Covenant of Promise
Galatians 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
Even a covenant (a disposition, an arrangement) that is made between men, if it be ratified, made valid, and officially consented to, or, that is, confirmed, no man can nullify it or void it, nor can anyone add to it.
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Now the promises were made to Abraham and his seed. God did not say, and to your seeds, plural; but it was spoken as to one, singular, and to your SEED, and that seed is Christ.
The covenant, the disposition, the arrangement, the testament, was made between God and Abraham’s seed, Christ. And it was a covenant of promise, as opposed to the covenant of law that was later established with Israel.
Galatians 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
The covenant that God confirmed was made with Christ through Abraham. Christ is the seed of Abraham that the covenant was directed toward. And so, the law of Moses, which was formed 430 years later could not nullify or make void the covenant of promise that God had already made with Abraham and his seed.
Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
The inheritance was given by promise, it did not come through the law. What is the promise, what is the inheritance God promised to Abraham?
Romans 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
The promise to Abraham was that he and his seed would inherit the world. God had promised Abraham that he would inherit land, that he would be the father of many nations, that he and his seed would be greatly blessed, and that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed.
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
The promise that God gave Abraham is given to all who are of faith, whether Jew or Gentile. It is not inherited through keeping the law. That is one of the things Paul is attempting to get across to the Galatian church because they had gone back to keeping the law of Moses, and in effect had abandoned faith in Christ.
They had replaced the covenant of promise with the covenant of law.
Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
What was the purpose of the law anyway? It was added. Added to what? It was added to the covenant of promise that God had already confirmed with Abraham. Why? To keep sin and transgressions under control. For how long? Until the seed should come to whom the promise was made. Then, it would no longer be needed. The law was temporary.
Galatians 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Is the law then against the promises of God? No, but righteousness and eternal life could never be attained through keeping the law. If they had been attainable through the law, then a law would have been given that could produce righteousness.
Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
God looked down from heaven, to see if there were any who understood, if there were any who did seek God. And He concluded, there is none righteous, no, not one.
Psalm 14:3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
They had the law of Moses, but none was ever made righteous by keeping it. Because righteousness before God was not achievable without faith.
Galatians 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
The law was added to hold sin and transgression at bay. Each year a gathering would take place for the purpose of offering sacrifice for sins. And the people were atoned for their sins and God could continue to dwell among them. But none was ever made righteous before God by it.
They could never be made free of sin consciousness, because the law was a continual reminder of the sinfulness and depravity of man before God.
The law was a schoolmaster, a tutor, a guardian, a guide to oversee the people. But after faith came, there was no more need for a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. When we give our hearts and our lives to Jesus to serve Him and live for Him, then His heavenly Father becomes our heavenly Father. We are made the children of God in Him.
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Our nationality is not a factor, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile), whether slave or free, whether male of female. For we are all the same in Christ Jesus. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away and all things have become new.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
What a revelation Paul gives us! If we belong to Christ, then we are Abraham’s seed, because we are in the Seed, Jesus Christ. And we are heirs of the promise God made to Abraham, that Abraham’s seed would inherit the world.