Spiritual Equals in Christ by Faith

Transcript

GR 1156
06/13/1999
Spiritual Equals in Christ by Faith
Galatians 3:26-29
Gil Rugh



Paul's letter to the Galatians and the third chapter. The apostle Paul in writing to the Galatians has been focusing on three distinct areas or subjects relating to God's plan and work of salvation down to the present time as he writes. He begins with Abraham, progresses through the giving of the Mosaic Law and comes to the coming of Christ and the provision He made in the sacrifice of Himself. These three areas are broken down into promise, law and faith. I want to keep them in our mind as Paul refers to them and the differences that he is drawing. Promise really refers to the covenant that God made with Abraham. The foundational provision of that covenant is justification by faith. We are declared righteous by believing what God has revealed. And that Abrahamic covenant includes provision for Gentile salvation as well as Jewish salvation. For it says in you, in Abraham, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. And that refers to the blessing of God's salvation. Paul referred to that in verse 8 and quoted that verse from Genesis. That promise, it refers to what God promised to Abraham.

Look at verse 16. That word is repeated numerous times. Verse 16, "Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed." The end of verse 17, "You cannot nullify the promise." The end of verse 18, "God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise." The end of verse 19, "Until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made." That repeated emphasis on promise because God promised certain things in a covenant relationship with Abraham. So that is promised. What was promised in the Abrahamic Covenant? Foundational to everything in that covenant is justification by faith.

The second matter that Paul is dealing with is that of Law, referring to the Mosaic Law. And the Mosaic Law or the Mosaic Covenant was established between God and the nation Israel following the exodus from Egypt. It was given to guide and direct the conduct and behavior of that earthly nation. Now in the giving of the Mosaic Law it was never intended to be a way of salvation. It did not add anything to the Abrahamic Covenant or take anything away from the Abrahamic Covenant. The Abrahamic Covenant cannot be altered or changed in any way. Paul has argued that strongly in verses 15 and 16. The Jews were confused on this. They thought that the Abrahamic Covenant if you will had been added to and now the provisions of the Mosaic Law were necessary for a person to experience the fullness of God's righteousness. But that is an error because righteousness came to Abraham by faith and in him was promised to the Jews as well as to the Gentiles.

The Law revealed the magnitude of Israel's sin. The Law served as a custodian and a prison guard for Israel. It disciplined Israel. Both the analogies of imprisoning Israel in its sin and being their custodian as a tutor are mentioned in verse 23 and 24. The Law was temporary in duration. It was given only until the time of the coming of the Messiah.

Then the third area that Paul is talking about is the area of faith. And faith refers to the coming of Christ and the provision of righteousness through His death on the cross. He talks about the provision of Christ in verse 13, 14. That Christ is the focal point of the Abrahamic Covenant in verse 16. He is the One in whom and through whom all the promises of God to Abraham can and will be realized. Because it is through His death that righteousness is provided so that God can justify those who have faith.

Now God's plan from the beginning was faith. While He refers to the fact that faith has come. Verse 23, "But before faith came." Verse 24, "The Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ."

Now if you've been here through the argument of Galatians, you realize that Paul has been stressing the fact that salvation has always been by faith. In chapter 3 verse 6 he reminded the Galatians of Genesis 15:6. Abraham believed God and God credited to him as righteousness. And so promise and faith are inseparably joined together and the coming of Christ is what is referred to with faith. His coming and providing salvation by His death on the cross. But that wasn't the beginning of faith. That was the fullness of the manifestation of what must be believed for salvation. For in Christ provision is made that enables the Abrahamic Covenant to be fulfilled. Without the death of Christ there could be no justification for anyone by believing. But because a provision has been made that pays the penalty for sin now justification is by faith. Abraham was justified by faith because in the sovereign plan of God the provision of His Son enabled God to forgive Abraham by faith. So Christ is the focal point of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Now Paul has been demonstrating that the place of the Law in all of this was simply as a temporary custodian of Israel to reveal the magnitude of Israel's sin, to keep them confined and under discipline until Christ came. With the coming of Christ the Law is over. So verse 24, "The Law has become our tutor to Christ or until Christ." The words "to lead us" remember are not in the Greek text. And literally the Law was our tutor, our paidagogos, our paideuo, our custodian and disciplinarian. Paul writing as a Jew. "Until Christ came," reminding us of the temporary nature of the Law.

