Does our sin thwart God’s purposes?
Aug 6, 2011
The Race for Grace - part ten in a study from the book of Galatians
By Mike Gaudet
We know what God wants.
We can’t make ourselves do it.
Does our sin thwart God’s purposes?
“Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.” Galatians 3:21-22
God speaks to a world that oftentimes ignores Him. We imagine that this resistance thwarts His purposes. This isn’t the case. God’s Word always accomplishes God’s purposes, “. . . my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
God doesn’t have a problem fulfilling His purposes in this world. We have a problem understanding the purposes He is fulfilling. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.” Isaiah 55:8
The degree to which God’s commandments are dismissed and disobeyed appears to prove that God’s Word is ineffective. It appears that God attempts to influence the world to do His will are more often than not rejected. Appearances can be deceiving.
The verse translated “Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin” in the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) is misleading. The New American Standard Version (NASB) correctly translates the passage this way, “But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin.” The NIV translators sought to defend God against the charge that His written Word influences men and women to sin. This, however, is precisely what this verse is stating.
The Old Testament was the only Bible that existed when these words were written. It was the only Bible the early church had. The passage reveals that Old Testament Scripture “shuts up” all men under sin. The influence of Old Testament Law causes sin to increase, not decrease. “The law was added so that the trespass might increase.” Romans 5:20
The image is of a net that snares fish and prevents their escape. Old Testament Scripture functions in this way in that it confines people “under sin” and prevents their release. This same image is found elsewhere in the Bible.
In the same way that Scripture “shuts up” all men under sin, God “shuts up” all men into disobedience. “For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.” Romans 11:32 This verse isn’t indicating that we snare ourselves in disbelief and disobedience. It’s saying that God snares us.
Why would God purposefully cause the “whole world” to become “a prisoner of sin”?
The answer is, “so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”
God never intended that “law” would lead to “life.” “For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law.” His eternal purposes determined that “what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.”
God’s eternal promises come in gift form only. They are unearned gifts given to those who believe, not earned rewards given to those who behave.
When confronted with our inability to “do the do’s” and “not do the don’ts” we lose hope of earning God’s acceptance by keeping His commandments. We transfer our trust from our ability to keep God’s commandments to God’s ability to keep His commitments. We learn to trust God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
We mistakenly believe that God helps those who help themselves. The truth is that God helps those who realize that they cannot behave well enough to save themselves.
Scripture catches us in the net of sin so that our inability to behave . . .
. . . will influence us to believe.