Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Even as Abraham believed God, it was credited to him as righteousness, so that by simply trusting God's promise a person is counted righteous through faith. Abraham was counted righteous because he believed, not because he earned righteousness by deeds of the law, human effort, outward forms, or imitation. What he believed was God's promise that in his seed all nations and all families of the earth would be blessed, understanding it as the promise of the Saviour and the gospel in the everlasting covenant. Those who are of faith are therefore counted as Abraham's children and heirs of the promise and are blessed with faithful Abraham, not by literal descent alone but by sharing his faith and character. The Spirit is received and the Christian life is begun by the hearing of faith and not by works of the law, for the law exposes sin and brings the sinner to Christ while justification itself comes through faith.
Historical Setting and Wording
The letter was addressed to a mixed body of Christians largely composed of Gauls. Galatia was called the Gaul of the East, a comparatively small district of Asia Minor where the Gauls had dwelt from about the third century before Christ and had been subjugated by Rome in B.C. 189. Situated on a great highway of commerce, its people had become mixed with Greeks and Romans and to some extent with Hebrews. The church there had been founded by Paul in A.D. 52.
Abraham was a real person and not a myth, so that the appeal to his example rests on the truth of his history. Righteousness is credited, reckoned, counted, or imputed to a person through faith by simply believing God's promise. Abraham believed the promise that all families of the earth would be blessed through his seed, understanding it as the promise of the Saviour, and his belief was counted to him for righteousness. The same faith in the promise is what secures the imputation of righteousness at any time, and those who have faith share Abraham's blessing. The covenant promise to him was based on the righteousness of faith and secured the inheritance for him and his seed, so its heirs are those who share his faith and not those who rely on law-keeping as the ground of justification.
Through faith in Christ and submission to His will the sinner receives God's righteousness and is accounted as though he had never sinned. Faith is thus established as the way righteousness is received. Abraham's keeping of God's commandments, statutes, and laws manifested the righteousness of an ancient believer and shows that God's commandments and the righteousness they express were known before the covenant at Sinai.
Believing God means trusting that He could and would fulfill a promise that seemed difficult. It means taking Him at His word. It means trusting and agreeing with what He says. The blessing Abraham received was righteousness, to be shared so that believers may receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, and this applies to those who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead. The patriarchs had the same human weaknesses as people today, and their example shows that people now can likewise believe and receive God's aid to be transformed. To believe brings victory through Christ dwelling in the heart by the Holy Spirit, while failures and defeats are the fruit of unbelief.
Righteousness by Faith Alone
Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God, not because he relied on works of the law. His belief was reckoned to him for righteousness, which establishes faith as the way righteousness is received. Righteousness comes through faith, not by earning it through deeds, by human efforts, by outward forms, by love, or by imitation. His experience illustrates righteousness by faith, and those who are of faith are therefore counted as Abraham's children and share his blessing. His obedience was the obedience of faith, for he obeyed because he believed and not in order to obtain faith, and sinful people are justified by believing God. The same example shows that God's Spirit is received by faith and not by works of the law.
Faith alone could be credited for his past life, because no work could remove even one sin. Through faith the sinner receives God's righteousness, is pardoned, and is accounted as though he had never sinned. God's system of pardon is grounded in faith rather than law, and this pardon comes through faith in Christ with submission to His will. Abraham's obedience and good works followed from faith and were necessary as its fruit, but had no value apart from Christ. His works acted with his faith and made it complete by showing it was genuine.
Justification by faith is the only hope of salvation, and faith was necessary in ancient times just as now, even before Moses lived. Righteousness never came by works or ceremonies even when circumcision and animal sacrifices were in force. The covenant made with Abraham was based on the righteousness of faith and secured to Abraham and to his seed the inheritance of the earth. The condition of that promise was the righteousness of faith, not perfect obedience as works of the law, and only those who believe and walk in the faith of Abraham are heirs, with works following faith and believers counted as Abraham's children through Christian faith. The law added four hundred and thirty years afterward could not disannul that promise, for the law of God embodying His requirements and man's duty cannot be contrary to His own promise. The seed to whom the promise was made is Jesus Christ, who was made under the law, kept the covenant requiring perfect obedience, then died for transgressions and bequeathed His own inheritance to believers. The verse is therefore not dead history about that particular form of ceremonialism but declares a principle for every person in every age, warning present readers against dropping into any ceremonialism, which is of greater present importance than the ancient form.
Faith is the one righteous quality in a person, and other qualities that commend a person to God are built on or added to faith. Abraham was justified by faith alone and received the promises and inheritance through faith, before circumcision and apart from the laws given to the Jews. Those laws profited even the circumcised only when joined to that faith. His faith existed before he was circumcised, worked the works of God, and kept God's commandments. The later laws were added because of transgression and unbelief to lead people toward faith in Christ, and justification and God's promises come by faith. The same way of receiving righteousness applies to everyone, including the Jewish people who received the law, for righteousness does not come by keeping the law and the law cannot cancel or replace God's promise, which is the everlasting covenant made with him in the gospel.
Character of Abraham's Faith
Abraham believed God's promise that in his seed all nations and all families of the earth would be blessed, understanding that seed to be the Saviour and that promise to be the gospel itself, which is the everlasting covenant God made with him. That promise was received through faith alone, and the same faith secures the imputation of righteousness at any time to all who share Abraham's blessing, Jew and Gentile alike, since righteousness does not come by keeping the law and the law cannot cancel God's promise. This belongs to one unified divine plan running through all ages toward restoration of the dominion lost in Adam, in which the gospel was preached beforehand to Abraham and its blessing comes to all nations through Christ, so that believers in Christ share his inheritance.
Outward circumcision was given only as a sign of righteousness Abraham already possessed by faith, after he had the righteousness of faith, and not as the means by which he was saved. It was a sign that the law was written in the heart by the Spirit, becoming a mockery when the law was transgressed, and it has value only when joined to faith. His faith existed before he was circumcised, worked the works of God, and worked righteousness, proving that justification and God's promises come by faith and not by circumcision or works of law. Those who are of faith, rather than those who rely on circumcision or their own works to earn righteousness or boast in descent from Abraham, are therefore his children and heirs.
His obedience was the obedience of faith: he obeyed because he believed, not in order to obtain faith, and sinful people are justified by thus believing God rather than by earning righteousness through deeds. No work could remove even one sin from his past life, so faith alone could be credited to him, while his obedience and good works followed as its necessary fruit, having no value apart from Christ. His works acted with his faith, made it complete by showing it was genuine, and brought it to maturity. That faith was shown when he obeyed God's call to leave for a place he did not know, resting on God's word in expectation of the promised inheritance, and it was by so believing Him that he entered into covenant relationship with God.
Faith of this kind is not mere confidence or agreement but belief in God's word proved by obedience, for faith means believing and yielding to God's word and obedience is its proof. Faith without works is dead, so faith and obedience go hand in hand and justifying faith in Christ is shown by a spirit of obedience. Righteousness includes right being and right doing, since God's commandments are righteousness and obeying them is righteousness, and Abraham's obedience showed the character of his faith. The obedience God requires is therefore exercised by faith, so that obedience to the gospel means obedience to the law, blessings are received according to faith, and those who belong to Christ as Abraham's children must have the same kind of faith.
Abraham's keeping of God's commandments, statutes, and laws manifested the righteousness of an ancient believer and shows that God's commandments and the righteousness they express were known before the covenant at Sinai. His faith did not abolish the moral law but led him to keep it, and those who walk in his faith become his children and heirs of the same promises under the same standard of moral right-doing. The later laws were added because of transgression and unbelief, to lead people toward faith in Christ.
