WEBVTT 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:25.440 Have you ever made a promise to someone and then at some point down the line you're thinking like this this uh this agreement probably could be better if if I adjust it just a little bit in my favor if I if I renegotiate the terms or if we maybe agree to uh to new to new agreements where uh maybe you benefit. 00:00:25.600 --> 00:00:33.840 You you might say, hey sis, uh if you if you uh wash if you wash the dishes, I'll I'll scrub the bathroom sink. 00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:41.600 If you uh little brother, if you uh agree to take up the trash, then I I'll make your bed or if things like that. 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:48.079 These are the things that come to mind when I used to make deals or agreements or covenants with my siblings. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:51.679 I was tempted to want to change them to benefit me. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:54.240 And you might be in the same position. 00:00:54.399 --> 00:01:03.280 Now, when God makes a covenant, when God makes a promise, he does not go back on his word. 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:16.480 And we're gonna see today, we're gonna see that God's promises are are better than earthly contracts, agreements that you and I can have, where if you do this, then then I get that. 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:24.159 Or if if I agree to to mow the lawn, then mom and dad is going to pay me five dollars. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:34.959 Or if if I come back with good grades, then uh I'm gonna get some kind of blessing, some kind of reward. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:38.799 That would be that would be more of a contract. 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:40.560 That would be an agreement. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:53.359 Now I'm thinking about promises, and we look to the Old Testament, we see promise after promise after promise that God, that God makes, He gives and establishes to His people. 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:55.120 God makes promises. 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:58.560 I feel like I'm like a little too close to you right now. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:01:59.760 Perfect. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:04.400 Um I couldn't see you, like almost under under the podium, shall we? 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:09.039 Um promise not to spray, hopefully. 00:02:09.439 --> 00:02:10.879 Actually, I can't I can't promise that. 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:12.159 I might not make that promise. 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:13.520 I might break that promise. 00:02:13.680 --> 00:02:14.000 Okay. 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:16.719 God's promises, he doesn't go back on them. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.800 He doesn't, he doesn't change his mind. 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:22.719 He he doesn't he doesn't hold his fingers crossed behind his back. 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:28.479 I know maybe some of you older older folks in the building would be like, yeah, I might have done that. 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:29.360 I've seen that before. 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:30.800 How many of you know know what that is? 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:34.000 Like you you cross your fingers so it like it like nullifies the agreement. 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:35.439 It's like just kidding. 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:36.560 I had my fingers crossed. 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:38.879 I don't know, I don't know what fingers crossed has to do. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:41.520 Like, like actually there's an X and I didn't mean it maybe. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:42.560 I don't know the origin of that. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:43.919 Maybe that's some homework for you. 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:45.439 Why why is that a thing? 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:49.120 Why do people cross their fingers to to nullify their word? 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:52.719 So let your yes be your yes, because that's what God, that's what God does. 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:54.400 When He tells you yes, it's a yes. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:56.719 When He tells you no, it's no. 00:02:56.879 --> 00:03:03.680 And for our audience today, we're looking into Galatians chapter 3, verses 15 through 18. 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:24.400 We're gonna see that God's promises and the law, they they are gonna have a relationship with one another, and they they cannot um you cannot find your transactional uh um salvation in God's promises. 00:03:24.639 --> 00:03:27.759 You have one or the other, and one is clearly better. 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:38.319 The promises of God that He would deliver, that He would give Abraham a spiritual offspring is much better than a law that we cannot fulfill. 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:47.599 And we're gonna see, we're gonna see Paul explain a little further as he goes into this and continues on in this argument that he's making. 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:50.000 It's not the law, it's faith that saves. 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:52.479 So we're gonna see uh we're gonna see this today. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:04:01.199 So I hope you're ready for some more uh more promise-keeping God worship as we look to the book of Galatians again tonight. 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:06.159 And Galatians chapter 3, verses 15 through 18. 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:09.120 Let's read this together. 