Okay, one question before we go into lecture 14, that was handed to me, very interesting. If we talk about, I'm summarizing it, if we talk about God giving the gift of faith, to exercise that faith, that the gift of faith when we share the gospel, how is it that we're asking listeners, is it that we're asking listeners to do something by trusting in Christ by believing in Jesus, John 3.16. We don't have time to go a lot into that. Obviously, when you preach the gospel and I had the opportunity to do that, to a good number of people last week, you do appeal to believe in Jesus. So from the side of the preaching, you appeal to believe in Jesus, but we know from Scripture Ephesians 2, 8, to 10, that even faith is a gift of God. So when I appeal, I'm appealing to the work of the Spirit in the listeners' heart, and that heart will turn to God, interesting in God, in receiving the gift of salvation, the gift of God's work in Christ on behalf of that person. And so when we then are asked to exercise our faith, we're primarily asked to continue to walk in that. As you have received Christ, so walk in Him, how did I receive Christ? Did I do something? It was a gift of God that finally brought me to the point of saying, I cannot bring anything. I am a beggar. And that's how we're to walk with Him. I'm not bringing anything to you today. You want the to walk in the works that you have prepared beforehand. Now we got off into Ephesians, no, by this question, but we will come back to Ephesians. So thank you very much. Good question. Let's go to election number 14. I'm just so happy that we are moving right along exactly as planned. Just amazing, isn't it? Number three, Galatians and the Law, or plural the laws. We must now turn to the question, more specific question, of what is the concern of Paul on behalf of these young Christians? What is at stake? And eventually, and in the end, what is at stake for our lives? Paul is communicating to us with the letter of the Galatians. You have already established now and developed a certain sense for the setting, for the situation, and now we're going to look at it a little more precisely. The judisers as a general background is in your mind. And now we're looking as to what Paul is actually communicating. There is a multiplicity of references to the law. When Paul uses the word law, he may not necessarily mean the mosaic law. We have to be careful and look in the context what is implied. And when he means the mosaic law, there may be different shades, different understandings of the usage of that mosaic law. And I would like to propose to you that there are three usages of the mosaic law presented in Galatians. In theology, you do have the distinction into the first, second, and third use of the law. And I believe we can find all three usages in Galatians. The first use of the law is already prominent in Galatians 2, 15 and 16, and I'll read 15 and 16, 15 is really an introduction, and 16 then goes into the detail. Galatians 2, 15 says this, we who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners know that a man is not justified by observing the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we too have put our faith in Christ, Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law because by observing the law no one will be justified. Now there are two things to be noted here. First, the first use of the law simply describes the significance of the law among the Jews and most interpreters would say that this is the initial purpose of the law as restraint or the civil use. As the law was given to the people of Israel, there was a particular use namely to govern their lives, to govern their conduct, to govern their ceremonial laws, to govern their judiciary, circumstances, et cetera. It's a general reference to the law in among the people of Israel. Paul makes it very clear that there is an antithesis, a distance, a difference between pursuing that law and justification by faith. So obedience to this original use of the law cannot justify only faith in Christ. So this is of rather general reference to the law, the mosaic law, and it does describe its function as a restrainer and particularly its function in the civil use. And I'm not distinguishing as one question anticipated at this stage the various parts of the law. So the judiciary, ceremonial, and moral would be all included in this civil use, this first use of the law for the people of Israel to govern its life. Remember that I told you that there is some question whether the use of the law was ever intended in the Old Testament to justify, or whether it always anticipated that justification was by faith in Christ. I for my part believe that the Old Testament law was never intended to be followed for justification and so we can say here when Paul says, we are not to pursue the law to be justified by faith in Christ that he's arguing against judaizers, that he's arguing against Palestinian judaism when he speaks about that because for them that law that was given to govern the life of the people of Israel, both in its judiciary, ceremonial and moral law, was used for justification before God on account of a weak understanding of sin. And I believe when we reflect on sin and its relationship to keeping the law we're already building a very significant bridge to our own lives because while we may not live in