26Dec2013- Heirs According to the Promise

How you doin? I hope everyone had joy and peace in their hearts yesterday. I feel like that I'm moving into a time of breakthrough. I've been thinking to myself that I needed to wait until after Christmas to start some things God has been pressing upon me. So it's no coincidence that the last 2 chapters of Galatians have been about grace and faith over the law. God is inviting me into a new glory. It's scary because I know I'm not going to be the same. I trust that this is an upgrade. Letting go of what I've grown comfortable with, even it's painful, is scary. The Holy Ghost will comfort me and lead me. Galatians 3.

Verse 1, "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified." I could easily judge and scoff at the Galatians if I too wasn't bewitched. Verse 3, "Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?" Sadly enough is points out a major milady of mine. God gives me a glimpse of what it's like living fully dependent upon Him and under the new covenant and I fall back into self reliance and old covenant. Here's where the breakthrough is coming. Verse 5, "So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" Observing the law just doesn't work.

Verse 11, "Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” There are some many verses that continue to explain to me that the old covenant needs to pass away. Verse 14, "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit." This is the verse that gets me. It's because of what Jesus did that I'm able to receive God's Spirit. The law states that it's because of what I do that allows me to receive the Spirit. That's a lie. Jesus is truth. Verse 16, "The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ." The promise comes through Christ. COME ON!!!!!!! I may be starting to get it.

Verses 21-22, "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. ²² But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe." SO GOOD!!!!!!! Believing in this promise or receiving this promise is essential. That's my roll in this. Believing and seeking truth.

Verses 23-25, "Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. ²⁴ So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. ²⁵ Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." COME ON!!!!!!! I can't read it enough.

Verses 26-29, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ²⁷ for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." WOW!!!!!!! This is clear language. "Heirs according to the promise", that's huge. It does not say "heir according to the law". 2 Corinthians 1:20, "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God." Coming off of our celebration of Christ's birth, I for one want to supply the "Amen". Receive the promise of Christ today.