The Law and the Promise of God

Introduction

As I previously mentioned, the further we get into this study of Galatians, the more complicated it seems to get. In fact, if you just took the Book of Galatians and read it without any other context from the Bible, it would be very difficult. However, if you read it in context of the rest of God’s Word, you will see promises after promises fulfilled and reinforced. This particular section in chapter 3:15-25, show how the promise of God indeed is fulfilled and reinforced. It also shows how it is relevant, reliable, realized and redemptive.

Let’s look closer:

Galatians 3:15–25 NIV84

15 Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. 19 What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. 20 A mediator, however, does not represent just one party; but God is one. 21 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. 22 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. 23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

The Promise of God is Relevant to All Times (vs. 15-17)

One thing that is seen in these first few verses is that the promise of God is relevant to all times. It was relevant when it was first given, and it is relevant to us today. Paul uses some connecting points for the Galatians, showing them an example from their culture, giving them a lesson in history and that His word is unchanging.

An Example of a Court Case

He takes the example of a court case that would be on the mind of those present. Paul frequently appeal to analogies from ordinary life. By the way, do you know who else did that? Jesus taught from examples of everyday life. In this passage, the present analogy stems from the judicial practice of his readers. Despite what has been taught in previous verses, the Galatians persist in appealing to the law. We see in verse 18 the word “inheritance.” It takes verses 15-17 to lead up to that word. This was not only relevant to the Roman culture, but also to the Greek culture that experienced the laws of inheritance. In the Greek world, the adopted son’s rights were more secure than those of a birth son. In classical Greek, the word translated in verse 15 as covenant, diatheke, was commonly used for a will, like a will and testament. Paul is pointing out that the wishes and promises which are expressed in a will are unalterable. Once it was ratified, it could be not be altered or annulled by somebody else. So he is saying that if a man’s will could not be altered, certainly the promises of God were also unalterable. In order to understand this further, Paul gives us a history lesson.

A History Lesson

God’s salvation history began with the choice of one man named Abraham. Salvation history refers to the series of events in the life and history of Israel which led to the coming of Christ the Savior. God promised an inheritance to Abraham and to his descendants. Let me remind you of this bit of history. God called Abraham from the Ur of the Chaldees. God promised him that he would give him innumerable seed on him and on his land. In doing so, through his seed all the families of the earth would be blessed. This promise of God to Abraham were confirmed in his son Isaac, and then to Isaac’s son Jacob. But Jacob died outside the promised land and in Egyptian exile where a famine in Canaan had driven him. Jacob’s 12 sons died in exile too. Centuries later, and we see mentioned in Galatians 3:17 that 430 years had passed. This refers to the duration of bondage in Egypt. Finally, centuries after Abraham, God raised up Moses and through him, delivered the Israelites from their bondage and gave them the law at Mount Sinai. That is a brief summary of how the promise of God was given to Abraham and then the law was given to Moses in the form of the ten commandments. So the promise was given before the law. Paul is emphasizing here that the law that came after the promise does not nullify the promise. The promise was like a will, freely giving the inheritance to a future generation. Like a human will, this divine promise cannot be changed. Why, God doesn’t change and neither does his word.

God’s Unchanging Word

Hebrews 6:17 NIV84

17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.

What God says is true. His promise therefore is reliable at all times.

I want to show you something back in verse 16 that is imperative to understand. The Bible says in Galatians 3:16 that “The promises were spoken to Abraham and his Seed.” The word from which we translate “spoken” is the Greek word, rheo. It means “flowed to.” Picture the word of God coming forth like a flowing river.

God’s spoken word is our river of life.

Jesus said in John 7:38

John 7:38 NIV84

38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”

But wait, there’s more:

Revelation 7:17 NIV84

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Are you catching this? The spoken word of our God was relevant to life then, now and forever more shall be!

