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Sunday, April 5, 2015

The Gospel Promises

The Gospel Promises

Book of Galatians 3:10-18


What does God ask of us?

God simply ask us to believe!

This has always been what God has asked since the beginning of time!

If we will only believe what God says, God has made some special promises to us all.

2Pe 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises": that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

What is the truth?

It is by the promises of God that we can partake of God's divine nature.

It is by the promises of God that we can escape the corruption that is in this world we live in.

These promises of God are unconditional except for the one thing, that we believe what God says.

God promised that He would be our God.

God promised that mankind, His creation, would be His people.

God promised that He would one day dwell amongst His people.

God promised that He had a plan to make all these things happen!

God has made available to us all, His plan in His Written Word, and God's plan cannot fail!

God has asked us all to teach those we come in contact with, the Word of God, but God made a promise that one day even this would no longer be necessary.

Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: "for they shall all know me", from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

God's promises are being fulfilled before our eyes and He will soon be with us and we with Him!

God's plan requires us only to believe, "to have Faith" because there is no other means by which we can be a part of God's plan!

There never was, there is not now, and there never will be another way to spend eternity with Our God!

All those that think they can work their way into God's Heaven will remain under the "Curse of Sin"!

Let's pickup where we left off last week.

*****Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

We must not be confused, to be "Cursed" is to be condemned and doomed to the wrath of God!

We must also not be confused about sin, Sin Has Consequences!

What God told Adam?

Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

What were the results of Adam's sin?

Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

1) All mankind was sentenced to earn a livelihood from a cursed ground. This would mean toil and sweat.

2) The women are sentenced to suffering in childbirth and we know that this is still true.

3) The women are sentenced to be subjects of their husbands.

4) Then at the end of life, all mankind would return to the dust that we are all made of.

It is not work that is the curse because God will always expect some sort work from us.

It is the fact that work will not be a pleasant thing. There will always be sorrow, toil, frustration, sweat, and weariness that are connected with work here on this Earth.

Even though this curse fell on Adam because he had allowed the words of his wife to take precedence over the Word of God.

On this Earth we live on, the dust, the elements from which all life has been made are included in this curse.

Under this curse, all God's creation would begin to die and decay and return to that dust from which all life on this Earth came.

It should be obvious that any failure to obey the Word of God brings a curse!

Then if the Law carries a curse, then it could not then bring salvation for it is impossible to keep all the Word of God, all the time, because we can never eliminate, that desire, or that lust that is in us all.

A person either keeps all the Law or that person is cursed!

Cursed then means we will stand before our Righteous Creator and bear the punishment for our sin!

It is that same Word of God that presents that punishment for sin, which is "Death"!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

But by God's Grace, He has provided a means to escape this "Death".

This death is not just the death of the body as we all will one day die.

This death is the eternal separation from the Living God!

For those that think they have lived free of sin and are still able to do so, are just deceiving themselves.

Rom 7:9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
Rom 7:10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

The same Word of God that contains the Law that some people brag that they can keep all their lives, also says that no one can be justified by that Law.

*****Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

All those that think they can approach God by keeping some laws or doing some works will fall under the curse because these are impossible things to do!

God has said from the beginning, if you want to depend on obedience of all the law for salvation then that's fine, but you must live all your life by that law knowing there is no room for failure!

Lev 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: "which if a man do, he shall live in them": I am the LORD.

The Word of God says that there is a righteousness that can come by the Law.

Rom 10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

Note the Jews had 613 laws, not including the laws of government, and not one individual was able to keep all those laws all the days of their lives.

Every honest human being knows that they cannot keep even the Law of God in every single detail.

Every honest human being knows that they cannot even keep all the laws of man in every single detail.

Trying to obey some laws is seeking to be justified by works.

Hab 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

God says that it is only by "Faith" that we can be justified!

If we trust the Word of God then we would be fools to ignore God's chosen way to approach Him!

No man can be justified by any law in the sight of God!

Only God is perfect!

Only God can be perfectly righteous!

There is no man that can achieve perfection on his own!

Therefore no man can become righteous on his own!

The Law carries with it a curse!

Faith carries with it life!

SO, why is this such a hard choice?

*****Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

It is a fact that the law requires no faith.

The law only requires total and absolute obedience!

This does not mean that a legalist cannot have faith but it does mean that the law requires no faith!

When you decide to trust in the law for your salvation, then God says you must be perfect in your obedience to the law.

There is no room for error!

God gives us the laws that are required to meet justification, in written form. We call it the Bible. Some people just say The Book!

God also says there is a curse attached to those laws.

God says those that trust in their own obedience to those laws must be perfect in that obedience!

This is the stumbling block of the law!

Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

What is the greatest commandment in the Bible?

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

The Law then had only one purpose!

The law was given to show all mankind their sin and to cause within them, a personal guilt for being disobedient to God and to God's Law!

Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

The law then is inferior to the "Grace of God"!

When we study the Bible we will see that the law was given to Moses by angels and from Moses to mankind and Moses was the mediator of the law as long as he lived.

But is was God Himself who gave the promise of "Grace" and "Righteousness" to Abraham!

The Law comes with certain conditions that must be met.

The "Grace" of God is unconditional requiring only "Faith".

That's why Jesus said He did not come to destroy the law!

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

The Lord Jesus Christ, The Messiah, came to reveal the full depth of the law.

The Messiah came to this Earth to redeem us all from the terrible curse of the law!

