Some truths in Scripture anchor the believer when everything else feels uncertain. Paul’s words in Galatians 3:15-22 offer one of those steadying truths. He explains that God’s promise, given long before the law, remains unshaken and unchanging. The Galatians needed this reminder because they were being persuaded to treat the law as though it replaced God’s promise. Paul lifts their eyes to see that the promise rests on God’s faithfulness, not human performance.
Many believers struggle with quiet questions about their standing with God. They worry that one mistake might undo their progress or that their failures might separate them from His love. This passage speaks directly to that fear. God’s promise does not shift based on human weakness. It stands firm because it rests on Him.
In this devotional, you will see how Paul contrasts the temporary purpose of the law with the eternal strength of God’s promise. The more clearly this truth settles in the heart, the deeper the believer’s confidence grows. God’s promise remains the believer’s grounding place.
To give a human example, brothers, even with a man made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, And to offsprings, referring to many, but referring to one, And to your offspring, who is Christ. This is what I mean, the law, which came four hundred thirty years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise, but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
Why then the law. It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
Is the law then contrary to the promises of God. Certainly not. For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Galatians 3:15-22 ESV
God’s promise rests on His faithfulness and cannot be overturned by human failure or replaced by the law.
Big Idea 1: God’s promise cannot be undone or rewritten
Paul begins with a simple example. Even human covenants cannot be changed once they are established. How much more secure is a covenant that God Himself established? The promise given to Abraham was not temporary or fragile. It was fixed and rooted in God’s unchanging character. The Galatians needed to remember that no later development could overturn or replace what God had already promised.
This truth destroys the fear that human mistakes might cancel God’s blessing. The promise does not rest on human consistency. It rests on divine commitment. God’s word stands firm even when people do not. That confidence brings peace to the believer who feels anxious about their spiritual standing.
Paul goes even further by explaining that the promise was made not only to Abraham but ultimately to Christ. This anchors the promise in the person of Jesus, securing it beyond all question. The believer’s confidence rests not on their ability to hold on to God but on God’s ability to hold on to them.
When believers grasp this, their hearts settle. They stop trying to earn what God has already guaranteed. Rest begins where striving ends.
Big Idea 2: The law served a temporary purpose, not a permanent one
Paul anticipates a question. If the promise came first, why did God give the law at all? His answer is clear. The law was added because of transgressions. It exposed sin. It revealed the depth of human brokenness. And it prepared the way for Christ. But it was never intended to replace the promise.
The law served as a boundary, showing humanity its need for a Savior. It revealed the gap between human effort and divine holiness. But the law could not give life. Its purpose was temporary and preparatory.
This truth helps believers who confuse conviction with condemnation. The law convicts, showing the need for Christ. But it never condemns the one who belongs to Him. Its role is to guide, not to govern. To point, not to punish.
The Galatians were treating the law as though it were the pathway to righteousness. Paul corrects this with urgency. The law had a role, but it was never meant to replace grace. Its purpose was to usher humanity to Christ, the fulfillment of the promise.
Big Idea 3: The promise becomes life for all who believe
Paul concludes by showing how God weaves both the law and the promise together into a single plan of redemption. The law revealed sin. The promise revealed the Savior. The law showed humanity its imprisonment. The promise opened the door to freedom.
The promise comes through faith in Jesus Christ. This means that every believer, regardless of background or history, stands on equal ground before God. They receive the inheritance God promised long ago. They receive righteousness, acceptance, and life.
This truth confronts every fear that whispers, You are not enough. The promise does not depend on the believer’s merit. It depends on God’s mercy. Faith receives what works can never achieve.
When believers rest in God’s promise, their spiritual lives gain new strength. Confidence grows. Joy deepens. Peace settles. God’s promise shapes their identity and guides their future. Nothing the law reveals can undo what the promise secures.
Conclusion
Paul’s message to the Galatians brings clarity to a confused and anxious church. The promise came first. It stands firm. The law cannot overturn it, human failure, or the weight of sin. God established it, and God fulfills it.
The law had its purpose, but it could not give life. Only the promise, fulfilled in Christ, brings life to those who believe. When believers rest in this truth, fear loses its grip. Doubt loses its voice. The heart stands steady in God’s unwavering faithfulness.
Return to the promise. Rest in the One who keeps it. Live with confidence in the inheritance secured for you through Christ.
Action Step
Write down one fear about your spiritual standing with God. Pray over it and declare that God’s promise, not your performance, defines your relationship with Him.
Reflection Questions
- What fear or insecurity tries to weaken my confidence in God’s promise?
- How does understanding the purpose of the law change the way I see my failures?
- What would it look like to live with deeper confidence in God’s unchanging word?
“The promises of God are sure, because they rest on the character of God Himself.” Andrew Murray
Prayer
Father, thank You for a promise that does not shift with my weaknesses. Thank You for establishing a covenant that stands firm in Christ. Teach me to trust Your promise more than my performance, and help me rest in the freedom You have given through Jesus. Amen.
It begins with Christ!
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Blessings,
Chad
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