Galatians chapter 3, Galatians the 3rd chapter, and what we're looking at in Galatians 3, we're going to finish this chapter out, hopefully, Lord willing, this morning. But what we're looking at, the Apostle Paul has been defending his apostleship in the 1st chapter and 2nd chapter, and then he started defending the Gospel. And as he has been defending the Gospel, what we saw last Sunday, he was showing there were two covenants. And the two covenants that were, one is the covenant of promise, the other is the covenant of law, and they are not contradictory to each other, but they actually are complementary to each other, but they are also functioning with two different functions. They do not function the same. They have two different purposes. The law cannot, as it starts out in chapter 3, the law cannot produce the Holy Spirit, nor can the law provide salvation. That is not the purpose of the law. What the law does, it puts people under a curse. And as the law puts the people under a curse, as it says in verse 10 through verse 12, notice what it says, for as many as are of the works of the law, they're under the curse. For it is written, Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident the just shall live by faith. And the law is not a faith, but the man that doeth them shall live in them. The law cannot save anyone, but the law cannot also change that first covenant which was the promise given to Abraham. And that promise given to Abraham was simply belief. And faith produces salvation. The promise comes through faith. Abraham believed God and it was put to his account for righteousness. The righteousness that was put to Abraham's account was the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. The promise comes through faith. Notice what it says in verse 22, But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Now we pick up from there and verse 23 says, before, but before faith came." Here is the life of the child of God before he was a child of God. Before faith came. Now, I want you to notice the same words are almost exactly said. Down in verse 25 it says, "...but after that faith is come." So, what the apostle Paul does as he is defending the gospel, he's saying, here's what happened before faith came and here's what happened after faith came. So, what we're going to look at this morning, we're going to look at before faith and we're going to look at it after faith, the after effects of faith and the before effects of faith. Notice in verse 23, the Word of God starts out, but before faith came, we were kept under the law. In other words, the law was God's standard. The law was what God requires every person in this world to live up to. Everybody has got that standard of the law, which is God's standard, And you've got to keep it to perfection, because the Word of God tells us, if anyone's offended in one point of the law, and you've just broken one law, it's like breaking the whole law, because God demands perfection. Now, the problem with that is nobody, not one of us, no man on this earth, can live up to the standard God has set. The only one who's lived up to that standard is our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the perfect God-man. He lived the law to the fullest degree. The nth degree fulfilled all the law. But here the Word of God tells us, notice what it says, but before faith came we were kept under the law. What Paul does, he paints kind of like a picture. And what he does as he sets this picture, he's setting the law forth as the way of salvation. The law is not salvation, but it is the way of salvation. It was kind of like a map of a country. Now, it's not the country, but it's a map of a country. It's kind of like, if you were to think of an illustration, it's a model of a road. It's not the road itself, but it's a model of the road. What it's doing, it's pointing the way to salvation because the law puts everybody under a curse and it's driving people to the Messiah, to the Christ, to the one who has fulfilled the law. That's what the Word of God's doing. It's showing the sacrifices, all that were given in the Old Testament, all the offerings, they're pointing to our Lord Jesus Christ consistently, looking to Jesus Christ. But what the law does, notice what Paul says, that up until, it says, before faith came, we were kept Under the law, that word kept means guarded. It means you're guarded and you can't get out. You can't escape the law. The law is constantly guarding your life. You're constantly under the law. And then it says that we were shut up unto the faith, which should afterwards be revealed. Now, what does that mean, shut up? And if I were to tell you, shut up, you know what that means, shut up. But that's not what we're talking about here. It's not talking about being quiet. This word shut up, as far as unto the faith, it comes from two Greek words put together. Now, I'm going to use a little bit of Greek on you this morning. And those two Greek words form one word. It's sunkleo. Now, the word sun means together. And the word kleo means to close up. In other words, what the law does, it closes up everyone altogether. Everyone is closed up. It's kind of like, if I could give you a picture, you're in a prison cell and you can't get out. You are walled in, sum kleo, walled in, closed up. Who is? everyone who is a sinner. And who is a sinner? Notice