Tuesday, July 1st
Read: Galatians 3:15-18
“Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
Spend a few minutes discussing questions you have about the passage. Here are a few to get you started:
What were the promises spoken to Abraham?
Who is the seed that is referred to?
God never revokes his promises. In this passage, Paul is trying to explain that the establishment of the Mosaic Law does not negate the covenant God made with Abraham, four hundred and thirty years later. He explains it by giving the example in verse fifteen, “Brothers, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside, or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.” What Paul is saying is that just as you can’t set aside promises you make with others, or change the terms after the promise has been made, so God did not change His mind and do away with the promises that He made to Abraham when the laws were given to Moses. For example, if you were to borrow a thousand dollars from the bank, and sign a contract, you would likely not be able to go in three years later and say, “Hey, about that loan, can I just pay back, let’s say, fifty dollars and call it even?” I think it highly unlikely that the bank would let you change your terms after the contract has been signed, especially years later. So it is with God. When God makes a covenant it is forever and it will never be revoked.
His promises are not given lightly. So, although the promises given to Abraham were given prior to the laws given to Moses, they were not revoked when the law is given. He says in verse seventeen, “What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.” God’s promises are everlasting, and unchanging.
It is easy to be caught up in legalism, and trying to follow the law in order to gain God’s approval. Yet we know that we are saved by the grace of God, through Christ Jesus, the same grace that was promised to Abraham. It is irrational to believe that simply following the law can save us. It’s kind of like trying to pay someone for a gift that has already been paid for. God fulfilled His promise through Christ. Our inheritance of being a part of God’s family does not depend on the law, “For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in His grace gave it to Abraham as a promise,” (Gal 3:18). Let us not get so caught up in following the law, that we forget the promise God fulfilled through Christ, and the subsequent grace that was given to us as a result.
Process:
-Think of any promises you made to others that you have broken. How is changing or breaking promises in opposition to God’s character? Read Matthew 5:37. What does Jesus say about making promises?
-How have you been caught up in trying to earn your salvation through works? List ways that you try to earn the free gift of God, and ask Jesus how this affects both yourself and Him. Ask Him how you can change your motives.
-Has God ever asked you to promise Him something? In accepting Jesus, we are covenanting ourselves to God, giving our lives to Him. What kind of promises has God asked of you as a result of your covenant with Him through Jesus?