Faith or Works? (10): The Church’s Privileges After “the Faith” Has Come (Galatians 3:25-29) by Rev. Angus Stewart
I. The Abrogation of the Mosaic Law
II. The Blessings of the Messianic Era
III. The Fulfilment of the Abrahamic Covenant
Psalms: 27:1-5; 46:7-11; 68:16-20; 87:1-7
Scripture reading: Galatians 3:15-29
Martin Luther on Galatians 3:28: “The list might be extended indefinitely: There is neither preacher nor hearer, neither teacher nor scholar, neither master nor servant, etc. In the matter of salvation, rank, learning, righteousness, influence count for nothing. With this statement Paul deals a death blow to the Law. When a person has put on Christ nothing else matters. Whether a person is a Jew, a punctilious and circumcised observer of the law of Moses, or whether a person is a noble and wise Greek does not matter. Circumstances, personal worth, character, achievements have no bearing upon justification. Before God they count for nothing. What counts is that we put on Christ.”

Psalm 27:1-5
1 THE Lord’s my light and saving health,
who shall make me dismay’d?
My life’s strength is the Lord, of whom
then shall I be afraid?
2 When as mine enemies and foes,
most wicked persons all,
To eat my flesh against me rose,
they stumbled and did fall.
3 Against me though an host encamp,
my heart yet fearless is:
Though war against me rise, I will
be confident in this.
4 One thing I of the Lord desir’d,
and will seek to obtain,
That all days of my life I may
within God’s house remain;
That I the beauty of the Lord
behold may and admire,
And that I in his holy place
may rev’rently enquire.
5 For he in his pavilion shall
me hide in evil days;
In secret of his tent me hide,
and on a rock me raise.

Psalm 46:7-11
7 The Lord of hosts upon our side
doth constantly remain :
The God of Jacob’s our refuge,
us safely to maintain.
8 Come, and behold what wondrous work
have by the Lord been wrought;
Come, see what desolations
he on the earth hath brought.
9 Unto the ends of all the earth
wars into peace he turns:
The bow he breaks, the spear he cuts,
in fire the chariot burns.
10 Be still, and know that I am God;
among the heathen I
Will be exalted; I on earth
will be exalted high.
11 Our God, who is the Lord of hosts,
is still upon our side;
The God of Jacob our refuge
for ever will abide.

Psalm 68:16-20
16 Why do ye leap, ye mountains high ?
this is the hill where God
Desires to dwell; yea, God in it
for aye will make abode.
17 God’s chariots twenty thousand are,
thousands of angels strong;
In’s holy place God is, as in
mount Sinai, them among.
18 Thou hast, O Lord, most glorious,
ascended up on high ;
And in triumph victorious led
captive captivity:
Thou hast received gifts for men,
for such as did rebel;
Yea, ev’n for them, that God the Lord
in midst of them might dwell.
19 Bless’d be the Lord, who is to us
of our salvation God ;
Who daily with his benefits
us plenteously doth load.
20 He of salvation is the God,
who is our God most strong;
And unto God the Lord from death
the issues do belong.

Psalm 87:1-7
1 UPON the hills of holiness
he his foundation sets.
2 God, more than Jacob’s dwellings all,
delights in Sion’s gates.
3 Things glorious are said of thee,
thou city of the Lord.
4 Rahab and Babel I, to those
that know me, will record :
Behold ev’n Tyrus, and with it
the land of Palestine,
And likewise Ethiopia;
this man was born therein.
5 And it of Sion shall be said,
This man and that man there
Was born ; and he that is most High
himself shall stablish her.
6 When God the people writes, he’ll count
that this man born was there.
7 There be that sing and play; and all
my well-springs in thee are.