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Well once again, good morning. Please turn in your Bibles to Galatians chapter 3. We'll be looking at verses 10 through 14 today. Galatians chapter 3, verses 10 through 14. We're in a text of Scripture that deals with blessing and curses. Blessing of God, the curse of God. In fact, there are two paradigms of life that the scriptures lay out for us.

And that is a way of life that is under God's blessing and a way of life that is under his curse. Scripture tells us the story, the account of how God's curse entered into the world and how God is going to remove that curse and ultimately end up blessing all the nations.

And we're in the middle of a passage there. Paul is talking about these two paradigms. Big question becomes, how does one come under God's blessing? Is it through the paradigm of works, righteousness, performance to God's standards in our human strength? Or is it based on faith, faith in what God has done and what he is doing?

Doing to bring about the blessed condition. Let me go ahead and read those verses. Galatians 3, verse 10. For as many are as the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them.

Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident, for the righteous man shall live by faith. However, the law is not of faith. On the contrary, he who practices them shall live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.

For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree, in order that in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. I think about these two ways of life, blessing and curses.

I compare them to some of those beautiful and spectacular storm events that would frequent northern New Mexico when I was growing up. We lived high up in the mountains, and the mesas out there became these. Great outlets for all this static electricity that would build up in the clouds.

As the storm clouds formed, it would do two things: it would gather moisture and it would gather static electricity. And this is a picture of one of the lightning storms there, northern New Mexico, with lightning quite impressive. It was a light show. Devastation, where it found its, when that static electricity found a grounding point, I mean it would come down in incredible strength and sound.

But what was interesting is that the same clouds that brought the destruction on some objects also brought great blessing on others. We dropped that moisture in the mountains and cleanse the air, nourish, and give life to everything. And I think very similarly, if we can make this analogy to God's curse and God's blessing, same person, same individual.

He blesses and he curses. Blessing. Speaks of God's delight, and that results in favorable expressions of his goodness and his abundance and his abounty upon the objects of his favor. When we talk about curse, we're talking about his indignation, his seething anger, and that results in his just expressions of wrath.

Which way of life describes you this morning? There's one God. The most important thing about you is: are you living under his blessing, or are you living under his curse? Well, the good news about the good news is that there is a way to God's blessing. So I was saying the Bible tells the story of how God is going to bring the nations, all the nations, out from under the curse and to enjoy his blessings.

All nations, all families. And the invitation to you, the good news, is that you be one of those. Comes out of his curse and into his blessing. It's offered to all. It's a work of God. Look back at verse 8, chapter 3. The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed in you.

So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham the believer. See, before there was even the law, before there was even circumcision, before there was even the tribe of Judah or Jacob, before all of that, righteousness was in the earth and the gospel was preached. And that gospel declares that all nations will be blessed in Abraham through faith like Abraham in the promised seed of Abraham, that is Christ, all would be blessed along with Abraham.

That is the gospel beforehand. And the rest of the scriptures tell us how God rolls out that good news and brings it about. You see, blessing doesn't come about by living up to God's standards, but by having in faith. In God's ability to justify and sanctify his people.

You see, the problem in Galatia is that there were those who thought being under the law would bring about God's blessing. And what Paul is saying to them, no, it actually doesn't. If you're under the law, all that remains for you is curse. Blessing is in the faith of Abraham, taking God at his word, believing in him.

And so we're going to look at this this morning. We'll be looking at the curse of the law and the good news of Christ's redemption. In fact, that's what we want to look at: look at the good news of Christ's redemption, but you can't understand that without understanding the backdrop of the cursed condition of humanity.

So you're going to have to understand this cursed condition before you can appreciate Christ's redemption. And so that's what I want us to look at. I want us to look at the redeeming work of Christ against this backdrop of the cursed condition of humanity so that our faith will rest in God and Him alone to accomplish this work of setting us apart and bringing us to us.

Bringing us under his eternal blessing. So let's step into this. First, let's look at the condition of the cursed. The condition of the curse. We'll be looking at verses 10 through 12 on this. But just generally speaking, before we dive in in earnest, let's talk about what is the curse of God.

