NKJV 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward
be revealed.
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But
after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all
one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. NKJV
NASB 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later
to be revealed.
24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are
all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. NASU
1. The Law Has A . . Serving Purpose. 3:23-24
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ,
A. The Law Served Acting As A . . Sentry. v 23 a
But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, . . . "
Kept 5432 phroureo (froo-reh'-o);
from a compound of 4253 and 3708; to be a watcher in
advance, i.e. to mount guard as a sentinel (post spies at
gates);
figuratively, to hem in, protect: KJV -- keep (with a garrison). Compare 5083.
B. The Law Served Acting A . . Shelter. v 23 b
"kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
Shut Up 4788 sugkleio (soong-kli'-o);
from 4862 and 2808; to shut
together, i.e. include or (figuratively) embrace in a common subjection
to:
KJV-- conclude, inclose, shut up.
Luke 5:6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish; and their nets {began} to break;
(NAS)
C. The Law Served Acting . . Servant. 3:24 a
24 Therefore the law was our tutor
Vs. 3:24 tutor. The Greek word used here means not a "teacher" but "an attendant, custodian, or guardian," usually
a slave whose job it was to accompany the child, train him, and discipline him. The law was such a disciplinarian
until Christ the teacher came.
2. The Law Has A . . Steering Purpose. 3:24 b -25
". . .to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer
under a tutor.
A. The Law Steers A Person to . . Justification. v 24 b
". . . to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
B. The Law Steers A Person to A . . Juncture. v 25
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer
under a tutor.
3. The Law Has A . . Showing Purpose. v 26-29
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are
Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
A. Shows Faith gives An . . Interpretation of Sons. v 26
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
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Illustration
I have been in foreign countries where I would meet people and in the conversation it would be come obvious they
knew the Lord. How did I know that? They expressed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All are children of God
who acknowledge their faith in Jesus.
B. Shows Faith Gives An . . Identification With Christ.
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Illustration
How does a person express their faith in Christ? Public baptism has always been one of the primary ways of doing
that. Recently one of the men who has not been baptized even though he has attended this church for years. He
showed up recently on a Sunday night, and we were observing the Lord's Supper. I explained as always that a
person who had not been baptized should not partake of the supper.
I don't know if this man partook or not, but as we held hands and testified you may remember he said I want to be
worthy to take the Lord's Supper. After church I asked him if that meant he was willing to be baptized. He said
yes. I asked when he wanted to be baptized and he said when ever you say.
He wanted to identify publically with Christ, through water baptism because he had identified in spiritual baptism
with Christ.
Vs. 3:27 baptized into Christ. Not water baptism but Spirit baptism, which brings believers into a living union with
Christ
(cf. 1 Cor. 12:13). have clothed yourselves with Christ. A responsible act of appropriating all that Jesus Christ is.
C. Shows Faith Gives An . . Identity for All. v 28
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Illustration
I am a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team. On this team we have several Christians. Albert Pujols is
brown in complexion, and from Porti-Rico. Reggie Sanders is black. So Taguchi is Japanese, and Yellow. All this
men are Christians. They are all one in Christ.
D. Shows Faith Gives An . . Inheritance with Christ. v 29
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Vs. 3 28 In the unity of the Body of Christ, differences of race, status, and gender lose their significance. Spiritual
position is the same for all, but that does not mean that distinctions cease to exist, nor that all have the same
functions within the body (1 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 2:12).
Vs. 3:29 Christ is the seed of Abraham (v. 16); being in Christ makes the believer a descendant of Abraham and
heir of the promise of justification by faith (v. 8). National promises made to Abraham as the father of the Jewish
people are not in view in this verse, only the universal promise is (v. 8).
