Galatians 3:23-29 says...

Today's verses are Galatians 3:23-29, which read,

v.23 - But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

Paul is speaking to his readers on a grand view of the coming of Jesus Christ as the Messiah to the world, "...before faith came,...to be revealed."  Before Jesus came, the Law pointed out our need of Him and our sin.

But I would like us to look at this on a personal level. 

• "But before faith came,..." - before I knew about Jesus. 
• "...we were kept in custody under the law,..." - I was guilty of sin and condemned to die in my sin. 
• "...being shut up to the faith..." - not knowing of the saving faith of Jesus Christ, my Deliverer from this condemned life. 
• "...which was later to be revealed." - until I heard and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.

v.24-27 - 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 were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

A tutor in Jesus' day was someone who escorted the children to and from school and watched over their behavior at home.  Maybe we would look at this like the governess of the old English system or more of our role as a parent during that stage of our child's life.  The Law had a role but something has changed and the role that the Law played fulfilled to the desired outcome.

What have we become? 

• "...justified by faith..." - not of works or behavior 
• "...no longer under a tutor..." - we stand alone on this faith now
• "...sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus." - we have a personal, intimate relationship with God provided by Christ's sacrifice of grace
• "...baptized into Christ..." - we are immersed, saturated with Jesus
• "clothed yourselves with Christ." - we have changed every aspect of our lives because of Jesus and to reflect Jesus

v.28, 29 - 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.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

In light of salvation, your nationality nor your economical status nor your gender makes a difference in your standing with Christ.  There are no "third world" Christians in God's eyes.  We love to label people and put them in boxes to organize them and usually we are making some type of judgment of how we are better than them because of where we are(what box we are in or label we have).  God says that the labels and boxes are gone when we talk about salvation.  One box and one label if you belong to Christ, and the box is labeled, "people like Abraham who heard God's voice and obeyed it."

A couple questions come out of this passage for me. 

• "Am I clothing my life with Christ?" 
• "Do I live my life in a way that shows that I belong to Christ?" 
• "Do I put people in boxes or label them that hinder me from sharing Christ with them who wants to put them into His box?"

"Lord, I have been given a gift by You.  I don't deserve it but You bestowed it upon me to see and accept.  May I be used by You to show that gift to others and be able to see others go from the tutor of the Law to a personal relationship with You.  I cloth myself in You and I immerse myself in You because I belong to You.  Amen."

Pastor Adam