What is a curse? Generally speaking, a curse can be a noun and a curse can be a verb. In fact, I think it's helpful when we're talking about the curse of God to use both, to think about both. What does it mean to be cursed? Well, as a noun, we think of a curse as an utterance or an expression, a display.

So there is an utterance and there is an object. There is the one cursing and there is the one being cursed. But in the noun, and when we think about it as a noun, we're thinking, okay, the curse is that external display or that display of God's punishment.

So you have the, when we think about a curse, we're thinking about God's utterance or God's display, and then we think about the object, those two elements. Just think about like a lightning rod. A lightning rod. There is the static electricity in the atmosphere grounding out in one place.

You have the rod, which is the object, and then you have. Have the lightning from above. I remember this so vividly also growing up. We lived on a Mesa, and there was a large water tower, and they put a lightning rod up there on the water tower, so that, because a lot of lightning would happen up there, and they wanted to direct it all to one place.

And wow, when it hit that place, boom. I mean, it was loud, you knew it, and it was spectacular to see and spectacular to hear. But then we can also think about the curse of God as a verb, the act of cursing, the act of that expression actually happening.

You can think about the curse as being that which causes a person to come under that curse, that which puts the frown on God's face, that which incites that internal disposition, God, against the object. So we can think of the curse of God as an external display that happens in a moment of time, but we can also think of the curse of God as that settled indignation, that growing static electricity, if you will, that internal disposition that is ongoing, being under the curse of God.

With the ultimate destination of a point in time when that curse is expressed and irrevocable. Scripture testifies to a world under curse. We see that in Genesis 3. We see how man, thinking he knows more than God, elevates himself and really creates catastrophe on the earth. See the serpent coming under the express curse of God.

We see the earth or the ground being cursed because it's no longer going to yield its strength for sinful, for people just to go and carry out their sin. As we keep going in Genesis, you see this God's displeasure carried out on Cain in chapter 6 through 9.

You see this ancient world condemned. See God's displeasure poured out. You come to the end of the book, Revelation, and the ultimate expression, external display of God's internal wrath is hell itself. Revelation 21:8 says, But for the cowardly and the unbelieving and the abominable. Abominal and the murderers and immortal persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

Curse. There's going to be a final and permanent and external display of that which God hates. He's going to bring an end to sin on earth and in the lives of his people. So we understand the world under curse. The Bible is very clear on that. Now, salvation.

Think about now what is salvation about? Salvation deals with a person being delivered from the curse of God and brought into the blessing of God. That's what salvation is all about. It involves a change in the way God regards a person to remove this person from his indignation, to put that person under his favor.

It's a work of God. So salvation involves an internal disposition within God, Himself. That's why it has to be a work of God. But it also inevitably brings about a change in a person's heart. Because God hasn't changed. He still is indignant against sin. And so ultimately, when salvation occurs, there is a change in a heart disposition to that which God can and does bless.

And it's a work of him. It's a change within God towards an object based upon him. So I want to talk to you about this. There are three characteristics of this cursed condition. Then we'll jump into God's redemption. Three characteristics of a cursed condition. Verses 10 through 12, Paul describes this condition of the curse.

Look at verse 10. For as many are as are of the works of the law. Stop there. As many, for as many are being according to the works of the law. What Paul is defining here is that the first condition of the cursed is that their relationship with God is based upon their performance to God's standards.

They are out of the works of the law. You can say born out of. Their relationship with God is based upon the works of the law. Out of. So they are in this category of people whose relationship with God is based upon their performance to the law's requirements.

What is your relationship with God? Is it born out of a performance? You think you can perform to God's standards? This is like a contractual relationship. It's like, okay, God, I'll do this and you do this. The law is like God saying to man, okay, you do this and I'll do this.

If you perfectly obey this law, I will perfectly bless you. Conditional. It also has the assumption that I can live up to God's standards. That's the idea of the law. And the Jews say, yeah, just give us your law, we'll obey it. There's a problem with the heart.

