Kept Under the Law Galatians 3:23 - Equipped for Battle

As we have continued to study the doctrine of grace as delivered by Paul the apostle to the Galatians, we have noticed that Paul meticulously defines step by step the reasons that the promise of God and the law of God work hand in hand. In Divine providence, the Almighty God constructed a plan that incorporated usefulness of the law for demonstrating the lostness of mankind. As the law was perfect, and no person is because they cannot keep the law perfectly, the law shows our need for a perfect Savior, and that perfect Savior is Jesus. Paul continues his explanation in chapter three and verse twenty three where he wrote:

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Paul begins once again with a “But” which means that what he is about to declare takes precedence over what was previously stated which was the question as to whether the law was against the promise of God. Instead of being in opposition against the promise of God, the law had its purpose and usefulness, “before faith came, we were kept under the law”. In other words there was a time for the effectiveness of the law to be in place. People were governed by the law of God until such time that someone could obey every aspect of the law. As stated in verse twenty-two “by the faith of Jesus Christ” the promise of God was released.

Paul continues, “shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.” As though hidden from the promise until Jesus Christ was revealed, the law governed over the lives of all who lived within it. Let it be known that the law was and is perfect. The difficulty lie in the fact that people are not, and the revelation of the imperfection of mankind was a primary purpose of the law of God. Until the faith Jesus Christ was revealed we were kept under the law and doomed for our lack in ability to keep it. The law of God was not in opposition to the promise of God, but it rather preceded it for the purpose of showing the unrighteousness of people and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God Almighty revealed this perfection in His Son, and now through Jesus' faith, the promise of the grace of God is released to all who will believe.

Next time we will see how the law was our teacher, so read ahead, and let us join together then.

Until tomorrow...there is more...

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