A Promise is a Promise
Gal 3:14-18
There are two dimensions of this sermon
Two weeks ago I ran out of time, so let me quickly review and then finish.
1. Those who rely on works of the law are under a curse (vv. 10-12)
I said we are warned: are we living by effort or living by faith?
A. Cursed for not completely obeying the law (v. 10)
Living by the law is putting confidence in ourselves thinking that we can earn something with God. Somehow the solution is within us. We hold onto our “monopoly money.”
2. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (v. 13)
Christ took our place, our “substitutionary atonement”
He didn’t just die for your bad works. He died for your self-reliant good works.
He didn’t just die for your hatred. He died for your self-generated kindness.
He didn’t just die for the things you’re ashamed of. He died for the things your proud of, the things you boast in.
He didn’t just die for your lust. He died for you thinking that your purity made you more pleasing to God.
_________________________________________________
3. that we might be blessed (14)
Jesus became a curse for us so that
The first goes back to 3:6-9, as we saw how it was always God’s plan to include Gentiles; Gentiles are included in God’s plan (v. 8). Blessings are for Gentiles.
The second speaks more to the experience of the Galatians: they received the HS by faith (v. 2, 5); “blessing” is specified: we receive the HS, not by law/obedience but by faith, because Jesus became a curse for us.
But you see these two pieces are woven together.
If it is by the law, then it is the Jews who are saved, and Gentiles must be circumcised (become Jews).
If it is by faith, then even uncircumcised Gentiles who do not follow the law, can be saved.
Being saved by faith means Gentiles are included in God’s people.
Let me summarize our thoughts:
We can be cursed or we can be blessed.
Living by the law brings a curse.
We cannot completely obey the law.
The law is not of faith, and “the righteous will live by faith.”
Living by faith brings blessings.
Jesus Christ became a curse for us so we can receive blessings.
Faith makes you a child of Abraham.
A child of Abraham becomes an heir of his inheritance.
This inheritance includes the HS.
This is open to anyone who would believe, Jew or Gentile.
My hope is to show and move us toward a life of faith, not a life of effort or a life of works. I had planned to spend more time last week trying to develop and apply this. I’d like to do that today, but first, I’d like to take a look at our next section, vv. 15-18.
We might imagine that Paul heard an objection.
“Well what about the law. After all, there’s a lot of Law is in our Bibles, and we’re told to obey it. It would be obvious if all we had was the Abraham story, God making a promise. But that’s not the whole story. God then gave us the Law. Doesn’t that mean that though we start with a promise, now we do have to continue in obedience. Isn’t that why the Law is there?”
Paul will spend some time explaining the relationship between the law and the gospel.
3:15-18 Paul argues against this explanation of why the law was given
3:19-25 Paul gives his explanation for why the law was given
In the ancient practices of the Romans and Greeks, there were kinds of “contracts” or inheritances or oaths that could not be cancelled or changed. No one could make any changes, not even the owner.
Maybe you remember the story when advisors convince King Darius of Babylon to make a decree the no one could pray to anyone but the King, or be thrown the lions’ den (Daniel 6). That didn’t stop Daniel from praying as he usually did, and so he was caught by his enemies and thrown to the lions. King Darius actually liked Daniel and didn’t want him killed. He tried to rescue Daniel, but even he could not change the decree.
Some decrees, oaths, contracts cannot be changed. So likewise with God. God signed a deal, He made a promise. Whatever comes after cannot change the promise already signed. Adding the law did not change the promise. The Law 430 years later did not change the terms of the promise. A promise is a promise.
Janette and I are about to buy a new construction house. We signed a sales agreement.
But after we’ve signed, we decided we wanted to have various lights put in, a ceiling fan put in, different tiles in the bathroom, etc. All of that we negotiated with the builder, various vendors, the electrician. But none of that changed the original sales agreement. Whatever else we might want or negotiate, the sales agreement stands on its own. That doesn’t change.
v. 17 The law added 430 years later doesn’t change the promise made to Abraham. A promise is a promise. That doesn’t change.
v. 18 More specifically, God promised an inheritance to Abraham and his descendents. That inheritance was not tied to the law. That inheritance was not tied to obedience, faithfulness, performance. That inheritance has nothing to do with us and how well we keep the law or how good we are. That inheritance was given to Abraham through a promise.
