LIVING BY FAITH IN A PROMISE

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(TROUBLE OR CONFLICT IN THE TEXT)

The Author of the book is the Apostle Paul. The Original Audience: Paul addressed his letter “to the churches of Galatia” (Gal 1:2b). The designation “the churches” combined with other details of the text (e.g., 3:2–5, 26–29; 4:6–7, 28, 31), indicates that the letter’s recipients are professing believers. They came to faith through Paul’s prior ministry (4:19–20; compare 3:1; 4:13–14). Paul’s descriptions at various points in the letter indicate that most of these believers had a non-Jewish background (4:8–11). A more precise identification of the recipients is contingent on where they were located, which is a matter of considerable debate.

The Galatian believers had been exposed to the errant teaching of a group of legalists (Judaizers) who sought to impose the teaching of the Mosiac Law upon these Gentile converts. They told these young believers that their justification was incomplete without adhering to the Law. Because the Galatians had an honest desire to be in right relationship with God, they found themselves catch in the middle of the teaching of two covenants. Evidently, the Judaizers were persuasive enough to sway the new believers toward the belief of justification based on law. In the text before us, Paul writes the Gentile believers of Galatia concerning their desertion from the gospel of grace he had preached to them, in exchange for a different, disturbing, and distorted message. The tension in this text is on the issue of the Covenant

Covenant. Arrangement between two parties involving mutual obligations; especially the arrangement that established the relationship between God and his people, expressed in grace first with Israel and then with the church. Through that covenant God has conveyed to humanity the meaning of human life and salvation. Covenant is one of the central themes of the Bible, where some covenants are between human beings, others between God and human beings.

Israel is unique among ancient Near Eastern peoples in their belief that God entered a covenant with them. While non-Israelites formed covenants with other peoples by invoking the names of their gods, only the God of Israel initiates a covenant and binds himself by oath to his people (Gen 22:16–18; Heb 6:13–19) and Israel responds by swearing a covenant by which they bound themselves to him (Exod 24:3–11). Even after violating that oath with the worship of the golden calf (Exod 32), Moses discovers how God’s “sworn mercies” take precedent over covenant curses (Exod 32:13), and so Israel’s covenant is renewed according to God’s “grace and mercy” (Exod 33:19).

A pattern of divine covenants characterizes the whole economy of salvation history, starting with creation. The climax is the sanctification of the Sabbath—the “sign of the covenant” with creation and Israel (Gen 2:1–4; Exod 31:16–17). God’s “fatherly plan” for his family advances at every stage of salvation history through a series of divine covenants with chosen mediators: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and ultimately Jesus Christ. This sequence of divine covenants may be interpreted in theological terms, as God accommodates himself to the developmental stages of the human family: marriage, household, tribe, nation, international kingdom, and ultimately the universal church of the new covenant.

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(SIN OR BROKENNESS TODAY)

With the proliferation of social media throughout the world, the prying eyes of all are focused intently on what is happening with the church and the children of God. The Enemies of God are not distracted, they are still intent on deconstructing the gospel, discrediting biblical authority, and destroying the Kingdom of God. It does not help our cause, People of God, to be among those who are deserting.

The reason for this text today is that there are many who have professed Faith in Christ who have and are actively deserting Him at this very hour. The question is Why?

Some have deserted because the state of Christianity is Disturbing. There was a time when the Church represented the highest standards of Holiness and morality. Now, It is the exception to not hear of some church leader caught up in some scandalous sinful scenario. It’s disturbing when Core Values have depreciated to No Value and Titanic-like ministries have shipwrecked because of “Mission Drift. Yes, some have deserted because of the disturbing state of postmodern Christianity.

Others have deserted because of the plethora of false prophets who have gone out into the world and have distorted the truth of God’s Word. Not real as they claim but are as Paul described to Timoty: “holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith” (2 Tim 3:5-8). Many have deserted because the Truth has been distorted.

More than the two reasons already cited, I want to suggest that most people are deserting the gospel of Jesus Christ because they just want something “different”. The problem with that desire is that you may be exchanging the real for a counterfeit. Remember: the grass ain’t always greener on the other side. Let me illustrate it another way:

Anything that is extremely valuable will be counterfeited. Fake gems have been around for thousands of years, but as the technology for making them has advanced, fakes are now harder to detect with the naked eye. Gem buyers today must be aware of three types of gems that are made to look more valuable than they are.