judaism, we do live surrounded by sin. And we have that whole conflict as well, what is our assessment of the severity of sin and that relates to the ability or inability to keep the law to have good standing before God. So this would be the first use of the law, the general civil use and Paul says clearly that use is not intended for justification. You must be justified by faith in Christ so obedience to the law following the law is juxtaposed to faith very clearly here in verse 16. Observing the law and faith in Jesus are opposed so observing here and faith, justification not by observing this law but by faith in Christ. Now Paul goes one step further and says yes we have this use of the law that governs the life of Israel but really my listeners of the Galatian churches reflect on the purpose of the Mosaic law. So the second use of the law reflects on the purpose that we are looking here at Galatians 3.19 as the key reference to the second use and then Galatians 2.16 as the key reference to the general or first use of the law. Now Galatians 3.19 says this I am quoting what then was the purpose of the law. It was added because of transgressions until the seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by mediator, mediator however does not represent just one party but God is one. So the law was added because of transgression and then later on where it is exactly 23. Before this faith came we were held prisoners by the law locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now here is a new factor introduced by Paul. The law is not just to govern our lives but it has a clear purpose and the Greek word used here is he to lead us to is to be a pedagogue, a pedagogue towards Christ. So it was an instructor to lead us to expect and anticipate the coming look forward to the coming of Christ. It was as some say a task master. Now perhaps that sounds a little bit too authoritarian or disciplinarian but just remember pedagogos is the Greek word here it is to lead to it is to convict. So as you read the law you will see I am a sinner. I fall short of the glory of the godliness that I find in the Old Testament law. It leads me to hope to anticipate the fulfillment of the promise that I find in its pages namely the promise of the seed that will bring salvation. And so that's what Paul is arguing here that there is another use of the law and namely that it is to guide towards something else it is not a static law that stands still in governs the life of the people under it but it has actually a vector. For it has a it's a signpost it is to direct in a certain direction namely to be a task master. So the second use of the law is 319 and let's add 324 those two passages as particular references to this second use. Now when Luther lived within Roman Catholicism as an Augustinian monk he gave lectures on Galatians and it was struck strongly by this second use of the law namely that the law is to guide towards Christ. What he had been learning in his scholastic Catholicism was that the law was to be kept. God was to be feared and if you did not keep the law God would be angry. God would be opposed. Doesn't that sound like Pharisee Judaism? Doesn't that sound like the Judaizers who said you better perform or you're out. So the medieval Catholicism that Luther experienced was only a different guard but the same pattern namely perform. Perform and hope that God may be gracious and so the Augustinian monk Luther wrestled in the monastery with the question of an angry God. How could the angry God be appeased by mortification, by prayers, by exercises, by great efforts on the part of Luther the monk to bring God to an appeased state. And into that shines the bright light that the law, the requirements of the law are a pedagogue are a taskmaster that has its purpose to leave beyond itself to the promise. And therefore Luther sees that the law has been placed between the promise of Abraham and Christ as a guidepost as a signpost as a one-way street indication moving towards the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise that from his seed would come the salvation. God would bless the people, his people. So you see that you do not have to live under the law that you are to move along the law, be convicted and look for the fulfillment of the promise and thereby find salvation. So while observing the law does not justify but only faith in Christ justifies, the second use of the law has the same aim namely to move you towards the promise towards the fulfillment of the promise namely salvation. So the first and second use of the law are closely connected the first use is a little more static the second use is dynamic it has a indication a goal that it pursues. Now we're adding one more use of the law that is called the third use of the law. For Luther this was already a significant recovery of the gospel to reflect on the first and the second use of the law and to say you must not come to a record you cannot come to a record South state with God by observing the law rather you need to see that the purpose of the law leads you towards the promise. And therefore and that is a strong argument in Galatians the law cannot save there's a clear discontinuity. Now let's call it so theoretical discontinuity so theoretical means pertaining to salvation with regard to salvation the law is clearly discontinuous it does not have