It's like, okay, God, I can live up to your standards. So it has a faulty underlying assumption, and it's a purely contractual relationship. And of course, in the context, believe the law is a unity. It involves moral, civil, and ceremonial law. And so that we don't spend our time chasing rabbits this morning, we'll just talk about the moral law.

But for a Jew, under the law, They had to obey the whole thing. And by the way, it is absolutely impossible for anyone to obey the law as it stands without the temple, without the whole temple ministry. You cannot. Since for nearly 2,000 years, there is no way anybody could possibly ever obey the law.

But just morally speaking, we'll talk about the moral law. What does the law demand of people? Well, two things: they are to love God totally at all times, and they are to love everyone around them to the same degree that they love themselves. That's what the law requires.

And it's fleshed out as to what that would look like in the context of Israel. But that's it. So do you love God totally all the time, and do you love everyone around you to the same degree that you love yourself? So, have you ever told a lie?

Have you ever stolen something? Have you ever coveted something in your thought life? Have you desired something? You know what? Those are not expressions of loving God, and they're not expressions of loving someone like yourself. If you want to steal from somebody, if you lie to somebody, you obviously don't love them.

You don't meet God's standards. It was John the Baptist who came, and you remember his message. He was telling his generation to flee from the wrath that is to come. There is this static electricity. Keep using that analogy. God's pent-up anger is soon to be released and ultimately to be released, and you need to flee from it.

In fact, he goes on to, John the Baptist says this in Luke 3:9. Indeed, the axe is already laid at the root of the trees. So every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. That was his message. And the crowds said, What shall we do then?

If this is the case, if this pending wrath of God is coming, then what shall we do? And this is what he said: The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has one or none. And he who has food is to do likewise. In other words, when you see somebody who is in his fortune, do you go out of your way to share what you have with him?

That's interesting how John the Baptist brings this point, the point of the law to it. You need to love one another. And you need to love one another as yourself. When you see that person, that person, that person, your heart is to go out to. And that's the righteousness that the law requires.

If we're honest, we don't live up to that. We love ourselves, and no one else really competes with that. Love. But Deuteronomy 18:13, the law's requirement is very clear. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. You shall be blameless. You shall be perfect before the Lord your God.

Now, the law hasn't repented. The law hasn't said, you know what, that's not a good standard. We're going to go through something else. We're going to try something else to see if we can dial in and get this thing to work. No, the law has, that is still the standard.

God wants his people to be blameless and to be perfect before him. And the scripture tells the story how he accomplishes that in his people. It's not something that man gets to on his own. So, question, what is the basis of your relationship with God? Is it based on performance or your ability to be perfect before the Lord?

Is your relationship with God performance-based or faith-based? Or maybe your answer is going to be both. Well, a little of both. We'll talk about that in a little bit, too, because that seems where a lot of people are these days. But there's a second condition of. The cursed.

Not only is their relationship with God based upon their performance to God's standards, but they are under God's curse because of their failure to live up to his standards. Look at verse 10. For as many as of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them.

Curse. They are under a curse. Everyone who is under the law, everyone who wants to base their relationship with God on their ability to perform or live up to his standards are under a curse because, and then he cites scripture, Deuteronomy 27, 26. Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them.

And notice Paul's universal language is: everyone, there is no exception to any person. Everyone who does not abide by, and notice this other, all things, all things, no exception to any law. So this applies to everyone. This involves every law. Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law.

Paul is speaking to. Jews and Gentiles. But notice how he expands that. Look, it's written in the law, but it involves all the nations. It involves everybody. The application is for anybody who would receive or who would seek a relationship with God outside of Christ. The promised seed through whom all nations will be blessed.

This is also evident in the blessing chapters of Deuteronomy, Deuteronomy 28, verse 1. God's blessing is upon all or upon those who do all of his commandments. That's what he tells Israel. You go, you do all these commandments, guess what? You'll be blessed, but you have to do them all.

It's going to be the condition of blessing. So you're going to find in our world today these works-based religious systems, works-based religious systems. We can name a few: Catholicism, some elements of orthodoxy, some of even elements of holiness movement, some denominations in the holiness movement, some in the fundamentalism movement.