"Now that faith has come," verse 25, "we are no longer under a tutor." Again, Paul there referring to the Jews. Because it was only the Jews who were under the Mosaic Law remember. The Law was given to Israel to govern the conduct of that earthly nation. Now that faith has come, the fullness of the finished work of Christ, the role of tutor is over. And the picture is of a male child coming of age and entering into his position as a son.

So Paul picks up this thought continuing in verse 26, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ." You note verse 26 begins with the word preposition "for" in our English Bible and so does verse 27. He's continuing this development to show that the role of the Law has been completed. The purpose of the Law is over. Now it may seem like this point is being belabored. And Paul has labored it under the direction of the Spirit so that it ought to be clear to everyone. We are going to see particularly as we move into chapter 5 that the majority of Christians today, including many of those who are writing commentaries are arguing for the continued existence of the Law. So I want you to have this firmly placed as a foundation. The Law is over. It was only for Israel and even that purpose has been completed and fulfilled.

"For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ." The "for" connects it to what he has just said in verse 25. "We are no longer under a tutor. For we are all sons of God." Remember, the paidagogos in Roman times had custody of the child between the ages of approximately 6 and 16. Then that male child entered into the position of being a full-fledged son and was no longer under that authority of that slave who served as his custodian and disciplinarian. So we are no longer under a tutor. The end of verse 25 Paul tells the Jews for you are all sons of God through faith in Christ. That includes not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. The Jews are no longer under a tutor and everyone, Jews and Gentiles alike, become sons of God through faith in Christ. So how foolish. The Jews are no longer under the tutorship of the Law. The Gentiles never were. And now the Judaizers want to come and say that the Gentiles have to obey the Law to be saved. Remember Acts 15 what the Judaizers were teaching. They must have faith in Christ and also be circumcised and observe the Mosaic Law. Paul says no. We Jews are not under the custodianship of the Law any longer. Certainly there's no point in trying to put the Gentiles under that Law. For we are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Faith has come. Faith has come. The fullness of God's revelation in Christ. The provision God was making to deal with the issue of sin. The Mosaic Law simply served to imprison Israel to remind it of its sin, to remind it that the penalty for sin is death, to remind them of the need for a sacrifice for the multitudes of their sin, for their sinfulness. Now you are all sons of God.

In the Greek text the word "all" is emphatic. It gets the emphasis. Literally the Greek text reads, "All for sons of God you are." The Greek could order their word with a lot more freedom than we do because it was the makeup of the words, the endings, and so on, that told you how they related together. So you want to put emphasis on a word just put it first. So the first word in the Greek sentence here is "all." We have it in English, "We you are all sons." But "all" gets the emphasis here. All of you are sons of God through faith in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike. Everyone is included. That is through faith in Christ by virtue of that relationship to Him.

Look at verse 27. We move into verse 27 there is going to be some controversy with this verse and than the controversy will explode when we hit to verse 28. We are going to find out there are no male or female in Christ. But you know context always determines meaning. And there aren't many problems of any real significance in these verses. There are problems created by people who ignore the context and try to make the Scripture say what they want it to say rather than accepting what God says in it. Paul has clearly been arguing up to this point in Galatians and he will continue to argue that salvation is by faith in Christ. By faith alone in Christ alone. Now in verse 27 he says, "Now all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." And that "all of you" connects to verse 26, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ for all of you who were baptized into Christ." And having faith in Christ and literally being in Christ and being baptized into Christ basically referring to the same event.

