The Schoolmaster Is No Longer Needed
Book of Galatians Chapter 3 Verse 19 through 29
As we read these Epistles to the Galatians, we can ask why the Laws of Moses were then given.
We know there were teachers in the Galatians church who taught that a person must be justified, and we must.
1) They taught that if that person did the very best he could and honestly tried to obey the Law of God and do much good then he could be justified.
2) if that person practiced religion, by keeping all the rituals, keeping all the ceremonies, keeping all the rules of the church, then he could be justified.
3) If he submitted to the basic ritual of the church, circumcision, church membership, baptism, and whatever else they thought of, they could be justified.
None of these things are bad things, but keeping these things will not justify anyone in the eyes of God!
Only the Lord Jesus Christ can justify any individual!
The Lord Jesus said you could wrap up all the 613 laws of the Jews into two laws:
Mar 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Then Jesus said:
Jhn_14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Jhn_15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
It is only by love that we can show our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
It is only by love that we can show we truly believe in the Son of God!
When we truly love someone, we would never do anything to harm them in any way, and we would listen to what they say.
It is in our believing, truly believing, in the work God's Son has done for our salvation, that we can be justified!
When everything in this world goes sour, our faith must remain in the Lord Jesus Christ who died, so that we can live.
If we cannot believe that God has everything under His control, we will never trust Him.
This is where our faith kicks in.
The fundamental act that saves anyone is “faith” in the Lord Jesus Christ.
What is the will of God for every individual on this earth? It is the will of God that all mankind be saved.
1Ti_2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
This is why the Devil tries to keep us at odds with one another.
God the Father accepts our faith for righteousness just as He did Abraham.
1) The law was given to make us aware of sin.
2) The law was only temporary.
3) The law was not given by God, but through a mediator, therefore it is inferior.
4) The Law has no power to give life.
5) The law declares that the whole world is a prisoner to sin.
The law is usually a designation of the law God gave to Moses.
1) There is civil law which is given for the responsibility of neighbors.
2) There is the ceremonial law which legislated Israel's worship life.
3) There is the moral law which we call the Ten Commandments.
It is the Ten Commandments which God identified as God's timeless standards of right and wrong.
In all the Jews had 619 laws covering everything in their life.
We must understand that it is by "Sound Doctrine" that we will see life-changing behavior that is based upon love.
1Jn 2:10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
1Jn 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
We know that love has just about left our world, and this world has become a place where lust dominates people's behavior.
Eph_2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
This is easy to see, and abortion is the result of lust.
Lust is the power behind all immorality!
We need to take these things seriously for without love we see nothing, but compromise and we just cannot compromise the truth of God with the ways of this world as we see going on today.
Just how do we know that by the Law no one can be seen as righteous?
*****Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
1) The law condemns so it cannot give life.
2) The law was temporary commencing with national life of the Jewish people.
3) The law was not given immediately, like the promises to Abraham, but by mediator, Moses, in the presence of angels.
4) The law was a contract between God and man, with life depending on the total fulfillment of its terms and not like a promise.
The law was added but not to interfere with God's Promise to Abraham.
Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
The law was only the knowledge of sin!
Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
That sin could appear as sin! Most people know what sin looks like even if they will not admit it.
Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
The strength of sin is the law!
1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
The law was not given to restrain or to punish sin, nor to show us how evil this world has become.
The laws are given to show us that evil is already in this world and is very active in this world.
If our politicians would only understand this, they would go back to the Ten Commandments to make us aware of just how wicked and evil our world is today.
We already know that "seed" which was to come, is in fact, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Promised Messiah.
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
The seed of Abraham is the same seed of the woman! It was no accident that both of these passages use the same singular form of the word seed.
We can also say that the seed of the snake, who was taken over by Satan, will show up one day as the Antichrist which may not be far off.
In fact, he may already be on the scene. We should also understand that Satan has had a wicked individual ready from day one because he does not know what day the Lord will return.
We could name off all sorts of wicked and evil men, but we all know this is true.
