In Galatians 3, Paul is rebuking or chiding with the Galatians, who having started a walk with God by faith, was then convinced of a need to keep the law. Paul’s argument to them is straightforward. They were not saved by the keeping of the law, so how are they to continue by the law? However, the terms Paul uses to make these arguments have their definitions in other parts of the scripture and are subjective from this portion of scripture unless the true meanings are sought. It seems that so much of the scripture is treated as subjective by modern Bible teachers and the conclusions they come to do not match Bible truth.
Take the word, “faith,” as an example. Paul uses the word, “faith,” and contrasts the concept of faith with the keeping of the law as two diametrically opposed view points but in this letter fails to define the faith. The word, “faith,” means, “to believe,” but believe what? That God loves you, or died for your sin? There are literally hundreds of beliefs concerning Jesus that could be exercised.
The faith that caused Paul to be able to work miracles among the Galatians was likened to the faith exercised by Abraham. The words, “even as,” in verse 6 reveal this. The, “hearing of faith,” which was Paul’s gospel to the Galatians, was directly tied to how Abraham believed God and how that faith was accounted as righteousness. That dynamic is the key to understanding the “hearing of faith” that allowed Paul to work miracles.
Today, the Church overall has no ability to work miracles. In Acts 1:8 Jesus promised power to witness of His resurrection. This would necessarily be miraculous power and even though there have been periods of time in our not so distant past when miraculous power was gifted to certain individuals on a limited basis, no widespread power to witness of Jesus’ resurrection has been observed in the Church. This leads me to believe the “hearing of faith,” or, “faith,” as understood by Paul, is not preached by the Church today and has not been preached for 2,000 years.
Abraham’s faith is revealed in Hebrews 11. According to Galatians 3:6, “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness,” but how did this transaction take place? In Hebrews 11:8 we are told, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should afterward receive as an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Verse 10 further clarifies, “For he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” These two verses explain what Abraham did. They explain the dynamics of Abraham’s faith.
The back story is that God appeared to Abraham somehow when he lived in Ur and He commanded Abraham to leave Ur and go to a land He would tell Abraham about to seek out a city He had built. Abraham obeyed God. The word, “obeyed,” indicates a commandment was issued. Now, in Hebrews 11:8, we learn that commandment was a calling that Abraham obeyed. Abraham’s obedience was then accounted to him as righteousness.
Now, it is curious that Abraham didn’t earn righteousness by obedience; the scriptures tell us righteousness was accounted to him because of obedience. The reason this is significant is because God defines righteousness for mankind. The bar or standard for attaining righteousness was set very low for Abraham. He only had to keep one commandment. Still, Abraham did not earn righteousness by living up to God’s standard for righteousness, it was accounted to him.
In that Paul contrasts Abraham’s righteousness with the righteousness of the law, it behooves us to consider the righteousness of the law. The righteousness of the law was earned by the keeping of the commandments of the law. The standard for attaining righteousness was set very high for those under the law, however. So high in fact, that no one was able to attain to righteousness by the keeping of the law. No one was able to keep all the points of the law by design. The purpose of the law was to reveal mankind’s inability to measure up to God’s standard for righteousness, which is why Abraham received righteousness as a free gift through faith.
So, the hearing of faith is contrasted with the keeping of the Ten Commandments and likened to a calling received by a commandment with a promise, that when obeyed conveys a blessing. God lowered the standard for righteousness for Abraham and called Abraham by issuing to him a commandment that had a promise of finding a city built by God. His obedience to that commandment was accounted to him as righteousness but righteousness was not the object of Abraham’s faith; the city was. Paul’s gospel, therefore, the gospel that allowed him to work miracles among the Galatians, is that we have received a commandment that is our calling. The pursuit of this calling by faith will cause a great blessing, one that we cannot earn, to be accounted to us. The blessing is not the object of our faith; the promise is, but we receive the blessing through the pursuit of the promise.
Now, Jesus died under the authority of the old covenant law as a fulfillment of that law. All who receive His death on the cross for sin are redeemed from the law and clothed with Jesus’ righteousness; a righteousness Jesus earned by keeping the law’s demands for righteousness, so righteousness is not the blessing of Abraham. The blessing of Abraham is received by obedience to a commandment in the pursuit of a promise.
