We call them New Year’s resolutions. But so often we MAKE THESE PROMISES and then we BREAK THEM!
Illus: Did you hear about the man who got tired of making these promises and breaking them? He got so disgusted with himself that he came up with a list of Resolutions he felt he could keep. He said that this year, he resolved to...
• Gain weight - at least 30 pounds
• Stop exercising
• Read less
• Procrastinate more - starting tomorrow
• Not date any people in the cast of “ER”
• Not jump off a cliff just because everyone else did
• Not have eight children at once
• Buy an '83 Eldorado and invest in a really loud stereo system
• Get further in debt
• Break at least one traffic law
• Not swim with piranhas or sharks
• Focus on the faults of others
• Never make New Year's resolutions again
We all know what it is to make promises to ourselves and then break them only a few days later. We also make promises to others and break them sometimes.
For example, the marriage vows we take are sacred vows we make before God and men, saying that we will be faithful to our spouse.
When some folks take these vows, it is a very emotional time in their life.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger was asked to conduct a wedding in a home for a Christian couple. It was a lovely home and there were about 20 to 25 people there.
The wedding started. They both marched in and stood before Dr. Belger in front of the fireplace. He opened in prayer and got started into the wedding ceremony when he noticed the groom was pale. The man soon hit the floor.
Everyone was concerned about him, but in about 20 or 30 seconds he was on his feet again.
Dr. Belger got started again, watching the man to see if he was alright. He soon got that funny look on his face and he was back on the floor again.
Everyone gathered around him, and in about 20 or 30 seconds he was on his feet again.
He still looked pale and Dr. Belger asked a man in the room to bring him a chair. They placed him in the chair and put a cold wash rag on his forehead and Dr. Belger started again.
It wasn’t long before he passed out and almost fell out of the chair. In around 20 to 30 seconds he was conscious again.
Dr. Belger got on his knees and looked him in the eyes and said, “Say, I do!” He said, “I do!” Dr. Belger said, “You are married!”
Many folks know how serious these vows are and they have a difficult time emotionally, saying the vows.
But then there are others who do not have a difficult time SAYING THEIR VOWS, they have a difficult time KEEPING THEIR VOWS!
But when God makes a PROMISE, we can rest assured that He will keep His promise.
Paul, in this portion of scripture, is still showing these Galatians who had been “bewitched” by false teachers, that WE ARE NOT justified by OBEYING THE LAW but by putting our FAITH IN CHRIST WHO FULFILLED THE LAW.
The Jews had two great men that they held in high esteem in the Old Testament, Moses and Abraham. But God used them differently, for example:
1. Abraham received the promise
2. Moses received the Law
3. God told Abraham, “I will”
4. God told Moses, “Thou shalt”
Look at the contrast between THE PROMISE AND THE LAW -
• The PROMISE created a religion dependent on God. The LAW created a religion dependent on man.
• The PROMISE centers on God’s plan. The LAW centers on man’s duty.
• The PROMISE focuses on God’s grace, sovereignty, and blessings. The LAW focuses on man’s duty, work, responsibility, and behavior.
• The PROMISE requires only sincere faith. The LAW required perfect obedience.
The apostle Paul had heard the Judaizer’s arguments and he was responding to them.
WHAT WAS THEIR ARGUMENT?
• One of their complaints was that the Mosaic law annulled Abraham’s promise
• They claimed that the plan of salvation changed when the Law was given
• They claimed that God made the law a supplement to faith
These are the arguments that Paul is dealing with in Galatians 3:15-25.
We are justified by FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST. PAUL WANTS TO PROVE THAT THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE!
HOW DOES HE DO THIS? He uses the covenant that God made to Abraham. In this passage of scripture under consideration, Paul shows us God’s covenant (promise) to Abraham proves that justification is by faith and not by works of the law.
HOW DOES HE DO THIS? First, let’s look at-
I. THE SUPERIORITY OF THE PROMISE
Paul was going to show them that the covenant God made with Abraham was superior to the law that was given to Moses. For example-
A. IT IS A BINDING COVENANT
Look at verse 15, we read, “Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.”
Paul wants these Galatians that have been “bewitched” to know that God made a Covenant (legal contract) with Abraham and such a contract can not be nullified.
WHAT IS A COVENANT? The word “covenant” in verse 15 is the word “diatheke” (pronounced Dee-ath-ay'-kay) which means a contract. A contract is an agreement between two parties with conditions that can not be changed.
Illus: For example, if I borrowed a hundred dollars from you and we drew up a written contract that stated I would pay you back in four equal twenty-five dollar payments, and we both agreed on this, that would be a binding contract.
• But suppose after we both agreed and I made one payment, I said to you, “I want to change the conditions to our contract.”
• You would say, “Listen, we have a contract, you can not change the contract once it has been agreed upon.”
And you would be correct, a contract is binding in any court in the land.
God made a covenant with Abraham and it was a binding contract. That contract STANDS THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN TODAY!
WHAT WAS THAT COVENANT?
In Genesis 15:5, God made a promise to Abraham. We read, “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.”
That is the promise of almighty God, and God never makes a promise He does not keep.
B. THE BASIS OF THE COVENANT
It was based upon Christ. Look at Gal. 3:16, we read, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, WHICH IS CHRIST.”
