O foolish
Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before
whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 2 This
only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the
law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having
begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have
you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?
5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works
miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the
hearing of faith?— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness.” 7 Therefore know that only
those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. 8 And the
Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached
the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall
be blessed.”9 So then those who are of faith are blessed
with believing Abraham.10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.”12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”
13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man’s covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ,[j] that it should make the promise of no effect. 18 For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
19 What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
21 Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The truth
will set us free. Free from bondage,
spiritual neglect and being lost from God.
I had always tried to be a good son to my parents and others. But by no means was I a saint. However, I believe by my saying these words
to God at age 16 I would never again speak a harsh word to an individual, and
all would know I loved them before their passing. I believed my words to my father were what
killed him. Though God still sent me His
Holy Spirit and I saw it come down but still walked His earth pleasing my flesh
as I saw fit. God’s word says in Romans
13:8 “Owe no one anything but to love, for he who loves has fulfilled the law.” I didn’t read those words until 35 years
later, but I walked them in my everyday life, being a brother and a son to all,
something else God asks us to do in His word.
There are laws in our Bibles just as there are laws in our world, and
God wants us to adhere to them all no matter how trivial our manmade laws may
be at times. This is how God trains us
into righteous people filled with love so we can subdue man’s law, rise above
it, and be set free from the world’s bondage.
Abraham made us heirs in the kingdom of God by his faith so we have
promises and an inheritance if we will take on that same faith and believe the
word of God, as heirs to the throne.
God bless
you heirs to the throne of God,
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