Lesson 16 July 14, 2002
Review:
Summary 3:6
1. Paul makes an appeal to the example of
Abraham and his salvation.
2. Abraham
actually came from a pagan background, his father was an idol worshipper in Ur
of the Chaldees. Joshua 24:1-2
3. Paul
cites Genesis 15:6 to demonstrate
convincingly to the Galatians that even Abraham was justified by faith and not
by works.
4. How was it that this Father of the Jewish
people was actually justified? He
believed that God was able to perform what He promised.
5. This occurred long before Abraham was
circumcised Gen. 17:24
6. What
Paul is trying to get the Galatians to realize, or ask themselves, On what
basis then could the Judaizers insist
that you be circumcised for salvation when look even Abraham was saved,
justified by faith.
7. Key is
that justification is on the basis of faith, faith is non-meritorious since all
the merit is in the object of faith.
8. In fact
faith is the only grace way, since it is non meritorious. Rom 4:16
9. Faith in
Christ is man's faith directed toward the only saving object, Jesus Christ's
work on the Cross. That is what God has
provided.
10 The
righteousness spoken of here that is credited to Abraham or imputed to him is
absolute, it is God's righteousness based therefore on His character.
3:7 The true sons of Abraham
Paul's conclusion from the preceding that Abe was
saved by faith
Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.
that it is those who are of faith
Who are the ones who believe, exhale faith in
Christ?
are sons of Abraham ui`o,j,
Summary
3:7
1. Since
faith is what justified Abraham, it is
also what justifies his progeny.
2.
Righteousness was credited to Abraham on the basis of faith not works,
as held by the Judaizers.
3. They
must come to grips with the fact that ones spiritual birth is the important
thing not ones physical birth, i.e. genetics.
4. What
the Judaizers had to orient to and were having a problem with is that Gentiles
as well as Jews were Abraham's progeny
by faith.
3:8 All are justified by faith
Believe
that we can conclude that what Paul is up to here is answering the false
conclusions by the Judaizers.
The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,
- God and Scripture are treated as one and the same.
- God and
the message of His word are inseparably ONE.
What did the Scripture do?
foreseeing that
God would justify the Gentiles by faith
Paul is pointing out that what he taught and the experience
of those who believed in Christ is consistent with what the Scripture has always taught, that is, that one is
justified by faith.
preached
the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED
IN YOU."
The principle is that justification by faith was God's
way, the grace way, before circumcision was established
as a sign of the Abrahamic
covenant, before the M/L was given
therefore it was before the priesthood was established, and before the
sacrifices and feast days.