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:17.519 To give a human example, brothers, you can say brothers or sisters, he's speaking to the people in front of them, not just the men. 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:42.800 To give a human example, brothers, even with a man-made, you and I, we're humans, we're mankind, a man-made covenant, no one annuls or adds to it, no one changes, no one manipulates, no one corrects or improves or takes away from it, from a covenant or a promise. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:52.399 Even with a man-to-man or man-to-woman agreement, no one annuls it, changes it, modifies it, once it has been ratified. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:05:01.759 Though we might want to, though we might see that this agreement at times doesn't uh appeal as much as it once did, right? 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:04.079 You can you can think about these things. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:05.519 Agreements that you made. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:09.680 You said, if you do, then I will, or if I will, then you must, right? 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:20.160 No one adds to it once it's been ratified, once it's been agreed on, once you put the pen to paper, once you you shook that other person's hand and say, I'm agreeing to this. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:29.120 We're we're both in agreement that these are the terms of our our covenant or our agreement to one another, promise to one another. 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:30.399 Has to do with your word. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:32.959 No one goes back on their word. 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:34.800 Verse 16. 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:39.439 Now the promises were made to Abraham. 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:40.560 From whom? 00:05:40.959 --> 00:05:42.319 From God, right? 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:43.279 From God. 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:48.959 God made promises to Abraham and to his offspring. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:57.680 It does not say plural and to offsprings, referring to many, but referring to one. 00:05:58.560 --> 00:06:02.720 And to your offspring, who is Christ? 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.160 So remember that back in Genesis? 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:08.560 God speaks to Abraham. 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:12.560 He counts righteousness to him because of his faith. 00:06:13.759 --> 00:06:20.800 We could trace back our heritage in the faith all the way back to Abraham because of the promises that God made him. 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:21.600 Remember that? 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:24.639 And I love how Paul's gonna say it. 00:06:24.720 --> 00:06:28.000 He's gonna say it again, he's gonna explain, he's gonna unpack what he's saying. 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:28.959 Verse 17. 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:32.079 He says, This is what I mean. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:44.879 The law, the Ten Commandments, the book, uh, the book of Moses, the five books, which came 430 years after Abraham. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:48.240 430 years after. 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:58.560 It does not annul, does not void, does not undo this covenant, this promise previously ratified by God. 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:01.199 If he says it, he will do it. 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:03.759 When God declares it, it is so. 00:07:04.959 --> 00:07:06.000 He doesn't go back. 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:08.480 There's no wishy-washiness about him. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:16.319 There's no just kiddings, or I didn't mean it, or well, but then no, no well buts with God. 00:07:16.639 --> 00:07:26.399 For in verse 18, for if the inheritance comes by the law, thinking about what was promised to Abraham. 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:36.639 When God promised Abraham, I'm gonna give you these things, you're gonna have a great name, you're gonna have a great offspring, they're gonna, they're gonna be more than the stars in the sky. 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:43.120 He didn't say that if you uphold and obey the law perfectly. 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:44.399 He didn't say that. 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:46.560 He didn't say that. 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:48.879 It no longer comes away by a promise. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:52.240 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it can't be both, he's saying. 00:07:52.480 --> 00:07:56.480 If it comes from the law, it's no longer a promise, because then it's a contract. 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:58.079 That's what he's saying. 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:00.399 To conclude, verse 18. 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:03.839 But God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:06.000 God made a promise. 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:07.439 I will do this. 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:08.720 I will. 00:08:09.279 --> 00:08:11.360 I'll take care of all the details. 00:08:11.600 --> 00:08:19.360 I will sovereignly be in control of every step in this process for this promise to be fulfilled. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:23.120 I will make sure that it happens. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:29.920 That's that's part of what it means to be sovereign, to have complete control, complete authority, complete rule. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.840 You have all the details, you have all the power, you have all the knowledge. 00:08:34.080 --> 00:08:40.559 Only a sovereign God, only an all-powerful, almighty God, an eternal God can do this. 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:52.559 And this is this is another layer in Paul's argument that it's not by works that we're saved, it's by faith. 