Think about it under a system of Mormonism, works-based, a system of Jehovah's Witnessism, a system of Judaism, a system of Islam. All of these have something in common, and that is. Is that a relationship with God is ultimately dependent upon one's performance and continuation in that performance to do what God pleases.

You also find these works-based ideology under secular systems as well. And you've heard it. In fact, you may have thought of it. God is going to weigh my good deeds against my bad deeds. And ultimately, yeah, I know there's some slop in there, but God's going to tip the scales in my favor.

That is a works-righteousness mode of thinking. And it is very prevalent, even if it isn't under a religious denomination. It is very much a works-based mentality. And whether it's in the religious sector or whether it's in the secular sector, such systems inevitably elevate man and de-elevate God. They reduce God's righteous standards to something that fallen man can achieve, or they reduce God's standards to something that, well, he isn't all that concerned about, and we can get over.

But either way, if you think About living up that you can live up to God's standards perfectly, well, you're going to elevate yourself, you'll become proud, or you have to reduce God's standards. In other words, you have to lower God. Either way, it's like trying to put out fire with dousing it in gasoline, it only infuriates the flame, and so it is with God.

So, the second characteristic of a cursed condition deals with the person's failure to live up to all of God's standards all of the time. And so, if you have a works-based relationship with God, you've got to live up to that all the time. Scripture is very clear: nobody has done that, so you inevitably fall under God's curse.

And to the honest soul, it's an impossible standard. Failure is certain. We can't live up to God's perfect righteousness. But there's a third condition of this cursed: they are going to remain, they will remain under the curse of the law as long as they are under the law.

That's what Paul brings out in verses 11 and 12. So, the relationship with God is based upon their performance to the standards of God's law, but they are under a curse because they don't live up to those. And they're going to stay in that cursed condition until they come out from under the law.

And two reasons why this is so. Number one, look at verse 11. Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident. For the righteous man shall live by faith. Reason number one: you see, the law was never meant to make anyone righteous. It never was given for that purpose.

The purpose of the law was not to justify. Faith is the way one becomes righteous before God's eyes. And so, what Paul does is he again goes to Scripture, and he's going to cite Habakkuk, chapter 2, and verse 4, or the second part of that. Let me just read the whole verse of Habakkuk.

Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him, but the righteous will live by his faith. So the ones who are righteous are going to live their relationship and their basis with God is much like Abraham. They believe, they trust. God, I don't know how you're going to do it.

I don't know how you're going to cleanse this soul up. I don't know how you're going to fit me for heaven with you to perfectly come under your blessing. I don't see how you're going to. Perfectly bring me into obedience, but that's what you say, that's what I trust, that's what I believe, and I look to the one through whom you promised that this would happen.

But the proud one, his soul isn't right with him. Going back to Habakkuk, in contrast to the proud one, is the one who exercises faith. Faith involves humility. You see, the notion that fallen man can live up to God's standards perfectly is short-sighted, uninformed, and arrogant. Faith, on the other hand, is trusting, takes God at his word, and is the means by which God has ordained for man to become righteous, fully righteous.

Justified, and then sanctified, and then glorified. It's all in the same vein: faith. The second reason they will remain under the curse of the law is because the law is not faith. The first reason is that the law was never meant to make anyone righteous in the first place.

Second, the law isn't faith. Look at verse 12. However, the law is not a faith. On the contrary, he who practices them shall live. Live by them. And again, Paul cites scripture to support his assertion. Leviticus 18:5. So then you shall keep my statutes and my judgment by which a man may live if he does them.

See, the purpose of the law is to condemn people for their sin, not to justify them or excuse them for it. The law isn't going to defend sinners, it accuses sinners. A prosecuting attorney does not defend the one it's prosecuting, but goes after it. You see, the way of faith is different.

The person who's been born out of faith, they live out of gratitude for God. Gratitude for sending Christ, Christ as Savior, Christ as Teacher. You see, as long as one thinks he can abide by the law, he is under the curse of the law. And that's what Paul is telling these Galatians.

You fools. If you're going to start down this way of the law, You have to go with it all. And there isn't blessing in the law for you, but curse. You read carefully. But the good news is that God doesn't expect us to be perfect and sinless to come under his blessing.

