The Moncton Herald

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Across the world there is no shortage of religious expressions. If one were to venture deeply into the endless analysis of belief systems, he would encounter a vast array of gods, revered figures, rituals, sacred writings, and holy days—features common to nearly every religious tradition. Yet despite their differences, most share two basic assumptions: first, that adherents must place faith in the claims of their religion; and second, that by fulfilling the required practices, they will ultimately receive some form of reward—most often the promise of eternal life.

But as we saw in the previous post, the apostle Paul insists that religious observances are secondary to faith. God’s standard for inheriting eternal life is not grounded in flawless ritual performance or moral achievement. It is grounded in the hearing of faith. Blessing, inheritance, and especially justification do not come through our efforts—whether rituals, holy observances, or moral successes—but through the object of faith that God Himself has appointed: His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Text

For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “He who practices them shall live y them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10-14)

The Cursed Workmen

In v.10, Paul begins to contrast the ones blessed through the faith of Abraham with those who are cursed under the legal requirements of Sinai. This verse answers the question: Why are those of faith blessed with Abraham? Because no one received blessings, especially of the Abrahamic sort, through obedience to the law. They only acquired a curse. In this instance Deuteronomy 27:26 where the Israelites agreed that Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ Those who agreed to this suffered the curse of not fulfilling the demands of the law (Israelites). If you identify with those who are under the law, you will need to bear the curse that comes with it.  In the same manner as them, you will need to accomplish the requirements of the law perfectly or else.

The Righteous Man

If one only receives a curse from attempting and failing to complete the requirements of the law, then it is evident that no one is justified by the law before God. In v.11, we see that justification cannot then come from self-fulfillment to a set of laws especially in light of the fact that these are divine. Paul then quotes a well-known passage in Habakkuk 2:4 which he quotes in several of his other writings (Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38) to substantiate his claim. So, the believer who is justified in Christ doesn’t “live” by the law, but “lives” by faith. But this is similar to what Paul said earlier in Galatians 2:20, that Christ lives in us, and we live by faith in Him.

What you choose, you must own

In v.12, Paul contrasts again the law with faith and argues once again that the law has nothing to do with faith. He quotes another Old Testament text in Leviticus 18:5 again to offer substantiation of his claim. Leviticus 18 was a contrast between the statutes of the Egyptians and that of the Land of Canaan especially in terms of sexual relationships (Leviticus 18:6-23). But how does this text tie in with the variation between doing the law and faith? If anything, by quoting Leviticus 18, isn’t it saying that obedience to God’s law would bring life? This is exactly the point however. They were commanded to live in this way but did not because of their sins. They failed to meet the criteria of the law and in return the Galatians would only experience the same fate as those who had originally received this law.

The Bearer of Curses

Paul now explains to his readers in v.13 the remedy for that curse brought about by the law. Those who are under this curse have found a way to be alleviated from that curse through the redemption found in Jesus Christ. The redemption found here is the purchasing with the purpose to by back one from slavery and grant them freedom. Those under the law were slaves to it, and to be freed, they needed to be redeemed. The freedom purchase however wasn’t made with gold, silver or any precious gems. It was accomplished through substitution. Jesus Christ became a curse on our behalf. The One who’d fulfilled God’s law then underwent the punishment for breaking it. It wasn’t Christ’s natural state because He was perfect, and it isn’t that He sinned to fulfill this, but as we can see from the quotation of Deuteronomy 21:23, He willingly received the punishment for our failure to fulfill the righteous law of God. The context of Deuteronomy is a sin “worthy of death”. Not only would that individual receive death, but the shame of having his corpse hang all night and deemed accursed of God. This was the One who Isaiah would eventually identify as the man of sorrows (Isaiah 53). Death freed a man from the requirements of the law, and in Christ that is what happens to a believer. They become dead but are then born again.

The Benefactors

Finally, in v.14, Paul reveals the reason for the bearing of the curse to be removed and in return that in Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles. Christ removed the burden of the law and that included circumcision. The Gentile can now receive the blessed promises to Abraham in a manner that it would be received by faith. The Spirit would be received because of Christ’s ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of God. This is in contrast to receiving Him by the law (Galatians 3:2,5).

Exhortation

When we read these texts, we encounter the true dividing line between all religious pursuits. On one side stand those who seek to justify themselves—men and women striving to earn righteousness by observing rituals, maintaining moral standards, and presenting their own obedience as grounds for acceptance before God. Their confidence rests in what they can achieve.

On the other side is a radically different pursuit: the confession that such righteousness can never be attained by human effort. Instead, these believers look to Another—the One whom Scripture declares to be the Righteous One. They trust that He is the Messiah, that His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary fully satisfied the curse and penalty of the law on their behalf, and that His resurrection secured victory over death and the gift of eternal life for all who place their faith in Him.

This is the foundation of the Christian faith and the wellspring of a righteous life. We are not striving to establish a perfect righteousness of our own; we are living in gratitude, seeking to honor the One who has already justified us and delivered us from the curse of the law.