Good Day, Friends~

^{Truthfully, I love the hearts of these Galatians. . . they truly desired to live pure Christian lives.  Paul was guiding them to stick to the truth of the Gospel, and not let anyone add or take away from that. Remember, while we have the complete Word of God—both Old and New Testaments to guide us. . .  they did not.  In addition, they were the pioneers of the Christian faith, forging new beliefs with old customs, and doing so without having the benefit of a seminary-trained minister in place, something else we take for granted today.  They inquired of Paul about the promise God gave to Abraham, the father of their faith—‘was the promise God made to him nullified or changed when God gave Moses the Law?’  Paul lets them know it was neither changed, nor nullified. . . when God makes a promise, He keeps it.  Join me as we look at Paul’s explanation in Galatians 3, verses 15-22.}

¹⁵ Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. ¹⁶ God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. ¹⁷ This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise. ¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. ²⁰ Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham.²¹ Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises?  Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. ²² But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. 

Abraham was both the father and the foundation of the Jewish faith. God promised that He would ‘make of him a great nation--’ through the lineage of Abraham, Jesus was born.  Paul assured the Galatians that the commandments God gave to Moses on Mt. Moriah some 400 years after Abraham did not change the promises He had made to Abraham.  This point is significant.  God does not go back on His word; what He speaks, He will bring to pass—with one caveat—God is not bound to our time tables.

God’s promises to His children reveal a tremendous amount about His character and also His heart toward us.  Because He keeps His promises, He is trustworthy, and because God is trustworthy, He keeps His promises.  I thought of some of my friends and colleagues, and some of their situations today. . . and asked myself, ‘what promises has God made that they need to hear today?’

Are you worried or anxious?   I could write so many of your names right here. . .

tell you not to worry, God is in control. . . but instead, my dearest friends, read these next verses.  Write them on post-it notes…put them where you will see them. . . memorize them, for then they cannot be taken from you.  These are words of life:

 ~ The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Deuteronomy 31.8

 ~ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4.6-7

 ~ "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11.28-29

 'Wonder if God is faithful?

 ~ Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 

             They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3.22,23

 Do you feel guilty?

 ~  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1.9

 These are just a few of the precious promises of God to you.  Take a hold of them, and let the truth of them get a hold of you. 

Now, will anything render these promises void?  No.  The Galatians asked a good question of Paul, and Paul was able to assure them that God had not changed His mind about the promises He made to Abraham; in fact, Paul himself was testament to that.  Paul, the zealous Jew, transformed by the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ. 

The Law did not change God’s promises. . . God is faithful. . . He is trustworthy.

Grace and Peace,

Christine