Sermon Tone Analysis

“HEIRS ACCORDING TO PROMISE”

HEIRS

PAUL ADDRESSES THE GALATIANS AS BRETHREN HERE.

IN THE PREVIOUS SECTION HE WAS NOT SO MUCH ADDRESSING THE GALATIANS AS HE WAS SPEAKING OF THE JUDAIZERS.

HERE WITH A PERSONAL, ENDEARING EXPRESSION PAUL IS ADDRESSING THE GALATIANS.

AND SPEAKING IN TERMS OF HUMAN RELATIONS AND FROM A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW.

PAUL IS NOT APOLOGIZING FOR THE ILLUSTRATION HE IS USING, BUT IS DESIRING TO BE JUST AN ORDINARY AVERAGE MAN SO AS TO RELATE TO HIS READERS.

IN OTHER WORDS PAUL IS SAYING; ‘FELLOW XIANS, HERE IS AN ORDINARY HUMAN ILLUSTRATION.

EVEN IF IT IS ONLY A LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT THAT HAS BEEN RATIFIED OR CONFIRMED, NO-ONE CAN SET IT ASIDE OR ADD TO IT.

THE PROMISES WERE MADE TO ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANT.

THE WORD TRANSLATED COVENANT IS THE WORD DIATHEKE; WHICH IN ITS VERB FORM MEANS ‘TO PLACE BETWEEN TWO’ OR ‘TO CUT.’ IT REFERS TO THE ACT OF ONE OF TWO INDIVIDUALS PLACING BETWEEN THEM SOMETHING TO WHICH HE OBLIGATES HIMSELF.

IT IS AN AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO WITH ANOTHER TO DO THIS AND THAT.

TURN WITH ME TO ...

WHEN GOD MADE THE COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM, WHO WAS ABRAM AT THE TIME OF THE PROMISE GIVEN.

LOOK AT VS 1 OF .

THE LORD IS A SHIELD FOR ABRAM AND INFORMED HIM THAT ELIEZER WOULD NOT BE HIS HEIR; BUT ONE WOULD COME FROM HIS OWN BODY.

THEN GOD TOOK ABRAM OUTSIDE AND TOLD HIM HIS DESCENDANTS WILL BE AS NUMEROUS AS THE STARS IN HEAVEN.

THIS IS WHEN ABRAM’S BELEIF WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

THEN WHEN ABRAM ASKED; ‘O LORD, GOD, HOW MAY I KNOW THAT I SHALL POSSES IT?’ V8 GOD CONFIRMED OR RATIFIED THE COVENANT BY A CEREMONY COMMON TO THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST.

ON THE LORD’S INSTRUCTIONS, ABRAM TOOK CERTAIN ANIMALS SPECIFIED BY GOD THEN CUT THEM IN HALF AND LAID THE TWO SIDES OF EACH ANIMAL OPPOSITE ONE ANOTHER, WITH APATH BETWEEN THEM.

AT SUNSET, GOD CAUSED A DEEP SLEEP, ALONG WITH TERROR AND GREAT DARKNESS TO FALL UPON ABRAM.

AFTER REASSURING ABRAM OF HIS PROMISES, THE LORD SYMBOLICALLY PASSED BETWEEN THE ANIMALS IN THE FORM OF ‘A SMOKING OVEN AND A FLAMING TORCH WIHICH PASSED BETWEEN THE PIECES.

IN DOING THIS THE LORD HIMSELF MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM…READ VS 18-19 OF

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

WELL, ORDINARILY, BOTH PARTIES TO A COVENANT WOULD WALK BETWEEN THE ANIMALS CUT IN TWO, WHOSE BLOOD WOULD SYMBOLICALLY RATIFY OR CONFIRM THE AGREEMENT.

BUT IN THIS CASE, GOD ALONE WALKED THROUGH, INDICATING THAT THE COVENANT , THOUGH INVOLVING PROMISES TO ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANTS, WAS MADE BY GOD WITH HIMSELF.