By believing God, trusting that He could and would fulfill a promise that seemed difficult, Abraham entered into covenant relationship and God counted this faith to him as righteousness. The blessing he received was righteousness itself, and those who believe are blessed with that same righteousness, including those who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead. This blessing is to be shared so that believers may receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.
Children Blessing and Spirit
Those who are of faith are counted as Abraham's children and heirs of the promises, and are blessed with faithful Abraham, for his belief was reckoned to him for righteousness not by reliance on works of the law. Only those who hold to faith share that blessing, and the heirs are not limited to literal descendants but include all who belong to Christ by faith, who share his character and principles and possess faith as their marked quality. The promised inheritance rests on righteousness by faith rather than righteousness earned through the law, so those who share Abraham's faith are counted as his children. God foresaw justifying the heathen through faith and preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand in the promise that in him all nations would be blessed. That foreknowledge proves that those of faith are the children of Abraham and are blessed with him, in contrast to as many as are of the works of the law being under the curse for not continuing in all things written in the book of the law to do them. From the beginning God proposed to justify the heathen by faith, and the early experience of the Galatians was identical with Abraham's. This defines Israel as the complete and perfect olive tree constituted of the faithful of all nations, which will blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit. Every true child of faith is an Israelite, for those who share Abraham's faith are his children. Those who belong to Christ by faith are Abraham's seed and share in the family of God, so Gentile believers who were once strangers to Israel are brought near through conversion and become fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household. The Spirit is received and miracles are worked by the hearing of faith and not by works of the law, and God's supply and working among believers comes through faith, not through human works. The Christian life is begun by faith through the Spirit, not by works of the flesh, and Paul's gospel to the Galatians is therefore in harmony with the gospel Abraham received. Abraham's circumcision was a sign that he was saved, not the means by which he was saved, so those who are of faith rather than those who rely on circumcision or their own works to earn righteousness are Abraham's children and heirs of God's promises. The covenant made with Abraham was based on the righteousness of faith and secured to Abraham and to his seed the inheritance of the earth, whose condition was the righteousness of faith and not perfect obedience as works of the law. The law added four hundred and thirty years afterward could not disannul that promise, but serves because of transgressions as leading people to Christ where they are justified by faith. The seed to whom the promise was made is Jesus Christ, who was made under the law, kept the covenant requiring perfect obedience, then died for transgressions and bequeathed His own inheritance to believers. That promised inheritance is the world, ultimately received by Christ and His people as an eternal inheritance in the new heavens and new earth, shared by Abraham and Christ as heirs with all who belong to Christ by faith as Abraham's seed. The ancient faithful were reconciled to God by faith in Christ, died trusting the promises, and rest awaiting their resurrection, when Christ's death and mediation under the new covenant redeem their transgressions.
Law Gospel and Covenant
Galatians 3 has justification by faith as its subject, not proof that the law has been abolished or that Christians need not keep it. It stands with the teaching of Romans 3 and 7 that the law of God is established and served and kept, not made nothing or abolished, and it is to be read with Galatians 5:14. It therefore does not prove exemption from the claims of the law, and must not be used to set aside the law as authority or to claim a right to violate its precepts. The appeal to the chapter to prove that the law of God was abolished stands opposed to holiness for these times, defined as the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, which requires distinguishing two laws.
The law and the gospel are in harmony in that the law exposes sin and brings the sinner to Christ, while righteousness and justification come through faith, not through the law. Righteousness by faith brings deliverance from the curse or condemnation of the law but not from obligation to obey the law. To be under the law means to be condemned by it, while receiving pardoning grace removes that condemnation, and grace does not permit sin but under the new covenant writes God's law in the heart so that people live in harmony with it. The blessing of Abraham is received by faith rather than by personal obedience to the law, the faithful inherit that blessing, while Christ as mediator redeems people from the curse caused by breaking the law so they may inherit the promise.
