GALATIANS LESSON 6
We will begin in Galatians 3:15 "Brethren, I speak after the
manner of men; Though [it be] but a man's covenant, yet [if it be]
confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto."
A covenant is actually an unbreakable agreement. Many times the
covenant was sealed with blood. Even covenants between two earthly men
were binding. The word "disannulleth" means neutralize, or violate. A
covenant was more than just an agreement. It was an unbreakable
agreement. We see then that the covenant that God made with Abraham
was not ever to be broken.
Galatians 3:16 "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises
made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to
thy seed, which is Christ."
This leaves no doubt at all, that the promises that were made to
Abraham belong to all believers in Christ. We need not try to explain
this Scripture, just know that it is true, and accept it. Romans 12:5
"So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members
one of another." We see beyond a shadow of doubt that these promises
made to Abraham were for all who believe in Christ.
Galatians 3:17 "And this I say, [that] the covenant, that was
confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and
thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise
of none effect."
This is saying, that even though the law was given to Moses about
430 years after this promise was made to Abraham, it does not fulfill
the promise made to Abraham, or do away with it. God had to bring them
this way, so they could see that law alone would not save anyone. This
430 years was really the time the family of Jacob lived in Egypt
before Moses, sent by God, delivered them. This is certainly not the
exact time from the time of Abraham, until the children were delivered
out of Egypt. The law was like Ishmael. It was of the flesh. Grace and
Isaac were of the Spirit. This covenant, made with Abraham, was not
flesh, but Spirit. The first is not the Spirit, but the second.
Galatians 3:18 "For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is]
no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise."
If the keeping of the law could bring the inheritance, it would
not be an inheritance. An inheritance is something you receive at the
death of another, which you have not earned. It is given to you
because of your relation to the one who died. This shows, not only the
greatness of the inheritance, but the greatness of the giver of the
inheritance. God, through Jesus Christ, willed us the great
inheritance. It is ours by sonship.
Galatians 3:19 "Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added
because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the
promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a
mediator."
The laws and ordinances were for a purpose. Had there been no
law, we would not have been aware of our need for the Saviour. Every
man was doing what was right in his own sight, and God gave the law to
show the error. All of the sacrifices for sin and transgressions were
a type and shadow of the great sacrifice that Jesus made all of us.
The mediator {go between} we see here, is no other than Moses. Moses
received the law and passed it on to the people. God used angels to
communicate with man, as he did with the three angels that appeared to
Abraham. The seed {singular} the promise was made to, of course, was
Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:20 "Now a mediator is not [a mediator] of one, but
God is one."
We see from this, that the mediator is actually a go-between. In
the case of Moses as mediator, he is between God and mankind. He
represented God to mankind and mankind to God. The way God is one, is
in the Spirit. I John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in
heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are
one."
Galatians 3:21 "[Is] the law then against the promises of God?
God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given
life, verily righteousness should have been by the law."
This is saying, if man could have lived up to the law, it would
have brought life. Man, however, could not keep every little detail of
the law. Jesus did not come to do away with the law, but to fulfill
the law. He took care of all the sacrifices and the ordinances for us.
The sacrifice of Jesus body on the cross, took care of all sacrifices
for all time for everyone who will believe. Our righteousness is ours,
because we have been washed in the blood of Jesus and been clothed in
His righteousness.
Galatians 3:22 "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin,
that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that
believe."
If you say you have not sinned, you are a liar, and the truth is
not in you. We have all sinned, we are just forgiven if we believe
that Jesus was our payment for our sin. John 3:17 "For God sent not
his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through him might be saved." Romans 4:13 "For the promise, that he
should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed,
through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."
Galatians 3:23 "But before faith came, we were kept under the
law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed."
Those who depended on the law, did not operate in faith. They
felt that the keeping of the law made them perfect in the sight of
God. The sad thing about all the sacrifices that they made, was that
it did not clear their conscience of their sin. Their sin was covered
for a year, but not done away with. Jesus does away with our sin. He
put our sin as far away as the east is from the west, and He does not
want us to remember it any more. His blood washed our sin completely
away. The "we", that were spoken of in the verse above, is all God's
people, not just Jews.
Galatians 3:24 "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster [to bring
us] unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."
When I study the laws and ordinances of the Old Testament, I feel
terrible guilt. That is what is meant by the law being our
schoolmaster. The law taught us how guilty of sin we really are and
that within ourselves there is no way to pay the awful price that we
owe. We needed a Saviour. Jesus Christ took our place on the cross.