*****Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

What are the facts of Scripture?

Christ Jesus has bought us all back and paid the ransom to free us all from the "Curse" of the law with His own blood!

Jesus Christ took our condemnation, our doom, our death, and our punishment upon His own self by becoming a curse for us and He took our place.

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The Apostle Paul illustrates these things for us by quoting from the Old Testament:

Deu 21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
Deu 21:23 His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

This "does not" mean that a man is cursed because he is executed on a tree or as we know a cross.

This "does" mean that any man who is executed upon a tree, a cross, is there because he fell under the curse of the law!

The cross portrays the death of the lawbreaker and not true life that can only be obtained by 'Faith" and God's law of Grace"!

It is "Grace" that fulfills the Law of God!

Jesus Christ bore the curse of the law in order to open the door of blessing to all mankind!

Jesus Christ bore the curse of the law in order to fulfill the promises made to Abraham and to be a blessing to "all nations"!

*****Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Every human being that believes upon Jesus Christ, that Christ Jesus bore our own curse, is accepted by God and are all given the blessings of the true "Promised Land".

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

1) There is the promise of a divine nature:

2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: "that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature", having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2) There is the promise of a new birth:

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

3) There is the promise of becoming a new creation:

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

4) There is the promise of becoming a new man:

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

It is the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit that causes all these promises to be fulfilled.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

It is the fulfillment of these promises that allow us into God's New Heaven!

These promises cannot be broken!

*****Gal 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.

We should not ever forget that the Bible teaches us that true life is a life in the presence of God. In this teaching the Bible teaches that though this body of flesh, ages with time and will one day die, true life can only begin at that time.

In the O.T.

Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

In the N.T.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Notice there is a place of everlasting shame but also a place of everlasting life.

It is during this life we now live that we can make a choice of our eternal destination!

2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

Paul says, let's look at this and just take God and eternal salvation out of the picture for a moment.

1Co 15:32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, "if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die".

This is living in the world of the Atheist!

It is estimated that less than 3% of the population of this world say they are Atheists and most of those will call on a god before their death.

This means that 97% of the world's population believe in some sort of supernatural being.

97% of our world of over 7 billion people believe in an after life and this many people cannot be wrong, it is just that the Atheist make the most noise!

97% of the world believe that the basis for eternal security does not rest with man, but with God!

The Bible teaches us that the eternal security of each believer is based on the work of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

It is the Father who has the power to keep us secure in our salvation.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

And the Father will not lose any of those to eternal death, that trust Him!

Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Now knowing all these things, do we really believe that God will keep His promises or not?

As we have seen God took full responsibility for Abraham's destiny, because Abraham believed God!

The Apostle Paul says that even when men make a covenant with themselves, that covenant is expected to stand!

In the old days, a covenant was sealed with a hand shake.

In our day covenants are seal by legal binding documents.

By law, the promises of a covenant are sealed and both parties are bound by the words of that covenant!

No one outside the existing parties of that covenant can add to or change the wording of that covenant!

And now Paul describes the covenant made with Abraham.

*****Gal 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.

First, we see that the covenant made to Abraham also included his "seed".

Second, the important question is "Who" is meant by the seed of Abraham?

Since the word "Seed" is singular and not plural then we can expect this "Seed" to be only one person.

The same Bible that teaches us all the wonderful things of God says that this "Seed" was Jesus Christ.

The entire Old Testament leads us to this "Seed" of Abraham!

What this means is, that the promises made to Abraham have been passed down to Jesus Christ.

Now if we just think like a man, then this is what the Word of God teaches!

**It is Jesus Christ who will inherit all the promised land, which includes the land of Canaan, the entire world, and the new world that is to come!

**It is all those that "believe" that shall inherit the world of Jesus Christ and reign with Christ throughout all eternity.

Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

**It means that only by "Faith" can the believer become justified and acceptable to God!

Rom 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.

Abraham's part in the covenant with God, was to believe!

Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

God's part in this same covenant, was to keep and to fulfill all His promises!

The Apostle Paul says, that if you just think according to the way most men think of man-made laws you would still come to this same conclusion, when you look at the details of the covenant God made with Abraham.

And the pure fact is, that God made this covenant with Abraham some 430 years before the Laws of Moses were even written.

*****Gal 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.

When the Law was given to Moses, the covenant given to Abraham had not yet been fulfilled!

Joh 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

And Jesus said not only had He come to fulfill the covenant given to Abraham, but He had also come to fulfill the Laws of Moses which had a totally different purpose.

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Jesus was not just speaking of the Laws of Moses but all the Word of God.

When we come face to face with God, we will be judged by the Word of God!

The point of this sermon by the Apostle Paul remains that no man is justified by the law and neither can they be!

God's covenant, God's inheritance, and God's eternal security come by "Promise" and "Not By Law"!

*****Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

What did Abraham inherit?

The most important thing that Abraham inherited was his own righteousness!

Gen 15:4 And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
Gen 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Gen 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

And Abraham's righteousness came by "Faith" and not by any law!

It was only after being accepted before God that Abraham was given the privilege, by Grace, of living forever in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

What did Jesus promise to all those that have Faith?

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

Thank God, He is more about His promise than He is about some Law.

God has never changed from the promises He has made and He never will!

Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not;

What was the highest priority of the Apostles?

Luk 17:5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

We should also pray to God to increase our "Faith"!

This should also be our priority as we grow in the Grace and Knowledge of the Lord!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

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