Day 112 – It's really really not the law.

In yesterday and today’s readings, Paul continues explaining to the Galatians why the Mosaic Law does not save them. Paul makes several points.

1. We receive the Holy Spirit by faith and not works of the law.
2. The promise to Abraham that “all nations shall be blessed” was through his faith, not works of the law.
3. The law is, in a sense, a curse – establishing who is in error rather than establishing those that are saved.
4. Christ ransomed us from the law by taking on this curse.
5. Now that Christ has done this “we receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”.
6. The law came after the promise to Abraham and was never meant to supersede that promise.
7. The law was a disciplinarian – in effect bringing us to Christ by establishing the proper context.
8. Faith takes us out of the disciplinarian relationship and makes us all children of God in Christ.
9. As we are no longer under the disciplinarian and we are children of God we are also heirs.
10. Going back to the law is, therefore, the same as going backward to this disciplinarian relationship.

Thus, Paul makes the same point to the Galatians as many ways as he can. The law cannot and does not establish their righteousness before God. Their faith has freed them from the burden of the law. It is their faith that justifies them