Men's Group Study Guide
NIV Notes by Kelly Link
Introduction
This week we will look at how Paul explains to the Galatians the difference between a works relationship with God (fulfilling the law) verses a relationship based on faith (believing the promises of God). Many people today struggle with this truth because deep down we don’t really like the idea that God’s blessing has nothing to do with how we perform. As we go through this study, prayerfully consider how you approach God in order to receive His blessing. Do you simply believe God and take Him at His word or do you strive and labor to be accepted and blessed?
STUDY NOTES: verses 6-18
V. 6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Abraham’s justification was a result of believing God. The word for believed in Greek is “pisteuo” (pist-yoo-o). It means, “to entrust your life to”. Abraham’s acceptance by God was credited (given to him) as a result of having faith in God not by something he did by works. (Genesis 15: 6), (Romans4: 3-8)
V. 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. Those who believe God are children of Abraham not those who work. This truth was somehow lost to the Jew because the law was introduced after the promise was made to Abraham. The fact is the promise preceded the law and the law did not nullify the promise. Therefore, true children of Abraham are those who simply believe God’s promise.
Those who believe God are children of Abraham not those who work. This truth was somehow lost to the Jew because the law was introduced after the promise was made to Abraham. The fact is the promise preceded the law and the law did not nullify the promise. Therefore, true children of Abraham are those who simply believe God’s promise.The blessing of being accepted by God is for all nations. In (Genesis 28: 14) God made it clear that all nations would be blessed by Abraham’s seed which is Jesus Christ. This prophecy was written thousands of years before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ finally fulfilled it.
V. 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. If a person hears God’s word and believes it or entrusts their life to it then the promise of blessing is yours along with Abraham.
V. 10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” This curse is written in (Deuteronomy 27: 26). A human cannot be right before God by keeping the law because God’s standard is perfection. The only man to walk the earth in perfection to God’s law was Jesus Christ. His perfect life is our life by faith.
V. 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The only way we can have a right relationship with God is to put our trust in Jesus Christ. The law brings death to the human being. (Romans 6: 23)
V. 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” The law requires perfection not faith. The law is based on God’s standard of perfection and our performance of it. If you perform well you live, but if you don’t, you die.
V. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” Even though Jesus walked a perfect life here on earth he willingly laid down His life for each one of us so we wouldn’t have to pay the penalty for our own sin. He literally became a curse for us and experienced all that a curse brings so that we might be free. (Deuteronomy 21: 23)
V. 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. This is the blessing that comes by faith. God dwells in the believer by the Holy Spirit. This is the proof of how we live.
V.15 Brothers let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case.A covenant was used in early cultures as a basis for interpersonal and social relationships. God used this concept to clarify the relationship that He sought to establish with His people. A solemn oath or sacrifice seals a covenant. The covenant we live under was made and confirmed at the cross. It is called the New covenant.
V.16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. God made a covenant with Abraham and his seed (Jesus Christ). From Paul’s argument we can see that the Jews thought themselves to be the “seeds”. But they had misunderstood the scripture. The world was not going to be blessed through them but rather through Jesus Christ. The Abrahamic covenant is unilateral and has no “Ifs” in it like the Mosaic Covenant. It is also an everlasting covenant. Therefore we cannot think that the Abrahamic covenant is over.
V.17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. The Mosaic covenant was instituted at Sinai between God and Israel around 430 years after the Abrahamic covenant. This covenant was between different parties, bi-lateral with many “Ifs” in it, and it was never intended to be permanent. But what is most important is the fact that the law has nothing to do with the blessing of God. There is no legal grounds or logical reason given for the law to negate the promise of God to Abraham and his seed (Jesus Christ).
V. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. The essence of the Abrahamic covenant was a promise. The essence of the Mosaic covenant was the law. (John 1: 17)
TRUTH APPLIED:
Q. 1 Please define the Abrahamic, and Mosaic covenants. Please accentuate their differences.
Q. 2 Read Jeremiah 31: 31-32. What is the Lord saying through this prophet? Please share two testimonies about how God has changed you. How did the change come about? Was it given or did you receive it because of your hard work?
Q. 3 Does the Abrahamic covenant hold anything for us today? What about the Mosaic covenant?
Q. 4 If the basis of a covenant is the law what would be our part in it? What would happen if we didn’t fulfill the requirement of the law? In this type of covenant, who does the blessing depend on? Have you ever felt you had to meet God’s standard to be blessed by him?
Q. 5 Explain how Jesus’ crucifixion set us free from the law? God promised He would do something with His law when the New covenant came. Where did He say He would put it?
CONCLUSION:
It is nice to know that we live by every word that comes from God’s mouth. Life will never come to us by trying to fulfill God’s law. God blesses us because He made a promise to Abraham and Jesus Christ. The promise is His to fulfill. Please take some time to pray for each other and thank God for His goodness towards us.
In Him,
Kelly Link