The Gospel Makes Us All One In Christ Jesus (Children of God)

Introduction

1.  The Problem
   The hypocrisy of Apostle Peter
   He used to eat with the Gentile Christians. When certain men who belonged to the circumcision party came from Jerusalem, he was afraid of them and began to withdraw and separate from the Gentile Christians. Paul calls Peter’s action “hypocrisy”.

• • The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. – Gal 2:13

    Peter believes in one thing – a gentile ought to abide by the law of Moses, and yet have meals with the gentiles who have food considered “unclean” according to the law. To Paul, it is not just a cultural matter, it is fundamentally a gospel issue, how a person considered righteous before God.

2.  Paul’s view of the gospel

  Paul says to Peter,

• • We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles  16  know that a person is not justified by the works of 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 the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. – Gal 2:15
  • “justified” – God justifies a sinner, pronounces him “not guilty”, “righteous, right with God.”
  • Not by “works of the law”, by keeping the law of Moses.
  • But by faith in Jesus Christ, believing in Jesus.

    This is the gospel of Jesus Christ which Paul has been proclaiming and
    teaching both Jews and Gentiles.

3.   The purpose of the Law

If the Jews are not justified by works of the Law, what then is the purpose of the Law? Why did God give the Israelites the law?

a. The law hold us in custody

• • • we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.  – Gal 3:23

Paul uses the imagery of prison to describe when we sin against the law. When we sin, the law will hold us in custody, lock us up, put us in jail.

It is like you commit a crime, such as stealing, get caught and come before the judge. The judge pronounces you guilty according to the law and send you to prison.

There is no other way out. We have the law of the land, and we live by the law. If you don’t keep the law, break the law, you will be hold in custody under the law.

However, there is a time limit, “until the faith that was to come would be revealed”. What does Paul mean by “the faith”? It is justification by faith, by believing in Jesus Christ.

b. The law as our guardian

• • • So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. – Gal 3:24“

“Guardian” usually refers to a person who leads an underage boy. In ancient Roman society, rich families often have trustworthy slave as their children’s guardian. Their job is to watch over and control them, make sure they don’t misbehave.

There is also a time limit, “until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.”
Paul says,

• • • Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. – Gal 3:25

Before the coming of Jesus Christ, the law is in control, holding us in custody when we sin. The law is our guardian, make sure we don’t misbehave. The aim is to lead us to the time when Jesus comes. When we can be justified by faith, not by works of law. God will declare us not guilty when we believe in Jesus Christ. He will reckon us righteousness, be right with Him. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

4. All one in Christ
Paul goes on to say how faith in Christ will break down the barrier set up by the law between Jew Christians and Gentile Christians.

• • So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith – Gal 3:26

a. In Christ
We are “in Christ” through faith in Christ, i.e. believing in Christ. “You are all” – Jews and Gentile Christians.

b. Children of God

• • • in Christ Jesus you are all children of God  – “sons of God” (ESV)

In Christ we are all sons of God, no more underage. We do not need the law as our guardians. The law has served its function. It has led us to be justified by faith in Jesus Christ.

Paul is not trying to exclude the females. In Christ Jesus, there is neither male nor female. In ancient Roman society, only sons would inherit the inheritance from the father. Paul is trying to use the custom of the day to emphasise Christians are to inherit the blessings from God.

c. Union with Christ

• • • for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ – Gal 3:27.

In baptism
When we were baptized, Paul says we were baptized into Christ.
According to Paul, we were baptised into his death. We were buried with him – Romans 6:3-4.

For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. – 1 Cor. 12:13

Clothed with Christ
In baptism we were clothed with Christ. Christ covered with us with himself. When people look at us, they should see us clothe with Christ.

How would it look? As Paul says in Col 3

• • • • since you have taken off your old self with its practices  10  and have put on the new self – Col 3:19

Take off our old self – sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. – Col 3:5

Put on (clothe in) the new self:

• • • • clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  13  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  14  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. – Col 3:12-14

d. One in Christ

• • • • There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Gal 3:28

No prejudice because of race, social status, gender. Oneness does not mean we are all equal, no differences. The differences should not be the barrier.

5. Abraham’s Seed

• • If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. – Gal 3:29

Paul says Christ is the seed of Abraham – 3:16 And now Christians are the seed of Abraham. How is that so?

Christians are in union with Christ. They are in Christ. They belong to Christ. Since Jesus is Abraham’s seed, Christians are also Abraham’s seed.

Paul is to tell us that as Abraham’s seed, Christians are heir to God’s promises to him. One of them is God’s blessing to all nations through his seed. Firstly, the blessing of redemption to all who believe in Christ. Secondly, through his seed, that is, the Christians, bringing the gospel to all nations.