Abraham was the perfect man for Paul to reference as he attempted to prove his point. The original covenant was made with Abraham, a man whose faith in God allowed him to leave his home and family and wander into unknown territory.
Paul’s next point regards the Law, which came about 430 years (Galatians 3:17) after Genesis 15:6 tells us that Abraham believed God and it was credited as righteousness. Paul says that the promise from God comes by faith, not by the Law.
When Abraham responded to God, there was no such thing as the Law. It didn't exist.
Now, if those who live by the law are heirs of the promise, then faith has no value, Paul says (Romans 4:14). Because if that were true, those who were not given the Law aren't bound by the Law and therefore can’t sin. The heirs of Abraham come to God through faith, though. He is considered to be the Father of Judaism and for that matter, Christianity. His heirs number much larger than the Jewish nation. Paul reminds us that in Genesis 17:5, God promises that Abraham will be the father of many nations … not one nation.
Grace is guaranteed to all of Abraham’s offspring – not just to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham (Romans 4:16).
It was by faith in God and not in the things Abraham did that he received fulfillment of his promise. We are part of that promise, whether we are Jewish or Gentile, whether we are part of the Law or not.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment