Prison Break

Sept. 21

Read: Gal. 3:10-22

Prison Break

“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse…(but) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law” (v.10,13)

Reliance on the law to guide us has only one outcome: we are cursed! Why? Because a curse is what’s promised for breaking any part of God’s law: “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” (cf. Deut. 27:26, Jer. 11:3; Ezek. 18:4) Once someone has come to Christ / been made alive in Christ to put them back under the law is to curse them. We don’t get to pick and choose parts of the law either. The quotes above show this; the law of God is an all or nothing deal. Galatians 2:20 DOES NOT read, “this life I live in the flesh, I live by using my willpower and following the guidelines of the law”. NO. Galatians 2:20 says THIS:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

This “life of faith in Christ” is our guide. There is a certain “ownership” that has been transferred. Look again at todays passage:

“But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin…Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.” (v.22,23)

The combination of law and sin imprisons us and holds us captive. We are “locked up”… “trapped” in a cycle of performance and human effort. When you put all these ideas together, you see that the law is a curse that imprisons us and traps us… so why are we trying to put this on the people of God? The coming of Christ brings the opens the door and sets us free from the law… free from the curse… free from prison and captivity. We now serve CHRIST, and our life is hidden in him. (cf. Col. 3:3) The law was like our prison guard in a way… it told us what to do while we were incarcerated under the law:

“Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” (v.23,24)

Christ has come and freed us… we have been entrusted to HIS care. The “guardian” has handed us over to Jesus… so we need to stop looking to the prison guard to orient our life! Its job is done… we have been released into the care of Christ. It is CHRIST who guides our actions… who leads us in life outside the prison. Why in the world would we wander back into “captivity” and look to the “guardian” who kept us “imprisoned” when we can look to the one who has set us free, redeemed us, and varied us out of captivity !?! The scriptures could not be more direct than this:

“But now that faith (in Christ) has come, we are no longer under a guardian…” (v.25)

In Christ, the law is no longer for you. You are “no longer under a guardian”. If you place your faith in Christ, then a fixation on the law will do nothing but ensnare you, imprison you, and unnecessarily “curse” you. These are the words of the scriptures… not mine! Today, I want you to ask Jesus what he wants you to do. Listen for the Spirit of God to speak to you. The scriptures - especially the gospels - give you a great example of how Jesus lived. Knowing this example helps you discern more effectively the words of Christ as he calls you into living the way that he did in this day and age. Jesus is guiding us into life… this is “the life we live in the flesh we live by hoping in Christ and being convinced of his unseen / behind the scenes work trusting that he will lead us to the end as the very 'author and finisher’ of our faith.” (Gal. 2:20, Heb. 11:1, 12:1,12) You have been set free from the curse of the law! Jesus has opened your prison cell, and the guard has handed you over to Christ. Reject anyone or anything that tries to add to the work of Jesus or put you back into that cell! Don’t be surprised if you take your eyes off of Christ and put them onto the law if the law does its job really well and makes you feel cursed, imprisoned, and held captive! That is precisely what the law was designed to do. Those days are behind you. You are made new in Christ. (cf. Gal. 2:20,2 Cor. 5:17, Rom. 6:4, Eph. 4:17-23 etc.) “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1) It is FOR FREEDOM that Christ has SET YOU FREE! Love you guys! - JDP