Galatians 3:22
“But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”
Access to God is not possible without His assistance. This passage makes that point. This isn’t is everyones thoughts. We often personify God. We assume that we have mercy and will offer the benefit of the doubt, then God will also. Yes, God is merciful and forgiving, but it’s not that simple.
The entirety of the bible is about God’s redemption plan. It begins with the sin of our first parents. Then there is life outside the Garden of Eden. God starts His redemption plan with Abraham. In essence God says, “I love you and want to bless you and your descendants.” He focuses His plan on his family. It gets more specific with Moses. The Law is introduced. This is a code of behavior which established relationship boundaries with God and people.
What’s also introduced is a sacrifice for sin. This is why it’s complicated. Yes, God loves and is involved with His people, but the issue of sin needs to be addressed. I started this entry with peoples assumption that God is merciful and will forgive. Hebrews 9:22 says, “And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Either we will pay for our own sin or we can take Jesus’ sacrifice for it.
The Ten Commandments makes us all guilty. That what today’s verse means when it says, “But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin.” Some may say, “I’ve never murdered anyone.” True, but Jesus says that if we hate someone, then we have murdered that one in our hearts (Matthew 5:21,22). So, we are all guilty, from the criminal to the sweet grandma who loves everyone. This is a difficult concept which most don’t grasp. Or if they do, then they don’t see their guilt as being enough to warrant an eternity away from God.
Why is that? On the risk of being too psychological, it’s too difficult of a concept that we rationalize it. Part of the human consistency is that we have natural defenses which protect us. Mentally, if things are too much, our minds seek to defend us.
Which creates somewhat of a conundrum. God created us with this ability to defend, yet it’s that defense which prevents us from seeing the truth of eternal punishment. While it can’t be God’s fault, then it must a be result of the fall. Jesus says in Matthew 19:8, ‘Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning.’ Also in Matthew 13:13, He says, “Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”
These two passages point out our ability to fool ourselves for something that suits our needs. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.” We can be fooled. This passage tells us we could be confident about things, but be wrong. That’s why the psalmist says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23, 24).
I don’t want to be too stern in stance. We all have instances in which our defenses protected us that aren’t wrong. The Lord knows that and is merciful. Today’s topic is the universal guilt due to our sin. The topic of human defenses goes into areas much to hidden for us to grasp. However, the Lord knows our hearts and motives and can sort all of that out.
Lord, thank You that You’ve provided a way out. The guilt of sin is too much. Open our eyes to our hidden sin and bring healing.