what it says in verse 22, but the Scripture has concluded, all under sin. In other words, all sinners are closed up unto that wall. You're in prison. You cannot get out. Now, you know what? Some people think they can fulfill the law. Some people think they can actually live a perfect life. I talk to people like that. And let me tell you something, they are delusional. They are so far from perfect, they're blinding themselves and they cannot see. What the law does, it shows us our need of a Savior. The law shows us how far we fall short of God's standard and God's glory. You know what? There are people who think they can live up to that standard. There are people who think they can live the Christian life. Let me tell you something. You can't. And if you think you can, then that annuls the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone in this world is under the law of God, if they have not been made free from that law through Christ. But what about people who've never heard the law of God? Are they under the law of God? You know what, you've often heard the question. Well, what about the heathen in Africa that never heard the gospel? Are they condemned by the law also? Listen to what the Word of God says over in the book of Romans chapter 1. In Romans chapter 1 and look down in verse 8. 18, the Word of God says this, "'For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.'" All ungodliness includes ungodliness where the Word of God is proclaimed and ungodliness where the Word of God is not proclaimed. And it says, "...and against all unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known of God is manifest in them. For God has showed it to them." How has God shown the heathen their unrighteousness? It's through the conscience. You know what? Their conscience condemns them. They know when they do wrong. I think those people who are murderers that are using murder and butchering and beheading the Boko Haram and the ISIS and the Al-Qaeda, all those groups, you know what? They know they're doing wrong until their conscience is seared from doing it so often. But they knew at one point they were doing wrong. Here in the Word of God, notice what it says in chapter 2 of Romans in verse 14. For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law, these having not the law are a law unto themselves, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." In other words, you don't have to have the Word of God to know you're doing wrong. Your conscience convicts you and condemns you that you are doing wrong, that you are a sinner. What the law does, the law magnifies that sin and shows you how great your sin is, that sin might become exceedingly sinful. And then the Word of God goes on to explain. It says that we're shut up, we're kept under the law. The law is God's standard. But notice what it says in verse 24 as the Apostle Paul paints this picture. The Word of God says, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now, what does that mean? What does the word schoolmaster mean? Now, the word schoolmaster is not like how we might think in our mind a schoolmaster. The Greek word for schoolmaster is pedagogos. Now, what is pedagogos? A pedagogos, back in biblical times, was usually a slave to a family. And that slave, his responsibility was to be the guardian of children. It's kind of like if I were to give you just an illustration of that. If man had a slave for all his kids, that slave's responsibility would be the guardian of those kids, making sure they got to school, because as those little boys get older, they might want to cut school. So what does that pedagogist do? He whacks them if they get out of line. You get to school. What happens if they don't do their work? That pedagogue, he whacks them. You get back in line. They were strict disciplinarians as far as a pedagogue. So the law is the disciplinarian. It's the one that's telling us we do wrong. And it disciplines us. Now you know what? If you're a child, And you had a pedagogy, you know what? You'd want to get out from under that pedagogy, wouldn't you? If you knew you were going to get waxed every time you got out of line, man, I can't wait to grow up and get rid of this pedagogy. This person's driving me bonkers. I want to be a grown-up. Well, that's what the law is. The law is the schoolmaster, as it's translated in the King James Version. It is called the disciplinarian or the guardian. And what does he do? He's the one that takes us to school. And what do you do when you get to school? You go to the Master Teacher. And who is the Master Teacher? It's Jesus Christ. It's the pedagogy, it's the law that takes us to Christ. And there we learn at the feet of the Master. And here is where we are justified by faith. And therefore, when we come to the Master Teacher, you know what? There is no more need for the pedagogue. You understand what I'm saying? You get this picture? There is no more need for this disciplinarian because you've come to the Master Teacher. Man, there's freedom in Christ. We are free from the law. We are free because of what Christ has done for us. Notice what verse 25 says, and here is the hinge, but after that faith is come." Now, you know what? Here's the good part. Because the law is the disciplined part. It's the one that corrects you when you're wrong. It's the one that shows you you're wrong. And it shows