*Topic : Freedom and the Law .
Text: Gal 3: 18-29*
Icebreaker
Ask the learners this question : Suppose you are heading to a known destination don’t know the road to certain destination, would you prefer to be figure it out by yourself or be lead by hand into your destination?
Certainly, you might end up in the wrong direction.
Background information
Tell the learners that :
Apostle Paul adressed this text to the believers in Galatia in response to the false doctrine that was being perpetrated by the Judaizers.
The Judaizers taught that complete salvation could be gotten by obedience of the Laws of Moses (circumcision in part).
Sadly, some Galatians believers believed in this distorted message of the Gospel of salvation.
To correct this misconception, Paul wrote this passage to clarify the Galatians that the law had a purpose which was not to save mankind.
State the objevtives of the lesson.
Say to the learners:
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Differentiate between the Promise of Inheritance and the Law. And also, to explain the purpose of the law, and the fulfillment of the promise in relation to our salvation
Engage
Review keywords. Ask a few volunteers to explain in their own words the meaning of the terms in the context of salvation.
Judaizers
The Law
The promise
Say this to the learners to summarize the meaning of those key terms:
The Judaizers taught that complete salvation could be attained by obedience to the Laws instituted by God in the days of Moses. However, Apostle Paul argued that before the law came to existence, the promise of our Inheritance aka salvation from God was already promised to us through Abrahams’ seed.
It is the promise of Inheritance that God gave Abraham that salvation will come to us through his seed( not seeds). Gen 12:3
That seed refers to Christ. Pause and read ( Gal 3:16).
Then ask the focus question:
If the law of Moses has nothing to do with salvation, then why did God give the law?
Explore
Allow the students to study verses silently from 18-20 of Galatians 3.
Say this: In which verse was this focus question asked? What was the response?
Answer:
Paul asked that question in verse 19 and provided the answer in that same verse.
Illustrate
Use an illustration to help them understand the text. You could say:
Let me attempt an illustration to explain what Paul meant by the purpose of the law:
It is one thing to show you the road to your destination and amother to lead you by the hand into your destination.
The purpose of the law was to show us the road to heaven. It points to us our sinful nature and how guilty and helpless we are in the face of sin (our fleshy desires or nature.)
The purpose of the law ended when the One to lead us to our destination ( heaven) was born ( Gal 3: 23-25).
And this Person( Christ) is the one God had promised to Abraham that he will bless his seed in Gen 12:3.
Therefore if you belong to
Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise( Galatians3:29).
This is the Gospel of salvation that Paul preached to the Galatians to challenge the distorted gospel that Judiazers preached.
Practical lesson.
- Those who obey the laws by trying to modify their behaviour not to sin, or as a way to gain God’s favor practice what is called legalism. It does not offer salvation.
- Although the law is holy, it is inferior to promise of God and it does not save us ( Gal 3: 20). Salvation is in Christ Jesus.
- Freedom from the law is being united with Christ in his death and throwing away the old self that is controlled by sin, to resurrect with a new life or self in Christ. ( Romans 6:3-7)/ Gal 3:27)
- God’s children are no longer marked by the observance of the law but by their expression of faith in Christ.( Gal 3: 29- memory verse)
Conclusion
Round off the lesson by encouraging members of your audience to surrender their lives to Christ if they haven’t done so.
And to the believers who still think that legalism is a path to salvation, say this to them :
You can only be saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. Altering your behabiour to win the approval of God is legalism and there is no salvation in the law.
Believing in Christ frees you from the controlling power of the law. You become a new creature in Christ Jesus no longer under the control of sin.
