The Schoolmaster Says...

THE SCHOOLMASTER SAYS...
Galatians 3:15-29

It is early September, when kids are now back in school, and many are already looking forward to Summer.
Although I was mostly home-schooled as a child, I did attend various Christian schools throughout the years, and I recall the mixed feelings that I have had for different classroom teachers that I have had.
I was in love with my second grade teacher because she was pretty.
I was not so in love with the principal because I was always in his office getting a paddling.
I never put the facts together, which were, she was the one who regularly sent me to the principal's office.
It wasn't as if he had sent for me on his own.
I recall another schoolmaster I had, in ninth grade I went to a Christian school for the better portion of a year.
We had a Bible class teacher who was actually one of my favorite teachers.
We would often spend the entire class arguing about one thing or another.
The students would sometimes offer to pay me to get into an argument on quiz days in hopes that the teacher would forget to give the quiz.

Today I would like to introduce you to a schoolmaster that has been around since 1491 BC.
This schoolmaster was born 430 years after God promised Abraham that He would bless the entire world through the Jewish race.
This schoolmaster had a specific job and students that studied under him for nearly 1500 years.
Then there were certain developments that allowed every person to know from within all that the schoolmaster taught and much, much more.
This did not make the schoolmaster irrelevant.
Indeed, every person is born under the authority of this schoolmaster.
Let us read our text and learn what this schoolmaster has to say:

READ TEXT
Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 ¶ Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
PRAY

Once again we are stricken by the Apostle Paul's high intellectual tone.
He has poured so many truths into these few verses that it is easy to get bogged down in the depth of information that is in our text.
Let us look at these verses in short sections and get a grasp on the greater lesson of the passage.

Verse 15-16
Paul introduces the subject by referencing the Abrahamic Covenant.
This was a promise that God made to Abraham.
The promise was that He would bless the whole world through Abraham's descendants.
Paul's argument is that Christ was the fulfillment of this promise.

Now some of the people in the Galatian church saw that this promise was made to the benefit of the whole world, and they saw it as an affront to their Jewish elitism.
They argued that the law had been given to the Jewish people, and since it was, the promise was also only for the Jewish people.
In the next verse Paul argues that the law could not have disannulled the promise because it was 430 years later, not an addendum to the promise.

Verse 17, 18
Here Paul is saying that the promise has been in effect and is not altered by the law.

Verse 19, 20
Here is the question of Purpose in regards to the law.
Why was the Law given?
What purpose does it serve?
The law was given to indicate sin, to show the shortcomings of man.
The promise had given hope of blessing.
The law showed that the blessing was undeserved.
Moses had been a temporary mediator in the delivering of the law.
In this he was the "go-between" for the transaction between God and man.
He delivered God's law to man in this fashion.

Verse 21
This second Question asks if the law which was essentially a list of rules to live by replaced the promise of a Saviour.
The answer is definitely not!
No person could ever obey all of the rules and is then always in need of a Saviour.

Verse 22
The Scripture draws this conclusion:
We are all sinners and must by faith put on the righteousness of Jesus.

Verse 23
Before fulfillment of the promise in Jesus Christ, all people had, was the law.
The only way they could hope to live a life that pleased their coming Saviour was to follow the list of rules.
How have you done on that?
Do you follow the Big Ten?
Let's go through them:
1. Thou shall not worship any other gods

2. Thou shall not make a graven image.

3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath.

5. Honour thy father and thy mother.

6. Thou shall not kill.

7. Thou shall not commit adultery

8. Thou shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness.

10. You shall not covet.

So, how did you do?
Remember less than 100% is a failing grade.

This brings us to Verse 24
This verse tells us that the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.
This Schoolmaster has brought us to the realization that we are all sinners, condemned to die.
Jesus came as a Saviour, to all who believe in Him.
The Schoolmaster says you are lost, Jesus says, "I am the way."
The Schoolmaster says you are in darkness, Jesus says, "I am the Light of the World."
The Schoolmaster says, The wages of sin is death, Jesus says, the gift of God is eternal life.

It appears the Schoolmaster has done his job well.
We are all brought to this same point of desperate need.
How then can we escape the Schoolmaster's penalty?
It is only by trusting in Jesus Christ, who paid the price for your sin, that we can get out from under the Schoolmaster.
Verse 25
Then we are born into the family of God.
Verse 26
As part of His family we are given special privileges.
Verse 27
The Bible tells us that we are then baptized into Christ - the Holy Spirit of God come and dwells inside of us, to do for us what the law could never do perfectly, guide us into a Christ-like life.
This is the secret to living a victorious Christian life - we no longer have only a written set of rules - we have an indwelling Holy Spirit that constantly reminds and empowers us to live righteously.

This special privilege and this new life is offered to people of all races and both genders.
Verse 28

If you are here today and you have never reached the place in your life where you realized you were a sinner in need of a Saviour, won't you believe in Jesus today?
The Schoolmaster has been very clear over the many years - you need Christ.

If you have already trusted in Christ as your Saviour, look at your life.
Does it reflect a personal relationship with Jesus?
Remember, it is that relationship that is the key to victory.
You are no longer under the Schoolmaster - but we are motivated by love to do more than the law ever required of us.