how wicked you are. It shows you how sinful you are. The law shows you it and magnifies the sin. And what the law does, it causes people to even rebel more in a sinful way. The law is driving us to Christ. But after that faith is come, the Word of God says, we're no longer under a schoolmaster. Once the faith is come in Jesus Christ, you don't need that pedagogy. You remember what the Word of God says over in the book of Romans chapter 8? And down in verse 3, the Word of God says, "...for what the law could not do, in that it was wheat through the flesh." God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. Boy, that's good news. That's what Christ has done for us. The law was weak in our flesh, but God sent His own Son. You know what? God sent the law. We couldn't fulfill the law, so God sent His Son who fulfilled the law. And then He died for our sins. He died in our place. He paid a debt. He did not owe. I owed a debt I couldn't pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away. Now I'm singing a brand new song, Amazing Grace, all day long. Isn't that what we're supposed to be singing? The grace of God that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh. For they that are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit. After faith is come, we're no longer under that schoolmaster. That's good news. In other words, the child has become a man. You know what, when a child becomes a man, the parents – let me use myself as an illustration. I'm grown up. My dad and mom do not write out instructions for me to do every day now. You know what? I don't need to be instructed by my mom and dad because I'm mature now. And you know what? They trust me now. At least I hope they do. You understand once you're grown up, there's no more need for that law. After faith has come, the Word of God says you're no longer under a schoolmaster. And notice what it says in verse 26. For you're all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Everyone's a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Now, let me give this to you because we do not believe in the universal fatherhood of God. We do not believe everybody's going to heaven. That's a universalist view. You know what? We do not believe. Like Muslims believe, you chop people's heads off and you're going to heaven and you get so many virgins and you get your own paradise. Enter into it. No, uh-uh. That's a sick teaching. You know what the Word of God says about that? Listen to what the Word of God says over in John chapter 8 and verse 44. You are of your father the devil, the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning. and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own. He's a liar and the father of it." Satan himself was a murderer from the beginning. And you know what? Murderers are of their father, the devil. And you know what? That's what these Muslims are doing is they butcher people and chop people's heads off and kill people. That Boko Haram down there in Nigeria, I think it is, Literally, almost wiped out a town of people. All in the name of God. And let me tell you, that's a false God. Our God don't tell us to go murder people, go butcher people up. Hear what the Word of God says. After faith is come, We're no longer under that schoolmaster. After faith has come, you're all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Notice the benefits of what we have now after faith has come into our lives. By faith, we are children of God is what the Word of God says. That word children in the Greek – I'm going to throw some big Greek words on you now, hang on – The word children is houios, H-U-I-O-S, houios. Now, what does houios mean? Houios means son. Now, I want you to hang with me here on this because there are different Greek words for children. One of them is padeion, which is where we get padegogos. That's one, a child who needs instruction. That means he's a little bit bigger, but he needs guidance and he needs instruction. That's where the pedagogos comes in at. There is the word technon. The word technon, it means a child, and it means one who's bearing the image of their father. There is the word nereos. Now, nereos, it means a baby. And then there is the word huios. Now, huyas means son, and whenever Jesus Christ is referenced, it's always talking about huyas of God, the huyas of Theos, the Son of God. The word huyas means one who is a mature son and always does the will of the Father. Now, think about this with me for a minute. This gets deep. If I've done lost you, I can't back up because it's too deep. Huyas is talking about Jesus Christ who always does the perfect will of His Father. Now, the Word of God is saying, you're all the huyas of God. You're the sons of God. You know what that means? We're the mature sons of God. Now, I've got to ask, how many of y'all have acted at one with Christ all week long this past week? I get any volunteers on that one? I didn't think so. What does that mean then? It's supposed to be mature, acting one with God, like Jesus Christ has. You know what? The verse here, I believe, is speaking of positionally. We are in Christ. And here's the blessing of being in Christ. God sees us as He sees His Son because our lives are hid in Christ in God. Wow! Now, you know what? I might have got more wow out of that than you did, but I like that. I want you to notice a little bit