I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him,
he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John
15:5
Pray
for God to speak to you through the reading of His word.
Read
Galatians 3:15-29
The Promise comes
from the One God
-
The
promise was made to Abraham, some 430 years before the Law was given. In other words, the Law was given in light of
the Promise, not as a replacement for it.
-
It
we were saved by the Law, our salvation would be a joint venture between
ourselves and God, it would be based on our ability to keep the covenant with
God.
-
However,
Paul says our salvation comes through one being, God, the maker of the
promise.
-
Do
you understand how indebted you are to God for your salvation? Do you understand how we are completely in
need of God’s grace?
Different Purposes
-
If
we are saved by God’s Promise, why then did he give us the Law?
-
Confusion
comes when we equate the Promise and the Law, when we view them both as means
of salvation.
-
However,
when we understand that the Promise and the Law serve two different purposes,
then we are able to place them in their proper context, and understand why both
were needed.
Shared
Problem, Shared Solution
-
At
the end of this passage, it sounds as if Paul is saying there is no such thing
as race, gender, or social classes anymore.
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Paul’s
point is that everyone is exactly the same, but that we all share a common
problem, and a common solution.
-
Whether
you are a Jew or Gentile, man or woman, slave or free, rich or poor, you are a
sinner.
-
Likewise,
regardless of who you are, the solution to your sin problem is Jesus
Christ.
-
When
we are baptized into Christ, our defining characteristic becomes our
relationship to Jesus!
-
Passages
to Consider: Isaiah 61:10-11; Galatians 2:20
Thank God for his
Promise, which is the source of our salvation.
Pray for a deeper
understanding as to how the Law and the Promise serve as part of God’s plan of
redemption.
Pray that our
world might find unity in a common desire to embrace Jesus Christ, the solution
to our shared problem of sin.
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