What is the Law, compared to God’s promise?

An Overview of Galatians

By Joe Guagliardo

Galatians 3: 15-29

“What is the Law, compared to God’s promise?”

June 18, 2023

We hear the words often in church, “As Christians, we are free from the law.” This is absolutely true. But being free from the Law doesn’t mean we can return to lawlessness. We can’t do whatever we want.

Even in the society we live in (U.S.A.), we have laws to adhere to. We can’t go around being reckless and killing people, stealing from others, nor can we steal from others. So, what does it mean to be free from the Law?

In his book, Galatians for You, Timothy Keller says about Paul’s words in Galatians:

“In the flow of his letter to the Galatians, Paul has established that we are saved, justified, redeemed only by faith in Christ and not through any righteousness of our own.”

(Timothy Keller, Galatians for You, Pp.77)

The Law has its place. The problem is we are imperfect humans and cannon keep the Law perfectly. So what hope do we have? Our hope is in Jesus.

Let’s take a look at Galatians 3:15-29 and see what Paul means.

“Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. What I mean is this: The Law introduced 430 years later does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. For if the inheritance depends on the Law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.

Why, then, was the Law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The Law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator. A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one.

Is the Law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the Law. But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Before the coming of this faith (3:22,23 Or through the faithfulness of Jesus… 23 Before faith came), we were held in custody under the Law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So, the Law was our guardian until Christ came so that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

So, in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s Seed and heirs according to the promise.”

Galatians 3:15-29

God’s Law depends on our performance. It depends on us being perfect. We, you and me, are anything but perfect. God knew that and knows that. That is why He (God) gave us the Gospel covenant. Paul tells us that we are saved by grace, God’s grace. God’s grace is a free gift, and it is far superior to the Law.

God implemented the Law because we were sinful.

“Why, then, was the Law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come.”

As I said earlier, we were a lawless and sinful people. We needed God’s Law for something to adhere to, so we might not be reckless and immoral.

But the Law was a prequel to God’s Grace.

“So, the Law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”

Mankind needed something. Were we justified under the Law? No, because we could not keep it perfectly. For us, it was an unobtainable goal.

Then Jesus came:

So, in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s Seed and heirs according to the promise.”

I simply can’t say it any better than Paul. In God’s eyes, we are all the same. He loves each and every one of us. God’s Son, Jesus, was not sent to uphold the Law. He (Jesus) was sent to fulfill the Law because we couldn’t then and can’t now. To this day, there isn’t one of us that has kept God’s word perfectly.

That’s why we need Jesus. He is the fulfillment of the Law.

Do we still have earthly laws we need to keep? Yes. Should we still try to keep God’s commands? Yes.

But Jesus has freed us from the hopelessness of sin. We are saved by God’s Grace and through our belief in Jesus Christ.

Always remember this, Jesus didn’t live, teach, suffer, and die and come back to life to show off. He did it for you and me. So, one day, we could spend an eternity with him.