Sermon Tone Analysis

God’s covenant with Abraham.

God’s promise shows us the necessity of faith.

God’s promise shows us the necessity of faith.

Remember, Paul is writing to a church where there were some false teachers; they were called Judaizers, and these were adding requirements to salvation.

God’s promise shows us the necessity of faith.

last week, Paul introduced the doctrine of justification by faith alone at the end of Galatians 2, and then he starts to defend it in Galatians 3 and 4.

God’s promise shows us the necessity of faith.

He starts where any true Jewish person would with Abraham.

Remember the Judaizers are teaching that circumcision is necessary for salvation and circumcision began with Abraham.

This is taken from Genesis 15:6

Where is he quoting from?

Let’s go back to Abraham and let’s see how Abraham received the promise of God.

Now, don’t miss it.

Abraham had done nothing to deserve this.

For all we know, Abraham was a pagan guy who was not seeking after God.

This is initiated by God.

By grace alone, God blesses His people.

So, here’s the first part of the covenant with Abraham that I want to highlight here.

By grace alone, God blesses His people.

It’s not based on what Abraham had done, but based on the initiative and the grace of God, God makes this covenant with Abraham.

By grace alone, God blesses His people.

This covenant has a problem.

How will Abraham become a great nation without any offspring.

Abraham has no male children and he and his wife are old.

By grace alone God blesses His people, and that grace is expressed in radical promises.

How will a 99 year old man and his 90 year old wife accomplish this promise.

The point of the story is this. . .

It’s not what Abraham or Sarah bring to the table; it’s what God is bringing to the table by His grace.

It’s not what Abraham or Sarah bring to the table; it’s what God is bringing to the table by His grace.

God is saying, “Abram, I will bless you.

No matter whether you fail, I will pay the penalty.

I will make myself accountable to pay the penalty should you fail.

I will absorb the cost .”

It’s not what Abraham or Sarah bring to the table; it’s what God is bringing to the table by His grace.

This is a one-sided covenant.

Unbelievable.

This is God’s way of saying, “I will be torn apart if you fail.

If you fail, I will take the consequences.

I will take the penalty.

I will do it.”

It’s not what Abraham or Sarah bring to the table; it’s what God is bringing to the table by His grace.

Abram had no idea the cost of this oath of grace, but centuries later, a darkness came down again.

Right?

It was so great and so dreadful that it put out the sun at noon.

Because Mark 15:33 says,

Then he said, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

What happened to Jesus?

Cut off.

That’s covenant language.

When he says, “My God, my God …” what is he saying?

“I’m in the dark and I’m alone and you’ve cut me off.”

Why?

If you believe in me not only will I not fail but your failures are not going to get in the way of me blessing you.

This is God saying, “I’m going to bless you unconditionally.

If you believe in me, if you enter into this relationship with me, not only will I not fail but your failures are not going to get in the way of me blessing you.”

Through faith alone, God’s people receive His blessing.

Now, the question is, how will he receive the blessing of God?

The answer leads us to the second part of God’s covenant with Abraham.

By grace alone, God blesses His people; through faith alone, God’s people receive His blessing.

Abraham did not do a thing.

Instead, he believed something.

More accurately, he believed Someone; he believed God.

The same picture that’s used, that we talked about last week when the righteousness of Christ was credited to us, same picture here; righteousness before God credited to Abraham based not on what he has done, but based on what he has believed.

Abraham believed God.

It’s not until Genesis 17 that Abraham is circumcised.

Further supporting that justification is by faith alone.

The accusation: Well, what about the way we live?

The accusation comes in, “Well, what about the way we live?

Doesn’t that lead to loose living; people just doing whatever they want?”

The reality that Scripture teaches is that’s not the case.

Those who know they have been saved by grace alone through faith alone live radically different lives than the rest of the world, because they realize they are not just saved by faith; they live by faith.

This faith is expressed in radical obedience.

In Genesis 12 Abraham is justified by faith and this faith led him to leave everything and follow the Lord.

He goes into a foreign land where he’s living in tents.

He’s trusting God to lead him every step of the way.

This is radical living by faith.

This faith is expressed in radical obedience.

In Genesis 22 Abraham finally did have that son that God had promised: Isaac.

So what does God say to Abraham?

This faith is expressed in radical obedience.

Did you notice something a little fishy there, that at least causes us to pause?

Because we’ve been talking all along about how this was all by grace through faith, and God says to Abraham, “Because you did this, because you were obedient, now I’m going to bless you.”

Doesn’t that seem to be a disconnect?

This faith is expressed in radical obedience.

Does this mean that now Abraham’s earning the blessing of God by what he does?

The answer is, “Absolutely not.”

Instead, he’s living by faith.

It’s the same picture.

He’s got a promise from God; he’s got trust in God; he’s believing in God, and his life is the outworking of that kind of faith.

It’s not trying to earn salvation; it’s living by faith.

People who live by grace through faith live radically different lives than the rest of the world...completely different lives.