The covenant made with Abraham was based on the righteousness of faith and secured to Abraham and to his seed the inheritance of the earth. Its condition was the righteousness of faith, not perfect obedience as works of the law, and only those who believe and walk in the faith of Abraham are its heirs. The law added four hundred and thirty years afterward could not disannul that promise, for the law of God embodying His requirements and man's duty cannot be contrary to His own promise. The promise to Abraham is received by faith and not by the law, Abraham and Christ are heirs of the promised inheritance, and those who belong to Christ by faith share that inheritance as Abraham's seed, while the later law serves because of transgressions and leads people to Christ where they are justified by faith. That added law served as a schoolmaster to bring people to Christ.
The teaching about the law of Moses concerns a law written by Moses in a book for the children of Israel to observe until abolished, distinct from the law of God written with the finger of God on two tables of stone embodying His requirements. Holiness requires distinguishing those two laws. Those who held that the law in the discussion means the whole law-system or dispensation taught that the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial law are parts of that larger added system, not subjects considered separately. Considered as part of the chapter, the verse proves that Gentiles stand in the same relation to the law as Jews and are condemned by the law when they violate it.
Abraham's faith in the gospel did not abolish the moral law, for he believed and obeyed and his faith led him to keep the law. His belief in God's word was not mere confidence or agreement but faith proved by obedience, and his obedience showed the character of his faith. Righteousness includes right being and right doing, God's commandments are righteousness, and obeying them is righteousness. The obedience God requires is exercised by faith, so obedience to the gospel means obedience to the law, and the blessings God promises are received according to faith. Those who walk in Abraham's faith become his children and heirs of the same promises, sharing the same standard of moral right-doing, and those who belong to Christ as Abraham's children must have the same kind of faith, shown by a spirit of obedience.
Christ Promise and Application
The promised seed to whom the covenant with Abraham was made is Jesus Christ, who was placed under the law, fulfilled the covenant by perfect obedience, then died for transgressions and willed His own inheritance to believers. The covenant rested on righteousness by faith rather than on personal obedience as works of law, securing the inheritance of the earth to Abraham and his seed, with only those who believe and walk in Abraham's faith as heirs. The law added four hundred and thirty years afterward could not annul that promise, since the law embodying God's requirements and human duty cannot contradict His own promise. The blessing of Abraham is received by faith, and Christ as mediator redeems people from the curse brought by breaking the law so that they may inherit the promise.
Abraham trusted Christ as the one through whom the promised salvation and inheritance would come, so Old Testament faith is the same in essence as New Testament faith. Those justified by faith are Abraham's children and share the blessing promised to him. This righteousness through faith belongs to the Abrahamic covenant and the promise to the fathers as part of one unified divine plan running through all ages and dispensations toward restoration of the dominion lost in Adam. People are made free through faith, which does not create freedom but takes hold of freedom already given in Christ, enabling them to believe God's word and walk at liberty.
To believe God is to trust and agree with what He says, bringing victory through Christ dwelling in the heart by the Holy Spirit, while failures and defeats are the fruit of unbelief. Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God and took Him at His word, and the patriarchs were not naturally different from people today but had the same human weaknesses and trusted God. Their example shows that people now can likewise believe and receive God's aid to be transformed. To require circumcision in order to be saved is a counterfeit gospel that puts trust in a person's own works and not in Christ, for outward circumcision was given only as a sign of righteousness already possessed by faith, a sign that the law was written in the heart by the Spirit and a mockery when the law was transgressed. Although that specific rite is no longer the question, the same vital question remains whether salvation is by human works or by Christ alone. Abraham received righteousness by believing God and not by performing ceremonies, proving righteousness never came by works even when circumcision and animal sacrifices were in force, so since those rites are now a dead letter of no binding force the verse is not dead history about that particular form of ceremonialism but declares a principle for every person in every age, warning present readers against dropping into any ceremonialism.
