[0:00] now let's turn to the passage of scripture which we've read already the epistle to the galatians chapter 3 and as god would help us i'd like to concentrate on verse 13 galatians chapter 3 at verse 13 christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree i'd like to concentrate especially on the first part of verse 13 christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us in a very real way you know this could be called the song of christians this is what christians sing you know christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law and you know in fact this is what god's people are actually saying when they sit at the lord's table at communion what are they saying they're not saying we're better than the others they're not saying we've we've turned over a new leaf in fact they're not even saying i'm born again this is what they're saying they're making a statement about christ christ christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law it's a song which christians should always be singing i suppose in a way we could call this we could make that part of verse 13 the whole title to the whole letter of the epistle to the galatians in fact could we not compress the whole message of the bible from genesis to revelation and come up with this short summary of the bible's message christ christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law have you noticed that this epistle to the galatians it's the only epistle in the bible where paul does not thank god for a church in every other epistle in his introduction he thanks god for the church i mean even the church of corinth with all that was going on in corinth he says he can thank god for them now when he comes to the churches in galatia there's no mention of paul thanking god for them i wonder why we know the problem in many of the churches and as i indicated already corinth all that was going on there the man didn't believe in the resurrection
[4:01] getting drunk at the lord's table paul can thank them that there is a church there but not here not to the churches in galatia why why is it not because their sin was trifling with the gospel they were trying to put a plus in the gospel it's not enough to believe you must also well they said you must also be circumcised but it's still prevalent today oh yes but you've got to you've got to keep up the standard you know the basis alone upon which we're forgiven is faith in christ faith in christ alone and trifle with that and paul cannot thank god for you the gospel very very precious to paul and let me assure you is very very precious to christ he paid it all at the cross he cried out on the cross it is finished every last drop of what's required i've paid for it all now you're free christ has really redeemed us from the curse of the law let's look at the natural division of these words the two the one division two parts the curse of the law first of all and secondly the redemption that's in christ jesus the curse of the law christ has redeemed us what from the curse of the law now note he doesn't say he's redeemed us from the law he's redeemed us from the curse of the law what is the law what does paul mean when he uses the word the term law here in galatians he means the system of rule keeping as the way to get to heaven we try and simple it simplify it for non-christians that's what he means by the law the system of rule keeping as a method of getting to heaven he's saying christ has redeemed us from that system of having to be good enough of being able to reach a certain standard christ has redeemed us from that and what a mercy what a mercy look at the demands of the law the height the depth the breadth the length what height to what standard are we to reach if we're going to get to heaven by being good enough what level have we to reach we have to reach the level that pleases
[7:50] God in heaven and God is an absolute being my friend it's not good enough to do the best that you can it has to satisfy an absolute heavenly God if you're going to go to heaven by being good enough that's the standard it's to reach the heights of heaven what about the depth God requires truth in the inward parts it's not good enough just to do it outwardly it's not enough it's got to come from the heart when you and I are examining someone maybe assessing them for a job we look at their activity we look at the work we look at the outward and then we work in we say now why did he do that what was the reason what was behind it we start on the outside and work inside
[8:59] God starts on the inside and works out and most of the time he doesn't reach the behaviour because the heart has not been right with God height to satisfy the standards of a divine God in heaven the depth the inner recesses of your heart the breadth every aspect of every law of God there's a verse that always terrified me in James I've forgotten where exactly it is at the moment but it says whoever keeps the whole law of God and yet offend in one point he's accountable for the whole lot we have to keep not only every single law we have to keep every aspect of every single law offend in one aspect of one law just once and the whole system falls down oh you see that's a wee bit
[10:35] OTT is it we're dealing with an absolute God are you saying to me oh that that fella shouldn't have drowned he was only a millimetre underwater eh you drown as surely being one millimetre underwater as you are being a mile underwater oh but he was nearly there my friend you can't articulate listen you miss the ferry by a minute you're as bad off as the fella that missed it by another same principle one aspect of one law once the whole system falls down the length how long are we to keep this up if we're going to get to heaven by being good enough how long are we to continue this standard well we read it there whoever does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to do them cursed it's forever and ever there's no probation period with
