|
Galatians 3
|
Romans 4
|
|
6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
|
3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
|
|
7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
|
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”
|
|
8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”
|
18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
|
|
9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
|
11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,
|
|
16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.
|
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world…
|
|
17 the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void.
|
14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.
|
|
18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
|
13…did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.
|
|
29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
|
13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world… 16 to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
|
Contrast 
In Galatians 3, when Paul is writing about “before faith came, the law was our enforcer”, the apostle was not ONLY revealing a change in covenants and in redemptive history. In these same verses, Paul is concerned with individuals “becoming justified” by Christ, concerned about individuals being baptized by God into Christ
Even though I don’t think it’s ever correct to ignore the difference between the old and new covenants (or say that now new covenant people CAN DO the law and want to), there’s more to the gospel than simply seeing that the old covenant law is not the same as the new covenant law. What sinners still condemned before God need is law and gospel, not only information about the difference in the content of various covenants. Even during the time of the new covenant, there are many non-elect folks for whom Christ never died and who have never been baptized by God into Christ’s death.
Even when we do not agree about what God’s covenant law now says. we can agree that the only truly safe place to be is inside what Christ did 2000 years ago outside of us when Christ died for the sins of the elect and rose again.
Colossians 3: 3 For you HAVE died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. 4 WHEN the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, THEN you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
LikeLike
Pingback: John Brown on Galatians 3:17 | Contrast
Pingback: Kline’s Abrahamic Covenant of Works 6: 1689 Federalism | Contrast