Covenant, Law, Christ

Summary: Paul appeals to a familiar human example: once a covenant (or “will”) has been properly established, no one sets it aside or adds new conditions to it. He applies this to God’s promises, noting that the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his “seed”—not “seeds” as if many, but “seed” as one, which Paul identifies as Christ. From this, he argues that the Law, which came 430 years later, cannot invalidate the earlier covenant God confirmed, nor can it cancel the promise. If the inheritance were based on the Law, it would no longer be based on promise; yet Paul insists God granted it to Abraham by promise. Paul then raises the question of why the Law exists at all. He answers that it was added because of transgressions, and it was intended to function only until the coming of the “seed” to whom the promise had been made. He describes the Law as having been ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator, and he remarks that a mediator implies more than one party, whereas God is one. Finally, Paul clarifies that the Law is not opposed to God’s promises. If a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would indeed have come through the Law. But instead, Scripture declares that everything is confined under sin, so that what was promised would be given through faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.   Teaching: The Law was given as part of the process by which God carries out His covenant. The Law points toward Jesus. What comes before the Law is the covenant, and what comes before the covenant is the gospel. We live by faith and in that way we receive the covenant—not just once, but as the covenant becomes more concrete and specific. God gave Abraham the gospel, called him, and led him. Within the covenant He promised the “seed(s),” and after thousands of years that promise was fulfilled in Jesus. The inheritance is Jesus Christ. He is the greatest treasure in our lives. The reason we must offer what is most precious to God is because it is clear that Jesus Christ is our one and only inheritance. By revealing sin through the Law, God also gave the temple and provided sacrifices and offerings as a means to deal with sin. In doing so, He exposes the inability of human righteousness. We study Scripture by faith, and without study, faith does not grow. For faith to grow means God’s appointed time is reaching fulfillment, and the Law leads us to Christ. If we follow the promise, we will meet Christ. Excerpt from the sermon by Pastor Lee, Feb 26, 2026 Galatians 3:15-22