more. Turn over to the next book in Ephesians chapter 1. In Ephesians chapter 1, look down in verse 5. Verse 5 says this, "...having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Now, the word, adoption of children, is one Greek word, but the children word is huyos again, which means son, a mature son, one who does the will of the Father. And the word adoption, it means to place in position. So listen to what these two Greek words are saying in Ephesians 1 verse 5. God has predestinated us unto the huia thesia. Oh, that's a long Greek word. Huia, huia says son. Thesia means to place in position. You put the two together, God has placed us in the position of sonship. Now, you know what? That's shouting ground. Here is a blessing of being in Christ. You are placed in the position of sonship in Christ Jesus. Listen to what the Word of God goes on to say over in Romans 8. In the book of Romans 8, down in verse 19, the Word of God says this, "...for the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God." The huyas, that's us. Creation waits for the manifestation. What is that manifestation? It's when Christ comes and we all get that glorified body and we're in His presence and we are the perfect sons of God. You see, now it's just a positional thing. There it's reality. And not only in verse 19 does it say that. Look in verse 23. It says, "...and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit." Even we ourselves, we've grown within ourselves waiting for the adoption. That's the putting in place to win the redemption of our bodies. You see, that's something in the future that's going to happen. Now positionally, in Christ, we are sons of God. But there is coming the time where we're actually put in that place and that positional becomes reality. That's a blessing of being in Christ Jesus. Notice what the Word of God goes on to say as it continues to add to that blessing. After faith has come, after you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, you're no longer under the law, but you're children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. In verse 27 it says, for as many as of you have been baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ. Now, this is not, make sure you understand this, this is not talking about water baptism. This is not talking about being immersed underwater. This is talking about being immersed into Christ. This is a spiritual thing that happens. When one puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, they are immersed into Christ. Now, what does it mean to be immersed into Christ? Same thing as far as how we practice baptism. We believe baptism is a total immersion. It's a going all the way under the water. It's not dabbing little drops of water on you. It's a total immersion. So when we are immersed into Christ, If I were to give you an illustration, if I had a glass of water up here and it had some dye in that water, let's say it had blue dye because of UK's big win yesterday. And it's got blue. Indiana had a good big win yesterday, too. But we're going with blue, not red. If I had a handkerchief and I dumped that into that glass of red or blue dye, what color would that handkerchief come out? Blue, blue, blue. It will come out. Why? Because it's immersed. And what happens when it's immersed? It becomes totally at one with. You see what happens? It becomes a blue hanky. And even so, when we're immersed in the Christ, we have put on Christ. You have put on Christ. Now, you might say, but I don't, I don't, I fall short of that. We're talking about something that's happened spiritually. We're talking about something that's happened inwardly. And you know what, that what is inward, the Word of God tells us to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. What's inside, you've got to work out. We're not talking baptismal regeneration. We're talking about a spiritual immersion. When one trusts in Jesus Christ, they are immersed into Jesus Christ and they have put on Christ. Go back. Paul uses this language in Romans chapter 6. Listen to what it says in verse 3. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? You were immersed into Jesus Christ when you believed, and you were immersed some way, you were immersed into his death. When Christ died, you died. How is that? I can't fully explain that. Therefore, we're buried with him by baptism into death. That like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. We are joined with Christ. We are in Christ. We are in union with Christ. We are clothed with Christ is what the Word of God tells us. When one is clothed with Christ, that means we have the righteousness of Christ. You know what? When God sees Steve Wainwright, He sees His Son. He doesn't see my righteousness. Because if he saw my righteousness, it's all like filthy rags. He sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ. That's how God sees us. That's why the Apostle Paul could say, it's no longer I who live, but it's Christ that lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and He gave Himself for me. You see, it's a life of faith. And that's how we are to live. In verse 28 in Galatians chapter 3, the Word of God says, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you're all one in Christ. What is Paul saying here? It is my understanding the Jews had a prayer. The Pharisees. Boy, Paul probably prayed