Law vs Promise

‘These two things (as I do often repeat),’ comments Luther, ‘to wit, the law and the promise, must be diligently distinguished. For in time, in place, and in person, and generally in all other circumstances, they are separate as far asunder as heaven and earth.…’ Again, ‘unless the Gospel be plainly discerned from the law, the true Christian doctrine cannot be kept sound and uncorrupt.’

Stott, John R. W. 1986. The Message of Galatians: Only One Way. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

What is the difference between them? In the promise to Abraham God said, ‘I will … I will … I will …’. But in the law of Moses God said, ‘Thou shalt … thou shalt not …’. The promise sets forth a religion of God—God’s plan, God’s grace, God’s initiative

Stott, John R. W. 1986. The Message of Galatians: Only One Way. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester, England; Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Imagine a wealthy father who promises his young son, "One day, everything I have will belong to you."

The son is the heir, but while he is still a child, he lives under rules. He has a schedule. He has restrictions. He has guardians watching over him. He has people telling him where to go, what to do, and how to behave.

Those rules are not there because he is not the son. They are there because he is not yet mature.

But the day eventually comes when the child grows up. The guardians step aside. The restrictions are removed. The heir begins to enjoy the privileges that were always his by promise.

The rules were never the goal. Maturity was the goal.

That is similar to the argument Paul is making in Galatians 3.

False teachers had convinced many believers that spiritual maturity came through returning to the Law of Moses. They taught that God's blessing was found in rule-keeping, ceremonies, and religious performance.

But Paul argues the opposite.

The Law was never God's final plan. The Law was a temporary guardian. It was a tutor. It was a schoolmaster assigned to watch over God's people until Christ came.

The promise came first.

The promise was greater.

And when Christ came, the promise reached its fulfillment.

In Galatians 3:15-29, Paul contrasts the Law and the Promise. He shows us that the Law could expose sin but could not save sinners. The Law could supervise children but could not produce sons. The Law could point us to Christ, but only Christ could bring us into the inheritance God promised.

Today we will see that the Law was a temporary tutor, but the Promise brings us into mature sonship, clothed in Christ and heirs of all that God has promised.

Galatians 3:13–29 LSB

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brothers, I speak in human terms: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ. And what I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to abolish the promise. For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise, but God has granted it to Abraham through promise. Why the Law then? It was added because of trespasses, having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one person only, whereas God is one. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed be by law. 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. But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.

I. Law

A. The law was inferior

It was temporary

Galatians 3:15 LSB

Brothers, I speak in human terms: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.

Galatians 3:15 NLT

Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case.

Galatians 3:17 LSB

And what I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to abolish the promise.

Galatians 3:19 LSB

It was added… until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.

It was indirect

Galatians 3:19–20 LSB

the Law … having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. Now a mediator is not for one person only, whereas God is one.

it could not give life

Galatians 3:21 LSB

Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed be by law.

So the law is inferior. It is temporary, indirect and can’t give life. What is it for then? Why would God even give it?

B. The law was a tutor

Showed what sin and righteousness are

Galatians 3:19 LSB

Why the Law then? It was added because of trespasses…

Galatians 3:19 NLT

Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins.

Romans 7:7 LSB

What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! Rather, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law. For I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.”

Galatians 3:22–24 LSB

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. But before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, being shut up for the coming faith to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor unto Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

tutor, guardian, schoolmaster KJV. Gk. Pedagogos

II. Promise

A. The promise is superior

it is unconditional

Galatians 3:17–18 LSB

And what I am saying is this: the Law, which came 430 years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to abolish the promise. For if the inheritance is by law, it is no longer by promise, but God has granted it to Abraham through promise.

There are no strings attached. It is simply by faith. It is not by keeping any laws or conditions. It is one sided.

it is unilateral

Galatians 3:20 NLT

Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham.

Genesis 15:17–18 LSB

Now it happened that the sun had set, and it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. On that day Yahweh cut a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your seed I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:

B. The promise is to Christ and those in Him by faith

Galatians 3:16 LSB

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.

Galatians 3:26–27 LSB

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Galatians 3:29 LSB

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.

C. The promise makes it’s recipients mature.

Clothed in Christ,

Galatians 3:27 LSB

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

One In Christ

Galatians 3:28 LSB

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Heirs In Christ

Galatians 3:29 LSB

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to promise.

Just as school is forced on children to teach them and they don’t want to do it. The law is imposed on God’s people to teach us and show us what righteousness looks like. School isn’t bad. The Law isn’t bad. But you don’t want to stay in school forever. You want to learn and graduate. You want to move on. You would go up to an adult and tell them, you are not an adult because you don’t do algebra anymore. No I graduated. I don’t have to do that to be an adult. I had to learn it to know how logic works, etc. But I am still an adult. In the same way a Christian doesn’t stop being a Christian because they eat shellfish or fail to circumcise their boys, or because they didn’t keep the sabbath. No we are made right with God “Justified” by faith in Christ. We are IN Christ. He is the seed. We are in him. We are right by faith apart from the Law. School’s Out.

Now we can live out what we have learned by the power of the Spirit without the condemnation. Without the grades. Without the requirements. We can work and play and love and minister and care for others. We can be who we were trained to be.

Possible conclusion illustration

Imagine a young prince growing up in a royal household.

From the day he is born, he is the heir to the kingdom. The palace, the crown, and the inheritance are already his by birthright. But while he is a child, he lives under strict supervision. Tutors teach him. Guards watch him. Servants escort him everywhere he goes. They tell him when to wake up, when to study, where he can go, and what he can do.

As a child, he may even feel restricted. He may wonder why he has so many rules.

But the purpose of those guardians was never to keep him a child forever. Their purpose was to prepare him for the day he would take his place as a mature son of the king.

Then one day comes a great ceremony. The prince lays aside the garments of childhood and is clothed in royal robes. The tutors step back. The guardians are dismissed. Not because they failed, but because their work is complete.

The prince does not become an heir that day. He always was an heir.

What changes is that he now enters into the privileges and responsibilities of his inheritance.

That is Paul's message in Galatians 3.

The Law was God's guardian. It restrained, instructed, and prepared His people. But it was never intended to reign forever.

When Christ came, the guardian's work was finished.

And all who trust in Christ are no longer spiritual children standing under a tutor. We are sons and daughters of God. We have been clothed with Christ. We stand accepted before the Father. We are heirs according to the promise.

The tragedy would be for the prince, after receiving his royal robes, to run back to the nursery and ask the tutor to govern him again.

And the tragedy for many Christians is that they have been made sons through faith in Christ, yet they still try to earn what God has already given by promise.

The gospel calls us to leave the nursery, embrace our identity in Christ, and live as heirs of God's promise.