1Jn_2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1Jn_2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn_4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2Jn_1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
The law was ordained by angels:
Deu 33:1 And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.
Deu 33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
Deu 33:3 Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
Deu 33:4 Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
This was the teaching given to all the Jews:
Act 7:51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Act 7:52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Act 7:53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
Of course, we know that this was Stephen, and these Jews picked up stones and murdered a great man of the early church.
The Apostle Paul was aware of what happened to Stephen because he was an eyewitness though he never threw one stone.
Paul did not know for sure if this same thing might happen to him.
Gal 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
The leaders of the Church in Jerusalem were solid in their convictions, as was the Apostle Paul and we must be the same.
The law was added because of transgressions, till the "seed", the Messiah, should come.
Once the Messiah came the law was to be set aside!
Now the perfect life that Jesus led is our model on how we are to live because only the Lord Jesus had the willpower to keep all those laws in what was referred to as "The Law".
We know that the Law is still in place for all the unbelieving world!
*****Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
The fact that the "giving of the law" a mediator was needed marks the nature of that transaction as a compact entered into between two parties.
The law came from God, but it was given by angels and then from angels to mankind.
Deu 33:2 And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
A Mediator implies that there were two parties God and man.
Then Moses became that mediator between God and man.
The law was given secondhanded, but not the promise of God.
When mankind broke the covenant of the law, then the law had no meaning other than good words to live by!
The God of promises is One and only One. Grace came as a gift to whosoever has the faith to reach out and receive it.
The Giver is everything and the receiver is nothing.
God the Father is the Bestower of the free gift to this entire world, and because He worked His Grace through His Son, is all we need to know.
Is the Law then against the promises of God?
*****Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
If God was the author of both the law and the promises, how can they be an opposition.
The Apostle answers: If the law had given life, then there would be no need for the promises.
Life was forfeited by sin, by breaking the law came death!
The law was only words and rules!
The law only injected the idea of behavior into the mind of man!
As the descendants of Adam and Eve all we know is to rebel against the laws of God.
The law demands obedience, but it leaves us on our own to comply or not to comply.
The Lord Jesus Christ was the only person who fulfilled the covenant of the law between God and mankind.
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
God had to poor Himself into the flesh of a man and then die to accomplish this for us.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
It is the life of Jesus, that is now our standard for living, and not any law!
*****Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
If we have a Bible written according to "Received Text" then that Bible will teach us that we are all sinners.
That word concluded means: "leaves no means to escape".
God says if we search all the Scriptures, we will find no other way to please God beyond 'Grace".
This verse shows us all, that there is no other way to get to Heaven except by the "Grace of God"!
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
From the time we are born till the time we die, we are all lawbreakers and all under the penalty of sin!
In fact, we are all as prisoners under solitary confinement as in a dungeon with no hope for life outside that cell.
The one purpose the law had was, to encourage all mankind to seek Jesus Christ, that is, righteousness by "Faith".
When we believe the work that Jesus did for our salvation, then Jesus will judge us righteous and each believer becomes a "partaker of the Divine nature of God!
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Before the Lord Jesus paid the price required for our sin, His blood, we had no means to become righteous in the eyes of God.
We can see it took the Apostle Paul some time to straighten this church out after they had received some False teachings in their midst.
Faith in Christ frees us from the penalties of the law.
Faith in Christ makes us the children of God.
Faith in Christ makes us one with God.
Faith in Christ makes us heirs to the promises of God.
*****Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
In a real sense, the law is a prison for all mankind!
We can all understand the full "Gospel" revelation of salvation by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
The law is nothing more than a prison that binds us.
1) The law shows us exactly where we fail.
The law shows us exactly where we come short in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
The laws tell us to do this and we in rebellion do that.
It is like a speed limit sign. When we pass that set speed we are breaking the law. It is really very simple to understand, and we only have to do it one time.
2) The law accuses and condemns us.
Just as soon as we break the law, we are charged for it.
The law is in black and white and there are no gray areas.
We cannot say we did not break the law because that just drives us deeper into sin.
