Galatians 3:16. 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.
Abraham came first, then Moses. Faith came first, then law. Yet somehow, the law was seen as the ultimate in spiritual growth. Moses became the new patriarch of Judaism, replacing father Abraham, and the law became the handbook of success.
When Abraham left Ur, He wasn’t given any such handbook. There was no rule book to follow—just a promise and a wide-open country; a land of opportunity, if you will. Abraham had to live by faith, for faith was all he had. He had to learn to listen and respond to God moment by moment. There was no to-do list, no five-year plan, and no instruction manual on how to worship God correctly, what songs to sing, or what prayers to pray. It was just God saying, “Trust Me and trust My promises,” and Abraham listening and obeying (usually).
Paul says that the promises God made 430 years before the law were made to Abraham and to his offspring (singular). One offspring. One child. One son. Isaac? No, Jesus. Wow, that’s a leap. But for Paul, Jesus is the ultimate Isaac—the One who would inherit all the promises of God. As 2 Corinthians 1:20 states, all the promises of God find their “Yes” in Him. This is why Gentiles can claim to be within the promises of Abraham; it is not because they are Abraham’s offsprings (plural), but because they are in Abraham’s offspring (singular), Jesus. All who are in Christ are placed into the promised blessing of Christ.
And now, all who are in Christ can live as Abraham lived: by faith. We live not from a rule book or an instruction manual, but from a relationship of trust in God—listening, believing, and responding. All of life is now redefined, and success and failure have entirely new meanings. Obedience is no longer our measure of success, and failure is no longer about how well we accomplish God’s will. God’s will has been accomplished. Obedience has been achieved. All of this was done by Christ, the Offspring.
Where does this leave us? It leaves us in the Land of Promise—exploring, adventuring, risking, and walking by faith, not by sight. We can leave behind the daily to-do list and embrace following the cool breeze of the Spirit wherever He may blow.
You: In what areas of your life are you currently treating your faith like a “handbook of success” rather than an open-ended adventure with God??
You in Christ: How does Christ in us fulfill all of God’s promises to us?
Christ in you: If Christ has already achieved perfect obedience, how does that change the way you view your personal “failures” this week?
Pray: Father, remove my need to control and replace it with pure faith. Amen.
