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Commentary on "Justification and the Law"

PHIL HARRIS

 

Day 5: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 - Law and Faith

 

Overview

This quote from the Quarterly defines the intended theme for today’s lesson:

“If there had been a law that could impart life, it certainly would have been God’s law. And yet, Paul says that no law, not even God’s, can give life, because all have violated that law, and so all are condemned by it.

But the promise of faith, more fully revealed through Christ, frees all who believe from being “under the law”; that is, from being condemned and burdened by trying to earn salvation through it. The law becomes a burden when it’s presented without faith, without grace—because without faith, without grace, without the righteousness that comes by faith, being under the law means being under the burden and the condemnation of sin.”

 

Observations

The lesson attempts to define the relationship between Law and Faith with this passage from the epistle of Galatians:

Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. (Gal. 3:21-23 ESV)

While it would be best if we started at the beginning of this book we will simply back up to verse ten to gain some context for the above passage:

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." (Gal. 3:10-11 ESV)

The curse of the law centers on the fact that no sinner can obey even a fraction of the law yet all the law must be perfectly obeyed. The whole point of the law is that God’s promises are fulfilled by God alone. The law points to our need for a Savior who is Jesus Christ. Only Jesus could and did fulfill the perfect requirements of the law. Now, let’s look at these verses:

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, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (Gal. 3:24-26 ESV)

Christ totally perfectly fulfilled all the requirements of the law. The law is no longer our guardian. Instead, we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Summary

  1. As stated earlier in the week, law and faith are mutually exclusive. You are either under the law or you are under faith. There is no combination of the two.
  2. The law was added as a guardian which was put in place until Jesus Christ fulfilled the righteous requirements the law portrayed.
  3. We are no longer under the guardian.

 

GO TO DAY 6

 

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The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

Official Adventist Resources

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