[12:03] God if you want to deal with God as an absolute God by being good enough there's no trial period it's forever and ever and ever well friend is there any hope haven't you broken it already haven't we all broken it times innumerable times that's what it demands what about the nature of this law what about the nature of its demands the theologians use three words I'll just mention unrelaxable even if you're unable to keep it God being an absolute God requires it unrelaxable irrespective of your capability of doing it you're dealing with an absolute
[13:14] God that's it unrelaxable second word they use about the law is unchangeable God can't change his standards God can't say oh well well forget about that God's an immutable being he's an unchangeable being the law the requirements of the law are unrelaxable just because you are incapable no excuse and God is he will not alter his standards for anyone the third word he uses inalienable just meaning unremovable meaning you can't get away from it you say you might you might say oh is that what a
[14:19] Christian God expects is that what he requires of me fine I'll not be a Christian I'll try Buddhism I'll try Islam I'll try something else I'll just opt out my friend the question is not are you a Christian the question is are you one of God's creatures the question does not have you signed up for this the question is are you a human being well you are under this law and you cannot get away from it that's the law but our verse tells us Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law what's the curse the curse is the wrath of God both in this world and in the next
[15:23] I'm sorry that's what it is not nice not at all pleasant but it's true and it's real it means the curse of God in this world and in the next world means we are liable to every temporal trouble and let me say an unlimited amount I always remember someone coming up to me and saying George have I had my quota of trouble my child dies at 18 months my wife has died at 28 done my son has landed in prison what next have I had my quota when's my quota full
[16:24] I had to say call I'm sorry I'm sorry I don't know I don't know what's around the corner you see part of the curse is that the curse is unevenly distributed throughout society we're talking at the moment of the temporal aspect of the curse it's not a case that while we all get 5% of trouble and you might get it all you might get 4% of it all in one month no no part of the curse is the uneven distribution of it throughout the whole of society and throughout the whole of our lives that's part of the curse unevenly distributed that's the temporal aspect of it there's the eternal aspect of it eternal misery prepared for the devil and his angels
[17:28] I hate this subject but I must be true I'll just say two things about it a lost eternity it was never made for human beings to be in it was made for devils but human beings will be there with the devils the second thing the awful thing about a lost eternity is there's no hope not even a false hope I always remember the minister saying there's not even a false hope in a lost eternity it's awful don't go I have something to say to you even Christ cannot take you out of hell once you enter he can stop you entering but even
[18:35] Christ can't take you out if you go in and then there's the third aspect of the curse it's the worst of all spiritual incapacity to the point our lost condition can be explained in graphic details that we all understand and it means nothing you can spell it all you can read it in the scriptures you can explain it to people and they say oh well I'm just not into religion religion is not my thing as if that was it as if that was all spiritual deadness bring the truth bring life before them they don't recognize it this is not for me it's not for you it's for you it's for everyone out of hell well time to change the subject mercifully mercifully time to change the subject instead of the let's let's turn to the song
[19:50] Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law you know there will be those in heaven who are not redeemed do you know who am I referring to the angels they're not redeemed there's no redemption for angels in the time when the angels sinned and fell that's it lost eternally instantly there was no redemption for them and that's why angels desire to look into this gospel which God chose to send to human beings but to bypass angels and send it to human beings redemption means something redemption has a connotation you know the redemption has the idea of a ransom price being demanded for the release of a hostage the connotations for us today are the hijacking of airplanes politically held hostages who will be released only if something happens children held at gun point as hostages that's the concept we are held captive by
[21:30] Satan and we can't get out of Satan's grips we cannot take ourselves out of his grip held hostage by the powers of darkness it has that connotation that's what it means being redeemed for a ransom price and the ransom price of course was Christ's death Christ's blood but there are two ways in which two ways in which we have to there are two exceptions that help us just grasp the wonder of the redemption that's in Christ a ransom is usually extracted by force very reluctantly these children are captured at gunpoint by force these hostages are through violence captured very much against their will in the case of
[22:39] Christ in the case of Jesus it was not against his will do you remember what he said to his disciples when the time came and he saw the band of soldiers coming to him he said let's go to meet them the time has come the cup which my father has given me shall I not drink it yes he would drink it he voluntarily offered to be the scapegoat god the father did not twist his arm to be the ransom he offered himself he gave himself voluntarily that's different from the normal idea of a hostage and a ransom price something else that's different with christ a ransom is usually demanded for the release of innocent captives in our case in this case we're not innocent we're blood red and guilt we deserve to be lost we've incurred the wrath of god justly we are not innocent innocent children held at gunpoint innocent you and