THE COVENANT WAS MADE BY GOD AFFECTING ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANTS WITHOUT THE AGREEMENT OF ABRAHAM.

NOT ONLY THAT BUT IT WAS UNCONDITIONAL, THE ONLY OBLIGATION WAS ON GOD HIMSELF.

SO PAUL PRESENTS AN ARGUMENT TO SHOW THAT THE COVENANT GOD MADE WITH ABRAHAM WAS STILL VALID, BASING IT ON THE PRIORITY OF THE COVENANT AND ITS IRREVOCABLE CHARACTER.

PAUL NOW PRESENTS AN ARGUMENT TO SHOW THAT THE COVENANT GOD MADE WITH ABRAHAM WAS STILL VALID, BASING IT ON THE PRIORITY OF THE COVENANT AND ITS IRREVOCABLE CHARACTER.

PAUL ASSERTS THAT IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT WHEN MEN MAKE A CONTRACT, AND THAT CONTRACT IS AGREED UPON BY BOTH PARTIES, IT CANNOT BE MODIFIED OR CHANGED EXCEPT BY THE MUTUAL CONSENT OF BOTH PARTIES WHO MADE THE CONTRACT IN THE FIRST PLACE MUCH LESS CAN A COVENANT GOD MAKES WITH HIMSELF BE ANNULLED OR MODIFIED?

SO THERE IS NO WAY GOD’S OWN COVENANT WITH MOSES COULD NULLIFY OR AMEND HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM, BECAUSE GOD HAD MADE ABRAHAM’S COVENANT PERMANENT AND UNCHANGEABLE.

PAUL APPLIES THIS TO GOD’S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM, SAYING THAT THE LAW GIVEN TO MOSES CANNOT MODIFY THE COVENANT JUST BECAUSE IT WAS GIVEN CENTURIES LATER.

THE LATER LAW CANNOT ALTER THE EARLIER WAY OF FAITH.

IT WAS FAITH WHICH SET ABRAHAM RIGHT WITH GOD; AND FAITH IS STILL THE WAY FOR MAN AND WOMEN TO SET THEMSELVES RIGHT WITH GOD.

NOW IN VS16 WE SEE THE KEY POINT ABOUT GOD’S PROMISES: READ VS16

HERE IS THE POINT: CHRIST JESUS IS THE ONE TRUE BENEFICIARY OF ALL OF GOD’S PROMISES.

GOD HAS GIVEN EVERYTHING TO CHRIST.

EVERY BLESSING GOD WANTS TO GIVE TO THE WORLD, AND TO YOU AND ME, HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN TO JESUS.

WITH THAT BEING THE CASE, EVERY BLESSING WE SEEK, EVERY GOOD THING IN THE WORLD, IS TO BE FOUND IN CHRIST.

AS TELLS US…FOR AS MANY AS ARE THE PROMISES OF GOD, IN HIM THEY ARE YES; THEREFORE ALSO THROUGH HIM IS OUR AMEN TO THE GLORY OF GOD THROUGH US...

BY COMING A BELIEVER AND FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, WE SHARE IN THESE PROMISES.

REMEMBER THE WORDS GOD SPOKE TO ABRAHAM...’IN YOU SHALL ALL THE NATIONS BE BLESSED...

BUT HOW DO WE GET INTO ABRAHAM?

NOT BY GETTING INTO ISRAEL THROUGH THE LAW, BUT BY COMING TO CHRIST BY FAITH.

AS PAUL SAYS LATER,…IN CHRIST JESUS YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD, THROUGH FAITH.

FOR AS MANY OF YOU AS WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST HAVE PUT ON CHRIST…AND IF YOU ARE CHRIST’S, THEN YOU ARE ABRAHAM’S OFFSPRING, HEIRS ACCORDING TO PROMISE...

TODD WILSON WRITES...CHRIST IS AT THE CENTER OF ALL THAT GOD IS DOING IN THE WORLD.