this prayer before he became converted. You know what he said? Lord, I thank you that I'm not a Gentile. I thank you that I'm not a servant or a slave. I thank you that I'm not a female." Now, don't get mad at me. Paul's analogy here is what he's saying. Back in that day and time, you had certain privilege. privileges if you were a male. You could do certain things in the temple that women could not do. There was a court of women, and so they had a certain area. But with males, there was privileges. Even so, if you were a free person and not a servant, you had other ways of privileges of serving God. And if you were a Jew, you had certain privileges as far as in the temple and serving God. So they actually prayed and thanked God that they were not a Jew, that they were not a Greek or a Gentile, that they were not a female, that they were not a servant or a slave. Now what Paul's saying here, now after faith has come, once you believed in Jesus Christ, you're a son of God, you're a child of God. But you know what? There's no difference. Now there's no difference between a Jew and a Gentile. Now, you know, that's no big deal for us, but it's a big deal to a Jew to hear something like that. That rubs against their grain. Because Jews had nothing to do with Gentiles. Paul's saying there's no difference now in social status. There's no difference now if you're a servant or if you're an owner of a slave. There's no difference now. Don't be prejudiced. Don't be racist. There's no room for racism in Christianity. You know what, when God saves someone, He saves them. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, aren't they? You know what, if I took the skin off you, you'd be red underneath, wouldn't you? We're all the same when you get past the layers of skin. And it's not only true as far as Paul's saying that we're all one in Christ. But that's true also when it comes to what if somebody's rich and what if somebody's poor. You know what, we're all on the same level with Christ. The ground is level at the cross, isn't it? We all come by faith in Jesus Christ. Listen to what the Word of God says in the book of James. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. Don't respect people if one person comes into the assembly with a gold ring, goodly apparel, and there comes in somebody that's a vile raiment, poor rags. Don't distinguish between the two and show privileges toward the one with a better clothing than the other. You see what the Word of God's saying here? What the Word of God's saying over here in Galatians 3, that we're all one in Christ Jesus. We're all one. You know what? I'm thankful that we're all one in Christ. In Christ. In verse 29, it says, if you be Christ, Then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Because you're in Christ, the Word of God says, you've got an inheritance. You're inheriting the promise. The promise which was given to Abraham and Abraham's seed. Remember back in verse 16 who Abraham's seed was? It's Jesus Christ. The promise is fulfilled in Christ, and therefore you have access to all the promises because you're in Christ. But you know what? The only way you can have access to all promises is if you're in Christ. If you're in Christ Jesus, There's so much, you know what, there's so much more we can go into as far as being in Christ. This is a vast topic. Vast blessings because we are in Christ. But you know what? You have none of those promises if you're not in Christ. So how do you get in Christ? You know what, all these other religions of this world, you think of Buddhism. You never hear a Buddhist say, I'm in Buddha. You never hear someone, Hinduism, say, I'm in a bunch of Shiva's or a bunch of other gods. You never hear Muslims say, I'm in Allah. But here in the Word of God, it describes us as believers as in Christ. Is your life in Christ? How do we get in Christ? By very simply believing what God has said. Whosoever believeth in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved." And you know what? His righteousness will then be put to your account. It's that simple. Just simply believe. God said to Abraham, do you believe the seed is coming? Abraham said, I believe. What did God say? is put to your account as righteousness. The question to you today is, do you believe what God said concerning His Son? If so, then it has been put to your account, the righteousness of Jesus Christ, simply by believing, simply by faith, nothing else, nothing added to it, no more, no less, simply trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. You say that's too simple. Yes, it is too simple. But that's what the Word of God tells us to simply believe. Only believe. Whosoever believeth shall not be ashamed. Have you trusted in Christ as your Lord and Savior? Let's stand and go to the Lord in prayer. Our Father in heaven, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for the time we've gathered together around Your Word. And Lord, we're thankful for Your Spirit that uses Your Word to break our hearts, convincing and convicting us of sin, and of the righteousness which comes by Christ only, and of the judgment that is to come. Lord, we ask that You work in our hearts, work in our lives, deal with us right where we're at. That You might use us in the lives of others. That Your name might be magnified and You might be glorified for Christ's sake. Amen.