The Difference in the Law and God's Promises in a Nutshell

S-The Greatness of His Promises

S-"So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law." Galatians 5:1

A-Wisdom 

L-The Law and God's Promises

If I were to just read these next few passages, with out digging further into them, I would have missed the true meaning of them. So often we read the Word, but we never take it to the next step. We never dig into the back story, history of it, to really grasp the depth of it. 

I hope that as we walk through the Book of Galatians we all walk away knowing His Word deeper, thus growing in our faith and developing knowledge, understanding and wisdom.

So let's look at these next few passages.

"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. God gave the promise to Abraham and his child. And notice that it doesn't say the promise was to his children, as if it meant many descendants. But the promise was 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. For if the inheritance could be received only by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a promise." Galatians 3:15-18

Verse 15-Let's look at it from another version (it helps, especially if you don't use commentaries, which I don't, so I like the different versions.) 

    The Message: "Friends, let me give you an example from everyday affairs of the free life I am talking about. Once a person’s will has been ratified, no one else can annul it or add to it." Galatians 3:15

   NASB: "Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it." Galatians 3:15

What point is Paul making here? 

    -He is saying that God's promises cannot be broken or added too. 
            *Therefore, we should rejoice, walk in confidence and freedom, and allow it to strengthen our faith even more. Brethren, God does NOT break His promises to us. He never has and never will. And to reveal that to us, He sent Jesus, who fulfilled and displayed every promise.

   -I want to point out here, that this promise, this covenant, that was made between God and Abraham was based on Abraham's faith not the law. I believe it is the same point Paul is making as well. 

Verse 16-The Message: "Now, the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. You will observe that Scripture, in the careful language of a legal document, does not say “to descendants,” referring to everybody in general, but “to your descendant” (the noun, note, is singular), referring to Christ."  

    NASB:  ^"Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ."

  Who is the descendant, the seed? Christ. This is where we see the difference between God's promises and the law. God kept His promise to Abraham and through Abraham we received the blessing of Christ, one of Abraham's descendants.  God promised to save us, and He kept that promise when He sent Christ to die for us.  The law doesn't save us, nor did the law save Abraham.

Verse 17-The Message: "This is the way I interpret this: A will, earlier ratified by God, is not annulled by an addendum attached 430 years later, thereby negating the promise of the will. No, this addendum, with its instructions and regulations, has nothing to do with the promised inheritance in the will."

   NASB-"What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise."

Here it is in a nutshell. The agreement set between God and Abraham 430 years prior could not be changed, added to, or removed when He gave the law to Moses. If that were the case than God would be breaking His promise. And God NEVER breaks a promise. 

This is why its important for us to understand the difference and importance between God's promises and the law. When God promised to save us, He did just that. When God promises to take us home to heaven, He will do just that. When God promised to fill us with the Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us and direct us, He did just that. When God promised to forgive us of our sins, He did just that through His Son, Jesus.

The law given to Moses, was to protect us until Christ came. Today, the law helps guide us and protect us, but is not where our salvation lies. 

The overall point is found in this last verse.

"For if the inheritance could be received only by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God's promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a promise." 

Brethren, the law points out our sin, which in return reveals our need for Christ. When we depend on Christ, when we put our faith in Christ and realize His love and mercy, we will then obey the law because we will desire to glorify and please God through obedience. 

S-Share God's promises with someone today.