[24:26] I are not innocent you and I deserve to be sent to a lost eternity well christ has redeemed us out of that situation that's the song of the christian he's redelivered us he's delivered every believer from the system of law keeping as the way to heaven he hasn't delivered us from the law as the proper way to live that as a system for achieving heaven through merit gone forever not under that system anymore christians are delivered from that and they're also delivered of course from eternal punishment delivered from it forever in a moment they're delivered from spiritual darkness but what about the temporal trouble are they delivered from that no what happens there is christ delivers them from the damage of temporal trouble as we pointed out in the morning through trouble we're sanctified god uses trouble to make us christ like but in one moment we're delivered from the system of law keeping the system of being good enough the system of earning salvation being delivered from it wonderful wonderful news and in one moment we're forgiven if you believe on the lord jesus christ in one moment all your sins are forgiven and i want to emphasize this because it is very important the moment you believe in jesus whoever you are whatever you've done whatever your background whatever your state the moment you believe in jesus every one of your sins are instantly forgiven past present and wait for it future yes future wonderful to be a christian you're standing on a no penalty zone you're wonderful you're standing on a no penalty zone that's a christian christ has redeemed us from the curse of the lord that's no longer the way of getting to heaven it's the way we ought to live yes but it's not the way to get to heaven christ is the way to get to heaven and here's the great thing about being redeemed like christ we're in a more secure state than we were with
[28:01] Adam in Adam Adam was made perfect but Adam did fall you and I are state our new condition in christ secure secure secure in christ wonderful gospel wonderful redemption and it's all through christ being made a curse for us christ dying in our place christ taking the punishment due to us for our sin taking it upon himself it's all because christ has a righteousness that he can transfer to you if you're a believer so that you whatever your past whatever sins you've committed christ can give you his righteousness when god looks down in you he doesn't see your behavior he sees the righteousness of christ clothed with christ righteousness wonderful being a christian wonderful it's wonderful wonderful news transferring his righteousness to the vile sinner who trusts jesus who trusts jesus the way to heaven now is not by being good enough it's by depending on jesus trusting in him you see people say oh i believe jesus tell me what exactly do you believe about jesus do you believe when he was on that cross he was paying god for the sins of every believer do you believe that that's the gospel what was he doing there was he just an unfortunate victim was he just giving us an example of self sacrifice what was he doing there he was paying god for the sins of every believer he was paying god for your sins if you are a believer that's the gospel that's the glorious gospel when christ was on that cross your sins were on that cross he nailed them to the cross that's why it's so important to be united to christ to be in christ how do i get in christ through faith simply by believing him one last word here's the gospel he that believes on the son has everlasting life john 5 24 now note it carefully it does not say anyone who believes will obtain will receive will get everlasting life that's not what john 5 24 says what does john 5 24 says he or anyone who believes on the son has everlasting life he's to wait for nothing
[32:01] believe on the lord jesus christ and you have it you don't need to wait for anything you see in the christian religion the bottom line is always always faith in christ trust in christ he that believes on the son has everlasting life and will not come into condemnation may god the holy spirit make his word his truth his gospel effectual to every one of us let's bow our heads in prayer our gracious father in heaven unite us to your son in faith we pray bestow upon us this faith that saves the soul show us your son in all his love and all his beauty make him all our salvation and all our desire hear us in mercy answer us in peace as we pray only and all in the name of the lord jesus amen we'll conclude our service of worship by singing to god's praise the last few verses of psalm 118 in the scottish psalter that's page 399 verse 22 psalm 118 at verse 22 that stone is made head corner stone which builders did despise this is the doing of the lord and wondrous in our eyes right down to the end of the psalm psalm 118 at verse 22 this is this is the doing of the lord and wondrous in our eyes this is the doing of the lord and wondrous in our eyes this is the day god made in it will join triumph and lead save now
[35:14] I pray thee lord I pray send thou prosperity save now I pray thee lord I pray send thou prosperity thee blessed is he engulfed with him but cometh us to save we come the house rich to the lord her king to blessed how we come the house rich to the lord her king to blessed time what is the lord due unto us and made life to arise bind ye unto the altar shores with course of sacrifice bind ye unto the altar shores with course of sacrifice thou art my
[36:34] God and the exalted my God I will be praised give thanks to God for he is good his mercy lasts always give thanks to God for he is true his mercy lasts away our gracious father in heaven we thank you for all your mercies this day and as some of us will go next door to eat more of your kindness more refreshments we give you thanks for them grace is God and now may the grace of the lord jesus christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy spirit be with us all now and forever more amen to you to goodbye to go and 1 and men even