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The Amish Voice 2
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bor’s house, aroused him from sleep, and asked to see his Bible;
but they found it also blank. In great consternation they sought
other Bibles, with the same result. Then they said, “We will go to
the libraries and gather the quotations from books, and remake
our Bible.” But when they examined all the books, they found
blank spaces where any Scripture quotations had been. When the
man awoke, his brow was cold, yet covered with perspiration, so
great had been his agony during the dream. Oh, how dark this
world would be without the Bible!
Thank God for the truth that His Word is not going to vanish—
heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will remain forever.
His eternal Word proves that we are justified by faith in Christ and by
faith in Christ alone.
Some false teachers had arisen in the churches of Galatia. They
were teaching that a man must focus his life upon the rituals and
teachings of religion—upon the works of the law—instead of focus-
ing upon Christ. Simply stated, they were saying that a man had to be
ritualized (circumcised, have church membership, be baptized) and
give his life to keeping the law in order to be acceptable to God. They
placed ritual and law— their own works and effort—before Jesus
Christ.
They focused upon what they had to do instead of Christ.
They concentrated upon themselves—upon what they could
do to save themselves and make themselves acceptable to
God—not upon Christ and His saving power.
They stressed the flesh, the physical and the natural, the
strength of man instead of God’s love given to the world in
His Son, Jesus Christ.
The answer of Paul is forceful: Scripture proves that a man is justified
by faith and not by works or law.
OUTLINE:
1. Scripture uses Abraham to illustrate the truth (vv.6-7).
2. Scripture promised the gospel to Abraham long ago (vv.8-9).
3. Scripture says the law puts a man under a curse (vv.10-12).
4. Scripture says Christ has redeemed us from the curse (vv.13-
14).
5. SCRIPTURE USES ABRAHAM TO ILLUSTRATE THE
TRUTH (vv.6-7)
Abraham held a unique position in the Jewish nation, for he was the
founder of the nation. He was the man whom God had challenged to
be a witness to the other nations of the world—a witness to the only
living and true God. God had appeared to Abraham to challenge him
to leave his home, his friends, his employment, and his country. God
made two great promises if Abraham would follow God unquestiona-
bly: Abraham would become the father of a new nation, and all na-
tions of the earth would be blessed by his seed (Ge.13:14-17; 15:1-7;
17:1-8, 15-19; 22:15-18; 26:2-5, 24; 28:13-15; 35:9-12).
Note two points.
1. Abraham believed God; therefore, he was judged righteous. He
went out—left his home and risked all—not knowing where he was
going (He.11:8). He completely and unquestionably trusted God and
took God at His word.
Now note: it was not Abraham’s keeping of the law that pleased
God. In fact, the law had not yet been given (Ga.3:17). What pleased
God and what caused God$ to justify Abraham was Abraham’s doing
as God had said. Abraham simply believed the promise of God that
God would give him a new life—
in
a new nation—
with
a new people.
a. Abraham and his
seed
were the only ones to whom God
gave the promises. This is emphatically stated (Ro.4:13-
25; Ga.3:6-16, 26, 29).
b. Only a promise was given to Abraham (Ro.4:13-21;
Ga.3:14, 18-21, 29). No other information whatsoever was
given. God did not identify the country nor tell Abraham
where he was to go. Neither did God tell Abraham when
his wife Sarah would bear the seed (the male child) from
whom the promised nation would be born. God made a
simple promise, and all Abraham had to go on was that
simple promise, that is, the sheer Word of God.
c. Only one condition was attached to the promise: Abraham
had to believe God. No works whatsoever were involved.
d. Abraham did believe God (Ge.12:4-5; Ro.4:3, 11-22;
Ga.3:6; He.11:8f).
e. Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God
(Ro.4:3-5, 9-13, 19- 22; Ga.3:6; see Ge.15:6). God did not
count him righteous because of who he was or what he had
done. He simply believed God. Therefore, God took his
faith and counted his faith as righteousness.
f. The proof that Abraham really believed God was that he
did what God had said. His faith preceded his obedience.
He believed God, and then he obeyed God. If he had not
believed God, he would not have left his home or his em-
ployment. He would not have left his surroundings and