Parents and Christians: we must keep our promises.
We live in a world where promises are not taken very seriously. Verbal promises are given and taken casually. Marriage commitments are obviously up for rediscussion.
What we make as a promise we often add conditions later on. But a promise is a promise.
We need to teach our children/one another, that once a promise is made, it cannot be changed. Our children need to see that, so that when they learn about God’s promises, they understand the certainty and unchangingness of a promise.
God is a promise keeper, and we need to reflect that our children and to one another.
There is one other thought, v. 16, the promise is made to Abraham and his seed.
And then Paul explains Abraham’s seed is Christ. The promise is made to Abraham and Christ.
That is, it is only in Christ that we are descendents of Abraham.
It is only in Christ that we have this inheritance.
The promise is not made so much to the physical descendents of Abraham.
It is for those who live by faith, and by faith are united with Christ.
Diagram
1. God blesses Abraham
2. God blesses Abraham and his seed
3. Seed is Christ
4. Those who live by faith are children of Abraham
5. Those who live by faith are united to Christ
And this takes us back to the earlier section:
Those who live by faith are united to Christ, show themselves to be descendents of Abraham and heirs of the inheritance.
Those who live by effort are under a curse.
I want to move us from a church that lives by effort to a church that lives by faith.
I’d like us to recast our Christian lives from something we need to do (works) to something we need to believe (faith). If all we have is the do without the believe, then we have self-effort legalism.
Let me re-connect this with some things we’ve said before:
In God’s categories, he doesn’t see good works. It’s like blood types—it’s a meaningless distinction. What He sees is faith. Granted, that faith produces action, faith produces love. But the point is, where is the faith? When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? (Lk 18:8)
APTAT. We are to act, to do good works. But we do so know that we can’t love in ourselves, we turn to God in prayer, then we trust in His promises.
I think the simplest, most concrete application of gospel living, living by faith, is to claim God’s promises, believe in God’s promises, live in light of God’s promises.
The fight we have is the fight to believe God’s promises.
John Piper (“Christ Redeemed Us from the Curse of the Law,” April 10, 1983)
When I was preparing last week for [a local radio show], the major battle that I was fighting was not the struggle to use as much of my effort as possible to study up on what he might ask me. The major battle was the fight of faith.
Did I really believe that when Jesus died, all my curse was lifted so that I could say with Scripture, “What can man do to me” (Hebrews 13:6; Romans 8:31-34)?
Did I really believe that the death of Jesus is the pledge of God to withhold no good thing from those who trust him (Ps 84:11; Romans 8:32)?
Did I really believe all things would work together for my good (Romans 8:28)?
Did I really trust the counsel of Christ when he said, “Do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say; but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you speak, but the Holy Spirit” (Mark 13:11)?
This is the struggle of everyday Christian life, and it is your most important work every day: how to keep your day’s activities from become works of law, and how to live by faith in the Son of God who loved you and gave himself for you to redeem you from the curse of legalism.
There is a battle, but it’s not between Patriots and the Giants. It is the battle within us.
Do you recognize where the real battle must be fought? Our fight is a fight of faith.
Do you see faith, exercising your faith as a daily part of your relationship with God?
The central issue is not will you do, but what will you believe? Whom will you trust?
Some practical applications:
1. Read God’s Word and instead of looking for all the things we’re supposed to do, look for all the things God says He will do for us. See the Bible not as a book of applications but a book of promises.
The story of the Ten Lepers who are healed is not a story about how we should give thanks. It is a story about a God who heals us. Giving thanks is the aftermath.
The story Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac is not a story about surrendering our treasures to God. It is a story about how God provides the Lamb.
