“But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which 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 yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:23-27 NASB1995)
The book of Galatians is one of those books that should be read in whole before reading just small sections of it. Otherwise, it is easy to misinterpret what it is teaching if all we do is to take it in small sections. For, it is not teaching that faith in Jesus Christ is now lawless and that we no longer have to obey God and his commandments. Yes, the people of God are no longer under the liturgical, ceremonial, sacrificial, purification, circumcision, dietary, and Sabbath laws of the Old Covenant, but faith in Christ is not lawless.
Just flip over to chapter 5 and you will read, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God… Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (vv. 19-21,24)
All throughout the teachings of Jesus and of his New Testament apostles we are taught that faith in Jesus Christ, if it is biblical faith, must result in us dying with Christ to sin and us walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord and to his New Covenant commandments. For if sin is what we practice, and not righteousness, and not walks of obedience to our Lord, then we do not know God, we are not born of God, we are not in fellowship with Christ, and we will not inherit eternal life with God. So, please take this to heart!
But I must admit that this whole subject of law and grace can be a bit confusing. And this is why reading the Scriptures in their full context is critical to correct biblical interpretation and application. Many lies are being taught today from Scripture passages being taught out of context and made to say what they do not say if taught in the correct biblical context. So, before you draw your own conclusions on what the Scriptures are teaching, please read them in their biblical context so that you follow what is truth.
So, the whole point here is that when Jesus Christ died on that cross to put our sins to death with him, it was so that, by faith in him, we will now die with him to sin and walk with him in obedience to his commands, but not in obedience to the Old Covenant liturgical and ceremonial laws, but to God’s moral laws which Jesus summarized by saying,
“’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39 NASB1995)
But this is not human love based on human emotions, but this is agape love which entails us doing what God prefers, which is what is righteous, just, morally pure, upright, godly, honest, faithful, and obedient to God. As believers in Christ we are to actively be doing what God prefers, in his power, and under his direction. And sin is no longer to be what we practice. For if sin is what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God.
For to be baptized into Christ is not a mere outward ceremony, and it is not a mere ceremony of being dunked under water. Truly we are baptized into Christ through us dying with him to sin and us being raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And this is what our water baptism symbolizes. But if sin is what we obey, and not God, we do not have eternal life with God, regardless of what ceremonies we have gone through.
For to clothe ourselves with Christ means that we, by faith in Jesus Christ, put on Christ and his righteousness, not in the sense of fakery, but in the sense of a change of heart, mind, character, and behavior, in the process of becoming like Christ, in the power of God. It means that our lives are now surrendered to Christ Jesus, to doing his will, and to following him in his footsteps. It means we are no longer living to please our flesh but our lives are now dedicated to living holy lives, pleasing to God, in his power.
Gospel:[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
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