Notice, God made a covenant with Abraham and his seed. But notice the word “seed”, it is not plural but singular.
WHAT IS MEANT BY THE SEED OF ABRAHAM? The Scriptures makes it clear that the seed points to one single person, and that person is JESUS CHRIST!
Look at the last part of verse 16 again, we read, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, WHICH IS CHRIST.”
So the promise made to Abraham is passed down to his seed, JESUS CHRIST.
These false teachers were teaching that the law superseded the promise to Abraham, and that is absurd.
Why is their argument absurd? Because the promise was based on the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would come AFTER THE LAW WAS GIVEN, to fulfill the promise which was made BEFORE THE LAW WAS GIVEN.
Paul establishes this on the basis of the singular usage of the word SEED.
• Before and after Christ came, salvation was through Christ alone
• Before and after the law was given, salvation was through CHRIST alone
• His blood covered sin on both sides of the cross
It was not only legally established-
C. IT WAS “PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED”
Look at verse 17, we read, “And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.”
That is, to show the foolishness of these Jewish false teachers that were teaching the Law is superior to the promises of God, Paul argues:
• The promise was superior because it was established 430 years before. (That makes us think about those who claim that in order to be saved you must come though their church. What did people do before these churches existed?) The promise came 430 years before the law.
• If the law had nothing to do with Abraham’s justification, how can it have anything to do with anyone’s justification?
D. IT ESTABLISHED OUR INHERITANCE
Our inheritance is based on Christ.
For example, suppose some of you grandparents tell your grandchildren that if they make straight “A’s” on their report card, then at the end of the school year they will inherit a brand new bicycle.
• An inheritance of this kind is based on performance
• But one based on promise solely depends on the word of the one making the promise
Our spiritual inheritance is not based on our performance. Our spiritual inheritance is based on God’s promise made to Abraham and his Seed.
And God has promised that all that come to Him He in no wise cast out.
We have looked at THE SUPERIORITY OF THE PROMISE.
Look at verse 18, we read, “For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”
But let’s now look at-
II. THE INFERIORITY OF THE LAW
Paul, after establishing the SUPERIORITY of the PROMISE, now shows the INFERIORITY OF THE LAW to these Galatians that have been “bewitched”. For example, he shows them:
A. THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW MAKES IT INFERIOR
Look at verse 19, we read, “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”
The obvious question of the Judaizers was, “Why do we have the law then?” If salvation has always been by faith and never by works, why did man need the law?
Those are good questions and Paul answers them. He shows them, “It was added because of trangressions….”
Illus: If we did not have stop signs, how would you know you broke the law if you drove through an intersection without stopping?
The word “transgressions” here is “parabasis” which means “STEP OVER”. The purpose of law was to show man that he was stepping over the mark.
In Galatians 3:24, Paul tells us the law was a “tutor” to lead us to Christ.
We read, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
It leads us to the conclusion that we can never make it on our own.
THE PURPOSE OF THE LAW MAKES IT INFERIOR, and -
B. THE LIMITATIONS OF THE LAW MAKE IT INFERIOR
Look at verse 19 again, we read, “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”
Look at the word “till” in verse 19. This word tells us that the Law was never intended to be a permanent thing. It was to be a tutor “till” Christ came.
Look at Galatians 3:24, we read, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
• We are no longer under the Mosaic law
• We are no longer under the law of sin and death
• However, we are still under a law
• It is called the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
Look at Romans 8:2, we read, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
The PURPOSE OF THE LAW and the LIMITATIONS OF THE LAW make it inferior. Also-
C. THE MEDIATORS OF THE LAW MAKE IT INFERIOR
The law could be given by a mere man. John 1:17, we read, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”
According to Galatians 3:19c, the law was put into effect through angels by a mediator. But it took God to bring grace and truth.
The law was based on man, but the promise is based on God.
D. THE DEADNESS OF THE LAW MAKES IT INFERIOR
Look at verse 21, we read, “Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.”
The law was inferior because it could not impart life. If a law could have been given that could impart life, then Jesus would not have had to die the horrible death he died on the cross.
All the law could do was impart death.
E. THE FUNCTION OF THE LAW MAKES IT INFERIOR
Look at verse 23, we read, “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.”
The law functioned to hem us in as prisoners, where grace was the key out of the prison.
Since faith has come, we’re no longer under the “tutor”. Notice, he says, “But before faith came…”. He did not say, “Before Christ came”, he said, “Before Faith came..”
Some have the mistaken idea that the Old Testament people and the New Testament people were saved differently. NOT SO!
Conclusion:
Illus: The story goes that a man stood before heaven’s gate and asked who was in there. He asked:
• “Are there any Catholics in there?” And St. Peter said, “No, there are no Catholics in here.”
• “Are there any Baptists in there?” And St. Peter said, “No, there are no Baptists in here.”
• “Are there any Pentecostals in there?” And St. Peter said, “No, there are no Pentecostals in here.”
“Who is in there then?” Peter said, “Only those who have put their trust in Christ for salvation.”
We have looked at:
I. THE SUPERIORITY OF THE PROMISE
II. THE INFERIORITY OF THE LAW