00:08:52.799 --> 00:09:00.240 This is this is the next chapter, the next episode of Paul's defense of the gospel. 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:06.799 He's bringing to our minds the law in the time in between the promise. 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:12.960 430 years after, after the promise was made to Abraham. 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:16.480 Here comes Moses, here comes Sinai, here comes the law. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:24.000 Because we have the law that doesn't void, that doesn't undo the promise made to Abraham. 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:30.960 You cannot, you cannot look and say, Abraham, sorry, that promise made to you from God. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:34.879 He has to go back on that now that there's this law thing. 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:40.960 Now, now your salvation, now your inheritance comes through obeying the law, and if you mess up, then you don't get it. 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:42.799 It's like what a cheap trick that would be. 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:44.960 He's saying, no, that's not the case. 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:46.960 Even even humans understand this. 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:48.159 We can't go back. 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:56.639 It's not honorable, it's not it's not holy, it's not reverent to God or the other person if you're gonna go back on your word. 00:09:57.279 --> 00:09:59.759 God keeps his promises. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.679 Deuteronomy 7 9 says this. 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:08.080 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God. 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:20.879 I am who I am, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commands to a thousand generations. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:26.159 Now, I'm not sure about you, but I I only have photos going back a couple generations. 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:32.799 I don't I don't have that luxury to look back and and say, great, great, great, great, great grandfather or grandmother. 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:37.200 I don't I don't have that that information, I don't have the documentation. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:40.559 But if we go back far enough, we do. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:47.279 We go back far enough into the history books, we do have a clear picture of our origin. 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:49.600 We look to the book of Genesis. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:52.320 All of us are related to Adam and Eve. 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:57.200 All of us are related to Noah and one of his sons. 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:01.440 We we do have a clear picture of our heritage. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:12.480 A thousand generations, from Adam and Eve on, faithful, steadfast love and faithfulness, ongoing, again and again and again. 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:23.279 This is the God of the Bible, faithful, promise keeping, all the time, every time. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:29.120 Numbers chapter 23, verse 19 goes on to continue this argument. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:31.679 God is not man that he should lie. 00:11:31.840 --> 00:11:33.759 How many of you have told a lie before? 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:35.440 How many of you have not told the truth? 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:36.799 Yeah, it's all of us. 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:41.039 God is not a man that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind. 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:44.879 He has said, and will he not do it? 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:48.559 Or has he spoken and he will not fulfill it? 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:55.279 What a cheap trick it would have been if, you know, God's talking to Moses, saying, Hey, go go talk to Pharaoh. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:56.320 We're gonna get out of town. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:11:58.080 I'm gonna rescue you, I'm gonna deliver you. 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:00.399 All you gotta do is just follow my instructions. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.480 Go tell Pharaoh, let my people go. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:03.360 Okay, go back. 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:04.960 I'm gonna show him signs and wonders. 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:06.559 I'm gonna bring plagues. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:10.559 Imagine Moses going to Pharaoh and then nothing happens. 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:11.759 Wah. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:13.679 He's like, what's going on? 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:15.519 You said you're gonna do what happened? 00:12:15.759 --> 00:12:17.679 Now now I'm enslaved. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:21.519 How how how sad would that be? 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:23.519 All right, we're in the promised land. 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:25.200 Jericho, you see that fortified city? 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:26.879 Alright, get your horns out. 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:28.480 Go ahead and march. 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:30.159 Go ahead and march again. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:31.120 Watch this. 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.879 On this last day, the walls are gonna fall down. 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:36.159 Go ahead. 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:37.120 Watch. 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:41.039 The promises that God makes are the promises that he keeps. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:55.360 You can look back to the Old Testament, you go look back to the New Testament and see God saying things that will happen in the future, and they happen just as He describes it. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:00.000 Just as He says He will, so He does. 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:10.720 And Joshua chapter 21 and verse 45 continues to build on this reputation, this resume that God has for keeping his promises. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:18.799 Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:21.200 All came to pass. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:25.360 We look at the heritage of leaders in the Old Testament. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:31.200 Moses gives the blessing and anoints Joshua. 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:31.759 Go. 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:33.840 God is going to deliver you. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:36.879 God is going to go before you into this promised land. 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:40.000 Remember, don't forget, obey. 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:44.879 We see God's people forgetting his promises, though, all the time. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:54.320 We see God's people straying away from his goodness, straying away and not remembering God's track record of perfection in keeping his promises. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.919 God does not fail, not even once. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:05.519 Abraham or Abram and Sarai, growing older in age. 00:14:07.679 --> 00:14:09.200 They're not able to have kids. 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:11.519 And God says, I'm going to give you a son. 00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:13.759 Sarah laughs. 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:14.879 Or Sarai laughs. 00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:16.799 What do you mean, have a son? 00:14:17.440 --> 00:14:18.399 I'm old. 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:19.519 I have no kids. 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:21.279 I've never been able to have kids. 00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:23.279 Life's always been this way. 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:25.120 There's no future for our name. 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:27.600 It's just me, me and Abram. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:29.039 What do you mean? 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:31.840 Genesis 21, 1 and 2. 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:36.480 This is just God's God's speaking to his people, to his creation. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:38.159 This is what's going to happen. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.679 The Lord visited Sarah in Genesis 21, 1 and 2. 00:14:41.919 --> 00:14:44.320 As he had said, so it will be. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:54.159 And the Lord did to Sarah as he had promised, and she conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:57.279 God makes promises and he delivers. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:00.080 Let's write this down for point number one. 00:15:00.879 --> 00:15:04.720 Believe that God keeps his promises. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:06.799 Believe. 00:15:07.519 --> 00:15:11.440 Believe that he's going to do what he says he will do. 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:17.039 God doesn't go back after the fact and say, actually, you know, remember I told you this would happen. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:18.639 Plan B. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:21.600 Plan C actually is going to happen differently now. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:22.320 No. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:31.919 No audibles, no, no changes of the plays, no substitutions for what will what will come about. 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:35.679 No mulligans, no redo's, no failed promises. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:37.919 God succeeds. 00:15:38.320 --> 00:15:43.679 He ordains everything that will happen. 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:55.679 When God spoke to his prophets to tell of judgment that would be coming or blessings in the future that had not yet arrived, they were speaking the future. 00:15:56.000 --> 00:15:57.919 They were telling of a future reality. 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:00.320 Not like, hey, like, by the way, this might happen. 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:02.720 Like, no, this will happen. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:13.120 God's prophets, his standard for his word that would would soon or in the distant future come to pass is perfection. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:17.360 You know how you identify a false prophet in the Old Testament? 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:19.519 Just one one mistake. 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:22.720 That's all that it takes to make you a false prophet. 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:28.960 Speaking on behalf of the Lord, air quotes, and then it actually doesn't happen, you're a false prophet. 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:36.879 And there's steep consequences for those who would speak on behalf of the Lord in their own strength and their own wisdom and their own power. 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:42.480 The words that came to God's prophets came to pass every time. 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:44.480 God is faithful. 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:48.159 We are the ones that struggle with faith at times. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:56.559 Our reliability, if I say I'm going to be here at this time, I can't, I can't with 100% certainty ensure that that will happen. 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:58.080 Sometimes there's an accident. 00:16:58.159 --> 00:16:58.879 Sometimes I forget. 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:00.320 Sometimes I don't wake up to my alarm. 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:02.799 Sometimes I, the list goes on. 00:17:02.960 --> 00:17:07.359 If you say you're going to do something and you don't do it, we let people down. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:09.200 God doesn't let his people down. 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:10.960 God doesn't let you or I down. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:15.519 He fulfills his promises time and time again. 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:17.759 No one annuls it. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:19.680 Paul's talking about human beings. 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:28.160 You and I, we can make promises, we can make agreements, we don't modify, we don't, we don't annul them, we don't cancel them once it's been ratified. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:29.839 A deal is a deal. 00:17:30.319 --> 00:17:33.839 Now God's promises to Abraham in verse 16. 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:37.839 The promises that were made to him and to his offspring. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.720 What are those, what are those promises? 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:50.319 Well, in Genesis 12, God speaks to Abraham, to Abram, he says, To your offspring, I will give a future land, the land of Canaan. 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:52.000 I'm going to give you this land. 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:54.000 And he takes him out here. 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:55.759 Take a look, take a look, Abram. 00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:56.960 Look around. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:58.799 This is yours, your offspring. 00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:02.240 You might not see this fully, but this is for you. 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:03.440 What does Abram do? 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:06.079 He builds an altar and worships the Lord. 00:18:06.559 --> 00:18:08.319 He gives praise and honor to him. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:16.400 In Genesis 13, look, for all the land that you see, I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:19.680 The land, the land of Canaan. 00:18:19.759 --> 00:18:29.759 If you're following along with us in the lamp and light Bible reading plan, we're looking at God's people entering into this land and struggling greatly in the book of Judges. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:30.720 They struggle. 00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:34.079 They struggle to do and remember what God told them to do. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:35.759 They're going their own way. 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:38.880 They're forgetting the promises that God made. 00:18:40.160 --> 00:18:43.680 They're thinking life is better their own way. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:47.359 Genesis 17, verses 7 and 8. 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:59.839 Moses writes, and I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant. 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:05.920 This deal, this promise that I'm just going to ensure that happens to you is good forever. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:10.079 To be your God, to you and to your offspring after you. 00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:12.559 This is my promise to you. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:14.000 I will be your God. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:15.920 I've made myself known to you. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:19.440 You can trust me, God says to Abraham. 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:31.680 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:36.720 Speaking to Abraham's offspring that he will never meet, I will be their God. 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:40.640 I will stay near to your descendants, Abraham, to your offspring. 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:47.759 Genesis 22, we're continuing on God's promises to this man, Abraham, the man of faith. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:58.319 In Genesis 22, 18, he says, And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice. 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:01.759 Abraham believes and he follows after God. 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:23.680 The nations will be blessed. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:30.720 Not just the Jews, not just the people of Israel, but the nations of the earth. 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:37.759 Human covenants are at times broken. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.119 And that would be dishonoring to God. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:43.680 Your yes is not your yes, your no is not your no. 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:46.720 God does not nullify his. 00:20:47.359 --> 00:20:48.240 God does not. 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:59.759 Paul's drawing attention to this human human dynamic of agreements and magnifying them as they look up to God. 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:11.279 The people of this of this time in Galatia were thinking, if I if I have faith and works and this is all good for me, I can just earn my way as long as I'm good enough. 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:16.720 As long as I follow the law enough, I have faith, but I still need to earn my way. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:20.880 No, no, it's by faith. 00:21:21.359 --> 00:21:22.319 This is the promise. 