a purpose in the salvation it leads towards it points towards salvation in Christ but salvation cannot come by the law it can only come by faith in Christ. So this is a wonderful clear point the sociological discontinuity the laying aside of the law with regard to salvation that's the gospel of the reformation that is the gospel recovered that says if you bring anything to God do not bring it. You have anything to contribute let go and receive the righteousness that comes from God alone now some people have wondered is there anything else in Galatians that Paul speaks about because at this point if you just stop here what you have is a wonderful gospel by grace alone on to what for what towards what. Now there are some people who say that's all Galatians teaches that's all Paul says about the law and so what you need to do is just hope that you have the right attitude to live a Christian life people would say there is no further indication in Galatians because you must not reintroduce the law in any way or its significance you are living by grace alone. There's this one little thing that Paul reintroduces the law after having made these two very basic statements that this use at first and second use cannot save and that is that he's making reference again to the law and particularly in Galatians 6.2 I believe Galatians 6.2 now add a few more passages but let's read Galatians 6.2. Brothers now carry each other's burden excuse me I read I started with one but 6.2 carry each other's burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Now some people said the third use is not really a third use of the law but I will try to show you that it's really a third use of the law being similar to the law of Christ. Same word used as the other words for law it is clearly not the law of Moses but the law of Christ that is in perspective here. Now we need to look back a little bit and that is Galatians 5.14 we're adding that here what is Galatians 5.14 say it is quite significant. The entire law and that is the mosaic law is summed up in a single command love your neighbor as yourself and then in 15 if you keep on biting and devouring each other with words and deeds watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Now this is the significant point and we have to be very careful and judicious at this point Paul still speaks about the significance of the mosaic law after having finished saying the first and second use do not say how can we explain that. Many people stop with the message of Galatians in chapter 3 and do not read on to chapter 5 and 6 where there seems to be a reintroduction of the mosaic law Galatians 6.2 hints at it Galatians 5.14 even says fulfill this is a fulfillment of the law and then one more passage 5.23 says the following. The fruits of the spirit being mentioned in 22 love joy peas patience kindness concluding with gentleness and self control against such things there is no law. They are not under the mosaic law they are not prescribed they go beyond but what has he just described with patience. They are called fruits of the spirit but they actually express moral character goodness that the law indicates and moves towards so we are confronted with the following challenge. The law as given to the people of Israel in its civil use cannot save the purpose of the mosaic law is to lead us as a pedagogue as a taskmaster towards the promise the fulfillment of the law is the consequence of the Christian life. You will as you live by grace love your neighbor as yourself which is half of the total sum of the Old Testament law now I'm not talking at this point yet about looking at the law and seeing what God does with it at this point I'm simply saying there is a third use of the law. And that third use is based on grace alone and that's where many people go wrong. That third use is not reintroducing something like this God has done so much for you it's your turn. You better shape up you better do that's long as you have received Christ so walk in him you have received Christ by grace walk in him by grace but you see there is a purpose of being justified by grace there is a purpose of having received salvation and that purpose is godliness God is pursuing godliness he is not saving a people just to leave it justified just to leave it forensically acceptable legally acceptable no his purpose is to bring a people onto himself with a godliness. And so we have the whole question of the imputation of righteousness of justification and sanctification in here and the outgrowth of God's work in our lives is actually then we're conforming to the law of God. So we can say this Paul was not antinomian and he was not legalistic antinomian means no law lawless legalistic means you must be pursuing the law in order to find acceptance before God he falls into neither camp because the third use of the law the law of Christ godliness is fully and squarely and 100% based on the grace on the forgiveness on the justification and sanctification of God in your life but you see God pursues a purpose with us. He desires godliness and as saying Augustine said God requires much and he gives all to achieve that required so he sets before us a standard and then he enables us to get there. So we're not reintroducing the law by the back door you know we shout our grays in the front window in the back door there's a little door