The section on husbands and wives in Eph is not just about the roles and responsibilities of husbands and wives. It is a picture of Christ loving the Church. The main story is not about our marriages. Our marriages are just to reflect the greater reality/story of Christ and the church.
The Bible is not just a book of applications on Christian living (yes it has that). It is main a story of how God loves and rescues us.
Take the Christian Education classes and learn more.
2. Meditate on God’s promises. [handout] Memorize them, hide them in your heart. Pray through them, claim them. Let these promises reshape your worldview, your frame of mind.
I think the best way to understand this “living by faith,” is not to listen to sermons about it, but to take steps and experience it. I would urge you to set aside some time to pray through and meditate on these promises. Perhaps you’ll want to do it with your small group or accountability group or with your spouse.
And my guess is you’ll begin to see how “living by faith,” “living in light of God’s promises” is subjectively different from how we normally live our daily lives.
You’ll find that the mindset of the Christian is not fear, guilt, duty or indebtedness. It’s not “reach inside and do your best.” It’s not “relax, let go, take it easy.” It’s a mind of assurance, boldness, confidence, security, safety, joy, thanksgiving.
I had a talk with a pastor, and he answered some deep questions for me. I immediate thought, God you are so faithful and good. You do take care of me!
I had a conference this week: squeezed my schedule, didn’t really want to go. But then I saw it as a gift. God is good to me.
3. Identify your battle. What promises do you doubt? What promises need to take hold of you so that you’re fear, anger, laziness, workaholism, loneliness, lust disappear? As with Piper’s testimony, the battle is the battle to believe.
Maybe for some, the core issue is we don’t believe He is our Jehovah Jirah, Our Provider. And so you worry.
We don’t believe He is as delightful, good, pleasurable. We think other stuff is better, and so we chase after the stuff of the world.
We don’t believe He can love someone as messed up and morally weak as ourselves. We doubt His love and grace. We feel we have to earn it.
Maybe we see so many mistakes, regrets, failures; we see dangers, risks, fears. We don’t believe that God is in control. We don’t believe that God is greater than our failures or our threats.
Let me point out the battle is more clear, more real when there are problems, troubles. The life of faith is not seen/tested in the good times, it is tested in the bad times: when we have sickness, loneliness, problems in our marriage, problem with our kids, when there is violence in the streets or enemies out to get us, when there are real threats and the sky seems dark—that’s when the fight of faith goes up another level. That’s the real battle. The Psalms are filled with this—pictures of the battles of faith.
4. Ask God to apply these promises to our hearts. We can’t make ourselves believe. Even that faith is a gift from God. And then act in faith.
That faith must produce action.
Mike Shea’s testimony (my version):
The law says, “Do not covet,” but you do. You lust after people’s iPods and plasma TV’s, you covet their accomplishments, their beauty, their popularity.
And so you feel condemned. You are a lawbreaker. But instead of denying it or excusing it, you go to Christ and repent of your sin. And you turn to him, you look upon His forgiveness, His kindness, His love.
You’re reminded of his promise, “no good thing he does he withhold from him whose walk is blameless” and you meditate on that. You “fight” to believe in it, and you start to feel contentment, you feel rich and secure. You already have.
Then you realize that you don’t need or even want the things you were formerly coveting. You’re content.
So you do obey the law, “Do not covet,” and you do so with the obedience of faith. You obey not because you live by effort, but because you live by faith.
The real battle, the core issue, is not your discipline, not your diligence, not your sincerity. The core issue is your faith—do you believe His promises, do you trust and rest on Him?
5. Teach your children/friends the promises of God. Emphasize, not all that they’re supposed to do, but all that God does for them.
I’ll have to give this more attention later. But let me encourage us. We need to help one another move from “living by effort” to “living by faith.”
We will not grow by ourselves. We will grow as each member does their part—that’s how we reach maturity. We don’t just need pastors, we need brothers and sisters, we need people who can encourage, confront, model, pray for, pray with, and shine the light on Jesus for us.