Galatians - To The Churches In Galatia
Week 12 - Why Then The Law?

The Law of Moses, as found in the first five books of the Bible, has been a hotbed of debate ever since God gave it to us. There are those today who say that in order to be a Christian, you must also follow the law (just like they said to the Galatians). Paul has been arguing that we are saved by the mercy and grace of God through faith in what Christ did for us at the cross. False teachers said, “First, believe in Jesus Christ; second, obey God’s law; then, third, you’ll be saved.” Paul taught, however, “First, believe in Jesus Christ; second, you’re saved; and third, as a result, you will want to obey God.”

• Define what a law is.
• Are there any “laws” that you have made up that govern your life?
• In what ways do those “laws” or beliefs impact how you view Jesus?
• In what ways have you put the law in place of Jesus’ salvation?

The New Testament tells us who we are in Christ before ever talking about how we live; doing (our behavior) comes out of being (our identity). The Galatians are not confident in God’s delight in them, because they have forgotten the Gospel. We have a tendency to go off the rails, like the Galatians, and believe the law will make God love us better. God’s delight in us is in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Any self-centered trajectory will ultimately be harmful.

Read Galatians 3:10-22.
• Where do you get confused when reading these verses?
• Do you lean toward being super moral or super irreligious?
• Do you ever wish the law, and how you live up to it, could be what save you from sin? Why/why not?

God comes to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 and says, “Through your offspring….” He does not say, “through your offsprings.” God was NOT looking to save the world through the nation of Israel, but through Jesus. Abraham didn’t understand all the implications of this at the time; that is why, in Galatians 4, Paul will eventually tell us that when the fullness of time had come, God showed us how this all worked in Jesus. Through Christ, our sins are washed away and God’s favor and blessing are upon our life.

• Does the fact that the law exposes us as “sinners in need of grace” bring hope or discouragement to you?
• Who is the offspring Paul talks about?
• Do you think or feel that God is more pleased with you when you are “doing well” by your own standards?

Why then the law?
1) The law serves all of mankind as it restrains evil. It doesn’t make you righteous, but it does restrain evil.

• How have you seen law (God’s or man’s) restrain evil? How has it influenced behavior?
• If you are a parent, how have you used rules to curb behavior? Did it change your child’s heart?
• How does the law fall short of restraining evil? Does it cause other heart issues?

2) The law is a diagnostic of our heart. Almost everyone thinks of themselves as a good person, but the reality is that we are not on our own.

• What does the law say about your heart?
• What does it mean to be self-righteous?

3) The law was given so that transgressions might increase. No one has a problem with God until God speaks and we say, “Who is He to tell me I can’t?” Transgressions increase as we see our rebellious, flawed nature fall short.

• In what ways have you lived as your own savior?

The law crushes us unless our hope and trust is in the person and work of Jesus Christ—in His righteousness. The result of the Gospel, Christ’s death and life given for us, is that law is no longer free to terrorize and haunt us, because our righteousness has been granted to us in the person and work of Jesus. By trusting in Jesus’ provision, we are holy and blameless in the sight of God.

• What of your own failures weigh you down?
• Do you see yourself as free from the law?
• What does that freedom in Christ look like in your life?