The Law and God’s Promise
Galatians 3:15-22 NLT
15 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. 16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. 17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.
19 Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. 20 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.
21 Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
Examine the scriptures:
Galatians 3:15-22 NLT
Review:
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- People who depend on following the law to make them right are under a curse.
- Scripture clearly says, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
- The way of faith is very different from the way of law.
- Salvation does not come by combining faith with the law.
- Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law.
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The Law and God’s Promise
15 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.
Irrevocable agreement
The Galatians understood “irrevocable agreements”.
A properly executed Roman covenant could not be arbitrarily set aside.
Other irrevocable agreements:
Occurred in the story of Daniel in the lion’s den and
In the story of Esther.
- The Galatians understood “irrevocable agreements”.
- The promises of God are irrevocable and unchanging.
James 1:17 NLT
17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.
16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ.
The promises spoken to Abraham found fulfillment in Christ and are in effect forever.
As a descendant of Abraham, Christ was a Child of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1 NLT
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham:
17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise.
645 years after the initial promise to Abraham. (Genesis 12)
430 years after the last known reaffirmation of the Abrahamic covenant to Jacob. (Genesis 46)
Galatians 3:6 NLT
6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”
Genesis 15:6 NLT
6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.
- The blessing of justification by faith is therefore permanent and could not be changed the law.
18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.
- The Abrahamic covenant is superior to the law
19 Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins.
- God gave the law alongside the promise.
Two events:
God gave promises to Abraham.
God gave the law to Moses.
But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised.
Romans 6:14 NLT
14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
- The law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised.
God gave his law through angels to Moses,
The Bible teaches that angels were involved in the giving of the law (Acts 7:53 and Hebrews 2:2) but does not explain the exact role they played.
Acts 7:53 NLT
53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”
Hebrews 2:2 NLT
2 For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.
who was the mediator between God and the people. 20 Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement.
- A mediator implies a covenant between two parties both of whom have responsibilities, true of the Mosaic Covenant.
But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham.
- God’s promise to Abraham was unilateral and was given to man directly without a mediator.
21 Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not!
God gave both the law and promises, but for different purposes.
The law was given to show people their sins.
God’s promises are salvation (righteousness) through faith.
- God gave both the law and promises, but for different purposes.
If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin,
Romans 3:23 NLT
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
- The Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin.
so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:3-4 NLT
3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.
Romans 6:23 NLT
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
- We receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.
