Did we in our own strength confide Our striving would be losing? Were not the right man on our side The man of God's own choosing? Thus ask who that may be Christ Jesus it is he, Lord Sabbath of his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle. And though this world with death to undo us. We will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness brim, we tremble not for him. This rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure. One little word shall fail him. Now look to your right and left for a moment. Shake a hand, or if you're a hugger, hug one another. And be thankful that your brother and your sister are back together. Here we begin. We are in Galatians. We are in Galatians chapter 3. Last week as we worked ourselves through verses almost inching up to verse 19, we're going to be looking at about 15 through the end of the chapter. In the earlier part of chapter number 3, you remember that Paul would ask the Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth? He would also ask the question, did you not receive the Spirit by works of law or by hearing of faith? And then he began to lay out a series of Scripture coming from the Hebrew scriptures to be able to help bring forth his point that the law, while necessary, was intended to be temporary. He went through these verses and he began with quoting Genesis 15-6 to note that Abraham the father of Israel was counted as righteous. Not because of his works, but because of his faith. And he said, know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. He then in verse 8 would quote Genesis 12, 3. And here he would show that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, citing God's promise to Abraham that in all the nations you shall be blessed. He blended then Deuteronomy 27, 26 and 28, 58 to show that those who live by the law are under a curse because no one is able to keep the law faithfully. He would cite Habakkuk 2, 4 then and 3, 11 to show that it is the righteous person that lives by faith, not by the law. And then he would quote Deuteronomy 21, 23 to support his argument that Christ redeemed us by becoming a curse for us. And then he cites the promises of Genesis that flow from chapter 12, 2 and 3, chapter 15, chapter 17 and 22 to show that this promise that God made was in fact fulfilled in Christ. So we know that Paul had always preached the gospel of faith. He was given, in fact, the commission, the calling to go into the Gentile world and to speak the gospel. Now there were these Judaizers that had come trying to force people to believe that it was about faith and works. And you remember that in verse 6 of chapter 1 and then in the first verse of chapter number 3, he's going to talk that he is amazed that they so quickly turned from the gospel. And he's asking the question as well, who in the world has bewitched you? Who has put the cloak over your eye that you cannot see that that which you were taught by me, the pureness of the gospel, is not what they are teaching you?" Well, they would raise an argument. They would say, What about the Law of Moses? I mean let's talk about this Law of Moses. You know God did give the Law of Moses, didn't He? Abraham was saved by faith. But when God gave the Law of Moses 430 years after the last reinstatement of the Abrahamic covenant to Jacob, didn't He change the plan of salvation? I mean Didn't that have to occur? Didn't it go from being faith before the law to works by the law? Isn't that the purpose of the law? Or isn't it at least a combination of the faith of Abraham in adherence to the law of Moses? We believe in Christ. We rejoice in the fact that you have come to know about him. But don't you really want to be what God would have you to be? So how can you not listen and understand that which we are saying is the truth? So Paul, starting in verse 10, writes these words. Brother and I speak in terms of human relations. Even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside and adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn't say to seeds as referring to many, but rather to one and to your seed, that is Christ. What I am saying is this, the law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise. But God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. And you see, that was the Jewish notion. They would give honor to Abraham and they would give honor to his faith. And they would give equal and parallel honor to Moses and the law. But Paul, speaking in every way that he can, drawing upon the experience, the historical aspects of what has occurred. That's why he went into the Hebrew text. The law was never intended to be a way of salvation. That would make a conflict between the promise and the law. And there would be two competing ways. And he said, there's only one way. But I'm perplexed. I am amazed that you could allow someone to come in and so quickly enamor you to follow a gospel that isn't a gospel at all. So Paul is unrelenting in his arguments. I love the Apostle Paul because he has the ability to say, I am going to stand face to face. I have the confidence that God called me. and that he gave me the gospel. He taught it to me directly, and I have the responsibility to allow no man to change it. So, he needs to seal this with an unbreakable seal in the understanding of his readers. It's like he's finally got to come and he says, I have got to make, this is it. I've got to move forward and I've got to just wrap it up in such a manner. So he writes to the Christians to make sure they are not bewitched into believing that a false gospel is acceptable. So we are in chapter number three and that which will be said in this teaching period, is really found right here. And if we simply just read this text, you will get so much out of it. But let's be reminded that this is God's word spoken to us. And though he speaks to the Galatians, it has application and truth for us. So Paul writing, boldly will say, you foolish Galatians who has bewitched you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. This is the only thing I want to find out from you. Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain? So then does he who provides you with the spirit of works, miracles among you, do it by the works of the law or by the hearing with faith? Even so, Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is of those who are of the faith, who are sons of Abraham, the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preach the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, all the nations will be blessed in you. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them. Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident. 4. The righteous man shall live by faith. However, the law is not of faith. On the contrary, he who practices them shall live by them. 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, in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations. Even though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, and to seeds, as referring to many, but rather to one. And to your seed, that is Christ. What I am saying is this, the law which came 430 years later does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise, but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. Why the law then? It was added because of transgressions. Having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, into the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one party only, whereas God is only one. Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be. For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. But the scripture has shut up every one other sin, so that the promise by faith in Christ Jesus might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith that was later to be revealed. Therefore, the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free man. There is neither male nor female, for all of you are in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. Let's pray. Our heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and for the opportunity you give us to be in your word. I pray, Father, that you would help me in being able to share from the overflow of my heart the study of this wonderful book that you give, a reminder, Father, that you alone in your sovereign will sent the God-man, Jesus Christ, as one who would live and would die and would be resurrected and now sits at the right hand of the Father. that the price father for my sins were paid in full and how thankful we are father that you've given us such clarity of knowing what is indeed your gospel and in your name we pray amen. Well, you may be surprised by me that I have got this particular slide up because you know I have a tendency sometimes not to use a whole lot of illustrations. But as I was reading through Philip Riken's book the Reformed commentary in Galatians. He cited an illustration that he had heard, and he used it in the beginning of his discussion in verses 19 to the end of the chapter. Now, for two glorious summers, those were the summers of 1988 and 1989, and yes, I was alive since I was born in 1952. And in those wonderful years, the Chicago Club taught baseball fans the fundamentals of Reformation theology. First, the Cubbies made a trade for Vance Law. He was a tremendous third baseman, and they put him on third base. Then a few months later, they would reach down from one of the minor leagues, and they would bring into the team Mark Law. Now, they were right where they needed to be. They were next to each other in their batting order. And the batting order was law and grace. They were in the proper order too. First grace, batting in the fifth position, and then the law. For as Paul explained to the Galatians, God gave grace to Abraham before he gave Moses the law. So there they stood when they were out on the baseball diamond. Vince Law on third base and there Mark Grace on first. The batter would come and the batter would hit. They would smash the ball to third base where Law would knock it down and throw it. And it always landed in Mark Grace's mitt. You see, that was Reformation theology in action. Law to grace to retire the side. Now, I will tell you that, no, the Apostle Paul never had to suffer through a long season of losses that were there, but he would have loved Chicago theology. Because you see, law and grace are not opponents. They are on the same team, working together for the salvation of God's people. And so, this is what Paul is demonstrating as he answers the question in Galatians 3.19 that he poses, why then the law? So, in verses 19 through 22, Paul's going to discuss the purpose of the law, having told us that the law cannot do but it cannot do, and so he's gonna also explain what the law does. Since we are being justified through faith alone and not by obedience to the law, and since the blessing of the promise are received through faith, and the law does not nullify the promise, what value or role then does the law have for the Galatian Christians? So that speaks to us today. So Paul