1. Do You Promise to Keep the Law?

Galatians 4:21 (NASB 1995)
21 Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not listen to the law?

You who want to be under law…
1 – What is the law?
Rules in the OT

You who want to be under law…
1 – What is the law?
Rules in the OT
2 – Why be under the law?
‘My righteous works grant me salvation.’
(Eph 2:8, Acts 16:31, Rom 10:9 & Rom 3)

Galatians 5:3-4 (NASB 1995)
3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.

Galatians 2:19-21 (NASB 1995)
19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gal 2:19-21 (NASB 1995)
21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

You who want to be under law…
1 – What is the law?
Rules in the OT
2 – Why be under the law?
‘My righteous works grant me salvation.’
(Eph 2:8, Acts 16:31, Rom 10:9 & Rom 3)
3 – Then why talk about the law?
The law reveals sin

Romans 3:19-20 (NASB 1995)
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

… Do you not listen to the law?
James 2:10
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

2. God’s Promise to Abram

Story of Abram – Genesis 15-18, 21 (Part 1)

• Abraham will have a son even at his old age of 100 (17:21)
• God visits Abram and tells him that his descendants shall be as numerous as the star in the sky. (Gen 15:5-6).
• God made a covenant (promise) with Abram (15:18)
• Due to Sarai age (past the years of child barring) Abram had a kid with Sarai’s maid, Hagar (16:2)

Story of Abram – Genesis 15-18, 21 (Part 2)

• Ishmael is born, Abram is 86 (16:15-16)
• Abram’s name is changed to Abraham (17:5)
  Abram means exalted father and Abraham means father of a multitude.
• Sarah will bear Isaac in a year (17:21, 18:10)
• Sarah gives birth to Isaac. Abraham is 99 Sarah is 90 (21:1-3)

Galatians 4:22-25 (NASB 1995)
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise.

Galatians 4:22-25 (NASB 1995)
24 This is allegorically speaking, for these women are two covenants: one proceeding from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children.

3. What is a Promise Without Faith?

Galatians 3:5-7 (NASB 1995)
5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

Hebrews 11:1-2 (NASB 1995)
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.“

Hebrews 11:8-10 (NASB 1995)
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.

Hebrews 11:8-10 (NASB 1995)
10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God

Hebrews 11:17-19 (NASB 1995)
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”

Hebrews 11:17-19 (NASB 1995)
19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

John 20:26-29 (NASB 1995)
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

John 20:26-29 (NASB 1995)
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Romans 4:13-14 (NASB 1995)
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

Gal 3:22-25 (NKJV)
22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal 3:22-25 (NKJV)
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

4. Isaiah’s and Sarah’s Promises

Galatians 4:26-27 (NASB 1995)
26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother.
27 For it is written,
“REJOICE, BARREN WOMEN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR;FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE HTE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND.” (Isaiah 54:1)

Galatians 4:28-31
28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.

Galatians 4:28-31 (NASB 1995)
30 But what does the Scripture say?
“CAST OUT THE BONDWOMEN AND HER SON, FOR HTE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN.” (Genesis 21:10)
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.

5. What is your Promise?
   (Application)

1 – God is our Father.

2 Corinthians 6:18 (NASB 1995)
“And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.

2 – We are children by grace through faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB 1995)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

3 – We should be free of worry and anxiety.

Philippians 4:6 (NASB 1995)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

4 – This is not a reason to induldge in our sin.

Romans 6:1-3 (NASB 1995)
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

Romans 4:13-25 (NASB 1995)
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.

Romans 4:13-25 (NASB 1995)
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,

Romans 4:13-25 (NASB 1995)
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. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”

Romans 4:13-25 (NASB 1995)
19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.

Romans 4:13-25 (NASB 1995)
22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.