3rd Sunday after Pentecost, 2010

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

 

Galatians 3:10-14

 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

On the one hand St. Paul says, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse…” And then he goes on to state, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” (Galatians 3:10-14, ESV) It is as if he had said, “Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” Either way you are cursed. All those who rely upon the works of the law… or …all those who do not do all the works of the law are cursed.

 

Then St. Paul goes on to say, "Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”" (Galatians 3:11, ESV) Yet in Romans chapter two St. Paul states, "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified." (Romans 2:13, ESV) It is as if he had said, “No one is justified by the law… and …all the doers of the law are justified.” So how is one to be justified, that is declared righteous, in God’s sight? 

 

Let’s look in detail at what the Apostle means by the curse of the law and also what he means by the doer of the law. Let us learn how it is possible that King David the despiser of God’s word, the adulterer, and the murder can be declared to be the man after God’s own heart and the king by which all the other kings of Jerusalem were compared. We are learning what it means to confess that God justifies the ungodly.

 

To begin with, Paul makes a distinction between those who are under the curse of the law and those who are blessed with Abraham. Before the law was ever given to Moses, the promise was given to Abraham. Christ was promised to Abraham. And it was promised that in Christ all the nations would be blessed. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Abraham was declared righteous apart from the works of the law. Thus, all who believe the promise of God are sons of Abraham. Just like the song. Father Abraham had many sons and many sons had father Abraham. We are sons of Abraham by faith and thus we are blessed. Outside of faith in the promise all are under a curse. Paul writes in today’s epistle lesson saying, "so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:14, ESV)

 

By nature we are under the curse of the law. Are sinful hearts have no desire to love, trust, and fear God above all things. We try to justify ourselves. We make up excuses and we declare ourselves to be right. By nature we are cursed. We are cursed if we rely on the works of the law and cursed if we don’t do all that the law requires. The blessing can only be found in Christ who became cursed for us. Paul states, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—" (Galatians 3:13, ESV)

 

Jesus by birth is not cursed. He is innocent, pure, and sinless. Yet, He is condemned to death. He becomes the greatest sinner of all times. He takes your sins, my sins, and sins of the entire world into His body in order to makes satisfaction for them all. He becomes a curse for you, for me, and for the entire world. 

 

In this way, Jesus speaks the words of David found in Psalm forty saying, “For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.” (Psalm 40:12, ESV) And the words of David found in Psalm forty-one saying, "As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”" (Psalm 41:4, ESV) As true man, Jesus is able to take our sin and die. However, as true God, Jesus is able to do what we cannot do. He is greater than sin, death, and the devil which rule over humanity. He is holy. He is life. He is God. He rules over all things. 

 

Christ died because of our sin for the wages of sin is death. We live because of His righteousness for the free gift of God is eternal life. Christ then puts the words of David found in Psalm thirty-two upon our lips and seals them in our heart declaring, “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (Psalm 32:1-2, ESV) Christ is cursed for us and we are blessed in Him. We live by faith.

 

In this way, we begin to understand what the Apostle means when he says that, “the doers of the law will be justified.” While also saying, “no one will be justified by the law” and “we are justified by faith.” As believers we are doers of the law. “To do” is to believe and through faith to begin to keep the law. By the work of the Holy Spirit, we begin to love God, love neighbor, do good deeds, and bear our crosses. Doing requires faith for it is impossible to please God without faith. Through faith in Christ our sin is not counted against us. Christ is wrapped up in our sin making Him guilty and us innocent. Without faith, we unwrap our sins from Christ making Him innocent and us guilty.

 

Faith in Christ takes a person and makes him a fruit tree. Fruit trees make apples. Apples do not make fruit trees. If a kick a soccer ball, it does not make me a member of the United States soccer team. However, if I am a member of the United States soccer team, I would then kick a soccer ball. The law was not given to us in order to make us righteous. If it were, then there would be no need for Christ. The law increases sin, works wrath, terrifies the heart, and condemns the sinner.

 

In our Old Testament lesson, we are taught about the life of David. Now, keep in mind that David did not become king because he acted like a king. First he was made king by God. Then he acted like a king. David was a doer of the law and thus a man of faith. The Holy Spirit teaches this to us about David in Hebrews chapter eleven saying, that David "through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions… …escaped the edge of the sword, [was] made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight." (Hebrews 11:33-34, ESV) 

In First Samuel chapter seventeen, David declares his trust in the LORD when he confesses to King Saul saying that the LORD delivered him from the paw of the lion and from the paw bear and that the LORD would deliver him from the hand of Goliath. These were deeds done in faith. However, when David despised God’s word, committed adultery with Bathsheba, and commanded that Uriah be murdered, he acted from his sinful heart. Although David was king, he was ruled by sin. He did not act like the king appointed by God. 

 

These were the works of the flesh. He was cursed. He did not do all that the law required. So Nathan came to declare his condition to him and expose his sin. In Second Samuel chapter twelve verse thirteen we are told, "David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die." (2 Samuel 12:13, ESV) In these precious words, David is assured that his sin is not counted against him.

 

In this passage, we learn that God justifies the ungodly. David the despiser of God’s word, the adulterer, and the murder is justified because David is a believer. David is not declared righteous because of his righteous deeds. Like us, he is declared righteous solely on the account of the righteous deeds of Christ. This is the righteousness from God.

 

Just as God did not make David king so that he would be ruled by sin, our Lord Jesus Christ did not place us in His light so that we would walk in darkness. Jesus did not become a curse for us so that we could become a curse to others. No, He became a curse for us so that we would become a blessing to others. Christ did not make us thorn bushes to scratch, slash, gouge, and hurt others. He made us a fruit tree to bear good fruit. A soccer player does not go around kicking his teammates. He kicks the ball. An apple tree does not bear fruit for itself. It bears apples for others.

 

As David took his whole life to learn to be the king that God made him to be, we too are learning to be the people of God. As David confessed his sin to Nathan, you too confess your sin to me as your pastor. As Nathan absolved the sin of David, as your pastor I absolve you saying, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” Write the words of Jesus upon your heart in gold letters. Jesus says to you, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50, ESV) Amen.