has to show from redemptive history why the law was given, as well to be able to demonstrate to his hearers what role it would play for the Christian. Paul's already made it so very clear that obedience to law cannot justify or serve as a basis of receiving the promise. And so at this point the apostle lists a number of reasons why the law does not nullify the promise. I think that this is just a beautiful, logical argument that is laid down. It is one of those times that you can look and say, I've got it. You can take the text and you can write it out and then you can start drawing circles around it and say, here's a reason, here's a reason, and here's a reason. Because you see, Paul is comparing the superiority of the promise in verses 15 through 18 with the inferiority of the law in verses 19 through 22. Why the law then? It was added because of transgressions. In chapter 3 Paul argues God's blessing comes by grace through faith and not by the law. You remember that he gave to us and appeal to experience to scripture and to the daily life to prove that justification and the Holy Spirit comes through a promise. But if everything God has to offer comes by way of the promise, who needs the law? What is the purpose of the law? Does it serve a purpose or is it superficialist? So, why the law then? It was added because of transgressions. Now, what do we know? We already know about the law that it came 430 years to Moses after God gave Abraham the promise. But what does it mean that the law was added because of transgressions? Well, there are several uses of the law. Law restrains evil. Law shows the believer how to live for Christ. But these are not the reasons Moses received the law from God with all of his regulation requirements. He did not give it to decrease transgression, but what? Actually to increase it. Because Paul was saying, how am I going to get you to understand that the law comes in such a way that it causes you to sin more and more? So, why the law? Well, you look at it and you say, well, two parts there in regards to a violation and a transgression. Paul says through the Galatians, the law was given in order that there might be trespasses, transgressions, might be trespasses. The law exposes sin for what it really is. It's a violation of God's holy standard. The transgression, that is what transgression means. The crossing of a legal boundary or the breaking of a specific law. We're reminded in Romans chapter 3 verses 20, that for by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes the knowledge of sin. God did not give the law to reveal the way to be justified. He disclosed it to disclose the evil power of sin. Therefore, could I not but give you Martin Luther's words, the true function and the chief and proper use of the law is to reveal to man his sin. his blindness, his misery, his wickedness, ignorance, hate, and contempt of God, death, hell, judgment, and the well-deserved wrath of God. Now put that somewhere etched on your memory. So, yet this is a good thing, Ryken will say. When the scripture says that the law was added, it literally says that the law came in by a side road. The law feeds into the promise. It is the on-ramp to the gospel highway. The more we know the law, the more we see our sin, and the more we see this, the more we confess we need a Savior. The law was given, wrote Calvin, in order to make transgressions obvious, and in this way to compel men to acknowledge their guilt. And it's only when we see our guilt that we see how much we need Jesus. The law is the law, so Christ can be our Savior, Paul would say. Now, he would begin to unfold then a series of points. He would say, Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, being ordained through angels by the agency of media until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now, when he writes that, what does that remind us of? Well, you can see there that it reminds us that the law and the covenant God made with Moses was added. for a specific time and for a specific purpose, namely so that the trespass might increase, demonstrating human sinfulness. and a point that Paul will begin to unfold in even a greater depth in 23 through 25. But even though the covenant with Moses was a specific time and purpose until the coming of Christ to expose our sin and prepare us for his coming, we also need to remember that all 10 of the 10 commandments are reaffirmed elsewhere in the New Testament as binding upon the Christian. Therefore, the law still functions as both the teacher of sin and the rule of gratitude within our life. Now, Paul would then tell us this thing having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator. Now, why did he do this? He did that in such a way so that he could show that when the law was presented, how did it come? If you look over to your left-hand side of the PowerPoint, this is kind of the summary of those words. Stephen Nell in his book, Paul to the Galatians, comments, the promise came to Abraham firsthand from God, and the law comes to the people thirdhand. God, angels, Moses as the mediator, and the people. And as far as the mediator goes, Paul certainly has Moses in view, especially in light of the comments about Moses as mediator for the people of God throughout the book of Deuteronomy that is there. So Paul can say that the law is inferior for God's promise was direct. No one in between. No thing in between. And so he tries, as he does in his argument, to chip away at that large rock that is, in fact, in the front