The baptism here cannot be water baptism. That is an exegetical impossibility. Paul has been strongly arguing that physical circumcision cannot be part of salvation, cannot be required for justification. The Abrahamic covenant provided justification by faith. Now for Paul to come along and say physical circumcision is not required for salvation or justification the Abrahamic Covenant but it is necessary for you to experience the physical right of water baptism for salvation would be ludicrous. In fact you can make a far stronger case that circumcision is required for salvation than you can that water baptism is required for salvation. Because at least you can demonstrate from Scripture that Abraham was circumcised. But throughout Abraham's long life there is no indication that he was ever baptized. So I just cannot understand how anyone who has taken the time to read the first three chapters of Galatians can come to the conclusion that verse 27 is talking about water baptism. That reminds me of verse 1 of Galatians 3. And the word I'm not suppose to use. You stupid, Galatians. Foolish, Galatians. And whoever would have that view. I mean, you just missed everything that Paul's writing about. Justification is by faith. The Mosaic Law cannot add anything or take anything away from the Abrahamic covenant. Circumcision cannot be required because Abraham believed God and God credited to him as righteousness.

I spent some time in discussion with a couple of pastors who were trying to convince me that water baptism was necessary for salvation. I said that cannot be. Abraham believed God and God credited to him as righteousness. They said, that's all right. God added to it later. Did we not deal with that in Galatians? Are we not told in verses 15 and 16 you cannot anything to this covenant or take anything away from this covenant? That should settle for all time any question is baptism necessary for salvation? Absolutely not. It is an exegetical impossibility if you believe what the Scripture says. Not even circumcision could be required for salvation because remember the Mosaic Law Paul argued was given hundreds of years later. Now you have people coming along and want to bring water baptism that was given thousands of years later than the Abrahamic covenant and make it a requirement for salvation. Abraham lived about two thousand years before Christ. What kind of nonsense would that be?

So verse 27, "For all of you who were baptized into Christ," cannot be talking about a physical right of water baptism. That's an impossibility. What is it talking about? It is talking about Spirit baptism, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Back up to 1 Corinthians 12. I want you to note that the context is very similar in many ways to what we have in Galatians. 1 Corinthians 12. Look at verse 12, "For even as the body is one." Now we are coming to that in a moment. The end of verse 28 of Galatians 3 we are going to talk about one body, the body of Christ. "For even as the body," and here is using the analogy of the physical body, "is one, yet has many members and all the members of the body though they are many are one body so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." Now note this. "Whether Jews or Greeks." And in verse 28 he is going to talk about the fact that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek. "Whether slaves or free." He's going to mention that in verse 28 as well. There is neither slave nor free. "We were all made to drink of one Spirit," to partake of one Spirit. So the baptism and the partaking of the Spirit occur together and it's in the context of you being placed into the Body of Christ.

Look over in Romans chapter 6. Back up just before the book of 1 Corinthians to Romans. Verse 3 of Romans 6. This is a fuller explanation of Spirit baptism. "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death." Water baptism? No, can't be. In fact, Paul already dealt with that argument in Romans chapter 4 where he was arguing about circumcision again. And he said that Abraham was declared righteous before he was circumcised so circumcision cannot be necessary for salvation. Then we're back to the same argument when was Abraham baptized? He was never baptized. So how can people be paddling around with the head in a cloud saying you have to be baptized by water to be saved? That is another gospel. Accursed people teach such things Paul says in Galatians 1.

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. We if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death certainly we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this that our old self, our old man was crucified with Him." That's the old man of Romans chapter 5. What we were in Adam. "In order that our body of sin might be done away with and so on." What is the baptism of the Spirit? Verse 5, "We have become united with Him in the likeness of death." It's the work of the Spirit of God who identifies us with Christ in His death on the cross, His burial and resurrection to newness of life. That's what places you into the Body of Cross. Now water baptism is to be a physical representation of that, but it is not the reality.

