Abraham’s Descendants

Summary: Paul describes a time when people were held under the restraint of the Law, as though guarded and confined until the way of faith was revealed. He portrays the Law as a supervising guardian whose role was temporary - meant to direct people toward Christ - so that they could be counted righteous by faith rather than by the Law’s oversight. But now that faith has come, he says, believers are no longer under that guardian’s authority, because through faith in Christ Jesus they have become God’s children. He then explains that those who have been baptized into Christ have, in effect, “put on” Christ—taking on a new identity defined by belonging to him. Because of that new identity, the old divisions that once marked status and separation lose their defining power: distinctions such as Jew and Greek, slave and free, and male and female no longer determine standing, for all who are in Christ are described as one. Finally, he concludes that if believers belong to Christ, then they share in Abraham’s line and become heirs—not by lineage or law-keeping, but according to the promise.   Teaching: Basic knowledge about Christ is in the Law. The Sabbath, circumcision, and the purification laws were all fulfilled in Jesus. Now, if we only believe in Jesus Christ, the Law is all fulfilled, and this is called the era of grace and the gospel. Therefore, we become God’s sons in Christ, but we also become God’s sons individually. Even though we all go to church, salvation is individual - each of us must meet God. We must learn to live within faith in Jesus Christ. Now our bodies are Christ’s, so we must speak and act Christ’s words and actions. Such a person becomes Abraham’s descendants and receives the inheritance according to the promise. Excerpt from the sermon by Pastor Lee, Feb 26, 2026 Galatians 3:15-22