1. Synthetic gems, says writer Vivian Marino, are “lab-grown stones that closely duplicate a natural gem’s physical and chemical properties.”

2. Simulated gems are also manmade. The color of a simulated stone may be similar to that of a natural gem, but it is very different physically and chemically. “Cubic zirconia is a well-known diamond simulation.”

3. Enhanced gems are natural gems altered in some way to improve their look. “Color can be enhanced through heat, radiation, oils, and chemicals.” Other methods used to imitate or enhance the value of stones are “dyeing, waxing, or smoking poor quality stones to make them look richer.”

Experts advise buyers to verify a stone’s value with gem-testing labs, such as the Gemological Institute of America, before any sales are final. When paying big money for jewels, you want to be very careful about getting the genuine article.

It is the same with truth. We must ensure we are not falling for heresy.[1]

Be careful Beloved, that in your quest for something different you don’t wind up a counterfeit .

[1]Larson, Craig Brian. 2002. 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

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(GOD AT WORK BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BIBLICAL TEXT)

The blessing is that the Lord, in his divine providence made Paul aware of what was going on in and with these Churches of Galatia. That tells us that God is never taken by surprise by any circumstance or event. When Paul became aware of what was going on and knew that these new converts were defecting, he immediately sprang into action. What I like about how Paul handled this situation is that he let them know that they had errored in a serious way. They had left the Covenant that provided freedom for one that offered nothing but death.

We see the LORD at work behind the scenes in this text in verse 15, as we observe that when the apostle could not reach them on a spiritual level to prove the validity of his claim, The Lord allowed him to “speak in terms of human relations.” In other words, He led Paul to bring it down to a level where they could relate. The common ground was found on the subject of the law and covenants. According to the BKC:

Even if Paul’s opponents admitted that Abraham was justified by faith, those Judaizers might have argued that the Law, coming at a later time, entirely changed the basis for achieving salvation. To refute this, Paul declared that just as a properly executed Roman covenant (or will) cannot arbitrarily be set aside or changed (probably reference to ancient Gr. law), so the promises of God are immutable.[1]

The Lord uses the Apostle to employ some Old Testament truths to educate and enlighten these confused deserters. He presents the Lord’s covenant with Abraham as his first piece of evidence. He makes the point that God did not make that covenant with Abraham alone but also with his “seed”. Let me share what the NAC says:

the word “seed,” he observed, is singular, not plural; therefore in its deepest and fullest meaning it refers to one person, not to many. And that one person, Paul contended, Abraham’s true seed, is Christ himself.

Of course, Paul was aware that the word “seed” (sperma), in Hebrew and Greek as well as English, could be used as a collective noun as he himself employed it elsewhere (cf. Rom 4:13–18). It was not uncommon in rabbinic exegesis for a theological argument to be based on the singular or plural form of a particular word in the scriptural text. Paul may well have been responding here to the popular Jewish claim that they alone, along with a few proselytes, were the “true sons of Abraham.” Paul wanted to show that the greater fulfillment of the promise is not biological but Christological.[2]

In verse 17, God was also working behind the scene in this text by pointing out the primacy and the permanence of His Promise. For the Primacy of the Promise (having first place), Paul alludes to Genesis 15:13 and Exodus 12:40 to suggest that God’s dealing with Abraham and all the nations of the world began centuries before the covenant of law came into existence. Furthermore, the entrance of the covenant of law did not invalidate what God had previously set in place. Therefore it is permanent so as not to nullify the Promise.

Finally, in verse 18, we see the Lord at work behind the scene of this text through Paul’s conclusion of this portion of his argument. Paul says in essence that to base your salvation on the law is counterintuitive (contrary to intuition or to common-sense expectation). It may be better stated by the NAC:

In this verse, Paul brought together by way of conclusion the three main points he had made in this short pericope: the faithfulness of God, the lateness of the law, and the gratuity of the promise. At this point Paul introduced for the first time in Galatians the term “inheritance,” which along with the verb “to inherit” and the derivative noun “heir” dominate much of the discussion in the following chapters (cf. 3:29; 4:1, 7; 5:21). The inheritance is the blessing promised by God and ratified to him and to his “seed” by means of an unconditional covenant.