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:38.079 This is the man of faith in Genesis, Abraham that would look forward, and that his offspring would be the people that will be experiencing this promise made to him hundreds and hundreds of years later. 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:40.319 This offspring, singular. 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:42.960 And I love how Paul spells this out. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:47.920 Grandson, granddaughter, grandson, granddaughter. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:49.839 And on and on and on it goes. 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:52.720 And one day we get to King David, right? 00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:53.839 We get to King David. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:57.039 And the promises that are made to King David are compounded. 00:21:57.279 --> 00:22:07.839 They're built on the foundation that's That were given to Abraham, the promises to David, from your line will be an everlasting king. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:10.079 He will reign forever. 00:22:14.160 --> 00:22:30.480 This promise made to Abraham is one that we need to look at more closely, more seriously, because down the line, down the lineage of Abraham, this offspring, Paul just says it right here in verse 16, who is Christ? 00:22:31.440 --> 00:22:34.000 Not referring to many, referring to one. 00:22:34.240 --> 00:22:43.759 This offspring of yours that I'm going to promise to you, he is the one that we've been speaking about. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:46.720 He is the one who hung on the cross. 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:47.839 This is Christ. 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:49.839 This is what he's saying. 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:54.400 The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. 00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:56.400 It does not say and to offspring. 00:22:56.480 --> 00:22:57.599 It's not multiple. 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:02.640 There's someone in mind when Paul is speaking about. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:05.920 When the promises made to Abraham come true. 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:07.680 They're all focused on Christ. 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:10.160 Let's write this down for point number two. 00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:14.720 Identify the promised Christ in Genesis. 00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:22.720 Paul is drawing our attention back time and time again to Abraham and to his offspring. 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:32.880 To those who would share in the promise, to those who would be blessed around the nations through faith. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:38.000 Not the law, but faith. 00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:41.839 Christ is the one who is the focus here. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:45.519 Christ is the one that Paul is trying to draw their attention to. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:49.039 Look, have faith in Christ and Christ alone for salvation. 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:54.720 Don't look to your blend of works and faith. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:59.279 No, it is faith alone in Christ alone. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:00.880 This is the formula. 00:24:01.359 --> 00:24:04.240 Grace, faith, Christ. 00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:09.920 He draws our attention further, further back in verse 17. 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:16.799 The law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul the covenant. 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:22.880 Look, Sinai, post-Exodus, God's people on their way to the promised land. 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:24.559 Hey, Pharaoh, I need my people. 00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:25.200 We're going to go. 00:24:25.279 --> 00:24:26.559 I'm going to lead them into a land. 00:24:26.720 --> 00:24:29.200 They're going to come out and make sacrifices to me. 00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:33.519 I'm going to lead them to the land that I promised Abraham. 00:24:33.920 --> 00:24:40.079 This law, we talked about this last week, blessings and curses based on obedience in Deuteronomy 28. 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:40.720 You remember that? 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:43.039 Sorry, when I say last week, I meant two weeks ago. 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:44.160 We took a week off. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:47.440 We were at we were at uh equipping weekend. 00:24:47.599 --> 00:25:02.559 But this this list that is laughably unattainable at the end of Deuteronomy, Moses is gonna pass the torch on to Joshua and he's saying, look, blessings if you if you obey all, curses if you don't. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:09.599 Blessings if you obey thoroughly, completely, flawlessly, and if you don't do that, then curses for you. 00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:11.279 Unattainable. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:14.640 The people of Israel are like, yeah, we'll do that, yeah, we'll do that. 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:18.400 And somewhere back in their mind, they're like, How are we gonna do all this all the time? 00:25:18.480 --> 00:25:20.079 Where we mess up so often. 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:21.200 What do you mean? 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:22.880 What do you mean? 00:25:23.599 --> 00:25:25.759 We fall short all the time. 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:29.839 They would they would look forward. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:32.880 They would look forward and see great trouble. 