The Pulpit Commentary — Galatians — Section 209

I. ABRAHAM WAS A MAN OF FAITH. lie knew nothing of the Levitical Law. He wnlkcd by faith. His faith was not assent to a creed, Nor was it an intelligent conviction of nny "plan of salvation" obtained by means of a miraculous foresi"ht of the atoneipent to be accomplished many centuries later in the sf\crifice.of Chri:t. It. was a grand, simple trust in God. It was shown in his forsaking the idols of his f\ll"efathers and worshipping the one spiritual God, in bis leaving his home and going he· knew uot whither in obedience to a Divine voice, in his willingness to sacrifice his son in bis hope of a future inhc·ritance. Such a faith is personal reliance, leading to activ~ obedience and encouraged by confident anticipation, Abrahllm's faith is the model faith for us. For us faith is to rely upon Christ, to be loyal to Christ, to hope in Christ, and also to accept the fuller revelations of trnth which Christ opens up to us as Abraham accepted the Dfrine voices vouchsafed to him. For the contents of faith will vary according to our light, The spirit of it, however, must be always the same. II. ABilAHAM's FAITH WAS RECKONED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. The special point in Abraham's character was not his holines~, but his faith. God's favour flowed to him through this channel. It was the way through which he, though imperfect and sinful, as are all the ~ons of A.dam, was called to the privileged place of a righteous· man. This is recorded of him in the sacred history (Gen. xv. 6), and therefore should' he' admitted by all Jews. So much for St. Paul's special argument. For us the impor-· tant lesson is that, if so famous a saint, living even under the older religion, was accepted through faith, how much more apparent is it that faith is necessary for us 1. The reasons for relying on faith are (1) historical-faith justified Abraham, therefore it will justify us; (2) theological-faith brings us into living fellowship with God, and so. opens our hearts to receive the forgiveness that puts us in the position of righteous men; and (3) moral-faith is the security for the future growth of righteousness, with the first effort of faith the first seed-grace of righteousness is sown. IlL PARTICIPATION IN A.BRA.HAM'S FAITH IS THE CONDITION. OF ,PARTICIPATION IN, ABRAHAM'S BLESSING. Jews claimed the blessing by birthright. Jewish. Christians offered it to the Gentiles on condition of their becoming as Jews, Both were ,wrong'. Abraham received his blessing through his faith. It was necessarily conditioned b.{ faith. Only men of faith could have it. • Therefore Jews who lost faith lost the'. blessing. Ilut all men of faith are spiritual sons of Abraham. Therefore all nations· are blessed in Abraham just in proportion as they have a similar faith. Indeed, the finest legacy left hy the patriarch was his faith. Canaan came and went. Spiritual_ blessings such as faith includes are eternal.-W. F. A. Ver. 13.-The curse of the Law and tl.e curse of the. cross. ,L THE LAW BRINGS .A CUBSE. It is not itself a curse, though it is a heavy burden. It was not sent for the 1 purpose of injuring us, nor, rightly obeyed, would it cause any evil to fall upon us. It is the breach of the Law that is followed by the curse. But we have all broken the Law. So long, then, as we continue to live under the Law the curse hangs over us, Instead of hankering after a religion of Law, as the Galatians were doing, we should'. regard it with horror as for us sinners only a prelude to a fearful doom. The curse. is the wrath of God, banishment from God, death. II. CHRIST REDEEMS FROM Tms CURSE. This great truth implies three things. L Christians are S£tjree from the curse of the Law, (1) by the freCl forgiveness that stay~ the curse from falling on those who have incurred it in transgressing the Law; and. (2) by removal from the dominion of Law for the future, so that its requirements no longer apply, and principles of love resulting from grace have full sway. O);,lip:ntions to righteousness are not thereby diminished, but increased; the motive. f~r fulfilling them, however, is no longer the terror of a curse, but the spontaneous cl.evot1on of love,: 2. This liberation is effepted by Christ. We cannot. fling off th.e yoke of Law ~.o~ dispel the curse. If done at all it must be done by One mightier than us. Hence the nt:ed of a Saviour.· The gospel proclaims, not only deliverance, but a Christ who accomplishes it. a. The deliverance is at a cost. It is redemption, The cost is Christ's endllill.nce of a curse, Ill. CWI.IBT SUFFERED THE CURSE OF THE CROSS. He was not cursed of God. It is significant that that expression is omitted in the quotation from the Olcl Testament  'l'HE EPISTLE TO 'l'UE GAI.ATI.NS. 175