July 26, 2022 – Tuesday
Galatians 3:18 NIV
18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
Comments
When I read the above verse three questions came to mind. What inheritance? What promise? What is this about the law and grace? I don’t know what your questions were or might have been, but those were mine.
Paul answers two of the questions in earlier verses. In verse sixteen he wrote, The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. Then he added in the next verse, 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.
Let’s see, so far, the promise of an inheritance through Abraham’s seed does not depend upon the law. Instead, the promise came to Abraham through God’s favor or grace. And the promise was/is Christ. Still, what was the law for? Paul actually asks and answers this directly following our Verse of the Day in verse 19, Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was added because of sin/transgressions until Christ came. Paul asks another related question and answers it in verse 21, Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. This implies something more than Christ comes from the promise, righteousness.
How does that work? Paul answers in the very next verse 22, But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. It is through faith in Jesus Christ we obtain righteousness, imputed from Christ Himself.
If that is not clear enough, Paul concludes with, 26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Matthew Henry sums it up this way, The covenant God made with Abraham, was not done away by the giving the law to Moses. The covenant was made with Abraham and his Seed. It is still in force; Christ abideth for ever in his person, and his spiritual seed, who are his by faith. By this we learn the difference between the promises of the law and those of the gospel. The promises of the law are made to the person of every man; the promises of the gospel are first made to Christ, then by him to those who are by faith ingrafted into Christ.
Bottom Line: We share in Abraham’s inheritance, his promise, through our faith in Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Any time we want to understand You love for us, we must return to the cross to understand just how immense and deep Your love is. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek