#DailyDevotion We Receive The Inheritance Through The Promise Not The Law
Gal. 3:15-18 15My fellow Christians, let me use an example from daily life. Once a will is ratified, even it it’s only a man’s will, no one sets it aside or adds to it. 16Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his Descendant. He doesn’t say: “and to the descendants,” in the plural, but in the singular: “and to your Descendant,” Who is Christ. 17Now, I say this: First God confirmed His covenant; and the Law, which came 430 years later, doesn’t set aside and cancel its promise. 18If we get the inheritance by the Law, we don’t get it by a promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
The law of wills is an ancient one. We can see even in Paul’s day, one cannot put aside the terms of a will. So the LORD made a covenant with Abraham and his Descendant. The LORD made promises before He made the covenant with Israel on Mt. Sinai. The covenant the LORD made with Israel on Mt. Sinai was distinct and separate from the promises he made with Abraham and his Descendant.
Now the LORD made many promises to Abraham. He promised to Abram’s shield. He promised Abraham many descendants and the land of the Levant also known as Palestine. The LORD promised Abram to make him a great nation, to bless him and make his name great, he would be a blessing, and all nations would be blessed through him. His offspring would possess the gates of his enemies. His offspring (singular) would be a blessing to all nations.
Now the Law, Torah, the Mosaic Covenant made 430 years later between the LORD and the Israelites doesn’t set aside and cancel the promises the LORD made to Abraham. The promises made to Abraham and his Descendant (who is Christ) are our inheritance to be received the same way Abraham received them, by faith in the promise. We do not get the inheritance of Abraham by means of the Law. If we did, Paul reasons, we wouldn’t get it by a promise. But God gave it to Abraham as a promise.
Now the LORD, through the Descendant of Abraham, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the promised descendant, through whom all nations are blessed, we receive the promise. That promise is the kingdom of God. It is eternal life in Jesus Christ. It is the forgiveness of sins won for us by Christ Jesus on the cross. The resurrection of the dead to eternal life in the new heavens and new earth is a promise to all who put their faith in Jesus. The promise to be made whole, perfect, without blemish, spot or stain, blameless, righteous and holy is through faith in the Descendant, Jesus Christ. We cannot work for it. We cannot earn it. We cannot contribute by our obedience to the Law to make it ours. What we have is a promise based on the work of the Righteous One, the Holy One of God, Jesus Christ.
If you believe the promise like Abraham believed the promise then it is yours. If you do not believe the promise then you get nothing, worse than nothing, you get what you deserve. So believe the promise.
Heavenly Father, you have given us such great and wonderful promises through your Son Jesus Christ. Grant us faith to receive them with a sure and certain hope now and in their fullness when He reveals himself again to the nations. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.