He's made a way for us to come under his blessing, even though we have sin. There is a way that he deals with that sin, removes that sin, and transforms us, and brings us under his eternal blessing. And that is due to the redemption that is in Christ.

That is the good news. But you can't understand it without understanding this cursed condition. So now let's step into the good news of Christ's redeeming work. There's three things I want you to see in these next two verses. What Christ redeemed us from, how he redeemed us, and why he redeemed us.

What he redeemed us from, how he redeemed us, and why he redeemed us. Look at verse 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. What did he redeem us from? From the curse. Underline that. He redeemed us, he brought us back, he delivered. Delivered us from the curse.

I love the gospel. The gospel tells the story of a king, a great, noble king, one who is all glorious within, a king who loves his people, a king who saves his people, who had been taken and put under a yoke of slavery and tyranny. It's a story of how this king did all that was necessary to bring them out of this most horrid condition and into the most favored condition.

That's what the gospel is about. Christ bringing his people out from under the curse of God and into the blessing of God. That's the king who is all glorious within. Notice again what he redeemed his people from, from the curse of the law. You see, the curse of the law is synonymous with the curse of God.

It's the same. And it doesn't change. God doesn't change. Notice what he says. It is written, verse 13. God has spoken. It can't be invalidated. You remember in the book of Daniel. The law of the Medes and Persians couldn't change, even by the king. Well, the same is true about the law of God.

The curse is a fixed reality upon all sinners. But it's important to note what he did not redeem us from, because I think we misunderstand what redemption is all about. Notice he did not deliver his people from the God of the law, but from the curse of the God of the law.

In other words, he didn't deliver them from the lawgiver, but the curse of the lawgiver. And there's a difference. You see, there are many who see in the Old Testament, well, there's the God of the Old Testament, and there's the God of the New Testament. I obey the God of the New Testament, not the God of the Old.

It's one God. The law isn't bad. And Paul's going to go into that. It's not your enemy. I can't wait to get there. That's going to be. But notice, he also didn't deliver them from the righteous requirements revealed in the law, but the curse of the law. Listen, the law reveals a righteousness about God, the lawgiver, Christ, what he is like, one who perfectly embodies.

The law and carries it out all the time. We're not delivered from the righteous requirements of the law, but the curse of the law. You see, today there's people, there's Old Testament morality, there's New Testament morality. Well, no, whatever depicts, whatever is a revelation and depicts the heart and disposition of the lawgiver, we're not delivered from that, but from his curse.

Righteous requirements are there. Notice we're not delivered from the edifying benefits of the law, but the curse of the law. There are benefits to reading the law. You go through, blessed is the man who meditates in God's law, Torah. He shall be like a tree planted by streams of living water.

That hasn't changed, by the way. No, there's edifying benefits. And I look forward, in fact, this spring, two weeks, I plan on starting a series on the law of God and understanding the law of God. We're working through Galatians. What a great passage, a great book to spend some time understanding the law.

I think there's one of the things that Christians fail to understand sometimes. What is our relationship to the law? So we're going to spend some time looking at that. I find the law just marvelous. Wonderful if one uses it properly. Then I plan on, after Galatians, we plan on going into Hebrews, and I'll spend some time looking in the evening series at the Levitical priesthood because much of that.

So, between Galatians and Hebrews, we're going to have plenty to talk about the law, and it will be a segue into that. But all of this, there's not two gods, there's not two moralities. God redeemed us from God's seething displeasure, He saved us from our non-conformity to His ways by removing curse, by redeeming us, doing what was necessary to remove us from the curse.

That's what He redeemed us from. Second, I want you to see how He redeemed us. Look back at verse 13: Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. Underline, having become a curse for us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.

You see, He had to become something in order to deliver us from something. He had to become the curse in order to deliver us from the curse. And we know he was cursed. Paul again cites Scripture. He cites Deuteronomy 21:22. For he who is hanged. On a tree is a cursed of God.

