!  The bottom line is that SALVATION does not come from keeping the LAW;  SALVATION comes through FAITH IN CHRIST!