We are looking at the New Testament letter called Galatians. This was a letter written to a group of churches in the first century by the apostle Paul. There was a group of false teachers who had come into these churches claiming the only way a person could be right with God was to trust in Jesus and also observe the Law of Moses, especially circumcision. Paul writes this letter to encourage these churches but also to show them it is by God’s grace demonstrated through the finished work of Jesus Christ that a person is made right with God.

Paul shows in Galatians that a person becomes a Christian and is maintained in that new relationship by faith and not works. When we look at the whole of chapter 3, we can see there are three covenants mentioned. Before we look at those covenants quickly, we need to make sure we are on the same page when we talk about covenants. There are two primary views on covenants:

• ‌Contract = legal issues
• Promise = think about marriage‌

A covenant is somewhat of a mixture of these two views. It is more relational than a legal contract, but it is also more binding than a promise. We get a picture of this in Genesis 15 when God made the covenant with Abraham.

⁹ He said to him, “Bring me a three-year-old cow, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”  ¹⁰ So he brought all these to him, cut them in half, and laid the pieces opposite each other, but he did not cut the birds in half. ¹¹ Birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. ¹² As the sun was setting, a deep sleep came over Abram, and suddenly great terror and darkness descended on him.

Genesis 15:9–12 (CSB)

¹⁷ When the sun had set and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch appeared and passed between the divided animals.

Genesis 15:17 (CSB)

This may seem really weird to us today, but this was very common at that time period. Two parties who were making an agreement/promise/contract with one another would walk between animals like this saying, “If I break this covenant, may what happened to these animals happen to me.”

We can see that covenants are a serious thing. Promises are sadly broken too often. We may think that it really doesn’t hurt anyone, but it does hurt the other person, your heart, and your credibility.

In Galatians 3, Paul mentions three covenants:

• The covenant with Abraham (v 1-18) = The Promise
• ‌The covenant with Moses (v 19-22a) = the Law
• The covenant with Jesus (v 22b-29) = The Fulfillment

¹⁹ Why, then, was the law given? It was added for the sake of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise was made would come. The law was put into effect through angels by means of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator is not just for one person alone, but God is one. ²¹ Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if the law had been granted with the ability to give life, then righteousness would certainly be on the basis of the law. ²² But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe. ²³ Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed. 24 The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. 25 But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.

​Galatians 3:19–26 (CSB)

‌What is the purpose of the Law?

As Paul begins to talk about the second covenant (through Moses = the Law), he asks about why the Law was given. This is a good question that many have asked throughout the ages. If righteousness before God comes by faith (as is demonstrated in the covenant with Abraham) and not from observing the Law, why was the Law given?

‌The Law taught people what God requires

As you look at the Law (first five books of the Old Testament), you will see a standard set that God expects. It is a high standard. What each human being on the face of the earth has found out is this standard cannot be maintained on our own.

You may hear people say, “I wonder what God thinks about this?” or “I don’t think God would do that.” You have to be very careful with those sayings. We don’t have to wonder what God thinks on a subject. He had it written down in the Bible what He thought and where He stands on issues.

We may not like where the standard is set, but we have no authority or right to move it from where God has placed it.

‌The Law shows how we all fall short of God’s standard

This point we may not like so much. No one likes to be told they are wrong. We want to feel like we have everything together and in order… that we’re good. When we look at God’s Law, it doesn’t take long to see we fall short of the mark He has set. That is the harsh reality. We don’t need something that softens that blow or hides that important detail from us. We need the truth. The truth may hurt at times, but it is in knowing the truth that we see something that needs to happen.

The Law shows the need for a Savior

Our deepest need is that we need a Savior. We need one who will come and do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The Law exposes our sins not to shame us but to point us to our need.

The Law provided the sacrificial system

As the Law was given, we see a sacrificial system instituted by God. When you read through the Old Testament, you find five types of sacrifices: burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, and trespass offerings. There are a lot of them. It wasn’t so much about setting up a gigantic chore list for us to work through. It was setting a system in place that God Himself would use to make the necessary sacrifice for all who would believe.

‌Is the Law contrary to the Promise?

This is the question that Paul asks in verse 21. Did the Law of God cancel out the promise that He made to Abraham? Of course, Paul answers no. What Paul is doing in Galatians 3 shows how the plan of God unfolded.

• The promise came through Abraham

• The Law revealed the sin that had to be dealt with.

• The fulfillment of this plan would come through Jesus Christ.

Think of God’s plan like a puzzle. You have all these different pieces. If any piece is missing, then the puzzle is incomplete. God unfolds His plan with the first piece by initiating a relationship with us even though we have sinned against Him. The next piece is God showing us where we truly stand before Him. The final piece is God providing the only means by which we can be made right with Him to enjoy Him forever.

Paul talks about how the law becomes bondage for us as we cannot keep the Law on our own. Because we could not keep the Law, we could not partake in the Promise. In verses 22 and 26, Paul shows that because Jesus came to earth and lived a sinless life, He was able to be the sacrifice in our place to take care of our sins/shortcomings. Jesus offers this gift that we call salvation (forgiveness for our sins and brought into the family of God) to any person who will receive it by faith. This is the new covenant through Jesus.

‌Conclusion

The Galatian people were confused by clever teaching that wanted to add to God’s plan. They felt that it was lacking and not sufficient. It didn’t line up with what they had thought for so long. In caring deeply for the Galatian church, Paul lays out here the truth of God’s plan. It is fully sufficient to do what it says it will do.

God has loved us with an everlasting love. When we turned our backs on Him, He came to us. He made the promise that anyone who would put their faith in Him, He would bless and be with them. Although we may not like it, He had to show us our need — we had broken His commands and that calls for judgment. He did not want to pour His wrath on us, so He made one way to restoration — through faith in His Son, Jesus.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan. He lived the life we were supposed to so that He could pay the penalty each of us should. But He arose three days later from the grave to extend an invitation to anyone who would trust in Him the relationship with God that was supposed to be from the beginning. It doesn’t come to us by doing enough good works and being a good person. It simply comes down to this: do we put our faith in Jesus and follow Him with our whole hearts? That is the only means that will bring us into the family of God and make us partakers of the promise made to Abraham.