The Revelation of Christ Hidden as a secret and mystery of GOD, part 4b

I am looking at Galatians 3:15 through 29 and its related passages, using Pastor Hoekstra, Norman Grubbs and John Giles Exposition of the entire Bible. Using the ESV translation for ease of reading and as always the LORD's help. Now as we have seen there are indeed other laws of GOD not herein spoken of as such among these are; the that holds the universe together, the law of marriage, the law of love and the law of faith, to name but a few.


Faith that brings Righteousness:


Galatians 3:15-18, 19-22, 23-29 "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 off springs," 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.

Why then the Law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is One. Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the Law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."
 

Even More on God's Promises and God's Law
By Pastor Hoekstra


"For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect." (Romans 4:13-14)


"These words from the book of Romans continue our consideration of God's promises and God's law. Abraham is again the person around whom the insights unfold. 

God promised Abraham blessings beyond measure. "Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 28:14). These promises were not contingent upon Abraham's ability to perform up to the level God's holy law. "For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law." When God made these promises to Abraham, the law was still hundreds of years from being revealed. Likewise, these promises were not contingent upon circumcision (the sign of this covenant with Abraham). "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised (being a gentile), that he might be the father of all those who believe" (Romans 4:11). Circumcision was added after Abraham heard the promises and believed. 

In these encounters with God, Abraham was being asked to put his trust and confidence in the LORD. "For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith." When Abraham believed in the promises of God, at that moment, God declared him righteous in His sight. "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3). What gave Abraham a right standing with God and allowed him to enter into God's promises was his trusting in the LORD. 

The only other option to "God-dependent faith" would be "self-dependent Law performance." Such an approach to God would be totally unacceptable. "For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect." Attempting to merit God's promises by Law performance says we view faith in Him as meaningless. Striving to earn what God has pledged to provide says we consider His promises as ineffectual."  


Now for John Giles Exposition of the entire Bible:


Romans 4:13


For the promise that he should be heir of the world,   .... This promise is thought by some to refer to that of his being "the father of many nations", Genesis 17:4; by whom the Gentiles are particularly meant, who are sometimes called "the world", and "the whole world", or "the elect of God," the believing part of the world; whether among Jews or Gentiles, who sometimes go by the name of "the world" in Scripture: but to this it may be objected, that the promise here spoken of is made to Abraham's seed, as well as to himself; by which is meant not the Messiah, who is indeed heir of the world, and all things in it, but all believers, whether Jews or Gentiles; as appears from Romans 4:16; and therefore cannot be both heirs and inheritance too. Others think the land of Canaan is designed, and by a synecdoche, a part of the world is put for the whole world; but that land is never so called, and, besides, the promise of it belonged to those of the Law, and to them only, contrary to what the apostle argues, Romans 4:14. Others therefore consider Canaan as a type of heaven, which Abraham and his spiritual seed are heirs of by promise. But rather, by "the world" here, is meant, both this world and that which is to come; Abraham and all believers are the "heirs" of this world, and of all things in it; "all things" are theirs, and, among the rest, the world, in Christ being theirs, and they being Christ's; He is heir of all things, and they are joint heirs with Him; and how little so-ever they may enjoy of it now, the time is coming, when they, by virtue of their right, "shall inherit the earth"; see Psalm 37:9; and now they have as much of it as is necessary, and with a blessing, and which the Jews call their "world". It is a saying in their Talmud (o), עולמך תראה בחייך, "thou shall see thy world" in thy lifetime; which the gloss explains, "thou shalt find", or enjoy all thy necessities, or what is needful for thee; and of Abraham they say (p), that


"he was the foundation of the world, and that for his sake the world was created;''


and introduce God saying of Him thus (q).


"as I am the only one in My world, so He is the only one, בעולמו, "in His world".''


And as he and all the saints are heirs of this world, so of the world to come, the future salvation, the inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, never fading, and reserved in the heavens; for they are heirs of God Himself, and shall inherit all things: now this large and comprehensive promise, which takes in the things of time and eternity, 

was not to Abraham, or to his seed through the Law: not through the law of circumcision, or on the score of their obedience to that, for this promise was made before that was enjoined; see Genesis 12:2; nor through the Law of Moses, which was not as yet given; nor through the law of nature, nor by any righteousness of the law; 

but through the righteousness of faith: by virtue of which they have "all things that pertain to life and godliness", 2Peter 1:3; and have "the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come", 1Timothy 4:8; enjoy with a blessing what they now have, and have a right and title to the heavenly glory."


(o) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 17. 1. (p) Caphtor, fol. 99. 2. (q) T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 118. 1.


Now for Norman Grubbs and his insight on Romans 6-8.

ROMANS 6-8
By Norman P. Grubb

A FRUSTRATING COMPLICATION

Now comes the burning question. If the new relationship has replaced the old, and given us fully-satisfying life, rich fruit, happy service, loving union and communion, and the conscious ability to be who we long to be and help others to be the same, why doesn't it happen? What is wrong? Where is this completion in Christ, loving as He loves, walking as He walked with the faith that overcomes, being more than conquerors, easily living out the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus said we would, as lights in the world? Hasn't Paul made it plain to us that we have been crucified, raised, and ascended with Jesus and inwardly confirmed by the Spirit? Then where is the snag?

This burning question has greatly disturbed and seemingly disrupted our first faith statements, by which Paul told us to "reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God." It has also caused many sincere, born again, Bible rooted believers to use a nice little cliché – our position in Christ is one thing, but our condition in its outworking is quite another. And they usually add, "Of course, our condition does not level up to our position." But this is precisely what Paul says does level up! Our position in Christ and our condition in living this Christ-Life are one and the same.

Next Paul reaches the least understood and most misused section of his Romans letter, or of all his writings. But when understood through Paul's own explanation and experienced by the inner confirmation of the Spirit, this section gives the desperate believer the one key that turns the lock and the whole freedom he seeks. In his need, the believer must find the full and final meaning of life, for which he was created and is now redeemed by grace. This extends from Romans 7:7 through 7:24 and then is fulfilled in Romans 7:25 right through chapter 8.