From Law to Faith: Embracing Our Identity in Christ
Devotional
Day 1: The Law as a Guide to Christ
The law served as a guardian, highlighting humanity's need for Christ by revealing the impossibility of achieving righteousness through self-effort. It was a preparatory phase, pointing to the necessity of faith in Jesus for true justification. The law, while holy and just, inadvertently became a prison for those who sought to justify themselves by it, revealing the futility of self-reliance and the need for divine intervention. This period under the law was not without purpose; it was a time of preparation, a necessary phase to highlight humanity's inability to achieve righteousness through self-effort. The law was never meant to be a means of self-justification but a guide leading to Christ, who fulfills the law's demands and offers justification through faith. [01:58]
Galatians 3:24-25 (ESV): "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."
Reflection: In what ways have you relied on your own efforts to achieve righteousness? How can you shift your focus to faith in Christ today?
Day 2: Maturity Through Faith
Spiritual maturity comes through faith in Christ, not adherence to the law. In Christ, believers are no longer minors under a guardian but mature sons and daughters, ready to inherit God's promises. The metaphor of the law as a guardian underscores the spiritual immaturity of those who were under it. Like minors, they were not yet ready to inherit the promises of God because they misunderstood the law's purpose. With the coming of Christ, believers are now mature sons and daughters of God, heirs to the promise, and free to live in the new way of the Spirit. [06:07]
Hebrews 5:13-14 (ESV): "For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."
Reflection: What areas of your spiritual life need growth and maturity? How can you actively pursue spiritual maturity through faith in Christ this week?
Day 3: The Veil Removed in Christ
The veil that once obscured understanding is removed in Christ, allowing believers to see the true purpose of the law and embrace their identity as children of God. This transformation is marked by freedom and a new way of living in the Spirit. In Christ, the veil that once obscured understanding is lifted, and believers are invited into a direct, intimate relationship with God. This new identity as children of God is marked by freedom, maturity, and the inheritance of God's promises, all made possible through faith in Christ. [08:16]
2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (ESV): "But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
Reflection: How has your understanding of God changed since you came to faith in Christ? What new freedoms have you experienced in your spiritual journey?
Day 4: Liberation from Self-Reliance
Turning to Christ for righteousness liberates believers from the captivity of the law. It marks the end of self-reliance and the beginning of a life justified by faith, fully reliant on God's grace. The law, while holy and just, inadvertently became a prison for those who sought to justify themselves by it, revealing the futility of self-reliance and the need for divine intervention. In Christ, believers are no longer under this guardian. They are now mature sons and daughters of God, heirs to the promise, and free to live in the new way of the Spirit. [09:47]
Romans 7:6 (ESV): "But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code."
Reflection: What areas of your life are you still trying to control through self-reliance? How can you surrender these areas to God's grace and live in the freedom of faith?
Day 5: Fulfillment of the Law in Christ
The law's ultimate purpose is fulfilled in leading us to Christ. In Him, we find justification by faith, becoming heirs according to the promise, and living in the fullness of God's righteousness. This transition from law to faith is not merely a change in religious practice but a profound shift in identity and relationship with God. In Christ, believers are no longer minors under a guardian but mature sons and daughters, ready to inherit God's promises. [11:03]
Ephesians 1:11-12 (ESV): "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory."
Reflection: How does knowing you are an heir to God's promises change your perspective on your daily life? What steps can you take to live more fully in the reality of this inheritance?
Sermon Summary
In our exploration of Galatians 3:23-29, we delve into the transformative journey from living under the law to embracing faith in Christ. Before the advent of Christ, the law served as a guardian for Israel, a temporary custodian meant to guide them towards the ultimate revelation of faith in Jesus. This period under the law was not without purpose; it was a time of preparation, a necessary phase to highlight humanity's inability to achieve righteousness through self-effort. The law, while holy and just, inadvertently became a prison for those who sought to justify themselves by it, revealing the futility of self-reliance and the need for divine intervention.
The metaphor of the law as a guardian underscores the spiritual immaturity of those who were under it. Like minors, they were not yet ready to inherit the promises of God because they misunderstood the law's purpose. The law was never meant to be a means of self-justification but a guide leading to Christ, who fulfills the law's demands and offers justification through faith. With the coming of Christ, believers are no longer under this guardian. They are now mature sons and daughters of God, heirs to the promise, and free to live in the new way of the Spirit.
This transition from law to faith is not merely a change in religious practice but a profound shift in identity and relationship with God. In Christ, the veil that once obscured understanding is lifted, and believers are invited into a direct, intimate relationship with God. This new identity as children of God is marked by freedom, maturity, and the inheritance of God's promises, all made possible through faith in Christ.
