39 lines
2 KiB
Markdown
39 lines
2 KiB
Markdown
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title = "Galatians 3:1–14"
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date = "2023-08-08"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Galatians3.1-14)
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Paul now shows that the Galatians themselves experienced the indwelling of the
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Holy Spirit without first becoming Jewish. It wasn't by circumcision, offering
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sacrifices at the temple, or keeping the dietary laws that brought the Spirit
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upon them but His own gracious decision. Miracles were performed in their
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midst, and they experienced at least some trials because of their faith. If all
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of these signs that they are truly believers happened to them, why should they
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now put in some kind of effort to make it happen? Instead, they are righteous
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in the same way as Abraham, by faith and not by fulfilling a law he did not
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have. Indeed, through Abraham's family, particularly Jesus, all the nations of
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the world are blessed by participating in the same faith.
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When Paul cites [Deuteronomy 27:26](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Deut27.26),
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that verse comes after a list of what might be considered particularly heinous
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sins: murder, incest, and cruel deception to name a few. But lest anyone see
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that list and think they are in the clear because they didn't do those things,
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verse 26 rolls up and applies the same curse to anyone who fails to uphold
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_any_ of the things God commanded. Didn't tell the priest about the mildew on
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your walls? Cursed. Wore some clothes made of blended fibers? Cursed. Nowhere
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in the Torah does it say "do this and you shall be righteous". Fulfilling the
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laws brings blessing and avoids the curses, yes, but that's not the same thing
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at all. Instead the sacrifices were set up to atone for the people's inevitable
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unrighteousness.
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By taking on the curse of the law by being hung on a tree, Christ purchased us
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from the curse we put on ourselves by our iniquity. His perfect keeping of the
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law was exchanged with our imperfection so that He could pay the price we
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deserved, and thus we receive the blessing that He earned.
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* * *
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We marvel at the price You would pay to purchase us out of our doom.
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