The powerful embrace of grace

God’s grace is more powerful than we realise, it’s way more powerful than the law and can do what the law could never do. By faith in God’s grace, we are hidden in the righteousness of Christ, seen by God as perfect and blameless. By His grace, we are given the power to imitate the character of Christ, to think and act like Him. By Grace we are unified into a body called the Church where we are all equally loved and valued, and are equal heirs of His promises. The law may be able to restrain us, but it can never inspire and empower us to be like Jesus, and to do more than the law requires out of love and gratitude to God.

Scripture

Galatians 3:27-29 - ESV For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Bible Study Questions

By Faith in God's promise

We need constant reminding that God saves us by His grace through faith in Him. The last part of chapter three repeats this reminder. How did Paul make this point using Abraham as an example?

Galatians 3:26 - ESV for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.

Genesis 15:6 ESV And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Romans 4:20-25 ESV No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

We've been Baptised into Christ

The assertion that everyone that has been baptised has put on Christ, assumes that the normal expectation was that people were only baptised when they have put on Christ. What challenge does this assumption pose for infant baptism?

Galatians 3:27 - ESV  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13 - ESV  For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Romans 6:3-4 - ESV Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

We've put on Christ

Putting on Christ means to identify with Him and behave like Him. It’s a Greek theatrical term referring to actors who “put on” the person they were acting the part of. The law can restrain our behaviour, but it’s powerless to inspire us to the heights of imitating Jesus. Who gives us the power to imitate Jesus?

Galatians 3:27 - ESV For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Romans 13:13-14 - ESV Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

All made right the same way

The law dealt differently with Jews than it did with Greeks, with men than it did with women and with slaves than it did with free citizens. The law did not only lack the power to unify people, but it divided them.w does the grace of God in His promise to us differ from this aspect of the law?

Galatians 3:28 - ESV There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female...

We're in Christ together

Those who have put on Christ are also said to be :in Christ”. Being in Christ means several things, one of them refers to the way that our sins are hidden by His righteousness. When God looks on us in our sinful weakness He sees the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, and honours His promise to forgive us. Can the law do that?

Galatians 3:28 - ESV for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 1:30 - ESV And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

2 Corinthians 5:17 - ESV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Colossians 3:3 - ESV For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

We are heirs of Abraham

Earlier in chapter three, Paul revealed that the promise of God to Abraham’s offspring, was not just to the Jews who were descended from Abraham, but also to the mysterious single offspring later identified as Jesus Christ. Abraham was counted righteous because of faith, and we who are in Christ share the same blessing. What is that blessing?

Galatians 3:29 - ESV And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring.

Galatians 3:16 ESV Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.

We are heirs of God's promise

If we who are in Christ share in promises to the descendents of Abraham (by faith), what are we to be to the families of the earth?

Galatians 3:29 - ESV And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

Genesis 12:2-3 ESV And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”