The Gospel in Galatians

The Road to Faith

Lesson #7 for August 12, 2017

Scriptures: Galatians 3:19-25; Leviticus 18:5; Romans 3:1-2,9-19; 8:1-4; 1 Corinthians 9:20[1].

1.    This lesson focuses on the relationship between the law and the gospel. (Galatians 3:19-25[2]) It is a crucial point for Christians. Some Christians believe that the law is no longer in effect. Others act almost as if the law is the whole story. Where is the truth?

2.    Has God given us clear instructions about the plan of salvation? Historically, God’s covenant or promise to Abraham preceded the giving of the law on Sinai by 430 years. We have already seen that the later giving of a law could never nullify or change the promise given many years earlier. God does not change. (1 Samuel 15:10-11,29,35; Malachi 3:6[3])

3.    It is true that by reading some verses from the Old Testament, it might seem like one could be saved by keeping the law. Read Leviticus 18:5; Deuteronomy 6:24-25; and Ezekiel 18[4]. Other passages suggest the same idea.

4.    God is the only Source of life—not only physically but also spiritually. (2 Kings 5:7; Nehemiah 9:6; John 5:21; Acts 17:25,28; Romans 4:17[5]) The law was never intended to give life.

5.    Several places in the Scriptures very clearly point out that we are all sinners. (1 Kings 8:46; 2 Chronicles 6:36; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:9-10[6]) One of the best summaries of that is found in Romans 3:9-19,23[7]. Paul correctly stated that the sin problem begins in human hearts. So, how is the problem to be resolved? (See Romans 8:3[8].) How does the old man of sin die?

6. God has given us the law to tell us what sin is. From the days of Adam outside the gates of the Garden of Eden, the sacrificial system was intended to teach us that sin leads to death. The law helps us to identify those dangerous, death-dealing behaviors. Do we as human beings need such guidance? As Christians, on what should we be focusing? Should we be focusing on how to deal with the records of our past sins (which we cannot change anyway)? Or, should we be focusing on how to live a better life in the future?

7. After we are convinced that we are sinners, what is next? The death of Jesus is proof of the fact that sin cannot be ignored. Sin has very serious consequences. The human Jesus did not die of torture or blood loss; He died of sin-of separation from His Father the only Source of life. (Matthew 27:46; DA 753-756; 758; 764) He died the death that sinners will experience at the third coming when they finally admit that their rebellion against God is deadly.

Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race.

It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.—Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages* 753.2.

Jesus died of a “broken heart.” What broke His heart? Sin had separated Him from the only Source of life: His Father. That is what will happen to the wicked in the end.

God’s Spirit will not always be grieved. It will depart if grieved a little longer.

After all has been done that God could do to save men, if they show by their lives that they slight Jesus’ offered mercy, death will be their portion, and it will be dearly purchased. It will be a dreadful death; for they will have to feel the agony that Christ felt upon the cross to purchase for them the redemption which they have refused. And they will then realize what they have lost-eternal life and the immortal inheritance....—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church,* vol. 1, 124.1 (1855); CCh* 41.3; 4bSG* 11.1 (1864).

8.    The plan of salvation gives us an opportunity to have our sins forgiven, to have our lives changed, and eventually, to have a place with God in heaven. How do we cooperate with God in this life-changing experience? Do we still need the law? By following the example of Christ, we can learn how life is to be lived. By doing that, we allow God to write the law in our hearts. Couldn’t we just do right because it is right? It is impossible for us to change ourselves. We can only allow the Holy Spirit to do it if we allow Him the time and attention necessary to work in our lives.

9.    In Galatians 3:19-25[9], Paul addressed the formerly-Jewish Christians in Galatia. He talked about conditions as they were before the coming of Christ. What does it mean to be kept under the law? (Galatians 3:22-23; Romans 6:14-15; 1 Corinthians 9:20; Galatians 4:4-5,21; 5:18[10]) God’s laws are descriptive of reality.

10.    One meaning of the expression under the law as suggested by Galatians 4:21[11] is the idea that, somehow, by keeping the law we can be saved. But, law-keeping was never intended by God as an alternate way of salvation. If we take that approach, we are really rejecting Christ. (Galatians 5:2-4[12])

11.    Another meaning of under the law is to be under the condemnation of the law because we have broken it. As sinners we are all under the law in that sense. The law is a kind of mirror. If we look in the mirror and see that our face is dirty and then walk away and say that we do not need to do anything because we cannot see the dirt any more, does that make sense? If by looking at the law we recognize our sinfulness, we should then turn to God for the gospel. A simple outline of what we are not supposed to do is in the Ten Commandments. A perfect example of what we are supposed to do is the life of Jesus. By looking to Jesus and understanding His life and His death, we can find a way out. This is not to suggest that we somehow do away with the need for the law. God will help us leave our sinful lives behind and begin to live lives of love which is one of the means to obey the law. (Romans 13:8,10[13]) Are human beings able to keep the law in their own strength? Never!

