7 Know, consequently, that those of faith, these are sons of Abraham." 8 Now the scripture, perceiving before that God is justifying the nations by faith, brings before an evangel to Abraham, that In you shall all the nations be blessed." 9 So that those of faith are being blessed together with believing Abraham. 10 For whoever are of works of law are under a curse,
for it written that,
Accursed is everyone who is not remaining in all things written in the scroll of the law to do them."
Where is this written?
(CLV) Dt 27:26
Cursed be the one who is not carrying out all the words of this law to do them. Then all the people will say: Amen!
Interesting. Let's read on.
The very next verse in this book:
(CLV) Dt 28:1
It will come to be if you should hearken, yea hearken to the voice of Yahweh your Elohim, to observe and to do all His instructions which I am enjoining on you today, that Yahweh your Elohim will give you supremacy over all the nations of the earth.
(CLV) Dt 28:2
And all these blessings will come on you and overtake you in case you should hearken to the voice of Yahweh your Elohim.
Paul isn't telling us anything new. Is it YHWH's law that is cursed?
(CLV) Ro 7:12
So that the law, indeed, is holy, and the precept holy and just and good.
Or is it disobedience to YHWH's law that brings the curses?
(CLV) Ro 2:13
For not the listeners to law are just with God, but the doers of law shall be justified.
(CLV) Hb 10:28
Anyone -repudiating Moses' LAW is dying without pity on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
(CLV) Hb 10:29
Of how much worse punishment, are you supposing, will he be counted worthy who tramples on the Son of God, and deems the blood of the covenant iby which he is hallowed contaminating, and outrages the spirit of grace?
11 Now that in law no one is being justified with God is evident, for the just one by faith shall be living." 12 Now the law is not of faith, but who does them "
shall be living in them."
(CLV) 1Jn 3:9
Everyone who is begotten of God is not doing sin, for His seed is remaining in him, and he can not be sinning, for he is begotten of God.
13 Christ reclaims us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for our sakes, for it is written, Accursed is everyone hanging on a pole,
(CLV) 1Jn 2:1
My little children, these things am I writing to you that you may not be sinning. And if anyone should be sinning, we have an Entreater with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just.
14 that t
he blessing of Abraham may be coming to the nations in Christ Jesus,
Israel
that
we
Israel
may be obtaining the promise of the spirit through faith." 15
Brethren
Israel
(I am saying this as a man), a human covenant likewise having been ratified,
no one is repudiating or modifying it."
The covenant stands in its' entirety.
16 Now
to Abraham the promises were declared, and to his Seed. He is not saying "And to seeds,as of many, but as of One: And to "
your Seed,which is Christ."
How does Messiah define seed?
(CLV) Lk 8:11
"Now this is the parable: The seed is the word of God.
In the beginning was the word...
17 Now this am I saying: a covenant, having been ratified before by God, the law, having come four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not invalidate, 18 so as to nullify the promise. For if the enjoyment of the allotment is of law, it is no longer of promise. Yet God has graciously granted it to Abraham through the promise." 19 What, then, is the law? On behalf of transgressions was it added, until the Seed should come to Whom He has promised, being prescribed through messengers in the hand of a mediator." 20 Now there is no Mediator of one. Yet God is One. 21
Is the law, then, against the promises of God? May it not be coming to that! For if a law were given that is able to vivify, really, righteousness were out of law."
YHWH's law is not against grace.
22 But the
scripture locks up all
together under sin,
...because all have sinned.
The Law of Sin
that the promise out of Jesus Christ's faith may be given to those who are believing.
Faith
(CLV) Gn 15:6
Now Abram believed on Elohim, and He reckoned it to him for righteousness
(CLV) Gn 26:5
inasmuch as your father Abraham hearkened to My voice and kept My charge, My instructions, My statutes and My laws.
(CLV) Ja 2:22
You are observing that faith worked together with his works, and by works was faith perfected.
(CLV) Ja 2:23
And fulfilled was the scripture which is saying, Now "Abraham believes God, and it is reckoned to him for righteousness," and he was called "the friend of God."
(CLV) Ja 2:24
You see that by works a man is being justified, and not by faith only.
Obedience to YHWH's Law is the fruit of faith.
23 Now before the coming of faith we were
garrisoned under law, being locked up together for the faith about to be revealed."
Under The Law of Sin and Death. See: Paul on the Law Romans Chapter 8
24 So that the
law has become our escort to Christ, that we may be justified by faith."
"Has become," not "used to be."
How do we come to Messiah?
Torah? The Law of Sin and Death?
25 Now, at the coming of faith,
we are no longer under an escort,
Through faith YHWH works through us. This is demonstrated repeatedly throughout the Gospels.
Faith in him frees us from the bondage of the Law of Sin. See: Paul on the Law Romans Chapter 7
26 for
you are all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus."
(CLV) 1Jn 3:9
Everyone who is begotten of God is not doing sin, for His seed is remaining in him, and he can not be sinning, for he is begotten of God.
What is sin?
(CLV) 1Jn 3:4
Everyone who is doing sin, is doing lawlessness also, and sin is lawlessness.
You need to keep in mind that The Law came 430 years after the covenant of faith... and that once it was ratified (in Genesis 15) the covenant of faith cannot have any additions or conditions added to it.
[Gal 3:6-9, 14-18 NASB] 6 Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, [saying,] "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. ...
Abraham was the primary person saved by grace through faith in the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ. God preached the gospel to him, and when he believed it, he was declared righteous.
14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is [only] a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as [referring] to many, but [rather] to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
So clearly, The Law does not add any conditions to salvation or righteousness on the basis of faith, as the covenant of faith was ratified and closed to conditions 430 years before The Law (including the laws of food) were given. The Law was written for a sinful world. When we have our sin defeated, the Law will no longer be relevant. For example, because of sin, death came. Because of death we need to eat to live. Since plants don't give us enough to live, we needed to include animals. Yet when death is destroyed we won't need to eat to live, and so we won't need animals to supplement our diet. The elimination of sin and death is really the elimination of the necessity for The Law.
[Gen 15:5-6 KJV] 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
So we see that God told Abraham about that seed, singular (who is Jesus according to Galatians 3:16), and when Abraham believed God about Jesus, he was made righteous.
[Gen 17:3-8 KJV] 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for me, behold, my covenant [is] with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
We can see here that, all along, this eternal covenant was always meant to be inherited by Abraham's seed - Abraham who had JUST been promised to be the father of many nations (not just the father of the Jews). So this eternal covenant is to all the nations... all of those who are descendants of Abraham. There are 2 ways to be descendants of Abraham. 1) through the law, those who are physically descendants, and 2) those who have the same faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ that Abraham had are considered descendants.
[Rom 4:9-17 NASB] 9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. 16 For this reason [it is] by faith, in order that [it may be] in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, [even] God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
So there are 2 ways to be descended from Abraham. By lineage, or by having the same faith in the gospel that Abraham had. Regarding this, Isaiah prophesied:
[Isa 54:1 NASB] 1 "Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no [child;] Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one [will be] more numerous Than the sons of the married woman," says the LORD.
The adopted children (Christians) of Abraham will outnumber the physical heirs (Jews). But BOTH groups are God's chosen people, both groups, are inheritors of the promises given to Abraham.