You know, that's the same error the Jews made. What God would required of Israel was faith in Him, the spiritual circumcision of their heart, the physical circumcision was simply a manifestation of that. Abraham was justified by faith. Years later he had physical circumcision which was to be a sign of the righteousness he had while uncircumcised Romans 4 says. The Jews ended up making the physical right to spiritual reality. Same way people have down with water baptism. Water baptism is to be a physical testimony that I have believed in Christ and become righteous in Him. Somewhere along the line people have confused the issue and made the physical right the spiritual reality. Not so. The spiritual reality is the baptism of the Spirit that places you into the Body of Christ.

Look at Colossians 2. In verse 10 of Colossians 2. And incidentally in Colossians 2 Paul is dealing with the same exact problem he dealt with at Galatia. The Judaisers and those who wanted to bring the Law into salvation. Verse 10, "And in Him [in Christ] you have been made complete." That being in Christ, in Him. I believe Paul uses that expression and forms of it over 170 times in his writings. It's foundational, crucial.

Verse 11, "And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ." You see what is required of the heart. The removal of sin. Israel was called upon by the prophets to have a circumcised heart. Verse 12, "Having been buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God who raised Him from the dead." Water baptism? No. It's talking about the spiritual realities that take place when a person believes in Christ. Whey they believe in Christ their heart is circumcised. When they believe in Christ, they are baptized by the Spirit which identifies them spiritually with Christ and His death, burial and resurrection. That's the picture.

Look over to chapter 3 of Colossians. This is "a renewal," verse 11, "in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all in all." That's where he's going in verse 28 of Galatians. So you see the same context for faith. The spiritual work of God. The heart and life of the person that places us into Christ and it's not based upon any kind of physical distinctions.

Come back to Galatians chapter 3. In Galatians 3 Paul has talked about the provision of the Spirit for those who believe. In Galatians 3 verse 2, "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?" Remember 1 Corinthians 12:13, "By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body and made to drink of one Spirit." The baptizing work of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit, both occur when a person believes in Christ.

Verse 5, "So then does he who provides you with the Spirit." Talking about that provision of the Spirit. Down in verse 14. The end of the verse, "That we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." Jump ahead to chapter 4 verse 6. "Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts." We are made to drink of one Spirit. He dwells within us. He's baptized us identifying with Christ. He's taken residence within us.

Chapter 5 of Galatians verse 16, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." Verse 22, "But the fruit of the Spirit." So the ministry of the Holy Spirit pervades what God is saying. Now when he talks about back in chapter 3 verse 27, "All of you who were baptized into Christ," he's talking about that coming of the Holy Spirit, that placing of the believer into the Body of Christ through identification with Christ. It occurs spiritually when you believe in Him as the Spirit then personally takes up residence in that life.

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." "Clothed yourselves with Christ" is to become identified with Christ. For like the clothes, His character becomes our character. Paul talked about this back in chapter 2 verse 20, "I have been crucified with Christ." How was I crucified with Christ? When I believed I was baptized by the Spirit. He united me with Christ in His death, in His burial and in His resurrection. "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me." It's His life that is now my life. "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me." That's the life I have in Him. It's His life lived in and through me. That's why 1 John 3 says, "By this the children of God and the children of the Devil are obvious." Those who practice righteousness are the children of God. They are clothed with the character of God, the character of His Son who is also God. You have clothed yourself with Christ. You are identified with Him.

So in Galatians 3:27 we are further just elaborating what it means to be a son of God through faith in Christ in verse 26. It means that you were identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection and now have His life in you.

Verse 28, "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." One writer said about this verse, "Particularly in recent years this verse has received much attention. Being frequently jerked out of context and used to support all sort of political and ideological agendas." And I think it is important to note that--particularly in recent years. One commentator took the time to do a study of the use of this verse back in church history, the early church fathers and so on. Know what He found out? The verse was commented on in the study of Galatians but nothing major in social changes or emphasis was made out of the verse. That made for modern day for heretics to jump on this verse and try to create a social agenda out of this verse. The particular issue has come on male and female. And really this verse obliterates all distinctions.

We have to interpret the verse in its context. What has he been talking about? There is only one way of salvation. He has been focusing on Jews and Gentiles and the fact the Mosaic Law is not necessary. So the Jews aren't ahead because they keep the Law. What the Gentiles have to do is convert to Judaism to be fully saved. Believe in Christ. Yes. He's the Jewish Messiah and He's the Savior but then also be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law and you will have converted to Judaism. But you understand being a Jew and not a Jew is not the issue in salvation because you are all sons of God through faith in Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. You are all one in Christ. It is demonstrated Jews and Gentiles are all sinners, verse 22, verse 23. And all are sons of God, verse 26, through faith in Christ. So whether you are a Jew or whether you are a Greek, a non-Jew, salvation is by faith in Christ. And the result of salvation is the same. You enter the Body of Christ. That's become a matter of sanctification and that will be chapters 5 and 6.

So you see it's not like the Jews are here and the Gentiles are here and if we can get them to keep the Law we can move them up to the same level as Jews. No. National identities don't change. Salvation is by faith. And one who believes is placed into the Body of Christ. That's true whether you are Jew or not a Jew. Furthermore, it's not related to social standing because whether you are a slave or a master, salvation is by faith in Christ. And the result of believing in Christ is you're placed into the Body of Christ. It's not a matter of sexual differences. Because whether you're a man or a woman, salvation is by faith in Christ and the result of faith in Christ is you’re placed into the Body of Christ. Has that not been the subject of Galatians? Justification by faith. And it's not these distinctions . . . There's not one kind of Gospel and one way of salvation for Jews and another way of salvation for Gentiles and another way of salvation for masters and another way for slaves and another way for men and another way for women. No. I mean, just follow the context of the book.

We get into great trouble when we just dive into the middle of a chapter or the end of a chapter and we just pick a verse and say ah here's the verse. Now that means there are no distinctions. So we have egalitarianism which means men and women are not only equal, they are the same. And all distinctions and all differences in roles in the Body of Christ have been obliterated. That is nonsense. That's not what Paul is talking about here and it conflicts with what he writes in other places.

And I have to say at least some of these commentators are honest. They admit this conflicts with what Paul writes in other places. One commentator put it just this way, "We realize there is a conflict with what Paul has written in other places, but we believe Galatians 3:28 ought to be foundational verse." You can't play Scripture off against Scripture. One professor who was a professor of theology at a seminary that claims to be evangelical simply said Paul was flat out wrong in the other passages he wrote. It was rabbinic background that colored his thinking when he wrote 1 Timothy 2 where women weren't allowed to lead or teach men. Now why he decided Paul was write in Galatians 3:28 and wrong in 1 Timothy, you know, is pretty hard to determine. Paul was also wrong in 1 Corinthians 11 and 1 Corinthians 14. And Peter was wrong in 1 Peter 3. And on we go. There is no conflict. The spiritual issues are the same and salvation is foundational by faith. And when you believe you are placed into the Body of Christ.

This doesn't change the fact that the Bible does set down different roles and responsibilities. We read in 1 Corinthians 12:13, "By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body," and that is in the context of talking about there is only one Body but there is diversity in the Body. There is only one Body and this is the right hand of that Body. And the right hand can't become the eye. Now the eye is part of the one Body and the hand is part of the one Body but they are not the same. They are equal in the sense they are both members of the same Body. They both became members of the Body in the same way by conception and birth, but the hand is not the eye. There are differences in the parts of the one Body and that's the argument of 1 Corinthians 12:13-14. So equality does not mean sameness.

Paul and Peter and other New Testament writers talk about what? The role and responsibility of slaves and masters even as members of the Body. The New Testament talks about the differences of roles and responsibilities between men and women and ties those not to the fall into sin only but to God's very purposes in creating a man and a woman and creating them differently. He's given and assigned different roles and responsibilities. That's not changed.