Even as Abraham believed God, it was credited to him as righteousness, so that by simply trusting God's promise a person is counted righteous through faith. Abraham was counted righteous because he believed, not because he earned righteousness by deeds of the law, human effort, outward forms, or imitation. What he believed was God's promise that in his seed all nations and all families of the earth would be blessed, understanding it as the promise of the Saviour and the gospel in the everlasting covenant. Those who are of faith are therefore counted as Abraham's children and heirs of the promise and are blessed with faithful Abraham, not by literal descent alone but by sharing his faith and character. The Spirit is received and the Christian life is begun by the hearing of faith and not by works of the law, for the law exposes sin and brings the sinner to Christ while justification itself comes through faith.
Historical Setting and Wording
The letter was addressed to a mixed body of Christians largely composed of Gauls. Galatia was called the Gaul of the East, a comparatively small district of Asia Minor where the Gauls had dwelt from about the third century before Christ and had been subjugated by Rome in B.C. 189. Situated on a great highway of commerce, its people had become mixed with Greeks and Romans and to some extent with Hebrews. The church there had been founded by Paul in A.D. 52.
Abraham was a real person and not a myth, so that the appeal to his example rests on the truth of his history. Righteousness is credited, reckoned, counted, or imputed to a person through faith by simply believing God's promise. Abraham believed the promise that all families of the earth would be blessed through his seed, understanding it as the promise of the Saviour, and his belief was counted to him for righteousness. The same faith in the promise is what secures the imputation of righteousness at any time, and those who have faith share Abraham's blessing. The covenant promise to him was based on the righteousness of faith and secured the inheritance for him and his seed, so its heirs are those who share his faith and not those who rely on law-keeping as the ground of justification.
Through faith in Christ and submission to His will the sinner receives God's righteousness and is accounted as though he had never sinned. Faith is thus established as the way righteousness is received. Abraham's keeping of God's commandments, statutes, and laws manifested the righteousness of an ancient believer and shows that God's commandments and the righteousness they express were known before the covenant at Sinai.
Believing God means trusting that He could and would fulfill a promise that seemed difficult. It means taking Him at His word. It means trusting and agreeing with what He says. The blessing Abraham received was righteousness, to be shared so that believers may receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, and this applies to those who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead. The patriarchs had the same human weaknesses as people today, and their example shows that people now can likewise believe and receive God's aid to be transformed. To believe brings victory through Christ dwelling in the heart by the Holy Spirit, while failures and defeats are the fruit of unbelief.
Righteousness by Faith Alone
Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God, not because he relied on works of the law. His belief was reckoned to him for righteousness, which establishes faith as the way righteousness is received. Righteousness comes through faith, not by earning it through deeds, by human efforts, by outward forms, by love, or by imitation. His experience illustrates righteousness by faith, and those who are of faith are therefore counted as Abraham's children and share his blessing. His obedience was the obedience of faith, for he obeyed because he believed and not in order to obtain faith, and sinful people are justified by believing God. The same example shows that God's Spirit is received by faith and not by works of the law.
Faith alone could be credited for his past life, because no work could remove even one sin. Through faith the sinner receives God's righteousness, is pardoned, and is accounted as though he had never sinned. God's system of pardon is grounded in faith rather than law, and this pardon comes through faith in Christ with submission to His will. Abraham's obedience and good works followed from faith and were necessary as its fruit, but had no value apart from Christ. His works acted with his faith and made it complete by showing it was genuine.
Justification by faith is the only hope of salvation, and faith was necessary in ancient times just as now, even before Moses lived. Righteousness never came by works or ceremonies even when circumcision and animal sacrifices were in force. The covenant made with Abraham was based on the righteousness of faith and secured to Abraham and to his seed the inheritance of the earth. The condition of that promise was the righteousness of faith, not perfect obedience as works of the law, and only those who believe and walk in the faith of Abraham are heirs, with works following faith and believers counted as Abraham's children through Christian faith. The law added four hundred and thirty years afterward could not disannul that promise, for the law of God embodying His requirements and man's duty cannot be contrary to His own promise. The seed to whom the promise was made is Jesus Christ, who was made under the law, kept the covenant requiring perfect obedience, then died for transgressions and bequeathed His own inheritance to believers. The verse is therefore not dead history about that particular form of ceremonialism but declares a principle for every person in every age, warning present readers against dropping into any ceremonialism, which is of greater present importance than the ancient form.
Faith is the one righteous quality in a person, and other qualities that commend a person to God are built on or added to faith. Abraham was justified by faith alone and received the promises and inheritance through faith, before circumcision and apart from the laws given to the Jews. Those laws profited even the circumcised only when joined to that faith. His faith existed before he was circumcised, worked the works of God, and kept God's commandments. The later laws were added because of transgression and unbelief to lead people toward faith in Christ, and justification and God's promises come by faith. The same way of receiving righteousness applies to everyone, including the Jewish people who received the law, for righteousness does not come by keeping the law and the law cannot cancel or replace God's promise, which is the everlasting covenant made with him in the gospel.
Character of Abraham's Faith
Abraham believed God's promise that in his seed all nations and all families of the earth would be blessed, understanding that seed to be the Saviour and that promise to be the gospel itself, which is the everlasting covenant God made with him. That promise was received through faith alone, and the same faith secures the imputation of righteousness at any time to all who share Abraham's blessing, Jew and Gentile alike, since righteousness does not come by keeping the law and the law cannot cancel God's promise. This belongs to one unified divine plan running through all ages toward restoration of the dominion lost in Adam, in which the gospel was preached beforehand to Abraham and its blessing comes to all nations through Christ, so that believers in Christ share his inheritance.
Outward circumcision was given only as a sign of righteousness Abraham already possessed by faith, after he had the righteousness of faith, and not as the means by which he was saved. It was a sign that the law was written in the heart by the Spirit, becoming a mockery when the law was transgressed, and it has value only when joined to faith. His faith existed before he was circumcised, worked the works of God, and worked righteousness, proving that justification and God's promises come by faith and not by circumcision or works of law. Those who are of faith, rather than those who rely on circumcision or their own works to earn righteousness or boast in descent from Abraham, are therefore his children and heirs.
His obedience was the obedience of faith: he obeyed because he believed, not in order to obtain faith, and sinful people are justified by thus believing God rather than by earning righteousness through deeds. No work could remove even one sin from his past life, so faith alone could be credited to him, while his obedience and good works followed as its necessary fruit, having no value apart from Christ. His works acted with his faith, made it complete by showing it was genuine, and brought it to maturity. That faith was shown when he obeyed God's call to leave for a place he did not know, resting on God's word in expectation of the promised inheritance, and it was by so believing Him that he entered into covenant relationship with God.
Faith of this kind is not mere confidence or agreement but belief in God's word proved by obedience, for faith means believing and yielding to God's word and obedience is its proof. Faith without works is dead, so faith and obedience go hand in hand and justifying faith in Christ is shown by a spirit of obedience. Righteousness includes right being and right doing, since God's commandments are righteousness and obeying them is righteousness, and Abraham's obedience showed the character of his faith. The obedience God requires is therefore exercised by faith, so that obedience to the gospel means obedience to the law, blessings are received according to faith, and those who belong to Christ as Abraham's children must have the same kind of faith.
Abraham's keeping of God's commandments, statutes, and laws manifested the righteousness of an ancient believer and shows that God's commandments and the righteousness they express were known before the covenant at Sinai. His faith did not abolish the moral law but led him to keep it, and those who walk in his faith become his children and heirs of the same promises under the same standard of moral right-doing. The later laws were added because of transgression and unbelief, to lead people toward faith in Christ.
