LIFE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

Sunday Morning:  June 8, 2003

Text: Galatians 3:18-22  "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 19. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. 21. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."

PROMISED BEFORE LAW

Galatians 3:18  "For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise."

NO MEDIATOR

Hebrews 6:13  "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,"

WHY LAW?

Galatians 3:19-20  "Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. 20. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one."

OUR SCHOOLMASTER

Galatians 3:24  "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster (one who accompanies, trains, and disciplines a child who is in the family) to bring us unto Christ (the anointed seed), that we might be justified (unchargeable) by faith."

DISTINCT KNOWLEDGE

Romans 3:20  ". . . by the law is the knowledge [deeper knowledge] of sin."

COME SHORT OF THE GLORY

Romans 3:23  "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"

HOPE BY GRACE

Romans 5:2  "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

HOPE OF GLORY

Colossians 1:27  "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"

GLORY OF HIS KINGDOM

1 Thessalonians 2:12  "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory."

 

Galatians 5:5  "For we through the (Abba) spirit wait for (you don’t have it now) the hope (not a sure thing) of righteousness by faith (kept)."

 

Romans 3:21-22  "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith (pleasing God) of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe [present active]: for there is no difference:"

BY ANGELS

Acts 7:53  "Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it."

LIFE

Galatians 3:21  "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given [present passive] life [quickeneth], verily righteousness should have been by the law."

BIRTH GIVES LIFE

John 3:3  "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again [from above, life], he cannot see the kingdom of God."

LIFE AND ABUNDANT LIFE

John 10:10  ". . . I am come that they (sheep) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

ABUNDANT LIFE

John 10:27-28  "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28. And I give unto them eternal [agelasting kingdom] life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW

Romans 9:31-32  "But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. . . ."

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LAW

Matthew 5:20  "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

FLESH IS WEAK

Romans 8:3-4  "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the (Abba) spirit (of Galatians 4:6)."

ABBA SPIRIT

Romans 8:15  "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

TO THEM THAT BELIEVE

Galatians 3:22  "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe [present active]."

RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH

Romans 10:3-6  "For they (Israel) being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth [present active]. 5. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, . . ."

BELIEVETH UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS

Romans 10:9-11  "That if thou shalt confess [aorist, start confessing] with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe [aorist, start believing] in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (the promise by faith). 10. For with the heart man believeth [present passive, continue to believe] unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession [present passive, continue to confessing] is made unto [leading to] salvation (the promise by faith, age lasting life). 11. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

BELIEVETH

1 Timothy 1:16  "Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe [present active infinitive] on him to [eis, leading to] life everlasting."

ESTEEMETH KINGDOM LIFE

John 6:47  "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth [present active] on me hath [esteemeth] everlasting [kingdom age] life."