00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:46.319 Um, in the promised land we're reading in Judges, they don't drive out the peoples, they they blend in with the culture, they they struggle greatly to remember, and everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:52.160 Everyone is doing right, and and to a certain degree, that's what's going on in the book of Galatians. 00:25:52.240 --> 00:25:53.839 People are doing what's right in their own eyes. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:58.400 People are saying, yeah, Jesus, but I think there's something else that needs to happen too. 00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:01.680 This this Moses covenant, this law, it still matters a lot. 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:03.759 This still is really, really important. 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:10.400 We still need to earn, we still need to uh uh fulfill our side of this contract. 00:26:10.559 --> 00:26:11.519 We want the blessings. 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:14.000 We must obey, therefore, we get the the blessings. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:18.160 The blessing that Christ offers is a free gift. 00:26:18.240 --> 00:26:19.920 There's nothing that you can do to earn it. 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:30.160 There's nothing that you can do to secure it other than believing in him, believing in his work, his completed and finished work on the cross. 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:32.799 This is the power of salvation. 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:34.400 This is the power. 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:41.119 This future land, this future promise, the the promises given to Abraham, there's gonna be a land for you. 00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:44.079 Yep, we see that in Joshua, we see that in Judges. 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:45.759 They're they're entering the land. 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:49.920 Okay, promises secured, promises fulfilled. 00:26:50.079 --> 00:26:59.759 Now there's gonna be someone, there's gonna be someone that comes, Abraham, that's gonna expand, expand your offspring to the nations. 00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:01.680 And this man is Jesus Christ. 00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:07.680 We see him in Genesis, we see him uh identified in the Old Testament. 00:27:07.759 --> 00:27:13.039 It's through through an offspring that this promise will come to be. 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:22.319 This promise long awaited for, not yet seen, Abraham believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness. 00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:42.240 The promises made to Abraham were not voided when God's people failed and struggled to obey, struggled to follow the Ten Commandments, struggled to follow all the laws in the book of Moses. 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:43.920 God knew this. 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:45.200 God had a plan. 00:27:45.279 --> 00:27:49.440 This was just one step in the salvation progression. 00:27:49.839 --> 00:27:54.799 The fall, the fall of man, God's people identified, the law given. 00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:57.279 This is this is my commandment, this is my people. 00:27:57.440 --> 00:27:59.759 You're gonna follow me, you're gonna be set apart. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:02.559 Follow this law. 00:28:03.039 --> 00:28:04.160 Look at this. 00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:07.680 Look at this way that I desire you to live, Israel. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:09.519 I'm gonna write down some guidelines for you. 00:28:09.599 --> 00:28:12.319 I'm gonna write down some rules for you to follow. 00:28:12.480 --> 00:28:13.680 It's gonna set you apart. 00:28:13.759 --> 00:28:21.920 It's gonna identify you, it's gonna set you apart from all the nations, and they're not able to fulfill the law, but Christ does. 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:27.599 They're not able to follow every command perfectly all the time, but Christ did. 00:28:27.839 --> 00:28:30.000 He was crucified and he was raised. 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:40.799 He fulfilled the law and he extends his perfect track record to those who would believe, to those who would call upon the name of Christ for salvation. 00:28:41.119 --> 00:28:47.359 This is just a step in the process that would ultimately lead to Christ. 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:48.480 The law. 00:28:48.720 --> 00:28:52.240 The law identifies a person's need for salvation. 00:28:52.319 --> 00:28:55.039 They cannot do it on their own. 00:28:55.599 --> 00:29:09.519 And this failure, this failure to follow God's commands, God's law, to uphold and experience the blessings based on the rules that God has given, this doesn't void the promise made to Abraham. 00:29:09.759 --> 00:29:19.519 Your failure, your sin, your failure to follow all the law just shows you that you need the one, the one offspring that would come. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:21.920 That shows you your need for the Savior. 00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:29.920 It shows you your need for Christ, the offspring that would change everything forever for those who would believe. 00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:31.680 This is what I mean, Paul says. 00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:42.400 Ratified by God so as to make the promise void. 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:46.160 Don't get distracted, don't get caught up on this. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:49.920 This doesn't, this doesn't wipe out the promise made to Abraham. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.480 It's still good, it's still intact, it's still in effect. 00:29:54.960 --> 00:29:57.680 And we're going on to this inheritance in verse 18. 00:29:57.839 --> 00:30:11.519 For if the inheritance, the promises made to Abraham, those heirs that would come through faith in Christ down the line, for if this inheritance comes by the law, it does not make sense, right? 00:30:11.759 --> 00:30:14.079 It's it no longer comes by promise. 00:30:15.359 --> 00:30:24.319