By believing God, trusting that He could and would fulfill a promise that seemed difficult, Abraham entered into covenant relationship and God counted this faith to him as righteousness. The blessing he received was righteousness itself, and those who believe are blessed with that same righteousness, including those who believe in the God who raised Jesus from the dead. This blessing is to be shared so that believers may receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.
Children Blessing and Spirit
Those who are of faith are counted as Abraham's children and heirs of the promises, and are blessed with faithful Abraham, for his belief was reckoned to him for righteousness not by reliance on works of the law. Only those who hold to faith share that blessing, and the heirs are not limited to literal descendants but include all who belong to Christ by faith, who share his character and principles and possess faith as their marked quality. The promised inheritance rests on righteousness by faith rather than righteousness earned through the law, so those who share Abraham's faith are counted as his children.
God foresaw justifying the heathen through faith and preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand in the promise that in him all nations would be blessed. That foreknowledge proves that those of faith are the children of Abraham and are blessed with him, in contrast to as many as are of the works of the law being under the curse for not continuing in all things written in the book of the law to do them. From the beginning God proposed to justify the heathen by faith, and the early experience of the Galatians was identical with Abraham's.
This defines Israel as the complete and perfect olive tree constituted of the faithful of all nations, which will blossom and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit. Every true child of faith is an Israelite, for those who share Abraham's faith are his children. Those who belong to Christ by faith are Abraham's seed and share in the family of God, so Gentile believers who were once strangers to Israel are brought near through conversion and become fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household.
The Spirit is received and miracles are worked by the hearing of faith and not by works of the law, and God's supply and working among believers comes through faith, not through human works. The Christian life is begun by faith through the Spirit, not by works of the flesh, and Paul's gospel to the Galatians is therefore in harmony with the gospel Abraham received. Abraham's circumcision was a sign that he was saved, not the means by which he was saved, so those who are of faith rather than those who rely on circumcision or their own works to earn righteousness are Abraham's children and heirs of God's promises.
The covenant made with Abraham was based on the righteousness of faith and secured to Abraham and to his seed the inheritance of the earth, whose condition was the righteousness of faith and not perfect obedience as works of the law. The law added four hundred and thirty years afterward could not disannul that promise, but serves because of transgressions as leading people to Christ where they are justified by faith. The seed to whom the promise was made is Jesus Christ, who was made under the law, kept the covenant requiring perfect obedience, then died for transgressions and bequeathed His own inheritance to believers. That promised inheritance is the world, ultimately received by Christ and His people as an eternal inheritance in the new heavens and new earth, shared by Abraham and Christ as heirs with all who belong to Christ by faith as Abraham's seed. The ancient faithful were reconciled to God by faith in Christ, died trusting the promises, and rest awaiting their resurrection, when Christ's death and mediation under the new covenant redeem their transgressions.
Law Gospel and Covenant
Galatians 3 has justification by faith as its subject, not proof that the law has been abolished or that Christians need not keep it. It stands with the teaching of Romans 3 and 7 that the law of God is established and served and kept, not made nothing or abolished, and it is to be read with Galatians 5:14. It therefore does not prove exemption from the claims of the law, and must not be used to set aside the law as authority or to claim a right to violate its precepts. The appeal to the chapter to prove that the law of God was abolished stands opposed to holiness for these times, defined as the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, which requires distinguishing two laws.
The law and the gospel are in harmony in that the law exposes sin and brings the sinner to Christ, while righteousness and justification come through faith, not through the law. Righteousness by faith brings deliverance from the curse or condemnation of the law but not from obligation to obey the law. To be under the law means to be condemned by it, while receiving pardoning grace removes that condemnation, and grace does not permit sin but under the new covenant writes God's law in the heart so that people live in harmony with it. The blessing of Abraham is received by faith rather than by personal obedience to the law, the faithful inherit that blessing, while Christ as mediator redeems people from the curse caused by breaking the law so they may inherit the promise.
