The Law and The Promise

In Galatians 3:15-22 Paul discusses the Law and God’s promises. Paul discusses what the law was for and what the promises of God are for.

Galatians 3:15

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.

Paul begins by using an everyday, real life example. The example is that of a contract between two human beings not being able to be set aside or changed.

He says that this is also true of the promises of God.

We should be able to readily understand this example. We live in a culture that is dominated by contracts, courts, and lawsuits.

When a contract is properly written, it cannot simply be ignored or changed.

Paul reminds us that the same is true when God makes a promise. God’s promises will not be forgotten or ignored and He will not change them.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is trusting the promises of God completely.

Galatians 3:16-17

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. 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.

God gave the promise to Abraham and his child. The child here is referring to the Messiah – Jesus.

The Law that God gave through Moses was fulfilled completely in Jesus. Jesus did not come to set aside or change the law. He came and fulfilled every part of the Law.

This promise made to Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus was given 430 years before the Law was given to Moses. The promise superseded the Law.

The giving of the Law did not change the promise.

That is very important to us because, by Jesus fulfilling the Law, it means I don’t have to. It means that I surrender my life to Jesus, the Messiah, and His fulfilling of the law becomes my fulfilling of the Law.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is depending on Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law.

Galatians 3:18

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.

If the inheritance could be attained by keeping the Law, then it would not be through the promise. It would not be based in grace. It would not be about Jesus, it would be about us and our efforts to keep the law.

Salvation is based on the gracious promise of God that if we have faith in God, and that is shown by the surrendering of our lives to Jesus, then we will receive salvation.

Galatians 3:19-20

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 the law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. 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.

Why was the Law given? To show people their sins. Sin is made known when there is a standard to measure it against. If there is no measurement, then we don’t know we have violated or not measured up to the standard.

When the Law was given to Moses, there was a mediator because the law required God to do something and for the people to do something.

When the promise was given by God to Abraham, there was no mediator needed because the promise was unconditionally based on God.

The Law says God will do certain things if the people will obey.

The promise says this is what God will do and there are no conditions.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living based on the unconditional promise of God in Jesus.

Galatians 3:21-22

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. 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.

There is no conflict between the Law and the promise.

The Law was never meant by God to give us new life. The Law has to be obeyed perfectly all the time and no one but Jesus has done that. The Law was never intended to be a way to salvation. It was intended to show our need for Jesus.

We are prisoners of sin and the only way to true freedom from sin is by believing in Jesus.

It works like this:

I become aware of what the Law requires.

I realize I cannot live up to the standard that the Law requires.

I believe that Jesus is the Son of God and has totally fulfilled the Law.

I confess my failure to live up to the standard of the Law and stop trying and turn to depend on what Jesus did and His death as my perfect sacrifice.

I surrender my life to accept His fulfillment of the Law and thus receive the result of the promise.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is believing in Jesus and His sacrifice for our sin.

Trusting in God’s Promise Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                             Joe