Brothers and sisters, I give an example from daily life: once a person’s will has been ratified, no one adds to it or annuls it. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it does not say, ‘And to offsprings’, as of many; but it says, ‘And to your offspring’, that is, to one person, who is Christ. My point is this: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance comes from the law, it no longer comes from the promise; but God granted it to Abraham through the promise. Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring would come to whom the promise had been made; and it was ordained through angels by a mediator. Now a mediator involves more than one party; but God is one. Is the law then opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could make alive, then righteousness would indeed come through the law. But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:15-22, NRSV)
I have read this passage of scripture many times like you probably have. I am always struck though how a detail that has always been there now reaches up and slaps me in the face.
We know that we are justified by grace, as a gift and not by following the law. Most of us as Christians get that. It doesn’t matter what rules we follow, it will not get us in the good graces of God, only grace through the faithfulness of Jesus to go to the cross for us can get us there. So why do we get hung up on the rules? Two days ago we talked about rules and how they do not matter to God. So we know the rules do not matter.
And Paul makes that perfectly clear to the Galatians here, by reminding them that God made the promise of an offspring to Abraham, and that this was done four hundred and thirty years before the giving of the law to Moses! Four hundred and thirty years is a long time! And the promise was made that Abraham would be the father of many nations and his people would be God’s people! Because of faith! Not because we did anything to earn it, because we can’t earn it!
Faith is a gift, because we can not see it, we can not explain it, we can not always understand it, we just have faith! God’s grace is big enough to cover all of our questions, just trust that the promise is real, because He has not let us down yet!
Don’t trust in the rules, to be right, trust in the promise, and He will move you to be right!
aSacredRebel 