The Jews tried for 2,000 years to keep the demands of the law for righteousness as revealed by the Ten Commandments and utterly failed. The Church picked up right where the Jews left off; trying to keep the Ten Commandments and using the blood of Jesus to cover their indiscretions, but righteousness is a free gift to all who insert themselves into Jesus’ death by faith. No one clothed with Jesus’ righteousness need to keep the law’s standard for righteousness. Still, those who attempt to keep the standard for righteousness set up by the law are held to account by the law and suffer the curses of the law as a result.
When Paul is addressing the correct way to receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with the Corinthians, it is not the commandments of the law (the Ten Commandments) Christians should judge their worthiness to receive of the Lord’s body and blood by. Christians are called to keep a different standard for righteousness. Look, Abraham was not called to keep the Ten Commandments and the righteousness that was accounted to him was not accounted based on the Ten Commandments. Abraham had one commandment he was called to keep and Christians likewise have one commandment to keep. Christians, however, are not seeking righteousness; they are seeking power to witness of Jesus’ resurrection, power to bring lost souls to Jesus. Eternal life is accounted to them as they seek. The blessing of Abraham, accounted to Christians as they heed the call issued by commandment, is the gift of sonship; a gift it is impossible to earn, a gift conveyed by promise.
Now, let’s go back to Galatians 3:5-14, “He therefore that ministers the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by works of the law or by the hearing of faith?” The obvious inference is that the miracles are worked by the hearing of faith. The faith is exercised in the promise of power to witness of the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 1:8); Jesus made this promised to all who are obedient to the commandment issued in Acts 1:4-5. Faith exercised in this promise produces a verbal noise that is then heard, thus, the hearing of faith.
“Even as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Abraham believed the promise of a city built by God and through obedience of the commandment to search it out, received God’s righteousness. “Know therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” The faith is not the faith in the death of Jesus for sin; this faith is in the promise of power to witness; power to work miracles. This faith is directed at the integrity of God while faith in His death is directed at the love of God.
Just as Abraham believed God had laid the foundations of a city in the land of Canaan and spent the rest of his life searching for it, Christians must believe in the promise of power to witness Jesus gave the Church in Acts 1:8. Abraham believed God. In other words, Abraham believed God to be trustworthy and true. Christians exercise the same faith when they respond to the call to baptize themselves with the Spirit of God each day in the hope of receiving power to witness.
These are two very different faiths. In order to receive Jesus’ righteousness, mankind must first believe God’s love was great enough to send His only begotten Son to die for them, to take their place on the cross and pay the price for their sin. It is through this faith that mankind inserts themselves into Jesus’ death and are thus saved from their sin. However, the faith of Abraham is not directed at God’s love.
“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.” Here, Paul makes a remarkable statement. He said, “The same gospel I preached to the heathen was first preached to Abraham.” Abraham is called, “faithful,” because of his obedience to a commandment, a commandment he obeyed through faith, keeping his eyes on the prize set before him, which was the city built by God. So then, “they which be of faith,” are those who express like faith as Abraham. Namely those who set their eyes on the prize set before them, which is power to witness of the resurrection of Jesus, promised to those who keep the calling of the Lord Jesus Christ expressed by commandment.
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.” In other words, if you attempt to keep the Ten Commandments you will live under its curse of sickness and disease because the standard for righteousness under the law was set too high for mankind to reach. The blood of Jesus will not save you from the curse of the law if you attempt to keep the Ten Commandments. The law was enacted to force mankind to seek out a Saviour from sin, which is Jesus Christ. “For it is written, cursed is everyone that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” No man can keep the law and shouldn’t try once belief in Jesus’ death has been achieved. “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith.” Faith and the keeping of the law are two diametrically opposed points of view. “And the law is not of faith: but the man that does them shall live in them.” The law requires strict obedience. The old covenant law was enacted with authority to condemn all who do not measure up to its demands.
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one who hangs on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ: that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” The blessing of Abraham is not righteousness. Righteousness is gained by baptism into Jesus’ death on the cross for sin. The blessing of Abraham is to receive something of great value through faith in a promise; faith that causes one to respond to a commandment. The promise of the Spirit is the promise of Joel, “I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,” (Jew and Gentile). It is the promise spoken of in Acts 1:4 and 5, which is the baptism with the Spirit, the Father God’s gift to the Church. It is the pursuit of the promise that is accounted to us as eternal life.
Every single person who recognizes they cannot live up to God’s demand for righteousness can baptize themselves into Jesus’ death and be set free from the demands of the law, clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. There is a calling then issued to them to receive a gift of sonship. The ability to work miracles is the purview of God, thus, those so gifted are children of God.
Now, let’s go back to Galatians 3:11: “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, the just shall live by faith.” Again, the term, “the law,” refers to the old covenant. God, the Father, instituted the old covenant with the descendants of Abraham who came out of Egypt. The law includes the Ten Commandments, thus, we might say, no man is justified in the sight of God by the keeping of the Ten Commandments. In fact, trying to measure up to the standard set by the law makes one less righteous in God’s eyes because God requires faith; a very specific faith. Since this is true, why are so many Christians trying to keep the Ten Commandments? Moreover, how are men justified in the sight of God?
Again, the word faith is a nebulous term meaning, “to believe,” but the question is, “Believe what?” Obviously there is more to it. The Church has believed in God for thousands of years now without power to witness of Jesus’ resurrection. No miracles indicates no keeping of the hearing of faith. Moreover, no miracles indicate the Church is keeping a different gospel than the one Paul preached. Remember, Paul said he worked miracles by the hearing of faith in Galatians 3:5, “He therefore that ministers the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by works of the law or by the hearing of faith?”
Paul had the ability to lay his hands on people and them receive the baptism with the Spirit and speak in tongues. This is revealed to us in Acts 19, where Paul finds certain disciples of Jesus at Ephesus who had not so much as heard of the Holy Spirit. They had believed a different gospel, yet believed they were saved. Paul laid His hands on them and they spoke with tongues. This ability to minister the Spirit of God to others is a very powerful tool in the quest to convince others of God’s great love, mercy, and kindness. It is how the Galatians came to be Christians. Paul served a God who was both present and kind, very much unlike the god of the Galatians.
Again, the term, “hearing of faith” has a very specific meaning and has not been practiced by the Church consistently since the days of Paul. The phrase, “the just shall live by faith,” likewise has a specific meaning. Mankind is justified through faith in Jesus’ death. They baptize themselves into Jesus’ death when they believe Jesus died for their sins, taking their place on the cross, paying the price for their unrighteousness. The just have exercised a very specific faith that has caused them to appear before God justified in His eyes. The just, however, must live by a separate faith.
When Paul says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law,” Jesus redeemed mankind by purchasing our sin with His own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness, 1Peter 2:24. This indicates Jesus performed two works of redemption. He died under the penalty of sin of the old covenant law but upon His resurrection, He established a new covenant with a new standard for righteousness. The standard for righteousness was set very low for believers in Christ’s death; they are already justified through that faith, but, the just shall live by faith.
There is a second act of faith required for those who are baptized into Jesus’ death by faith. It is the pursuit of the promise of power to work miracles. If we believe in the promise we will heed the call to baptize ourselves with the Spirit of God daily whereby we can hear our faith as it passes over our tongue. The hearing of faith is the speaking with tongues but not just the speaking with tongues; the hearing of faith is the belief exercised in the promise of power to witness of Christ’s resurrection. Those who love Jesus will pursue this power to testify of the resurrection of the Christ, thus, Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
If the just shall live by faith, does the just die by unbelief?
I want the power to witness of the resurrection of Jesus so therefore I answer the call to baptize myself daily with the Holy Spirit. I hear my faith expressed through the gift of tongues by my obedience. In Galatians 3:5, Paul said, “He therefore that ministers the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by works of the law or by the hearing of faith?” It was Paul who told the Corinthians, “I speak in tongues more than you all,” 1Corinthians 14:18. Paul, in Philippians 3:14 stated, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The high calling of God is defined by commandment. Paul had already achieved a certain level of that calling; the Galatians turned to the Lord because of the miracles they witnessed at Paul’s hand but Paul was not satisfied and continued to press forward to teach and disciple others in the faith. He went on, saying, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded.” The perfect are those who have baptized themselves into Jesus’ death by faith and with faith in the promise, strive for obedience that they might gain the prize of power to witness.
The standard for righteousness was lowered for the Christian. The only requirement for attaining everlasting life is to answer the call to strive for the power to witness. Thus, those so minded are counted as perfect by God. The temptation is to become slack, frustrated, and complacent in our pursuit of the calling.
The faith of Paul; the faith practiced by Paul; the hearing of faith as practiced by Paul, are all very different from the faith practiced by the Church today. Even the faith movement of the last 40 years is very different than the faith practiced by Paul. If we are to understand the gospel message as Paul taught it, we must be careful to define Paul’s terms by Paul’s definitions. Faith is a nebulous term meaning to believe, but, believe what? Paul told the jailer, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, you and your household,” but believe what? Which faith concerning Jesus is the faith that saves? Jesus laid aside His Godhood to come to earth as a man and was born of a virgin. He perfectly kept the old covenant law, the covenant of His Father, then died under its penalties for disobedience. He descended into hell for three days, preached deliverance to the captives, took captivity captive and ascended in to heaven with His own blood. There, He ratified a new covenant with all mankind and issued a call to His Church. These are just a few of the details of Jesus’ life mankind can choose to believe. Which belief in Jesus is the belief that saves and which belief saves from sin and which belief saves eternally?
No man becomes righteous by the keeping of the law but Jesus perfectly kept the law. Belief in His perfect keeping of the law, plus, a belief in His death as a substitutionary work, delivers one from sin, clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. However, the new covenant was established after Jesus’ death on the cross as a separate work of grace. Jesus issued a commandment to His Church that is a call to receive eternal life. It is through a belief in the promise of power to witness of Him, the resurrected Lord, that mankind receives a gift of son ship. This belief in Jesus’ integrity; that He will perform His promise, causes men to take up the call to baptize themselves with the Spirit of God daily in the hope of reaching that high calling of becoming a son of God.
Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved,” but that is an overly simple statement of a complex belief. However, it is complex only because the gospel preached by the modern Church is so far divergent from Paul’s gospel. The title, “Lord Jesus Christ,” indicates a belief on Jesus’ Lordship; not in His death, and as Lord, Jesus issued one primary commandment; a commandment drastically different from every other commandment found in the book; a commandment to saturate yourself with the Spirit of Jesus daily. All who believe on the Lord take up this call.
Here is an opportunity for the faith of Mark 11:23 and 24. Each time I take up the call I am speaking to my mountain, the mountain of the lack of power to witness. Through my faith I am saying to my mountain, “Get up and throw yourself into the sea.” Though I sometimes struggle with the magnitude of this mountain, I hold faith in my Lord in my heart. I believe in His promise and through my doubt I press on, speaking to this mountain in faith, the gift of tongues flowing from my heart. The thing that I desire, power to reveal to the Church the faith they have espoused is wrong, I believe I receive, and I shall have it. Every day I take up this call, speak to this mountain, exercise faith in His promise and believe I receive. I go about acting as though it is true, preaching and teaching anyone who will listen.
Notice the progression of John 14:12-15, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father. And whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If you love me, keep my commandments.” Verse 15 is the key to verse 12. The greater works, which are the signs and wonders displayed by the power to witness of Jesus’ resurrection, are performed by the keeping of Jesus’ commandments. Those who keep the first commandment, saturating themselves daily with Jesus are in the Son and every sign and wonder are then performed by the Son in us and the Father is glorified.
We might consider John 15:7-10, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue in my love. If you keep my commandments you shall abide in my love.” The words of Jesus abide in us as we respond to the call. It is how we abide in Jesus. We saturate ourselves daily with Him through the gift of tongues. We bear much fruit because of the power to witness. Or what of John 16:23-27? The day He spoke of is the day we live in; the time of the Holy Spirit’s testifying of Jesus through various gifts of tongues.
Jesus could not openly teach new covenant theology before the cross; to do so would have breached the old covenant, making it impossible for Jesus to fulfill it and thus impossible for Jesus to redeem mankind from it. He could only speak in proverbs (Jn.16:25). We know the commandments Jesus issued in the new covenant age and the understanding of these commandments define the proverbs spoken in conjunction with them in the gospels. Still, I find it very curious that Jesus used the word, “mountain,” in Mark 11:23. He obviously knew the amount of doubt and unbelief one would go up against to receive power to witness of His resurrection.
This is the call that God placed on my life; to search out and to understand the gospel Paul preached and to understand the difference between what Paul preached and the gospel presented by the various denominations and independent churches found in the earth today. It is the mark I press toward, leaving all else behind, even my own welfare, in the hope that I might stand before Jesus and hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” I press toward the mark of attaining the power to witness of the resurrection of the Living Lord in my own life that I might work the miracles that cause mankind to understand the difference between the crucified Christ and the risen Lord and I press toward the mark of preaching this gospel to as many as will listen to my words and I am committed to disciple as many as will submit to this gospel. I have sacrificed my life on the altar of obedience that I might gain Christ, in all the glory of His resurrection.