That's why the Jews had such a hard time accepting Jesus because, as they see it, based upon the law of the one who is Jesus isn't the Messiah, because Jesus was cursed. Paul is saying, yes, he was cursed, but he was cursed for his people. He became a curse.

That's how he stepped in and saved us. Saved his people. You see, he had to become that lightning rod of God's wrath for his people. Notice for us. It's like he became a curse for us, but also with us. He became a curse on our behalf, for our disobedience.

You remember again when John the Baptist, when Jesus comes up to John the Baptist to be baptized in Matthew 3, 14, John tries to prevent him. And John the Baptist says, I have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? That wasn't a statement of humility.

That was a statement of John's understanding of his need. I need the Spirit of God. Upon you is the Spirit of God. And Jesus answered him, saying, Permit it at this time, for in this way, me stepping into the warm stream of humanity. And identifying with my people in their baptism in this way, it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.

This is what's going to be necessary to fulfill the righteousness required in the law for his people. It's like Christ sees our helpless and sinful condition. He understands the wrath of God, that displeasure which is going to manifest itself in eternal damnation. It's like he comes and he puts his arm around you and me, and he says, Let's face this wrath together.

His crucifixion, mind you, is our crucifixion. Look back at Galatians 2:20. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. His death was our death with us. A new people was brought forth in his redeeming work on the cross.

We witnessed this kind of curse in the Noahic flood. You remember God in his mercy gives Noah an ark, gives him instructions, the provision. But those who were to survive the flood had to get into the ark. And they faced this great deluge. Together with the ark. They weren't exempted from it.

Salvation is how God, or how a person goes from being under God's curse and settled indignation to going under his delight and blessing. And you do that by being in Christ. In Christ. I think about again this lightning thing. Let me show you a few images as I found some spectacular lightning images.

There's one guy took outside his church, right close to a cross, but look at it. It's like all of the lightning of heaven coming down and focusing, coming into one place. Another one shows, say, an image of a lightning bolt standing close to the cross. That's what's being said when he has become a curse for us.

It's incredible. Think about the paradigms of life that we have. There are those who are under God's curse, and you think about a lightning storm grounding out on all of those objects, or you have another option. A lightning rod protecting the whole city. That's exactly what Christ did for his people.

To be in Christ, you have to come in his kingdom, under his jurisdiction, under his domain. And he became a curse for us. And that's how God accomplishes the redemption, the salvation from his curse to life under his blessing. That's good news. Good news of Christ's redeeming work.

So we've looked at how he redeemed us. Now I want you to see why he redeemed us, why he redeemed us. Look at verse 14. In order that in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

What is this about? The blessing of Abraham. Why did he redeem us? This is the promise. His seed, in his seed, in Abraham's seed, all the nations will be blessed. And in order for all the nations to be blessed, Christ redeemed us. And I want you to see something here.

Look in verse 14, and Paul says, so that we would receive. Notice what Paul is doing there. He is identifying with the nations. The word for Gentiles there is the word nations. And it's often translated as Gentiles. But look at Paul. He's not saying I'm a Gentile. He's saying, I'm among this blessed category of the nations, Jew, including Jews.

All nations, all families will be blessed, including the Jews. And Paul is saying, we would receive, because of Christ's redeeming work, having become a curse for us on the cross, the blessing of Abraham has come to all the nations so that we would receive the promise of his Spirit.

In Christ. What does it mean to be in Christ? Well, as I said earlier, it needs to come under his fear, under his dominion, over his responsibility, but it's more than that. In context, Paul is talking about the promise of his spirit, the spirit. Union with Christ is about coming under that intimate jurisdiction of his spirit.

To be in Jesus Christ is to be immersed with, in, by his spiritual essence, by his spirit, to be one with, immersed in, permanently united to God's Spirit through the work of Jesus Christ. That's how God brings about the blessing. He puts us in Christ. He puts us in that same Spirit of Christ.

Oh, that's good. You need to have the Spirit of Christ. That's what's necessary. That's where the blessing is. It's in Christ in His Spirit. Do you think and feel like Christ? Do you have a tendency to believe like He believed God? Did you have a tendency to trust God like He trusted God?