open it sneaks in and says you know you better do this you better perform that you know there's a little bit of a problem otherwise whether you're acceptable before God. No always at all times justified sanctified by grace alone by God's work but that germinate that firmance that works in such a way that we are moved towards for instance Galatians 6 to to bear each other's burdens and less to live according to the law. Else where Paul says and we're jumping out of Galatians in the Corinthians you are not living under the law but you're living under the law of Christ some people would like to suggest that there are differences like day and night between living under the law and living in the law of Christ. Yes there are one is self centered the others Christ centered but the quality outcome how it looks is similar the only problem is the self centered living under the law is never never going to be acceptable before God. Living on the basis of Christ that expresses itself in Godliness comes from the position of acceptance before God by his work alone and moves forward into Godly relationship into bearing each other's burdens into living neighborly love etc etc etc. So I think that is so important that Paul is not teaching to disregard the law nor is he reintroducing through the back door to keep the law but it is a necessary and natural outgrowth of living on the basis of the promise. Could you read that Romans 331 wonderful Romans 331 yes the short answer is yes the long answer is I have said nothing thus far about Christ being the fulfillment of the law that's very important Pauline teaching that we cannot be justified by observing the law. We are drawn towards the promise by seeing the law but we do have our Lord as the one who perfectly lived out and fulfilled the requirements of the law he's the only one. So it is very clear that we say he is our righteousness he is our fulfillment of the law. But I am reflecting here on the fruit of the work of the spirit in our hearts that leads to a godly life as a effect as an effect of God's work. Now you have the question in already earlier about the judiciary ceremonial and moral law this is a distinction that is not really expressively stated in scripture I must make that clear. However if we look at Christ as the fulfillment of the law there's also an aspect in which he completes certain requirements of the law and that would be particularly referring to the ceremonial law. When the ceremonial law lives through the day of atonement once a year it celebrates the forgiveness temporary forgiveness although on behalf of the people of Israel. When Christ the perfect Lamb dies once and for all as Hebrews says on behalf of the people you have not only a fulfillment but completion an end to that ceremonial law because while the ceremonial law was a shadow now you have the real thing. There's a completion there's a fulfillment of that law and you do not need to continue it that's why I am not impressed by any efforts be a Jewish or Christian to reintroduce the temple sacrifice in Jerusalem because we have been given the perfect the enduring. Once and for all given sacrifice we do not need to step back and again begin with an annual sacrifice when the perfect Lamb has been slain on behalf of the people of God. So as we look at Christ we see that there is a major fulfillment and completion aspect with regard to the ceremonial law. Whether some question is with regard to the judiciary part how does that still apply what is there in terms of continuity and discontinuity where there is least question is that there is a continuity of the moral law the instructions of life conduct of how do we relate to other people. I would hold that there is a continuity of the importance of the moral law but please beware that continuity cannot go unless it goes through the work of Christ. So from now on please read the Old Testament law and even the instructions the particular ethical instructions in the New Testament in two ways. First they are signposts that lead us to Christ. When you read instruction of how you should live they lead you they convict you they show you the purity of God which you do not have and they bring you again to the only single place of acceptable position and that is I am a beggar. I am receiving the forgiveness and the righteousness from Christ alone and then also when you read the moral instructions in the Old and in the New Testament you are reading God's purposes for your life. It is intention statements of what God is pursuing in your life but please remember they are not things that you must grind out that in your dependency of in Christ they are to be brought forth. Some of you may wonder should I be actively pursuing to do what God is saying or should I just be surprised you know nearly like you're walking around in your suddenly forgiving somebody that you really would like to slap in the face. Oh hopla that's interesting I've just you know been led to fulfill the law it may happen the secondary way but it is good for you to read the instructions of God and beware not to fall into the trap of the judaizers by saying this is what God is expecting of me I better do it. But always prayerfully to say thank you God this is what you are intending with me these are your purpose statements this is the goal of the work of the spirit of God in my life this is what