The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 193

strictly the pasi:ing of merit ovtlr from man to man. In the sl\me way Jesus Christ has come into our world, allied himself with olll' sinful race, meriteu consideration and acceptance by obedience to L&w, even as far 88 death, and this merit of the Divine Man passes over to believers, In the Father's sight, therefore, we are regarded as just, notwithstanding all our sin, We have been justified through faith,. But besides, the believers obtain the Spirit to dwell within them, so that a process of 11anctifioo.tiou is set up within them 88 soon as justification takes place. And the indwelling Spirit may manifest his presence and power in wonderful works, as appears to hove been the case with these Galatfans (ver. 5). So that Divine grace not only secures the' jo.sti:fi-' cation of all who trust in Jesus, but their sanctification and spiritual power 88 well, Wondrous blessings are thus the outcome of Divine grace, 11,nd the heritage of those who believe. \Vhat a change from having to endure the curse of Law I , 1· i. , IV. ABRAHAM ILLUSTRATES THE BENEFIT OF FAITH IN Goo AS CONTRASTED WITH RELIANCE ON LAw. (V ers. 6-9.) The legalists claimed Abraham as their father. One, woulu have supposed that Abraham had been the greatest ceremonia.list of the early dis- pensation. But the truth is that Abraham was justified and accepted by simply believing God when he promised a world-wide blessing through Abraham's seed. The blessing came t-0 the patriarch through simple trust in God. Those who hoped in Law-keeping, therefore, were not the true followers of Abraham. It was only those who trusted God for salvation and blessing who walked in the patriarch's footsteps. Consequently, all the ceremonialism which tried to shelter itself under the :wings· of Abraham.was a simple imposition! The" merit-mongers," as Luther calls them in his' Commentary,' have thus no pretence ofcoun tenance Crom the case of Abrabam. . It was to simple trust.in God Le owed his standing before him. How needful, then, it is for us to shake. ourselves. free from every remnant of self-righteousness, and to look simply and implicitly to Christ alone I It is by faith we stand and live. The Christ who became the curse for us by hanging on a tree, calls us to trust him for acceptance and inspiration; and in trusting him we find the promise amply redeemed.-R. M. E. • Vers. 15-22.-Thecovenant of promis,e. Having taken up the case of Abraham as illustrating the necessity of faith, Paul proceeds to state the Abrahamic covenant ai1 one of promise. 'l'he Mosaic covenant, promulgated four hundred and thirty years after. could not, he argues, disannul the previous covenant. It must have a supplementary rurpose; and this he shows to be to drive the souls ,vho have been made hopeless b_v the Law into the arms of the "faithful Promiser." The following lessons arii sug, gc8ted :- , :: I. THE COVENANT OF PROMISE IIIADE WITH CHBIBT AS SEED OF ABRAHAM. (Vers.15, l G,) We are too prone to contemplate the promises of God out of their relation to Christ.: No wonder that they then seem incredible. They are too good news to .be true,· But the uceeding great and precious promises are all yea and amen in Christ (2 Oor, i. 20) ; they are promises made to Christ and secured by his obedience; a)ld consequently they ought not to seem at any time incredible. Now, when God spoke to Abraham of a nniversal blessing being given through the patriarch's" Seed," it never su!!gested t<), Abraham any idea of merit upon his part. He simply µoped upon .God's word, whioh would be fulfilled in due season. The Seed would convey the blessing, The old man,'11 hope rested upon his Seed, the Christ whom the ages would reveal. The Seed might.,be meritoriou.s, but Abraham felt that he himself was not. In the humility .of felt help- lessness, therefore, he trusted God, and found pardon and acceptance and inspil'ation tl,rouah bis trust. It is just Lere we must all begin. The Lord J,esus deserves the fulfilr:;ent of all the 1,romises. The covenant of grace made with him by the Father has received a fulfilu;ent of its conditions so far as he was concerned; and s~ •he, can claim the promises as no more than his due. '!'heir guarantee is in his obedience ,unt,1 dc:alh. , . II. THE SINAITIO LAW 00ULD NOT DISANNUL THE COVE;NAKT OF PBOMISr:.' (Vere, 17, 18.) Four hundred and thirty years elapsed and, lo, another cove)lp,nt is ma.de with the seed of Abraham. At Sinai, and through the mediation of Moses and of angels, a "fiery Law" went forth from Heaven, .and the question Paul answers here is what effect this latter covenant had upon the former. He a-i<luces the fact that legal documeut~ 11·he11 onc4' 1,crfocbl are not disauuullcd by tiUb~C(!llCilt onl's. 'fhe lattir Oil, III, 1-20.] THE EPISTLE 'fO THE GALATI.AXS. 150