Galatians Chapter 3 Part 4 The Last Will And Testament Of God

Galatians 3:13-14  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree: 14)  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

These two verses summarize Paul's argument against false teaching of Judaizers.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by perfectly obeying it and dying as our sinless, spotless innocent substitute.

He is God's perfect Lamb ordained to die in our place before the world was created (See Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 13:8

Christ bore the wrath of God's judgment for our sins. He received the wages of our sins which is death.

His resurrection proved He is the Son of God who accomplished salvation for the whole world, to those who hear and obey His gospel.

Thus, the promised blessing to all nations God gave to Abraham are received by faith in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:15  Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 

The words "I speak after the manner of men" mean that Paul is speaking of a well known legal transaction.

If a covenant made between men, or a man's will and testament, be confirmed, signed, sealed, and witnessed, in a proper manner, no other man can make them void. 

Once this document is legally confirmed it cannot be changed except by the consent of the parties involved. 

In this text, the word "covenant" refers to what we today know as someone's last will or testament.

As such, a testament or will spells out how all assets of a deceased person are to be distributed.

As I noted, a last will or testament cannot be altered except by the parties named in the testament or covenant.

Paul uses this common legal term to illustrate what God has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

The Book of Hebrews will help us grasp this beautiful truth.

Jesus Christ is testator and executor of the new covenant of God.

Hebrews 9:14-20  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15)  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 16)  For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17)  For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. 18)  Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. 19)  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20)  Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 

When does a last will or testament have legal power to be executed? 

A last will or testament has no power while the one who made it is still alive.

A "testator" is the person who made the last will or testament.

When the testator dies, then his last will or testament has legal power to be executed according to the terms and conditions that it contains.

The Old Testament was sealed by the blood of animals slain to atone for the people's sin. 

This is why the Old Testament covenant was sealed by blood, as God specified a system of animal sacrifices to cover their sins.

The Old Testament covenant pointed toward Christ because it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sin.

By faith those saints believed God and offered the appropriate sacrifices for their sins as God commanded, believing that He would forgive and restore the sinner.

In like manner, the New Testament is sealed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ is the testator and His death gives legal power to execute the last, eternal will or testament of God!

What are the terms and conditions of the New Testament that God made? 

It is spelled out in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

It is detailed in the book of Acts and the birth of Christ's church. 

It is fully explained in the letters to the churches by Christ's apostles.

May this powerful truth sink into our hearts as we read the New Testament. 

May we ask God to illuminate our hearts regarding all spiritual blessings we have in Christ. 

God's testament with Abraham is sealed by His Word and by His blood. 

Hebrews 6:13-20  For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14)  Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15)  And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16)  For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17)  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18)  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. 19)  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; 20)  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchisedec. 

The promise from God to Abraham was His will and testament and God Himself is both the originator and executor of His covenant. 

Abraham received this glorious promise by faith in what God said to him. He believed God and his faith was counted for righteousness because the just shall live by faith.

It is impossible for God to lie and His last will and testament by His promise and by the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, the testator of it. 

All that the law could not do for us was accomplished by the finished work of Christ on the cross. 

God's last will and testament was sealed by Christ's blood and received eternal power to be enforced by His resurrection.

Thus, Jesus Christ is the perfect Judge, King, Savior and High Priest who can save to the uttermost all who come to God by repentant faith in the Son. 

This is why the apostles tell us that each believer is a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Christ inherits all things as the only heir of the Father in heaven. 

In turn, Christ shares everything with the born again children of God (See Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:1-14; Colossians 1:12; 3:24; 1 Peter 1:4). 

God's last will and testament is eternally confirmed and empowered.

Galatians 3:15  Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. 

Christ is the living testator who by His death and resurrection has been granted all power and authority to enforce the provisions of the New Testament.

The promise God gave to Abraham is legally confirmed by the death of the testator, Jesus Christ and it is enforced eternally by the risen Savior!

God's last will and testament of promise predates the law.

Galatians 3:16-17  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. 17)  And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. 

The promise or covenant or testament God made with Abraham was given before the law. This testament predates the law.

What does this mean to us? The standard for giving to God is a tithe, or ten percent of our income. 

Tithes predate the law and God promises to bless us when we choose to honor Him with our tithes.

Because the last will, covenant or testament of God predates the law, the promise it contains cannot be made null or void. 

It is an eternal covenant made by God, confirmed by the death and blood of the Son of God and empowered by His resurrection for eternity. 

All the blessings and promises God gave to Abraham were by faith.

Galatians 3:18  For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. 

Paul makes it clear that this glorious will and testament of God did not come by the law. It is a covenant or will or testament given to Abraham as a promise.

The law has no bearing on this covenant of promise. 

Romans 4:13-15  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14)  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15)  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 

Notice the Spirit guided words of Paul to the church at Rome.

This covenant of promise was not given to Abraham by the law. It was given through the righteousness of faith. 

Abraham believed God and his faith was counted for righteousness by God.

Romans 4:20-25  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21)  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22)  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23)  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24)  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25)  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 

When God made His promise to the patriarch of our faith, Abraham did not stagger with unbelief.

Instead, he took God at His word and believed that God would do as He said. 

Each believer in Christ today stands in that faith of Abraham and he is called the father of all who believe.

All of this was set in place by God before the law. 

This means that all the blessings and promises of God are unaffected by the law and cannot be obtained by law keeping.

We see how Paul's argument exposes the flawed views of false teachers.

He is calling the Galatians back to this pure faith in Christ and the grace of God.

Thus, all redeemed children of God receive all spiritual blessings in Christ and are joint heirs with the Son of God (See Ephesians 1:3-14).

May our hearts be filled with praise to God for His boundless grace and mercy to us.

May we read and study the gospels and epistles with renewed energy, knowing that they contain the last, eternal will and testament of God.

Bob