12.    Read Galatians 3:23-24[14]. What do these two verses suggest is the role of the law?

1)    It is to keep us or guard us.

2)    It confines us or encloses us in our sinful condition by pointing out where we have failed to keep the law. The law is very good at showing us-if we are honest in looking at it-that we are all sinners. This does not suggest that there is a problem with the law itself. Paul clearly believed that the law was good. (Romans 7:12,14; 8:3-4; 13:8[15])

3) Thus, the law becomes a kind of babysitter, guard, protector, and even disciplinarian until we come to understand the purpose of the law and the gospel.

13.    Can good things be misused? Drugs that are intended to relieve pain can become addicting and can kill a person who abuses them. Sharp knives which are essential for many purposes can be used to kill or maim. The law which is meant to point out sin and direct us to the Savior could cause us to become discouraged and give up completely.

14.    Deuteronomy 27&28 spell out God’s detailed instructions to the children of Israel, describing blessings and curses associated with obedience and disobedience respectively.

15.    As we know, many years later, the Pharisees-seeking ways to make sure that they kept the law in every detail-spelled those details out minutely, multiplying laws with almost innumerable do’s and don’ts. Jesus clearly pointed out the errors of that approach. (Mark 7:1-8[16]) It was essentially a full-time job to be a Pharisee. One had to fast two days a week, and the ritual cleanings and other requirements took a great deal of time.

16.    One of the effects of all those multiplied rules was to produce a huge wall or barrier between the Jewish nation and the nations around them to whom they were supposed to be reaching out. God’s original promise to Abraham was supposed to be shared with the world. (Genesis 12:1-3[17]) But, the children of Israel wanted to claim all the blessings without shouldering any of the responsibilities. They believed that God’s blessings were exclusively for them.

17.    In Galatians 3:24, Paul used a very interesting word to describe the law. The Greek word paidagogos has been translated as schoolmaster, disciplinarian, tutor, trainer, teacher, guide, the one in charge of us, a slave to look after us, even custodian, babysitter, child-conductor, or guardian.

The paidagogos was a slave in Roman society who was placed in a position of authority over his master’s sons from the time they turned six or seven until they reached maturity. In addition to providing for his charges’ physical needs, such as drawing their bath, providing them with food and clothes, and protecting them from any danger, the paidagogos also was responsible for making sure the master’s sons went to school and did their homework. In addition, he was expected not only to teach and practice moral virtues but also to ensure that the boys learned and practiced the virtues themselves.—Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide for Wednesday, August 9.

18.    Those paidagogoi tended to be very strict disciplinarians. They did not hesitate to whip or cane their subjects. Does this imply a negative picture of the law? Doesn’t the law rebuke and condemn us as sinners by pointing out our sins? Do we like to have our sins pointed out?

19.    So, which law was primarily being spoken about? In 1SM233-234, it is very clear that while all law serves this function to a certain degree, it is especially the moral law to which Paul was referring. Isn’t it the moral law that points out our sins? The law has a function very similar to that of a mirror. It can even function as a magnifying glass. It makes our sins, trespasses, and mistakes very apparent. Does the law protect us? It would if everyone obeyed it! Is that true of the moral law? Or, the ceremonial law?

20.    But, it is not the purpose of the law to correct those errors. The plan of salvation given by God provides a way for us to leave those errors behind by following Christ. First of all, God wants to open our eyes; and then, He encourages us to turn and run to Him for help and salvation. We need the law to help us clarify what is right and what is wrong. But, God never intended for us to stop there.

21.    Even in the Old Testament, there are good examples of how the law should be used. Read Deuteronomy 17:14-20. Why weren’t they to have horses? Horses were often used, especially by kings, for waging war-as offensive weapons. While these instructions were given specifically for the future kings of Israel, they are excellent instructions for all of us as well. Those predictions in Deuteronomy are so specific that many modern scholars believe that Deuteronomy could not have been written by Moses. They think it must have been written after the fact. They do not believe that even God has the ability to foretell the future, at least in that much detail and accuracy.

22.    In light of all this, where do we find ourselves? Romans 8:1-3 and 6:14-15[18] point out that it is God’s plan that we no longer live under the law but under grace. How do we do that? Doesn’t that suggest that the law still has a function? By following the example of Jesus Christ, we eventually will learn that doing what is right is always the best plan. When we do what is right, we naturally keep the law. This is why James 1:25 and 2:12[19] call it the law of liberty.

