Free, Slave, Free

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE GALATIANS

FREE, SLAVE, FREE

Gal 3:21-25

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 the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. 23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

NIV

There are not two equals that stand opposite of each other. This truth is just the same as looking at God and Satan as two diametrically opposed equals, Good and evil. But there is only God, and Satan has no power other then what God allows him to have and then whatever power that has been given to Satan is for the express purpose of God. This is how the law and faith are. The Law does not oppose faith, but the law was given power over people for the express purpose of God to lead them to faith in Jesus. We have to remember the law was given by God for man to see how sinful he is and in need of redemption through the power of God. Everything comes from God. Of course God did not create sin that came from the heart of man, in fact, it even started before man, when sin prompted Lucifer to rebel against God. We also have to know that when God created man, he did so with the foreknowledge man would also rebel because of the prompting of Satan, the first who had rebelled. Paul makes it clear that sin holds us as prisoners, as does the law. There is no freedom from the penalty of sin nor from the law, as it reveals our sin which we are in bondage to and thus condemned, for there is no life in sin or in the law, but only death. We cannot find any righteousness, and justification in either sin or the law. So then why should we give any attention to either except to recognize our sinful nature and repent and live by the promise of God? Both law and the sin it reveals are not equal to the promise of God, in fact, they are extremely inferior, and yet they do serve the purpose of God. Our only good course of action is to believe in Jesus. However, we have to be careful to not add anything to this promise of justification through faith. Now that faith as come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. That is as plain as it can be said. The law has no more of a hold on us. If then we are not under the supervision of the law, why do we try to create our own law? Why do we establish this self-imposed bondage?  It would seem the right timeline of man would be free, sinful, promised, placed in bondage to the law, and promised fulfilled, free again. Oh, will we ever learn?