INDEED, CHRIST IS THE CENTER OF ALL THAT GOD WANTS TO DO FOR THE WORLD; AND FOR YOU AND ME.

SO DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE THE GALATIANS WERE MAKING.

DON’T LOOK ANYWHERE FOR GOD’S BLESSING OTHER THAN TO CHRIST.

IT CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN JESUS...

AND IF YOU

IN VS18 WE SEE THE INHERITANCE WE GAIN THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST.

PAUL IS SAYING THAT IF THE LAW AFFECTS THE PROMISE AT ALL, IT MAKES IT NULL AND VOID.

IT CANNOT BE ADDED TO IT WITHOUT DESTROYING IT.

SALVATION MUST REST EITHER ON THE PROMISE OR ON THE LAW.

THE JUDAIZERS CLAIMED IT RESTED ON THE PROMISE AND THE LAW.

BUT PAUL SHOWS THAT THE LAW DID NOT REPEAL OR DO AWAY WITH THE PROMISE, AND SO THE LAW HAD NO EFFECT ON IT.

THE INHERITANCE DENOTES NOT MERELY A GIFT, BUT A GIFT WHICH IS GIVEN OUT OF THE GENEROSITY OF THE GIVER’S HEART, WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED.

THE GREEK WORD GRACE (CHARIS) HAS THE SAME ROOT AND THE SAME MEANING.

SO WAS PAUL IS SAYING GRACE IS GIVEN FREELY AND IS NOT BASED ON TERMS OF MUTUAL AGREEMENT, BUT UPON THE FREE ACT OF ONE WHO GIVES SOMETHING, EXPECTING NOTHING IN RETURN OR PAYMENT FOR IT.

THIS SHOW THIS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAW AND GRACE.

IF SALVATION WERE BY OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT IT WOULD BE BASED UPON A MUTUAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOD AND THE SINNER WHEREBY GOD WOULD BE OBLIGATED TO GIVE SALVATION TO ANY SINNER WHO WOULD EARN IT BY OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW.

THIS IS ALSO TELLING US THAT THE PAST COMPLETED ACT OF GOD GIVING THE INHERITANCE ON A PROMISE HAS PRESENT DAY RESULTS.

DO YOU RELIZE THAT THE WORD ‘INHERITANCE’ MEANS THE ACTUAL ENJOYMENT OF THE BENEFITS ALREADY PROMISED UNDER THE WILL.

IN SCRIPTURE THE INHERITANCE IS INSEPARABLE FROM THE GIFT OF THE SPIRIT WHICH IS THE GUARANTEE OR PLEDGE OF OUR INHERITANCE AS WRITTEN IN

…IN HIM, YOU ALSO, AFTER LISTENING TO THE MESSAGE OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION - HAVING ALSO BELIEVED, YOU WERE SEALED IN HIM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE, WHO IS GIVEN AS A PLEDGE OF OUR INHERITANCE, WITH A VIEW TO THE REDEMPTION OF GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY...

FOR THE BELIEVER, GOD’S GRACE IS PERSONIFIED IN CHRIST.

PAUL WANTS TO STRESS THE ‘ONCE-FOR-ALL-NESS’ OF GOD’S GRACE; AND NO LATER LAW CAN ALTER SUCH A GIFT TO MANKIND.

THE BASIC ARGUMENT IS CLEAR: A LAW GIVEN CENTURIES LATER CANNOT CHANGE A COVENANT MADE BY OTHER PARTIES.

BUT SUPPOSE THE LATTER REVELATION, SUCH AS THE LAW OF MOSES, WAS GREATER AND MORE GLORIOUS THAN THE EARLIER?

WHAT THEN?

WELL, PAUL MAKES ANOTHER STATEMENT: READ VS 19-20

NOW THINK BACK TO EXODUS, CH 19 TO BE EXACT, WHERE GOD GAVE MOSES THE LAW ON MOUNT SINAI.

THERE WAS FIRE, THERE WAS SMOKE, AND THERE WAS THE VIOLENT QUACKING OF THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN.