23.    It is God’s plan that by studying the life of Christ, we may behold and become changed. (Great Controversy 555.1) As we spend time contemplating the life of Christ, we learn to practice good behaviors; and the Holy Spirit, writing the law on our hearts, transforms us into His image. (2 Corinthians 3:18[20])

24.    This, of course, does not do away with the need for the law. If we get careless or wander into new territory in disobedience, the law will quickly point out what needs to happen and tell us to correct our error. The paidagogos was not a teacher at school. His job was to get the children safely to school, make sure they were safe while at school, and then, to get them safely home.

25.    Why was that a problem? Sixty percent of the people living in the Mediterranean region in those days were slaves. Often, they became slaves because they could not pay their debts. If a slave could kidnap one of the children of a wealthy family and hold that child for ransom, he might be able to pay off his debts and go free. So, how does this fit with the function of the law? The law protects us by spelling out specifically what we are to do and not to do until by studying the life of Christ we learn to do what is right because it is right. Is there ever a time that we no longer need the paidagogos? Could we eventually live loving lives so completely that we would not need the law?

All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.—Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages* 668.3. [Bold type is added.]

26.    In His life on this earth, Jesus managed to draw a very careful balance between applying the law and applying grace. Read the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. (John 4:1-42[21]) Jesus did not condemn her; He just showed her a better way. That was also true of the woman taken in adultery. (John 8:1-11[22]) Did Jesus demand that those women straighten out their lives before He would talk to them or help them? Jesus does His best to attract us. If God could have accomplished what needed to be done in any way other than coming and dying, wouldn’t He have done so?

27. In 1888, the delegates to the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists meeting at Minneapolis, Minnesota, struggled with the issues we are talking about in this lesson. Two small books had been written on the subject. One was written by G. I. Butler, the President of the General Conference. The other was written by E. J. Waggoner, a young physician/theologian and one of the co-editors of The Signs of the Times. Butler believed that the law referred to in Galatians 3 was the ceremonial law only. Dr. Waggoner believed that it referred primarily to the moral law. Ellen White later pointed out that it means both. She had some very serious words about the consequences of that disagreement. The discussion became very heated at that General Conference session. Ellen White’s words are recorded in 1SM 234-235.

An unwillingness to yield up preconceived opinions, and to accept this truth, lay at the foundation of a large share of the opposition manifested at Minneapolis against the Lord’s message through Brethren [E. J.] Waggoner and [A. T.] Jones. By exciting that opposition Satan succeeded [235] in shutting away from our people, in a great measure, the special power of the Holy Spirit [Is that the latter rain? Aren’t we praying for that?] that God longed to impart to them. The enemy prevented them from obtaining that efficiency which might have been theirs in carrying the truth to the world, as the apostles proclaimed it after the day of Pentecost. The light that is to lighten the whole earth with its glory was resisted, and by the action of our own brethren has been in a great degree kept away from the world. [Doesn’t that suggest that if they had not opposed that message, we might now be in the kingdom of heaven?]

*****

The law of ten commandments is not to be looked upon as much from the prohibitory side, as from the mercy side. [Does the law protect us?] Its prohibitions are the sure guarantee of happiness in obedience. As received in Christ, it works in us the purity of character that will bring joy to us through eternal ages. To the obedient it is a wall of protection. We behold in it the goodness of God, who by revealing to men the immutable principles of righteousness, seeks to shield them from the evils that result from transgression.

We are not to regard God as waiting to punish the sinner for his sin. [How many people see God like that?] The sinner brings the punishment upon himself. His own actions start a train of circumstances that bring the sure result. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change of character, [Is this a consequence? Or, a punishment?] and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from the channel of blessing, and the sure result is ruin and death.—Ellen G. White, Selected Messages,* book 1, 234.6-235.2. [Compare Romans 14:23.]

28. How do we look at the law in our day? Do we see the law as full of mercy? Did our own General Conference brethren back in 1888 actually turn back the latter rain? Could the gospel have gone forward and been finished more than 100 years ago? Could the same thing happen now? Have we learned our lesson?

© 2017, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version.    Info@theox.org

1-Gal 3:19-25 NIV Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. (20) A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. (21) Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. (22) But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (23) Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. (24) So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. (25) Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Lev 18:5 NIV Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.

Rom 3:1-2 NIV What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? (2) Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

Rom 3:9-19 NIV What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. (10) As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; (11) there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. (12) All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (13) "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." (14) "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." (15) "Their feet are swift to shed blood; (16) ruin and misery mark their ways, (17) and the way of peace they do not know." (18) "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (19) Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

Rom 8:1-4 NIV Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (2) because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (3) For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, (4) in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

1Co 9:20 NIV To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.