Breaking the law leads to a life of conviction.
There is no way we can know how many are running from the law today because they know they are guilty.
3) The law has no life and no power to deliver anyone from the punishment due him.
The law cannot deliver anyone from their sin.
The bond to the law is perpetual. That person is guilty until the day they die, and the punishment is established.
The only hope for man is for someone to appear with the power to release him before he faces that judgment.
That someone has appeared, and His name is Jesus.
We who need to be set free must accept His deliverance.
The choice is ours! We can accept Him, or we can reject Him.
If we do not believe that Jesus has the power to free us from our bondage then He will not!
It is only "faith" that can give us the answer!
The law was nothing more than a Schoolmaster, or a Guardian, to lead us to know that we need Christ.
In the day of Paul, the Guardian was a trusted slave who had one job and that was to deliver the child they cared for to the Schoolmaster, then at the end of the day he would bring that child back to safety.
This is what the law was supposed to do but the law had no power to do this.
The law shows us that we cannot obtain righteousness by ourselves.
We need to look to Jesus Christ, and we can be justified by our faith.
Only, ONLY Jesus Christ can bring us face to face with God on good terms, the terms of Grace.
The law can only take us to bondage!
The law only points to us as the children of the Devil.
Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
*****Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
How do we know that we are justified by faith, and not by the law, and not by doing the best we can?
Because faith makes us the children of God!
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
God is stirred to adopt us because of the work of His Son.
Faith causes us to focus on the Son of God the Lord Jesus Christ.
God will accept everyone who focuses on His Son Jesus.
God will not accept those who reject His Son Jesus.
This is exactly what the Scriptures say, so why are so many in this world confused? False Teaching and False Preaching.
When we honor the Son of God, God is well pleased!
When we say the word righteousness then, we are talking about the Lord Jesus Christ.
By believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, we become the children of God, and our Baptism was the sign of this relationship, though Baptism is not a requirement for our salvation.
Baptism would be one of the first works we would do after our salvation.
Once the Schoolmaster is no longer needed it is the life of Jesus Christ that becomes our Schoolmaster.
Jesus is the pattern of what every person should be!
When we give our faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, God clothes us in the righteousness of His Son until the day we receive our glorified bodies.
When God looks down on us from Heaven, He only sees the righteousness of His Son, and He accepts us as His own children.
If we belong to Jesus Christ, if we are a part of Him, who is the promised Seed, then we are the seed of Abraham. We are heirs according to the promise given to Abraham.
We can call this adoption because we are placed as sons and daughters. After all, Jesus is the Son of God.
We should understand that our Heavenly Father has complete power over His children as long as He lives, and He can never die.
Adoption is a serious thing!
Adoption is a permanent thing!
Those who are adopted have all the rights of Jesus Christ the only Son of God.
Those who are adopted have lost all rights in their old family and therefore a "new person", so new that old debts and obligations connected with their former family are canceled out and abolished as if they never existed.
This is the meaning of being adopted into the family of God.
We have a new relationship with God.
Rom 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
We have a new Father!
Rom 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
We have a special relationship with all our other brothers and sisters.
Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Eph 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
We just become a new person.
Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
We are ready to meet the One who gave us all these things when He died on Mount Calvary and then arose from that death.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
*****Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Our faith in Jesus Christ makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one in Christ.
We are all together the Bride of Christ.
We all stand on equal footing at the feet of Christ!
The Lord Jesus Christ reaches out and embraces every believer, and it does not matter that we are so different from Him.
He treats us as His equal though we can never be His equal!
When we look at other believers, we know to treat them as our equals, and we all are equal.
When we look at other believers, we should be able to see the righteousness of Christ in them as God the Father sees in us.
We pay no attention to the color of their skin, their nationality, their sex, their social status, or any other difference.
Psa 119:63 I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.
*****Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
To be justified by faith we become heirs of the promises to Abraham!
Abraham was to receive God's blessings which include God's acceptance, God's righteousness, and eternal life in the New Heaven and the New Earth as a child of God.
Amen
