Promise & Law Passage: Galatians 3:15-29 Overview The Promise of God was given to Abraham; I promise I will bless the whole creation through your offspring. God s covenant was one of seriousness, sacredness, and sincerity. This promise delivered cannot be nullified, aborted, or amended without ceasing to be the unilateral promise it is. God s law was introduced in the form of 10 commandments many years after the promise was made. This law has at least a few uses, but one thing it cannot do is give life. Life, blessing and freedom come through the promise. The law is good, but sinfulness is our weakness and error. The law is no savior because our attempts at adherence to it lead not to life, but to the realization of our own inability. This, however, may indeed be to our benefit if we will (from our helpless state) look to Another for a great salvation. Contrast Performance the execution of an action; something accomplished; the fulfillment of a claim or request Promise a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified; the person to whom a promise is made may expect performance or forbearance of specified act Application God s promise is sure and trustworthy God s promise is to all who believe The law condemns you, but in your despair you are most able to see the magnitude, splendor, and wonder of a Savior God keeps His Promise God s promise was sealed with a blood covenant, and God alone bore the weight of the responsibility to keep it. Christ came as the Promise Keeper, putting His declaration into action. Because of His performance, all those found in Him are grateful beneficiaries of the Promise! Promise & Law 1
Galatians 3:15-29 Intro: The promise of God is that He will give blessing instead of a curse. This promise comes to sinful man, and it is an amazing promise indeed. After this promise, God institutes moral laws, ceremonial laws, and dietary laws. We may struggle to understand how the law is to relate to the promise, but the Apostle Paul seeks to make the relationship plain to us. God s promise to save is vital for sinners who recognize they need a savior, and we may find great instruction here as to how we are now to understand our relationship to God s law as delivered to Moses. Does God hold you responsible for keeping His law? Why did God institute laws like this in the first place? How does Jesus affect your relationship to God s law? EXPOSITION of the passage: 15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified [simply put, a promise is a promise even from the perspective of sinful men]. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, And to offsprings, referring to many, but referring to one, And to your offspring, who is Christ [Paul clearly continues the same reasoning that Christ is the central figure of God s promise all along (see Galatians 3:6, 14). Christ is the One through whom (ultimately) all nations would receive blessing and not curse from God.]. The promise of God precedes the law, and the law does not disturb it. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD said to Abram, Go from your country and your kindred and your father s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 15 (in summary form) the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great. 2 But Abram said, O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless 5 And he brought him outside and said, Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. Then he said to him, So shall your offspring be. 6 And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, I am the
LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess. 8 But he said, O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it? 9 He said to him, Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half [This is a description of what we now know to have been an ancient Suzerainty covenant. Two parties would make promises to one another, and they would then walk between the pieces of the slaughtered animals that had formed something of a blood-path. The imagery would make the point clear that each was putting his life on the line in this covenantal promise If I fail to keep my word, let me be as these animals along the path. ] 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. [In verses 13-16 God tells Abram what the immediate future of his descendants will be. God briefly explains how they will be enslaved in another land for 400 years, but that God will rescue them, give them great possessions when they leave, and judge the nation who enslaves them.] 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram NEVER FORGET THE FLAMING TORCH! o The promise is either nothing, for the law has abolished it, or it is that single promise to which the sinner clings for his or her only hope. The promise is: God is not my enemy but He is my Defender! Oh, that my heart and yours would grab hold of this reality like never before. Our very lives depend upon our trust in this single promise. Have you joy? Have you peace? Have you security? Have you hope? You may turn nowhere else for these except here. Let us say with Peter, To whom else shall we go, Lord? You have the words of life, and let us cling to the Promise Keeper in whom alone is life and peace (John 6:68). Promise & Law 3
18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise [Earning one s due is a wage and not a kind promise of grace]; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise [God gave the inheritance of blessing and not a curse to Abraham by way of simple declarative promise I will ]. 19 Why then the law? [an extremely reasonable question to ask at this point] It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made [Paul appears to be reasoning here about the reason for the introduction of the law specifically why the law came to Israel], and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. Moses is said here to have been an intermediary, and he was indeed a mediator of God s covenant. The word used is the same as the one used in Heb. 8:6, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better However, the purpose of the Hebrews passage is to draw a line of distinction between the two mediators. One the one hand, Moses was a spokesman for God and represented only Him before the people. The people had no representation, but they were exposed in their sinful display before the holy God. On the other hand, in the new and better covenant (which is a fulfillment of God s original covenantal blessing), Christ is the true mediator. He is God with us, and He is our representative before God. 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law [Paul presents two antithetical options: (1) the law brings righteousness, and in it is life; and (2) the law condemns, and in it is death.]. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin [that is, God s word/law as recorded Scripture has demonstrated that everyone is sinful and condemned without personal righteousness], so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe [those who trust in God s promise to save, in spite of their unrighteousness, obtain and enjoy the promised blessing in Jesus Christ]. Verses 19-22 seem to provide an answer to the original question, Why the law? by explaining the reason God instituted the law during the time of Moses. o It seems that Paul is also interested in answering the question by explaining how God s law relates to sinners even in his own day (and ours too). Notice how he begins verse 23: 23 Now before faith came, we were [ we includes Paul and the Galatian Christians, which were comprised of mostly Gentile converts] held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came