Key Takeaways
1. The law served as a guardian, highlighting humanity's need for Christ by revealing the impossibility of achieving righteousness through self-effort. It was a preparatory phase, pointing to the necessity of faith in Jesus for true justification. [01:58]
2. Spiritual maturity comes through faith in Christ, not adherence to the law. In Christ, believers are no longer minors under a guardian but mature sons and daughters, ready to inherit God's promises. [06:07]
3. The veil that once obscured understanding is removed in Christ, allowing believers to see the true purpose of the law and embrace their identity as children of God. This transformation is marked by freedom and a new way of living in the Spirit. [08:16]
4. Turning to Christ for righteousness liberates believers from the captivity of the law. It marks the end of self-reliance and the beginning of a life justified by faith, fully reliant on God's grace. [09:47]
5. The law's ultimate purpose is fulfilled in leading us to Christ. In Him, we find justification by faith, becoming heirs according to the promise, and living in the fullness of God's righteousness. [11:03] ** [11:03]
What role did the law serve before the coming of Christ according to Galatians 3:23-29? How is this role described in the sermon? [01:58]
In 2 Corinthians 3:12-16, what is the significance of the veil mentioned, and how does it relate to the understanding of the law?
According to Romans 10:1-4, what was the misunderstanding of the law by the Israelites, and how did it affect their relationship with God?
How does the sermon describe the transition from being under the law to living by faith in Christ? [06:07]
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Interpretation Questions:
How does the metaphor of the law as a guardian help us understand the spiritual state of Israel before Christ? What does this imply about their readiness to receive God's promises? [04:03]
In what ways does the removal of the veil in Christ change a believer's relationship with God, according to the sermon and 2 Corinthians 3:12-16? [08:16]
How does the sermon explain the concept of spiritual maturity in Christ, and what does it mean to be an heir to God's promises? [06:07]
What does it mean to be justified by faith rather than by the law, and how does this shift impact a believer's identity and freedom? [09:47]
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Application Questions:
Reflect on a time when you relied on your own efforts to achieve righteousness. How can you shift your focus to faith in Christ for true justification? [09:47]
The sermon describes a transition from spiritual immaturity to maturity in Christ. What steps can you take to grow in your spiritual maturity and embrace your identity as a child of God? [06:07]
How can you actively remove any "veils" in your life that obscure your understanding of God's purpose for you? What practical steps can you take to deepen your relationship with Christ? [08:16]
In what ways can you live out the freedom and new way of living in the Spirit that comes with being a mature son or daughter of God? Identify one area of your life where you can apply this freedom.
Consider the role of the law as a guardian in your own spiritual journey. How has your understanding of God's law changed since coming to faith in Christ? [04:03]
How can you encourage others in your community to move from self-reliance to reliance on God's grace? Share a personal experience where you witnessed this transformation.
Identify one promise of God that you are an heir to through faith in Christ. How can you live in the fullness of this promise in your daily life? [11:03]
Sermon Clips
Before Faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned for the sake of Faith which was to be revealed. This we here is a generalization about the great majority of Israel, not every single Israelite because Abraham, for example, was justified by faith and all the saints The Remnant the True Believers all through the Old Testament. [00:00:26]
The law became our Guardian so he introduces this image or this analogy, metaphor of a guardian. So the law became for 1,400 years or so a guardian unto Christ. It had a purpose its end was Christ for righteousness in order that we might be justified by faith in Christ. [00:02:02]
But now that faith has come, meaning faith in Christ just as here before Faith came, now that faith has come Christ has come, you can believe on Christ for justification. Now that faith has come we no longer are under a guardian. We need to ask more specifically who that we is as well. [00:02:45]
The law becomes a captivator, a capturer, a prison and a guardian to lead them to the place where they can have justification by faith to lead them unto Christ. So all that's implied I think in calling the law our or their Guardian until they come to Christ. [00:05:24]
Now that faith has come, now that Christ has come, we no longer live under a guardian for in Christ you're grown up so to speak you're not a miner anymore you are ready for your inheritance heirs according to the promise if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's offspring heirs according to the promise. [00:05:58]
Sons contrasts here with the tiny taught that needs a guardian and doesn't know his way around in the world which spiritually means doesn't know what the law is really for and keeps misusing it and becoming imprisoned by it. So let's Ponder here just a little more this we we are no longer under a guardian. [00:06:30]
Their minds were hardened to this day when they read the old Covenant the veil remains unlifted they're still miners they don't know how to properly construe the law and the promise because only through Christ is that Veil taken away yes to this day whenever Moses is read a veil Lies over their hearts. [00:07:57]
But when one turns to the Lord the veil is removed so the we here who are no longer under a guardian no longer veiled no longer imprisoned are the we who turn to the Lord the guardian has brought them to Christ they have been justified by faith don't need a guardian anymore. [00:08:30]
For being ignorant of the righteousness of God and seeking to establish their own which is what imprisons them in sin under the law they did not submit to God's righteousness because the end of the law is Christ for righteousness to everyone who believes so if you turn to Christ for your righteousness. [00:09:18]
I saw what the law was doing to me it brought me to the end of myself it trapped me in the hopelessness of my own self-reliance trying to build my own righteousness and thus my eyes were open and the law itself killed me to the law I no longer used the law as a Stairway to Heaven and rightness with God. [00:10:29]
I died to the law because I finally understood what the law was for was for the guardian had done his work he brought me to Christ the law brought me to Christ in Christ I found justification by faith and another way to say it would be I found that I through faith became a mature son of God. [00:11:00]
Fully fitted by God in his righteousness not my own to be an heir according to the promise. [00:11:25]