The Promise of God is Reliable at All Times (vs. 18-19)

Did you know that? God’s call and promise to Abraham is the link between the first eleven chapters of Genesis and the rest of the Bible! God says what He means and He means what He says. Turn to your neighbor and say “My God is Faithful!”

God’s promise is reliable!

It is Not Broken

2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV84

20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

I am reminded that God’s promises are fulfilled and remain in His work through Jesus. All that happens because God centers those promises around grace.

It Centers Around Grace

God’s promise to Abraham was free and unconditional. There were no strings attached. There were no works to do, no merit to establish, and no conditions to fulfill. God simply said to Abraham, “I will give you a seed. To your seed I will give the land, and in your seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed.

God’s promise is always meaningful and purposeful.

It is Always Meaningful and Purposeful

It may be confusing to think that the law and the promise work together. Remember, God will never do one thing then tell you something to contradict it. The purpose of the law was to never save us. Its purpose has always been a standard that would show us the magnitude of our sin, our need for grace and thus lead us to Christ. The law was a temporary measure only until our faith in Christ began. Simply put, the law does not make us sinners but it shows us to be sinners! God’s promise and His word are there for a reason.

Isaiah 55:10–11 NIV84

10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11 so is 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.

It has meaning and purpose and the promise of God is to be realized for all people.

The Promise of God is Realized for All People (vs. 20-23)

In this Galatians passage, there is the mention of mediator. One of the Jewish beliefs was that no one could see God and survive. This is evident in passages like Exodus 20:19 when the people inquired of Moses to speak on behalf of God.

Exodus 20:19 NIV84

19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

Moses was the mediator between God and the Israelites. Because God was and is so holy, no one could ever approach Him.

Our Mediator

Our mediator is Jesus Christ! He is the one that provides access to His Father on our behalf. That’s why we pray in the Name of Jesus, because apart from Christ, we cannot access God because of our sin. We have the law to show us just how sinful we are. One writer put it this way,

“It is only against the inky blackness of the night sky that the stars begin to appear, and it is only against the dark background of sin and judgement that the gospel shines forth.” John Stott

But thanks be to God! He gave us the mediator in Jesus Christ!

1 Timothy 2:5

1 Timothy 2:5 NIV84

5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Our Faith

That good news should strengthen your faith! After all the promise of God is for all people. Galatians 3:22

Galatians 3:22 NIV84

22 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.

Hebrews 10:23 NIV84

23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Our Freedom

The promise of God is for all people and that promise gives us the freedom from being a prisoner of sin. Paul tells the Galatians this very truth in a verse we will eventually study later: Galatians 5:1

Galatians 5:1 NIV84

1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

This reminds me that the promise of God is redemptive for all people.

The Promise of God is Redemptive for All People (vs. 24-25)

The Law Teaches

We have determined that the law teaches about our sinfulness but it cannot save us. On this journey called life, there is much we need to learn, right? I have said many times that I have learned by my mistakes. In fact, in that educational process of learning by mistakes, I am working on a few doctorate degrees! Again, we all fall short of the glory of God! Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 NIV84

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

But also in this passage we are studying today, in verse 24 there is this phrase: “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ...”

The words “put in charge” could also be translated as “given a tutor.” The law serves as a teacher that is very strict, telling us what to do and warning us of our disobedience. Did you ever have a teacher like that? I had a few and I believed them when they told me there were consequences for my behavior. Apart from Christ, there are also consequences that lead to eternal damnation.

The Law Reveals

The law reveals to us that everybody is either held captive by the law because he or she is awaiting the fulfillment of the promise or they have been delivered from the law because they have inherited the promise. Do you know what that promise does?

The Promise Sets Us Free

Galatians 3:25 NIV84

25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Don’t you love a “Now” in scripture? You have all the troubling parts and then you see, “Now” or as some translations have, “But now” or “Therefore.” Now, faith has come. The promise of faith has set you free, but only if you have been justified by faith. Have you?

The Bible is the promise of God and it is full of wonderful words of life!