For Paul it was crucial that this original “covenant of promise” be distinguished from the law of Moses. The law demands, “Do this!” The promise grants, “Accept this!” Here in v. 18 Paul drew the two into sharpest antithesis: If law … not promise; if works … not grace.[1]

[1] Campbell, Donald K. 1985. “Galatians.” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, edited by J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, 2:598. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. [2]George, Timothy. 1994. Galatians. Vol. 30. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

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(GOD AT WORK IN OUR PRESENT WORLD AND SITUATION)

Well, Brothers and Sisters, the real truth is that we are at a precipice, some would call it “between a rock and a hard place” when we come to realize the mass exit that is taking place from the gospel and the Church of Jesus Christ. But the good news is that just as the Lord was at in the text, He is at work in our present world and situation. What do you mean Preacher? Show me what you are talking about.

God is at work in our present world and situations warning us to disregard any message that masquerades as the gospel, especially a work’s-based religion. The real gospel proclaims the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It tells of salvation by placing faith in him that results in confession, repentance, and forsaking of sin. It is a gospel of reconciliation and not condemnation.

God is at work in our present world and situation as he beckons us not to go back to the things we left and don’t be looking for something different. I wish I had somebody that would help me say: “we have a God that will never change; today, tomorrow, He’s still the same and He won’t ever go away?”

God is at work in our present world and situations pointing us to Christ by reminding us that our salvation, justification, righteousness, and inheritance were not secondary schemes. Calvary was not “Plan B”; God always intended to include us in, as he promised Abraham.

So as you leave here today, be mindful of this message. Should the temptation to desert him overcome you, remember this: 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.[1]

The Opening Up Galatians commentary comments:

The point to note here is that everything was settled centuries before the law came on the scene. A Saviour would come in Abraham’s line. Through believing in him, people everywhere would be saved. And the law did nothing to alter that! It left the promises of God concerning salvation through faith wholly untouched.[2]

I’ve made up my mind today, I am living by faith in His Promise.

Some folk would rather have houses and land, some folk choose silver and gold; these things they treasure and forget about their souls. But I decided to make Jesus my choice.

In 1979 Verna Bowman of Telford, Pennsylvania, gave birth to her fourth child, Geoff, and quickly learned from doctors the frightening news: the baby had defective kidneys. Writing in Guideposts, she tells that doctors ordered the child rushed to a children’s hospital in Philadelphia, where he would receive kidney dialysis.

Still hospitalized herself, Verna prayed and prayed for her son, and as she did she soon felt God’s nearness. Unbidden, the words of a Scripture text began to repeat in her heart: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God” (John 11:4). She wrote the words down.

Later her husband called to report on the baby’s condition: “It’s too soon to tell if he’s going to make it,” he said.

“He’s going to make it,” Verna replied, and she read him the verse that God had breathed into her heart. “I believe those words,” she said.

“So do I, Verna,” replied her husband. “So do I.”

After three months of dialysis, Geoff’s kidneys, though still defective, began to function on their own. Throughout his childhood Geoff took medication and tired easily. During that time Verna collected in her journal other Scriptures which encouraged her faith that her son would be all right.

When Geoff was thirteen, the doctors reported he would need a kidney transplant. Though unsettling at first, this news turned out to be the answer to her prayers. Verna herself provided the kidney, and the operation was a complete success. Geoff would be able to live a normal life.

Later Verna’s daughter suggested they do something special with the Scriptures that had meant much to them during Geoff’s long sickness. Verna often made quilts and her daughter was skilled at cross-stitch, so they decided to make a quilt that displayed twelve of the cherished promises from the Bible. Each Scripture was stitched onto white linen and bordered in a pattern of hunter green and burgundy. Three months later the quilt was completed and hung on the wall of their guest room. When others admired the quilt, it eventually was hung in their church as well as other churches in the area.

God’s promises had made a great difference for Verna Bowman. When she chose to have these promises stitched onto a quilt, she made a fitting choice. As comforting as a quilt on a cold wintry night, so God’s promises ward off soul-chilling fear. They warm the soul.[3]

I am standing on the promises of Jesus and I believe he will do just what he said. No more doubt or disbelief that keeps causing my faith to decrease all the more. I’ll take him at his word, I’ll trust and never doubt, I’ll stand upon His promises. For in the time of trouble He will bring me out. Lord, I believe.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. [2]Campbell, David. 2009. Opening Up Galatians. Opening Up Commentary. Leominster: Day One Publications. [3]Larson, Craig Brian. 2002. 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.