The law provokes, condemns, imprisons, and reproves everyone. Why then the law? A. It was added because of [that is to reveal and provoke] transgressions (v19); B. It imprisoned everything under sin (v22); C. It held [sinners] captive under the law (v23); D. It was our guardian [disciplinarian, guide, overseer] until Christ came (24) A. The law provokes and reveals sinners. a. Sinners who reject the Gospel, turn their nose up at the idea of needing a savior or redeemer, are condemned by the law for they are great offenders. b. Never does a child desire a thing more than when he has just been told he cannot have it. You hide and disguise your jealous pursuits, but your selfish passion to have what you cannot have is evident all the same. B. The law condemns and places guilt upon everyone. a. While God s moral law is inherently known by all men (Rom. 1:28-31), sinful men are naturally inclined towards evil and even give approval to others who pursue it (Rom. 1:32). Exposure to the spoken law of God brings duly deserved guilt and condemnation to all who hear it. C. The law imprisons sinners and shows their inability. a. In life, sinners are slaves to their own desires and mastered by their lusts. They may scream, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul, but time and eternity brings reality to bear heavily upon such pride. At the end of our lives, though we have arrogantly convulsed to have what we cannot have through methods that are forbidden, we are faced with the grim truth that our days have been wasted in futility. When we live apart from grace and out of step with the Gospel, we die having strived pathetically towards an aimless end. D. The law is a disciplinarian, guardian, and slave-master to the sinner. a. This slave-master, namely God s law, clutches the sinner by the arm and jerks him this way and that. The master dominates the sinner and smacks him when he missteps or stumbles. Finally, the sinner is dragged to his Father, and the slave-master is relieved of duty. The son has no more need of legalistic duty, for he has found love for his Father and will gladly serve in humble submission. b. The slave-master muzzles the lion and fetters him in chains; the Father frees the lion and tames him for His own. Promise & Law 5
c. Note the Contrast: i. Children under slave-masters = Law ii. Children under the love of their Father = Promise In Christ, we are adopted as children and now free to obey our Father in love. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. In His law, God reveals Himself His character, His nature, what are His delights. a. He shows His children what is valuable, why it is thus, and how we should live in light of divinely ordered morality. Our obedience is for His glory and for our joy. Even a good earthly father lavishes what love he is able on the children of his portion. If the earthly offspring of an evil father benefit greatly from the love of their father, how much more are the profits from the unconditional, intent love of God Almighty? A child s love for his parent is never so evident as when he hears and obeys. b. In our own homes we recognize that obedience and reverence are high expressions of love. How are we able to force our affections for God, our heavenly Father, so far outside the bounds of this otherwise universal category? Have we love for parents? Have we love for country? Have we love for civility? Have we love for the protection of authority? We demonstrate our love as we obey! Have we love for our Father? Will we, if we are His children, love and not obey?! It hardly seems worth the time to consider such nonsense. Christ is the basis of our adoption and inheritance; ours is the promise in Him. 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 no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ s, then you are Abraham s offspring, heirs according to promise. 1 Corinthians 12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Romans 6:3-4 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. APPLICATION of the passage: The law of God cannot save us because we are sinful to the core The promise of God is to save sinners as twisted as we are Our sinful efforts to justify ourselves apart from Christ only condemn us God s promise is sure, and in Christ we are sons not slaves MY PRAYERS concerning this passage: 1) May God make us see our sinfulness honestly 2) May God help us to understand and believe His promise to save us 3) May God grant us the faith to see ourselves as those who are in Christ and heirs of His promise Promise & Law 7
Bibliography Carson, D. A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. Second ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Chrysostom, John. Commentary on Galatians. San Bernardino, CA: Beloved Publishing, 2014. Clements, Don K., comp. New Geneva Introduction to the New Testament. Edited by R. C. Sproul. Narrows, VA: Metokos Press, 2006. Cole, R. A. Galatians: An Introduction and Commentary. Edited by Leon Morris. Nottingham, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 2008. Fung, Ronald Y. K. NICNT: The Epistle to the Galatians. Edited by Gordon D. Fee. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Pub., 1988. Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary: Exposition of Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002. Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2001. Johnson, Gary. "Creation Revolution." Creation Revolution. Accessed July 31, 2013. http://creationrevolution.com/2011/04/two-adams-two-covenants-and-sola-fidepart-ii/. Keller, Timothy J. Galatians for You. [Purcellville, VA]: Good Book Company, 2013. Lightfoot, Joseph Barber. Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galatians. A Revised Text with Introduction, Notes and Dissertations. London: Macmillan and, 1890. Luther, Martin. Commentary on Galatians. Kindle ed. Acheron Press. Platt, David, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida. Exalting Jesus in Galatians. Christ- Centered Exposition. Nashville, TN: B&H Pub. Group, 2014. Sproul, R. C. Essential Truths of the Christian Faith. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1992. Tucker, Brian J. "Galatians and Ephesians." Galatians and Ephesians. http://www.slideboom.com/presentations/380085/galatians-and-ephesians.
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