"Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise. Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."
The lesson found in today's quote, is that the the Law of Moses, nor any part of it, was ever intended to be a means by which the lost could be eternally saved. As we read the text, we find that Paul directed this lesson straight toward the Jewish Christians of his own time who were still trying to hold on to the Law. He made it very clear that the Law was simply a forerunner to the coming of the promise. The Law of Moses was only to set the table for the coming of Jesus Christ who would bring with Him everlasting life through faith, and thereby fulfill the promise God made to Abraham. That promise still holds today for all who will put their faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Seeing that there are so many in our time who still insist that some rules of the Law, such as water baptism, should wrongfully be incorporated into the gospel of Christ, this lesson applies equally well today.
Paul made it very clear, herein, that the Law is never to be placed as a stumbling block in the path of a lost soul who earnestly seeks salvation, since that salvation comes only by faith in Jesus Christ crucified, buried, and risen to live again. "the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." That means that all that ever was, and still is, required to achieve eternal live is to believe on our Lord, Jesus Christ.~
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