IT WAS A DRAMATIC EVENT IN COMPARISON WITH THE GIVING OF THE COVENANT TO ABRAHAM, AND OF COURSE, THE JUDAIZERS WERE IMPRESSED WITH THESE EMOTIONAL EXTERNALS.

PAUL THINKS OF TWO OBJECTIONS THAT MIGHT BE RAISED WITH REFERENCE TO HIS TEACHING CONCERNING THE PROMISE AND THE INABILITY OF THE LAW TO AFFECT THE PROMISE.

BOTH OBJECTIONS ARE IN QUESTIONS: WHY THE LAW THEN?

AND IS THE LAW THEN CONTRARY TO THE PROMISES OF GOD?

BY ANSWERING THESE PAUL EXPLAINS THE MEANING OF THE TRUE ROLE OF THE LAW.

PAUL POINTS OUT THAT THE LAW, IS INFERIOR TO THE COVENANT OF PROMISE IN TWO WAYS:

PAUL POINTS OUT THAT THE LAW, IS INFERIOR TO THE COVENANT OF PROMISE IN TWO WAYS:

WE SEE IN THE FIRST PART OF V19 THAT THE LAW WAS TEMPORARY.

THIS FIRST QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LAW IN THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION.

WHY THE LAW THEN?… THAT IS, IF GOD NEVER INTENDED THAT MEN SHOULD BE JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW, WHAT END DOES IT SERVE?

WHEY WAS IT GIVEN?

IN THE LATTER PART OF V19 WE ARE GIVEN THE ANSWER.

...IT WAS ADDED BECAUSE OF TRANSGRESSIONS, HAVING BEEN ORDAINED THROUGH ANGELS BY THE AGENCY OF A MEDIATOR, UNITL THE SEED SHOULD COME TO WHOM THE PROMSE HAD BEEN MADE...

THERE ARE A COUPLE TRUTHS IN THIS STATEMENT: FIRST, THE LAW WAS NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL COVENANT MADE WITH ABRAHAM…IT WAS ADDED…THE LAW WAS INTRODUCED OR GIVEN IN ORDER TO EXPOSE SIN.

IN DOING SO THE LAW INTENSIFIES MAN’S CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT AND BRINGS ABOUT THE DESIRE FOR REDEMPTION.

SECOND, THE LEGAL SYSTEM WAS A TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT: IT WAS VALID ONLY …UNTIL THE SEED SHOULD COME…SUGGESTING THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LAW WAS INTENDED TO DIMINISH AFTER CHRIST’S COMING.

THE SECOND REASON THE LAW WAS INFERIOR TO THE PROMIS IS THAT THE LAW, …HAVING BEEN ORDAINED THROUGH ANGELS BY THE AGENCY OF A MEDIATOR…NOTHING IS SAID IN EXODUS OF THE PLACE OF ANGELS IN THE GIVING OF THE LAW, BUT THEIR PRESENCE IS REFERRED TO IN AND .

WHEN GOD GAVE TH LAW TO ISRAEL, HE DID I BY MEANS OF ANGELS AND THROUGH THE MEDIATION OF MOSES.

SAYS…YOU WHO RECEIVED THE LAW AS ORDAINED BY ANGELS, AND YET DID NOT KEEP IT...

THIS MEANS THAT THE NATION RECEIVED THE LAW THIRD-HAND: FROM GOD TO ANGELS TO MOSES.

BUT WHEN GOD MADE HIS COVENANT WITH ABRAM, HE DID IT PERSONALLY, WITHOUT A MEDIATOR.

GOD REVEALED ALL HE WOULD DO FOR ABRAHAM AND HIS DESCENDANTS.

WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT THE ANGELS SERVICE WAS.

BUT THE POINT IS THAT THEIR PRESENCE AS WELL AS THE ‘MEDIATOR’ MOSES, DIMINISHED THE LEGAL SYSTEM RATHER THAN INCREASED ITS IMPORTANCE.