2-Gal 3:19-25 NIV Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. (20) A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. (21) Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. (22) But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (23) Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. (24) So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. (25) Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

3-1Sa 15:10-11 NIV Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: (11) "I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.

1Sa 15:35 NIV Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Mal 3:6 NIV "I the LORD do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.

4-Lev 18:5 NIV Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the LORD.

Deu 6:24-25 NIV The LORD commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the LORD our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. (25) And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."

Eze 18:1-32 NIV The word of the LORD came to me: (2) "What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: "'The parents eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? (3) "As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. (4) For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child--both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die. (5) "Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. (6) He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife or have sexual relations with a woman during her period. (7) He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. (8) He does not lend to them at interest or take a profit from them. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between two parties. (9) He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD. (10) "Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things (11) (though the father has done none of them): "He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor's wife. (12) He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. (13) He lends at interest and takes a profit. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head. (14) "But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: (15) "He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor's wife. (16) He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. (17) He withholds his hand from mistreating the poor and takes no interest or profit from them. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father's sin; he will surely live. (18) But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. (19) "Yet you ask, 'Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?' Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. (20) The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them. (21) "But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. (22) None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live. (23) Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? (24) "But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die. (25) "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? (26) If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die. (27) But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. (28) Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. (29) Yet the Israelites say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust? (30) "Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. (31) Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? (32) For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

5-2Ki 5:7 NIV As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"

Neh 9:6 NIV You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Joh 5:21 NIV For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.

Act 17:25 NIV And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.

Act 17:28 NIV 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

Rom 4:17 NIV As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

6-1Ki 8:46 NIV "When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near;

2Ch 6:36 NIV "When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near;

Ecc 7:20 NIV Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.

Rom 3:23 NIV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

1Jn 1:9-10 NIV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

7-Rom 3:9-19 NIV What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. (10) As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; (11) there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. (12) All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (13) "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." (14) "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." (15) "Their feet are swift to shed blood; (16) ruin and misery mark their ways, (17) and the way of peace they do not know." (18) "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (19) Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

Rom 3:23 NIV for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

8-Rom 8:3 NIV For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,

9-Gal 3:19-25 NIV Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. (20) A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. (21) Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. (22) But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (23) Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. (24) So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. (25) Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

10-Gal 3:22-23 NIV But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (23) Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed.

Rom 6:14-15 NIV For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (15) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!

1Co 9:20 NIV To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.

Gal 4:4-5 NIV But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Gal 4:21 NIV Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

Gal 5:18 NIV But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

11-Gal 4:21 NIV Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says?

12-Gal 5:2-4 NIV Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. (3) Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. (4) You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

13-Rom 13:8 NIV Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Rom 13:10 NIV Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

14-Gal 3:23-24 NIV Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. (24) So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith.

15-Rom 7:12 NIV So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.

Rom 7:14 NIV We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

Rom 8:3-4 NIV For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, (4) in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Rom 13:8 NIV Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

16-Mar 7:1-8 NIV The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus (2) and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (3) (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. (4) When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) (5) So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?" (6) He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (7) They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.' (8) You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions."

17-Gen 12:1-3 NIV The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. (2) "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

18-Rom 8:1-3 NIV Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (2) because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (3) For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,

Rom 6:14-15 NIV For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. (15) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!

19-Jas 1:25 NIV But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it--not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it--they will be blessed in what they do.

Jas 2:12 NIV Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom,

20-2Co 3:18 NIV And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

21-Joh 4:1-42 NIV Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John-- (2) although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. (3) So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. (4) Now he had to go through Samaria. (5) So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. (6) Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. (7) When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (8) (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) (9) The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) (10) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (11) "Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? (12) Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?" (13) Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, (14) but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (15) The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." (16) He told her, "Go, call your husband and come back." (17) "I have no husband," she replied. Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. (18) The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true." (19) "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. (20) Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." (21) "Woman," Jesus replied, "believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (22) You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. (23) Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. (24) God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." (25) The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." (26) Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to you--I am he." (27) Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, "What do you want?" or "Why are you talking with her?" (28) Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, (29) "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" (30) They came out of the town and made their way toward him. (31) Meanwhile his disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat something." (32) But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." (33) Then his disciples said to each other, "Could someone have brought him food?" (34) "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. (35) Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. (36) Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. (37) Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. (38) I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor." (39) Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." (40) So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. (41) And because of his words many more became believers. (42) They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

22-Joh 8:1-11 NIV but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. (2) At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. (3) The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group (4) and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. (5) In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" (6) They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. (7) When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." (8) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. (9) At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. (10) Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" (11) "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

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