Galatians 3: 15-17
15Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is only a man’s covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it.
16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed He does not say, “And to seeds,” as referring to many, but rather to one, “And to your seed,” that is, Christ.
17What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise.
Paul is explaining the validity and importance of God’s promise in order to show the frailty of the Law (as men revere it). Verse 15 is simply an appeal to the senses that if we regard the promises of men so highly, how then can we negate and overlook God’s promise?
Verse 16 is a focus on what God actually said in regards to the inheritance of Abraham’s children. He isn’t talking about his genetic seed passed down through generations, rather the seed planted within him of the Spirit. He pays special attention to how the scriptures are written to make this point. I have to agree with Paul here since I feel that God didn’t waste His words in the bible.
Verse 17 is quite simple: God promised us the laying of the Spirit and our righteousness through it before the Law was even conceptualized by man. So, do we follow the Law, or do we accept the promise of God that He will provide us His righteousness?
I’m really loving this book because it is exposing our ignorance to how we act yet call ourselves Christians. We boast the ten commandments yet forget that God was before they existed. We repeat them in a “King James” manner to provoke authority but reject the fact that God had it covered before it existed. Instead of claiming the promises of God we cling to the fear and guilt of men for power.
What are you focused on today? The commandments or the promise? Are you burdened with the requirements or set free by the promise?