of many of the Galatians that Duonato held them once again, to pass by it and see the truth. Now, the fourth reason that Paul gives in verse 20 is that a mediator is not for one party only, whereas God is only one, is various and problematically interpreted. So yeah, it is difficult to know what exactly Paul means here. Paul's point is probably to correct the notion that the very idea of mediation implies that there are two equal parties that are there. And if you remember, as we talked last week in terms of the covenant that the promise that was made, between God and Abraham. When it was laid out, all of those animals that were cut and placed on both sides, where normally the two making the covenant together would pass in between them, it was only God who passed. This was God. And so God sovereignly imposes the terms and the oath himself. And so Paul will say, do you not see that he who put in this promise is indeed makes it superior to the law? Now as he flows into verse 21, we call it verse 21, he's just considering through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit how does this unfold. He will say, is the law then contrary to the promise of God? May it never be. I love that. Can't you almost visualize Paul? as he's working through this. And there is some frustration in Paul. I love that. I like another Christian that demonstrates some level of frustration and irritation. Because guess what I do? I get frustrated and I'm irritated oftentimes. But he says, listen, is the law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be. For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. So he asked that rhetorical question, is the law opposed to the promises of God? That is, if the law is inferior to the promise, does that mean that somehow the law contradicts the promise or nullifies it? And this becomes such an important part that has to be placed within the foundational work of the argument upon which Paul wants to stand with great confidence. So, his answer to this is emphatic. What's emphatic mean? Wow. He looks at it and says, absolutely not. In Paul's argument there as in elsewhere in Galatians, law has both a positive and a negative function. Again, it's extremely important to keep these functions that are in mind. And so when we look at these, let's first look in regards to the negative. Negatively, the law cannot impart life because the law is contrary to faith and brings the full weight of God's curse down upon every violator of any one of its stipulations. Thus the law is not contrary to the promise because the true purpose of the law is not to bring life but death. But the problem with the Grecian church is the reason because the Judaizers were misrepresenting the law's true purpose. They saw law as consistent with faith as a means of justification and the reception of the promise. In their view, the covenant with Moses was superior to the covenant with Abraham, when in fact, the opposite was true. When the Judaizers affirmed the priority and superiority of the law, ironically, they were not only ending up denying the promise, but they ended up really denying the true purpose of the law. Hence the purpose of both the law and the gospel are misrepresented by the Judaizers. Now, when you look into verse 22, Paul will say, but the scripture is shut up everyone under sin. So that the promise of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. The law, by showing that it cannot save, helps us to look for a savior. And when the world starts looking for a way out of sin, it discovers that God's mercy is the only escape. This is how the law leads us to Christ. It cannot save in and of itself, but it leads us to Christ and we can be saved. Forgive the typo. The reason that God gave the law is to show that all men and women are the children of Adam. who constantly and consistently, whether in thought, word, and deed, willfully, rebelliously, and continuously violate the revealed will of God, and in effect taking them captive to the bondage of sin. The law then renders prisoners of sin, and where there is no redemption from its curse. So our good friend Luther, would say the law with its function does not contribute to justification. And because it justifies, but because it impels one to the promise of grace and makes it sweet and desirable. Therefore, we do not abolish the law, but we show its true function and use, namely, that it is a most useful servant impelling us to Christ. For its function and use is not only to disclose the sin and the wrath of God, but also to drive us to Christ. Therefore, the principal purpose of the law and theology is to make men not better, but worse. That is, it shows them their sin so that by the recognition of sin, they may be humbled, frightened, and worn down. And so may long for grace and for the blessed offspring. So, now, Paul, following a very familiar theme, of God's purposes seen in redemptive history, Paul now sets out to say, what is the place of the law? Just exactly where does it fit? And so he, in this section of scripture, 20 through 25, lays out for us two illustrations of how the law leads us to Christ. The first comes from the prison system. And the second illustration will come from the nursery. In 23, but before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to faith, which was later to be revealed, the prison system. Therefore, the law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer underneath a tutor. Now the NIV I think notes correctly that the law was put in charge until