By Faith alone

Galatians 3: 15-18

“To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.” (Galatians 3:15-18, ESV)
In the churches of Galatia some Jewish teachers had come in with this teaching, faith in Christ is not enough.  They were teaching that in order to attain eternal life the Galatians must be circumcised and follow the dietary law in the Old Testament.  Paul was teaching that the law that came 430 years after the promise does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God.  If we look back to the promise made to Abram you need to grasp the setting, he is living in Ur of the Chaldeans, a modern city that had many gods, and it was in this pagan setting that God spoke to Abram.  This was the conversation: “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3, ESV)  Hundreds of years later in the “Letter to the Hebrews” we grasp the faith that was required by Abram, who became Abraham.  “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10, ESV)
Abraham and all who came after him were saved by faith in the promise God made to Abram or Abraham.  We find in one of his largest trials of faith, no heir and his wife of old age, and God showed him the stars in the heavens and said, “So shall your offspring be.”   And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:5b-6)  Both Jews and Gentiles from the time of Abram to now are declared righteous by faith alone.  The apostle Paul gave us this in Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice