God’s good promises

Yesterday, we were back in Galatians looking together at Paul asking his friends some timeless questions such as, are you building your life on Jesus? Do you know that He really loves you? This was because they were making faith about them and what they did rather than about what God had done and who they were in Him – which is so easy for us to do today as well.

Throughout Galatians and the New Testament Paul is obsessed with the gospel. He constantly returns to this theme: how there is only one gospel, it is a very good gospel, and the gospel is enough - trusting God's promises through Christ Jesus are all that we need to be saved. But as we reach this passage we get to the question of 'what's next?' Just as we begin in the gospel, so we must continue, as Christians, to run the race all the way to the finish line. It is not enough just to hear the gospel or even to believe - that's just the starting line. God wants us to grow, to live: we must also apply the gospel to our lives!

Paul uses three landmarks in this passage to make his point. Firstly, consider Abraham; he didn't get everything right, but ultimately, he held onto God, and it is because of his faith that he is credited with righteousness. Paul then points to the law as evidence that God is good and there is a good and godly way to live, and we are called to it. But when we inevitably fail God will still love us! Finally, we see that both Abraham and the law point to Jesus, the promise keeper. Because of Jesus we can become heirs to the kingdom of God, we are His children, and we can grow and live with the same gospel that we started with, the same promises and the same perfect love.