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Paul really wants the Galatians to be clear that God’s promise and their performance are not to be blended in their understanding of the Christian life. In these verses, he shows that God established a covenant with Abraham long before the law was added. More than that, adding the law did not change the nature of that covenant.
Verse 15 establishes the principle: a covenant, once established, is not changed by other circumstances. If I write a will leaving my personal library to a specific family member, and then someone gives me a box of books, that doesn’t change the will.
Specifically in reference to Abraham, in verse 16, Paul states that God made promises to him and to his seed. Paul makes the point that while the term ‘seed’ or ‘offspring’ can be a collective plural (i.e. lots of them), the ultimate fulfilment would be a singular seed or offspring – specifically Jesus Christ, the promised seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15) and the promised seed of Abraham (Gen. 12:7; 13:15; 15:18; 24:7).
With the principle of the unchangeable covenant-promise established, Paul goes on to show in the next two verses (vv. 17–18) that the law does not change God’s plan. The covenant had been ratified by God. In Genesis 15:8–21 Abram wanted to know how he could trust God’s stated plan. He was told to fetch a collection of specific animals, which he then cut in two and arranged for a covenant ceremony. The significance of the ceremony is: if I don’t fulfil my part of this agreement, may this killing and cutting be done to me!
Typically the two parties would walk together through the gruesome display of death, thus committing themselves to the agreement in the most solemn way possible. What happened in Genesis 15? Abram slept and God made the covenant Himself. Was God’s promise to Abraham dependent on Abraham’s performance? Not at all; it was to be blessing based on promise, not blessing based on performance.
The giving of the law did not change God’s plan to give the blessing of salvation based on promise, not performance. On day 13 we will ask the obvious question: why give the law at all?
Reflection
How does it encourage your heart to know that your salvation is based on God’s promise, not your own performance?
Scripture
About this Plan
Paul wrote the book of Galatians to Christians who were tempted to add good works to the gospel. Although we might not want to admit it, adding to the gospel is a great temptation for us too. So be encouraged as Peter Mead takes us through these devotions, be reminded that Christ is everything, and that the gospel is all we need for our lives now in Jesus.
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