CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise”, Galatians 3:29

 

CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

The phrase “if you”, as it applies to you (and me) as a disciple of Jesus, appears one hundred twenty-four times in the English Standard Version (ESV) of the New Testament.

First, we will be confronted with various situations and circumstances from the Bible and, we will discover how we are to respond in these examples. Secondly, I have personalized (rephrased) our study verses for you to memorize. By this, we can bring the Gospel to life as we go and defeat sin along our way.

Today we, as Christians, are confronted with questions about how we should deal with matters such as:

Bible Verse – “And if I am Christ’s, then I am Abraham’s seed, and an heir according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

IN CONTEXT

Galatians 3:23 “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the Law, being confined for the faith that was destined to be revealed. Verse 24. Therefore, the Law has become our guardian to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. Verse 25. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. Verse 26. For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Verse 27. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Verse 29. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.

Galatians 4:1, Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave, although he is owner of everything, verse 2, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father. Verse 3. So we too, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elementary principles of the world. Verse 4. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, verse 5, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. Verse 6. Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!” Verse 7. Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

REPHRASED and personalized to memorize:

“And if I am Christ’s, then I am Abraham’s seed, and an heir according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)

Paul penned these words as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit, but there were still crafted in his fashion as a brilliant expositor trained in the law. Even with the adept use of metaphors, unless you have a background in the legal system of the Torah, (the Jewish Religious Law), these can be difficult concepts to understand.

I will attempt to greatly simplify and put it this way: Before our salvation was made possible by the way of “faith in Christ”, that is before it was known about and made available to us, we were placed “under guard by the law”, so to speak. In other words, we were kept in “protective custody so we would not stray into our ruin or destruction” due to sin. And until “the way of faith was revealed” which was and is faith that God send His Son,  “The way of faith” meant that Jesus was to pay the penalty for the sins of anyone who would believe that He died on the cross for the payment to God for our sins, and that He was raised to life again.

Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

Now, we all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have “put on Christ”, like putting on new clothes, or gaining a new mindset of faith.

Now therefore, there is no longer a distinction between a  Jew from Gentile regarding God’s redemption through Christ. There is also no special privilege or treatment or distinction in God’s mind when it comes to His great gift of redemption from slavery to sin and the salvation of your souls, no matter if you are a slave or a free person, a male or a female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children, “the seed” of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you!

Wow! That is a lot, isn’t it? And it is a good thing that we can take that based on our faith in Jesus and not reason or by our own efforts.

Rest in this: You belong to God. You are His child. He has provided an abundance for you, both now and eternally. Now trust Him and live it daily!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

NEXT:  (CHRISTIAN ETHOS IN ACTION – “But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!”, Galatians 5:15.

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