you want this is what you intend to do and prayerfully say I cannot do it I am dependent on your forgiveness I am dependent on the atonement of Christ I can only live from that but in your favor. Work this fruit in my life that what I read here would become reality in my life so when Jesus says guard your eyes do not look less fully at somebody I'm convicted and then I'm brought at the feet of Christ and then I'm praying Lord work this purity into my heart that I would live according to your precepts. You see that is gospel driven grace driven godliness it never falls back into the trap of a self generated purity because you're posing the gospel whenever you come into a self generated purity you pose the gospel. As much as you oppose the gospel when you say I've been forgiven I'm going to be having myself a merry old time because God will always be given both of these approaches are self centered and they lose they miss the point of the gospel which drives you towards godliness. So we must be so careful that we do not fall into antinomianism which says the law is finished don't tell me about any instruction on the one hand and the other one that says God has done so much for you. It's your turn you better perform this and this and this they're both appealing to self effort or self pleasure both caught both locked into self not free to actually grow in godliness yes sir yes a major point in how to live that is to live in the spirit and not in the flesh a major teaching in Romans 8 to which we come some indications here in Galatians already to live by the spirit to read the word and to yield to the work of the spirit in your life and we're actually going to come to that in the problem of the indicative and imperative so you're already anticipating a little bit more. I want to make that point very clearly and carefully because I've seen so much disarray in the churches exactly over this point you need to assess for yourself what your understanding of your sinfulness and your sinful state really is the more shallow your understanding of sin is the more easily you will drift into these two extremes you'll either say oh I'm basically okay you know I'm a decent person so I won't do a whole thing wrong or you will say you know I can really do a lot now I'm pretty pure in my life so you have a certain self confidence and you look at the the instructions and the moral instructions of gods word and you say pretty good pretty good the more severe and biblical your understanding of your your basic animosity and separation from God is in your natural being in your life that is not regenerate towards God the more you will say I cannot please God except that God comes to me and I think that is not just a basic conversion truth but that should be a tone and a pattern of life coloring our morning our noon and our afternoon and I think that's where we get tripped up. You know we can all say how are you saved and you're you're spitted out by grace through faith you know you can do that but if you catch yourself at eleven thirty in the morning when you crank out something and do something and put an x-ray vision through your soul how are you living at that point by grace by the redemption that Christ has given by dependency upon him by your awareness that you are incapable and unable to please God and that is only your dependency upon him that you can do something at that moment I wonder how we would fare. So we know we're saved by grace alone but we often live as if we were not saved by grace alone but by this or that performance this or that deed or this or that disregard for God's godliness. So we're probably vacillating a lot between these two we say God won't bother too much about this or that or we are completely concerned that if we do this we're going to be in serious trouble. Both of those are kind of catching us and we vacillate between them and we need to find gospel life which is neither libertarian nor bound to the law in a self-centeredness but it is free to live godliness to produce that fruit which we read off in Galatians 5-22 and it is amazing how close that is to the instruction of God. Remember Galatians 5-14 that Paul can say you're fulfilling the law by loving your neighbor. So there's still a continuity aspect here and it cannot be a continuity aspect of earning standing before God. So yes, selling regeneration short if we say that the power of God can enable us to do nothing. Am I representing you? Can do nothing? Okay, despite the regeneration of God in our lives we look more like sinners than regenerate people that's exactly what we're going to look at in the next section after a little break. I think that's a really difficult point and we will see again two sides to that question in Galatians itself. So we see we've already gone way beyond the particular situation of the judisers and we're squarely in the daily existence of Gentile life in the 20th century. So we've moved away from the particular situation of judisers but we're still right there in our own lives with regard to sin, with regard to godliness, with regard to the question of how should we now live? How should we live out the grace that God has shown to us in his son? So we'll pick up that question on how do we look to ourselves and before God who knows that we are sinners in and of ourselves and we are regenerated to living a godly life.