Do you have a tendency to obey or a desire to obey God like him? That comes from him. Even if we're still yet imperfect and still sin, our attitude toward it is very different. And by the way, Jesus must give his spirit to his people. No one takes it from him.

No one says, I've lived up to your standards. Now you must give it to me. No one extracts that from him. It's his gift. It's God's blessing. The spirit of Christ is God's blessing to his people. It is a gift to humanity, and it is the one thing necessary.

For you to be in Christ, you need to be in the spirit of Christ. And how does that happen? Look back at the end of verse 14, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. God wants you to have His Spirit. And there's something that is the same.

About you coming to the cross and realizing, yes, God, you sent your Son because we need a Savior. And God, yes, His righteousness is good and perfect. And yes, God, I don't live up to that. And God, yes, it is right for the world to be like Him, and yet there's a huge chasm between me and Him.

God, that's right. God, I believe that you sent Him to take the curse from me because to bear the curse, so that I could come under your blessing. God, as you begin to take that in, it's like, the Spirit of Christ. I want to be like Him. I'm drawn to you through Him.

You see, when people believe in Him, His Spirit comes into them. Well, are you under the law or under faith? Or maybe with many people, there is this thought that there's a mixture. Well, I have a little bit of law, a little bit of grace, I mean, a little bit of faith.

And let me tell you something: either you're under the law or you're under faith. There is no mixture. When you start mixing it, again, you start elevating man or you de-elevate God. But you really don't want that. And I find all these systems that have a work base, they say, yeah, we recognize perfection as it, but God.

To let some things slide, you just have to be in the right works-based system, whether that's Islam, Judaism, or some form of Christianity. You just got to be in the right one, and then, yeah, it's all going to work out. But eventually, no one lives up perfectly to any of the standards, to all the standards.

I remember years ago in my cycling days, the only way I could get the really nice bike that I wanted was to go and work for a bike shop and get the employee discount. And so that's what I did. So I got a swell discount. I was able to get all my cycling parts that I needed and at an employee discount.

And then one day I quit and moved on in life, still cycled. And I went back to the store, and the manager said, I still want to give you the employee discount. And I don't know what got into me. I elevated. No, no, no, I'm ready to pay the full price.

And he's like, no, no, no. I really want to give you the. No, no, look, I'm not an employee here anymore, and I want you to consider me a swell guy and that I'm ready to pay. And he's like, okay. And he hit a button on the cash register and took my total to like three times what it was.

And I gasped. I'm like, I don't have that money. Can we work out something in the middle on this thing? Can you give me the. The full price with the swell guy discount. Maybe I don't want, but that, you see, I was looking for a middle ground that would make me feel good.

I didn't want the full effect. And that's what happens in these systems. People do not really want to be totally under a works-based system. God says, okay, you want to go that route? Bing. Here's the whole debt. I can't pay it. Listen, the salvation of man is something that ultimately takes place in the mind and heart of God.

We must, God has to move a person from being under his indignation and curse to under his blessing and delight. And that is only a work of God. So salvation is a work of God and a gift of his grace. The good news is that God, Christ, redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse in order to give us his spirit.

And that's Christ's redeeming work. Do you have the Spirit of Christ today? What is the manifestation of somebody who is under God's blessing? The Spirit of Christ. Is the Spirit of Christ, do you see evidences of the Spirit of Christ at work in your life? What are some of the Indicators?

Humility, obedience, learning, following, trusting, and all other kinds of dispositions that Paul is going to talk about as the fruit of the Spirit. In five. Listen, faith acknowledges that we are not like Christ. That's what faith does. We see the righteous requirements. We see our need. We know that we are not like Christ.

That is why we enter into His school to learn from Him. And He invites us: Come, learn from me. I'll deal with your sin, and I'll be responsible for transforming you. Faith also says, I know I'm in process, and so when I fail, I know I'm not under a curse because Christ has redeemed me from that curse.

So I can get up, confess, look back, appreciate, celebrate the cross, and moved on learning from Him. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we want our relationship with you to be by faith alone in Christ's redeeming work alone. We thank you for Him becoming a curse for us so that He might.