One of the most important facts in the history of God’s dealings with his people, and Paul appeals to this here, is the fact that the unconditional promise of blessing to Abraham and his ‘seed’ came before the law was given. The promise of blessing, in other words, was not conditional on anything that Abraham and those of his family after him, would do. The promise is given in Genesis 12:1-3. It is important to note that there is no condition attached to this promise. God doesn’t say, “If you do this, I will do this”. All Abraham had to do was go where God said to go to receive this promise. In doing this Abraham was not earning the blessing promised to him, but only positioning himself to receive the promise. This is faith. Faith is the willingness to receive from God; it is to position yourself to be able to receive what God promises. Faith is not an achievement that earns the blessing of God. Faith is simply the outstretched hand that receives the blessing that is given to us freely. The blessing was earned for us by Christ. About 430 years after Abraham received the promise, the law was given. The law did not suddenly make the promise conditional. A promise of God can never be repealed. The law was given to allow the promise to be more fully realised (we will discuss this further on). The promise of blessing is for you. There is nothing preventing you from living a blessed life in Christ. The only question is, are you willing to receive it?
Ask God to open your heart to what he has for you.
Read Galatians 3:15-25
