Hello All,
Paul states in Galatians 3:17 that God gave the Law 430 years after He made a covenant promise to Abraham. This covenant promise was unilateral on God's part; God showed up in Abraham's life unannounced and said "Abraham, I'm going to bless you!" Abraham simply believed God's promise and God counted his belief as right standing.
Paul also states in Romans 5:17 that if there is no Law, then there can be no transgressions.
However, Paul asks a rhetorical question back in Galatians 3:19, "Why then was the Law given?" Paul then answers his own question, "It was added because of transgressions."
So...God gave a covenant promise, and then He added the Law because there had been transgressions. But without Law, there can be no transgressions.
What is going on?
Could it be for this reason?:
If a law is given and disobeyed, that disobedience is a transgression.
***But, if a promise is given and not believed, then it would stand to reason that unbelief in a promise is also a transgression.***
So, God gave the Law because His covenant promise went unbelieved.
***God gave the Law not because of sins as we have always defined them, but rather because people did not believe His promise as a good God.***
What is the result of us living under a law and not a promise? All the corruption we see every day. Violence. Broken marriages. Births out of wedlock. People objectified and abused. Every carnal perversion under the sun.
What then, would be the result if we believed His covenant promise, rather than transgressing that promise with our unbelief? We would see the fruit of God's life expressed in every person: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.
"Against such things there is no law." ~ Paul
Jesus replied, "This is the work of God—that you believe in the One He has sent." ~ John
"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." ~ Paul
Grace=Peace,
Jeremy