Christ came. And this reinforces the idea that the law exposes and excites sin and therefore shows us our need of a Savior who can redeem us from the curse and thereby bearing that penalty. But in addition to our forgiveness we need a Savior who Himself kept the law perfectly that His righteousness can be reckoned to us. And so the coming of faith is therefore identical with the coming of Christ who is the object of faith. It is the coming of Christ making possible the coming of faith. This means that God is working out all of human history for the ultimate purpose of redeeming His elect and glorifying His name. But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law. And so we're told that the whole world was a prisoner of sin. They were all held as captives, as prisoners, until the coming of Christ. And so there's this wonderful old man, G.G. Finley, and I encourage you sometimes when you're up on the internet, you can go to G.G. Finley and you can put Just Preacher underneath it and it will carry you to his major works and his major commentaries. And there are some beautiful paragraphs that are in there. And so I encourage you to look at that. But he would say, the law was all the while standing guard over its subjects. Watching and checking every attempt to the law was to escape, but intending to hand them over in due time to the charge of faith. The law posts its ordinances like so many sentinels round the prisoner's cell. The cordon is complete. He tries again and again to break out. The iron circle will not yield. The deliverance will yet be his. The day of faith approaches. It dawned long ago in Abraham's promise. Even now its light shines into his dungeon and he hears the words of Jesus. Thy sins are forgiven thee, go in peace. Law, the stern jailer, has after all been a good friend. If it has reserved him for this, it prevents the sinner escaping to a futile and elusive freedom. And then he gives to us a second illustration. He introduces this oft-discussed notion that the law is a schoolmaster put in charge to lead us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith. It is interesting as I read through a number of different things associated with this particular person. One could almost call this individual a nanny. Because the responsibility was there for the care and also bringing them to the school and also this thing called discipline. not always as we think of them just in the teacher role, but really nursing the infant through its adolescence to young manhood so that at that point in time they could be released and no longer under him. This is clearly a reference to what has come to be known as the second or theological use of the law, in which the purpose of the law is to serve as a harsh schoolmaster, to give us no rest or confidence in our own self-righteousness and obedience to the law until we seek the Christ of God in Christ. The law in this sense is a stern tutor which guides us and regulates us exposing our sin until the coming of Christ so that the superiority of the faith and the promise can be clearly seen. They're in the yellow if you can read it. Paul does not mean that the law exerts a gradual, educative influence on people either by inclining them toward good until they receive Christ or by enabling them to realize their own sin, turn their backs, on trusting in their own merits and desire the grace of Christ. His meaning is that the law brought mankind into and kept mankind under an objectively desperate situation, which there was no escape until the revelation of faith as the new possibility. This revelation is, as we have seen, consonant with the coming of Christ It is until the coming of Christ who opens the way of faith to both Jew and Gentile that the law was the custodian. And so as he goes into verse 5, he will say, but now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. And so in verse 25, Paul makes it clear, the law has accomplished its purpose. It is not opposed to the promise and does not nullify it. Rather, it's prepared the way for the coming of Christ by faith by showing us we are enslaved to sin and in desperate need of forgiveness. God used the law to shut us up in prison until Christ had set us free or to put us under tutors until Christ should make a son. Romans 5, 20 and 21. The law came in so that the congression would increase. But where sin increased, grace abounded all the more so that as sin reigns in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Christ our Lord. Thus as we get at the end of this section I think we have to pause for a moment and realize that the law serves a very important purpose. But we must be very clear as to what the purpose is. We read the purpose of the law is to show us that we need a Savior. The law is described as a stern tutor. The law upholds and holds us as prisoners to sin until we embrace Christ. The law accomplishes purposes when we see how sinful we really are. So, when we consider the law from this perspective, it should be absolutely clear to everyone, Paul would say, to both of the Galatians and to us, that there would be absolutely no one in heaven because they kept the law or someone earned God's favor through their good works or through obedience. And that the law will do its work and make all of us prisoners of sin, But be equally clear that Christ has come, now come, and that one to whom the law appointed. So we may make it in four or five minutes. You have this last section. And this last section is composed of verses 26 through 29. And