The covenant made with Abraham was based on the righteousness of faith and secured to Abraham and to his seed the inheritance of the earth. Its condition was the righteousness of faith, not perfect obedience as works of the law, and only those who believe and walk in the faith of Abraham are its heirs. The law added four hundred and thirty years afterward could not disannul that promise, for the law of God embodying His requirements and man's duty cannot be contrary to His own promise. The promise to Abraham is received by faith and not by the law, Abraham and Christ are heirs of the promised inheritance, and those who belong to Christ by faith share that inheritance as Abraham's seed, while the later law serves because of transgressions and leads people to Christ where they are justified by faith. That added law served as a schoolmaster to bring people to Christ.
The teaching about the law of Moses concerns a law written by Moses in a book for the children of Israel to observe until abolished, distinct from the law of God written with the finger of God on two tables of stone embodying His requirements. Holiness requires distinguishing those two laws. Those who held that the law in the discussion means the whole law-system or dispensation taught that the Ten Commandments and the ceremonial law are parts of that larger added system, not subjects considered separately. Considered as part of the chapter, the verse proves that Gentiles stand in the same relation to the law as Jews and are condemned by the law when they violate it.
Abraham's faith in the gospel did not abolish the moral law, for he believed and obeyed and his faith led him to keep the law. His belief in God's word was not mere confidence or agreement but faith proved by obedience, and his obedience showed the character of his faith. Righteousness includes right being and right doing, God's commandments are righteousness, and obeying them is righteousness. The obedience God requires is exercised by faith, so obedience to the gospel means obedience to the law, and the blessings God promises are received according to faith. Those who walk in Abraham's faith become his children and heirs of the same promises, sharing the same standard of moral right-doing, and those who belong to Christ as Abraham's children must have the same kind of faith, shown by a spirit of obedience.
Christ Promise and Application
The promised seed to whom the covenant with Abraham was made is Jesus Christ, who was placed under the law, fulfilled the covenant by perfect obedience, then died for transgressions and willed His own inheritance to believers. The covenant rested on righteousness by faith rather than on personal obedience as works of law, securing the inheritance of the earth to Abraham and his seed, with only those who believe and walk in Abraham's faith as heirs. The law added four hundred and thirty years afterward could not annul that promise, since the law embodying God's requirements and human duty cannot contradict His own promise. The blessing of Abraham is received by faith, and Christ as mediator redeems people from the curse brought by breaking the law so that they may inherit the promise.
Abraham trusted Christ as the one through whom the promised salvation and inheritance would come, so Old Testament faith is the same in essence as New Testament faith. Those justified by faith are Abraham's children and share the blessing promised to him. This righteousness through faith belongs to the Abrahamic covenant and the promise to the fathers as part of one unified divine plan running through all ages and dispensations toward restoration of the dominion lost in Adam. People are made free through faith, which does not create freedom but takes hold of freedom already given in Christ, enabling them to believe God's word and walk at liberty.
To believe God is to trust and agree with what He says, bringing victory through Christ dwelling in the heart by the Holy Spirit, while failures and defeats are the fruit of unbelief. Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God and took Him at His word, and the patriarchs were not naturally different from people today but had the same human weaknesses and trusted God. Their example shows that people now can likewise believe and receive God's aid to be transformed. To require circumcision in order to be saved is a counterfeit gospel that puts trust in a person's own works and not in Christ, for outward circumcision was given only as a sign of righteousness already possessed by faith, a sign that the law was written in the heart by the Spirit and a mockery when the law was transgressed. Although that specific rite is no longer the question, the same vital question remains whether salvation is by human works or by Christ alone. Abraham received righteousness by believing God and not by performing ceremonies, proving righteousness never came by works even when circumcision and animal sacrifices were in force, so since those rites are now a dead letter of no binding force the verse is not dead history about that particular form of ceremonialism but declares a principle for every person in every age, warning present readers against dropping into any ceremonialism.