God's Promise

I Promise...

two words that can bring great hope or devastation to one’s spirit. With the best of in intentions we promise something and then for one reason or another we go back on our word.

This last Friday Lisa and I celebrated 16 years of marriage, a promise we made to each on our wedding day.

I promised to love her as Christ loved His church.

As much as I love and cherish my wife I have fallen short of that promise at times.

We live in a world of promises that are broken...

Marriages ending in divorce

Mortgages going unpaid

Politics

Bills that are late

Appointments missed

Paul as he continues his argument for Salvation by Grace is dealing with the promise God made… Galatians 3:15-23

Galatians 3:15–23 NASB95

15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: 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. 16 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. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise. 19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 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 have been based on law. 22 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. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

Paul briefly explains to his readers something they already understand…

“A Promise or Contract”

Cant just set it aside

You cant amend an irrevocable agreement (add to it or change it)

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 76.18 κυρόω

76.18 κυρόωa: to invest something with power or force—‘to give force to, to validate.’ κεκυρωμένην διαθήκην οὐδεὶς ἀθετεῖ ‘no one sets aside an agreement which has been put into force’ or ‘no one sets aside a covenant which has been validated’ Ga 3:15. In order to express the meaning of this phrase in Ga 3:15, it may be necessary in some languages to make more specific the arrangements involved, for example, ‘if people have signed an agreement, no one can disregard it’ or ‘if an agreement has been confirmed, no one can say it does not exist’ or, as in some languages, ‘if an agreement has been tied, no one can untie it.’

Paul is not even speaking of the Promise God made he is talking about promises/contracts made by fallible man!

If this is the expectation of man’s contracts and promises… How much greater this promise/covenant of God’s!

The Promise God Gave

Genesis 12:3

Genesis 12:3 NASB95

3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Genesis 15:4-11

Genesis 15:4–11 NASB95

4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” 8 He said, “O Lord God, how may I know that I will possess it?” 9 So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds. 11 The birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away.

Verse 16 of Galatians Paul refers to this “seed” referring to Christ!

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 3

Paul’s willingness to make an argument using a singular noun in distinction from its plural form (which occurs in other OT verses) indicates a high level of confidence in the trustworthiness of the small details of the OT text

You follow this all the way back to Genesis 3:15 speaking to Satan...

Genesis 3:15 NASB95

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Paul makes his point clear in verse 17… The Law Does NOT Nullify or change God’s Promise!

The Inheritance does not come through the law!

This was from God’s Promise!

Just because something comes after does not make something before gone, especially when it is never stated that God’s promise was no longer relevant.

LAW vs PROMISE

Law: If / Then

If you obey, then this will happen

If you disobey, then this will happen

Promise: I will do this states God regardless of your actions, inaction

It was contingent on God not Abraham

Only God passed through the halves not Abraham

Why The Law Then? Paul poses the question they must have been asking then.... WHY!?

Because we are sinners

If people are doing wrong we need guided…

Illustrate with cooking in dorms rule...

Verse 19… notice Paul says “until” the law was meant to be Temporary!

This was added later 430 years later!

When Christ came He fulfilled the law! Because we could not… Look at verse 22

We all fall under the law as sinners

Christ revealed that it is more than the actions but even more so the heart and mind! (Matthew 5)

The law guarded man until Christ fulfilled it.

Christ would bring a new covenant of Faith… not that faith was new

(Paul already showed the promise and blessing Abraham recieved by faith)

The new covenant of Faith in Christ would bring blessing to all who receive Him by faith

How does this apply to us who are majority Gentile believers in Christ today?

Salvation is the blessing of God by God through Faith… always has been, always will be!

Rules (God’s rules or ours) and legalism do not bring the blessing of God

We have a confidence in the promises God makes… He keeps His Word!

In a world that is full of broken promises… consider learning how He has given you His word in His Word!

Praise God He is Faithful even when we are faithless!