they are just full of Christ for you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heir according to the promise. And so, in these verses, we are reminded that a Christian is in Christ, been baptized into Christ, has put on Christ, and belongs to Christ. What is your identity? Today, we still ask our question, and we find we can talk to people and say, who am I? What is my identity? If we declare that we are believers, that God has chosen us and brought us into his kingdom, we should not have an identity crisis. We should know exactly who we are. So now, this is what Paul's going to do. Paul's going to unfold three results that unite us in Christ. In Christ, he says in verses 26 and 27, we are sons of God. In 28, he says, we are all one. And in 29, he's going to close this chapter and he says, listen, in Christ, we are Abraham's seed. We can carry our lineage, but we need to understand that when you look You need to consider that Abraham, the covenant that was built by the sovereign God, is clearly superior to the law. The law had its functions, but it is in Christ. These are the climax. These I think is probably when Paul has been writing and he's going to take a deep breath just for a moment before he goes into chapter 4. You see he's just finished explaining the law. who overwatches underage children, but eventually the children grow out of their need for this guardian, and it lasts only until the coming Christ. Now we have full rights as son and daughters. We are no longer minors under the restraint of a tutor, but sons of God. And this was a message that the Galatians needed to hear. Because remember what they were saying? Since they were Jews, they had always thought of themselves as God's only children. So they treated Gentile Christians like second-rate members of the family. Until they got circumcised, Gentiles could not be siblings. At most, they were cousins and almost at a distance cousins. So for you, are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. For all of you who are baptized in Christ have clothed yourself. Now, you know, one of the things that I encourage you to do in Scripture when you're studying, don't simply be reading the Bible. Have a piece of paper, or if you're more comfortable with it, a computer, and take it apart. What is God? God is no longer a judge who through the law has condemned and imprisoned us. No longer our tutor who through the law restrains and chastises us. He is now our Father who is in Christ, has accepted and forgiven us. What are we? We no longer fear Him, dreading the punishment we deserve. We love Him with deep filial devotion. We are neither prisoners awaiting the final execution of our sentence, nor children under the restraints of a tuner. We are sons of God and heirs of His glorious kingdom, enjoying the status and the privilege of grown-up sons. At this point in time, we should be very excited about what Galatians tells us. You all solemn face, very people. That is who we are. And so Paul says to the Galatian believers, give me a break. What more must I say? Well, I think that perhaps inside of this, I can't go forward without talking a moment about this thing called the doctrine of adoption. Some of you in this crowd have been adopted and you know what that is like to not be part of a family and then to become part of a family. And we are adopted. Tim Keller will say the image of adoption tells us that our relationship with God is based completely on a legal act by the father. You don't win a father and you don't negotiate for a parent. Adoption is a legal act on the part of the father. It is a very expensive and costly only for him. There is nothing the Son does to win or earn the status. It is simply received. And Paul is saying to the Galatian believers and to us, Christ alone, God your Father, giving to you one who would take on the curse imputed righteousness, His righteousness upon to us, our sin upon to Him. Adoption is greater mercy than Adam had in paradise. He was a son but creation, but here is a father's sonship by adoption. To make us thankful, consider in simple adoption, there is some worth and excellence in the person to be adopted. But there was no worth in us, neither beauty, nor parentage, nor future, nothing in us to move God to bestow the prerogative of sonship upon us. We have enough in us to move God to correct us, but nothing to move him to adopt us. Therefore, exalt free grace." Wow. Adopted he says now he's going to unfold a couple more things To the end of this chapter and we'll pick up on those when we get back together and then we're going to move into chapter 4 Chapter 4 is going to be one that probably I should spend more time than any of the chapters It will get the last time just given the nature of being able to push this toward Mid-december when we close our time in Galatians. Let's pray Father, we thank you for this day. I thank you, Father, for the patience of those that are sitting. I thank you for how much, Father, within this congregation people understand the purpose of the law and the purpose of grace. We thank you, Father, that this day as we go into worship, we can go as sons and daughters that we can look to Christ as our savior, as our mediator. We can also look to him as our brother. And may this day as we worship together, unify together as sons of Abraham, may we indeed give praise and honor to you. And as we come into the presence of you, our very holy God, May we, Father, give you honor and glory. And for it's in your name we pray. Amen.