Turn over to one passage. First Peter 3. There are many we could look at that would elaborate the differences. And this kind of nonsense called Bible interpretation which is far from true biblical interpretation which just says, "We'll we pick Galatians 3:28. That's the right verse. Now everything is wrong," is not interpreting the Bible. It falls under the condemnation of what Peter wrote. Those who twist the writings of Paul do so to their own destruction. In 1 Peter 3 Peter begins in verse 1, "In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands." There's a different role or responsibility assigned to the wife and the man. But down in verse 7 he says to the husband, "You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman." You note she hasn't ceased being a women. She hasn't ceased being a weaker vessel just because she got saved. "Grant her honor as a fellow heir as the grace of life so that your prayers be not hindered." But she is in every way his spiritual equal. She is a fellow heir of the grace of life. There are differing roles and responsibilities. I recognize that God has given me the responsibility of leadership in my home and for my wife. Her responsibility is to be submissive, but I need to keep in mind she is in every way my spiritual equal. She is a coheir of the life that god has provided by his grace. I am the pastor of this church, one of the elders of this church but that does not make me your spiritual superior. I am your leader. Oh I have an inside track with the Lord. Get Gil to pray for you you get through that way. No, a Roman Catholic priest functions that way. But we are spiritual equals in Christ. I had to be saved the same way you did. And I became a member of the same Body you became a member of. So we are talking about the spiritual oneness and the spiritual equality that is there. But that does not do away with the diversity that God intends and the differing roles and responsibilities that He has assigned.

Come back to Galatians 3. Great damage is done by people who want to use the Scripture to prove their agenda rather than submitting their agenda to the Scripture. Spiritual equality and oneness that we have in Christ. It's a great and wonderful truth. And the abuse of that mars the truth of Scripture.

One other thing you ought to note here. You are all one in Christ Jesus. That's where true unity is. We don't make this unity. We don't create this unity. It is a unity produced by the Spirit when He places us into the Body of Christ. So that one salvation has the same outcome for all who experience it. They are placed into one Body. We are united by that common faith. And common commitment to the Scripture as the truth of God. We are building on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, the revelation given to them and through them.

Verse 29 of Galatians 3. "And if you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." And this condition here is what in Greek is called a first class condition and it assumes what he is saying to be true. And if you belong to Christ, and I believe you do. So he said some firm things here. And we've seen he periodically refers to them as brothers and expresses his love to them. The false teachers are under the curse of God. But he really believes the Galatians by in large were truly saved and they are now just being confused and mislead by these false teachers.

"If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." You are Abraham's descendants. The word is seed. You were Abraham's seed. He used it in verse 16 of Christ. Because all the promises of the Abrahamic covenant find their focus in Christ and through Christ to all who are believers. So you were truly in the line of Abraham if you believe, if you belong to Christ and thus you are heirs according to promise. We are heirs of what God promised to Abraham through faith. Verse 18, "If the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer a promise; but God has granted to Abraham by means of a promise." So you were heirs according to promise. You are in the line to inherit what was promised. Foundational to that was what? And you and all the nations of the earth be blessed. Salvation not only for Jew but for Gentile. Justification by faith and the blessings of that salvation.

Now I want to say a word about verse 29. You know, it seems those who want to preach water baptism for salvation confuse verse 27. Those who want to obliterate all distinctions between the sexes and people and so on misuse verse 28. And those who fail to appreciate that God's promises to Abraham cannot be altered or changed abuse verse 29. If you belong to Christ than you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. This does not mean that the only promises of the Abrahamic covenant that will be fulfilled are spiritual promises. There are physical promises in the Abrahamic covenant. There is a land promised to the physical descendants of Abraham whose physical boundaries are clearly defined repeatedly. You remember that nothing can alter the provisions of that covenant, according to verses 15 and 16 of this chapter. So you cannot say well Christ came, the Jews failed the test and rejected their Messiah, therefore all the promises to Abraham are being fulfilled spiritually in the Church. In other words you can't alter the Abrahamic covenant. Paul's whole argument collapses on itself. That is worse than foolishness. That is a distortion and corruption of Scripture.