The pain that He bore should have been paid by each of us. He
substituted Himself for us. He paid our debt in full.
A few years ago, in time of great trouble in my life, the Lord
gave me a song that tells this very well. Here below are the words of
the song. They say what this Scripture means far better than I can.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me.
Thank you Jesus for hanging on that tree.
O, I know dear Jesus, that it should have been me.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me.
You came from your home, up in heaven above.
You came to show God's undying love.
You shed your blood to set me free.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me.
When the cares of this world seem too heavy to bear,
I'll look up and see Jesus and know that He cares.
He has built me a home for eternity.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me.
When the trump of the Lord, shall sound from on high.
I will go to meet my Lord in the sky
And I will reign with Him eternally.
Thank you Jesus for dying for me.
Galatians 3:25 "But after that faith is come, we are no longer
under a schoolmaster."
There is a confidence that comes in knowing {having faith} the
Lord Jesus has taken care of it for us. We do not go around trying to
keep a group of laws in a book. We keep the law God has placed in our
heart. Jesus said, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. His
commandments are written on the fleshly part of every believer's
heart. We no longer need a schoolmaster, we just follow Jesus in our
heart.
Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus."
Romans 8:15 "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again
to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry,
Abba, Father." Look, with me, at what happens just because we believe
in Jesus. John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his
name:" In the following Scripture, we will see that the promise to
the seed of Abraham is our promise, as well, if we believe in Jesus.
Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and jointheirs
with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also
glorified together."
Galatians 3:27 "For as many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Christ."
True baptism for a believer is being buried in the watery grave
and rising to new life in Him. We no longer live, but Christ liveth in
us. We are actually clothed in His righteousness. We were clothed in
sin, before we became a Christian, but after we receive Him, He takes
our sin and clothes us in His righteousness.
Galatians 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in
Christ Jesus."
I have said so many times in these lessons, that God is not
interested in the flesh of mankind. It is in the flesh that we are
different nationalities and different genders. The spirit does not
have a color or a sex. It is the spirit of mankind that Jesus
quickens, not the flesh. The part of us that is made in the image of
God is the spirit. God is a Spirit. If we are in the image of someone
who is Spirit, then we must be spirit, too. The real me, is not the
flesh you see with your eyes, but is the spirit which dwells within
this body of flesh. My spirit is a son of God. Look in the words of
Jesus, how we are one in Him. John 17:21 "That they all may be one; as
thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's
seed, and heirs according to the promise."
The only "if" in all of this, is if ye be Christ's. Have you
given yourself over completely to Christ? Are you truly His, or are
you pretending? He knows the difference. He will separate the
pretenders, when we stand before Him on judgement day. His sheep will
be gathered into heaven to be with Him. The pretenders will go the way
of the goats to eternal damnation. The seed of Abraham is Jesus. We
inherit the promises, because we belong to Jesus. Do not let even one
more hour pass, before you give yourself completely to Jesus.
Galatians 6 Questions
1. What is a covenant?
2. What was the covenant sealed by many times?
3. What does disannulleth mean?
4. What does that tell us about the covenant God made with Abraham?
5. Who were the promises made to?
6. Who is the seed of Abraham?
7. Quote Romans chapter 12 verse 5.
8. Did the law do away with the promise?
9. Is this 430 years a literal time?
10. What son of Abraham was the law like?
11. How was it like him?
12. Which son of Abraham was the son of promise?
13. What is an inheritance?
14. The law was added, because of _______________.
15. Who was the mediator spoken of in verse 19?
16. All of the sacrifices in the Old Testament were a type and shadow
of what?
17. Who was Moses the mediator between?
18. Quote 1 John chapter 5 verse 7.
19. Jesus did not come to do away with the law, but to ___________ it.
20. What has the Scripture concluded about all men?
21. Quote John chapter 3 verse 17.
22. What is the law called in verse 24?
23. When are we no longer under a schoolmaster?
24. What law does the Christian keep?
25. How can we be children of God?
26. What special name can we call the Father, after we have been
adopted?
27. Quote John chapter 1 verse 12.
28. What is true baptism?
29. Quote Galatians chapter 3 verse 28.
30. The part of us that is made in the image of God is our ________.
31. What is the only "if" to becoming heirs?
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