“How Foolish to Think One Can be Saved by Rules!” Galatians 3:1-14

Since WW II ended, crimes have escalated on an average of 214% murder ……………………….…up 214% rape …………………..…….……up 100% aggravated assault …………..…up 215% auto theft …………..………...…up 158% burglary ……………..…………up 290% larceny ………………………….up 192%

Ever hear the phrase “evil eye”?

Purpose: to better understand why it is foolish to believe you can be saved by rules

I How Did You Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit? (vv 2-5) A. Did You Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit? B. Did You Receive the Holy Spirit by Your Works? C. Did You Receive the Holy Spirit by Other Means?

God wants you to have His Spirit God wants you to have His Spirit. He is necessary for our sanctification in Christ. This is always referred to as a “gift” because by its very definition this is something that cannot be earned, merited or self-bought…

You heard of the rancher who went to the store to learn about a new chainsaw. The storeowner bragged that this saw would permit the rancher to cut 3 or 4 trees down an hour…

Romans 8:31-32 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

II How Did Abraham Receive Righteousness? (vv 6-9) A. The OT Announced Gentiles Were Included

Galatians 3:8 “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham…”

II How Did Abraham Receive Righteousness? (vv 6-9) A. The OT Announced Gentiles Were Included B. The OT Announced a Righteousness Not Based on Law Keeping

The only way righteousness is ever going to be credited to your account is if you put faith in the work of Christ and receive His righteousness on His terms!

III How Does God Receive Law Breakers? (vv 10-14) A. Law Cannot be the Basis for Salvation

James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.”

III How Does God Receive Law Breakers? (vv 10-14) A. Law Cannot be the Basis for Salvation B. Grace Alone is the Basis for Salvation

Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us – for it is written ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.’”

Jesus took our curse, all the fury and wrath of a Holy and Righteous God was spent on Him… Jesus really did pay it all!

One of the world’s greatest anthropologist… Wycliffe Bible translators came to him asking for assistance. They were trying to translate the Bible into an African tribe’s language and were having trouble translating the word redeemed. Nida said, “Use the phrase ‘taking the head out.”… Dr. Eugene Nida

Conclusion and Summary What Paul is saying is that Jesus took our curse. What foolish person would want to put their head back into that yoke chain after Jesus has taken our heads out of it?...