If you belong to Christ you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. The only way to be in the line of Abraham and to be a recipient of the promises of the Abrahamic covenant is to believe in Christ. That's true for Jews, physical descendants of Abraham. That's true for Gentiles, nonphysical descendants of Abraham. But for those physical descendants of Abraham certain promises will be realized. That's why they'll come a time when all Israel will be saved because God has to place a redeemed Israel in a land that He has promised to them. You can't change that provision of the Abrahamic covenant. Now the Abrahamic covenant graciously provided for the salvation of Gentiles. For in Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed. And in Christ we can be justified by faith just as the Jews. But now we can't say oh we replaced the Jews. Paul deals with this in Romans 11 in particular. The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. They can't be altered. But all the promises require a spiritual connection to Abraham through Christ.

All right let me just walk through quickly four points we've covered. Number one, there is only one way of salvation for all people. "You are all sons of God," verse 26, "through faith in Christ." No distinction between Jew and Greek, slave and master, male and female. If you traipse off to Russia tomorrow, you'd just have the same message to preach--believe in Christ and you can be saved. If they believe in Christ, they'll be placed into the Body of God. You go off to India, same Gospel, same message. When I've been in other countries I didn't have to decide, boy, what will I tell these people to be saved. All I had to do was find someone who could speak the language and interpret for me and I could present the same Gospel I do in the United States of America and tell them there will be the same result. If you believe in this Christ, you will be blessed into the same Body. And that's true wherever you go. You don't have sit down and say boy I'm going to talk to the wealthiest man in the world. What do I tell him? The same thing you tell the poorest janitor in the world. If you believe in Christ, you will be saved, justified. As a result of being justified you will be placed into the Body of Christ. Well, now I got to go talk to a woman's group. What am I going to tell how women get saved? Well, we think first how do men get saved. What do we have? Same thing. Believe in Christ, you'll be saved. When you're saved, you're placed into the Body of Christ. There is only way of salvation for all people.

Number two, the baptism of the Spirit places us into the Body of Christ, verse 27. So you believe in Christ. That's the means God uses. And when you believe in Christ, the Spirit of God identifies you with Christ in His death, in His burial and in His resurrection. That's why God can declare you righteous. The penalty for sin is death, but you died. How? You died with Christ.

Number three, there is only Body to which all believers belong and that is verse 28. You are all one in Christ. In Christ we are all spiritual equals. We have diversity of function and role and responsibility but we are spiritual equals.

Number four, those who belong to Christ inherit the promise, verse 29. If you are belong to Christ you are Abraham's descendants, you are heirs according to promise. Abraham has only one kind of descendant, a spiritual descendant, one who is connected to him by faith. But then there are those who are connected to him by faith who are also physical descendants, physical Jews. There are those who are spiritual descendants who are not connected to him physically. Those are Gentiles. But the connection to Abraham is a faith connection through Christ. That's true for physical Jews. That's true for Gentiles. And those who are in Christ inherit the promises give to Abraham, the foundational one being justification by faith. The blessing of Abraham for all the nations.

That's God's plan of salvation. Are you related to Abraham? Are you in the line of promise? Maybe you've been trusting your church, your baptism, your circumcision, your good works. Not one single person in all the history of the human race will make it to heaven on the basis of their works, not one. But the gracious provision of God in Christ is sufficient for all and if you will believe in Christ, you will become a son of God. You will be justified. You will be placed into the Body. You will literally be a new person with a new destiny as a Son of God. Let's pray together.

Thank you, Lord, for Your graciousness, Your greatness. Only You the almighty, all-powerful God could plan and provide a salvation so great, so awesome that it provides salvation for all who believe. What an awesome thought that we fallen human beings can become sons of the living God, heirs of all that You have promised, fellow heirs with Christ Himself and all to the simple, humble faith believing that Jesus Christ loved us and died for us. Lord, I pray especially for those who may be here today who have been deluded into thinking that because they attend this church, because they give to this church, because they were baptized at this church, because they work hard in this church that they will be acceptable before You. Lord, I pray you will convict hearts and minds as only You can do. The lostness of sinners and the graciousness of redemption through faith in Christ alone. We pray in His name, amen.