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May I turn in your Bibles to 
Galatians chapter 3? Galatians chapter 3, continuing 
our exposition through Paul's letter to the Galatians, we remember 
in chapter 3, Paul appeals to the experience of the Galatians. They received the Spirit by belief 
of the truth. It was not by faith plus words. 
It was not by words, it was by faith alone in Christ alone. 
Then he makes an appeal to scripture, specifically the example of Abraham 
in verses six to nine. And then he makes another appeal 
to scripture, specifically the expectation of the law in verses 
10 to 14. And remember, he's doing this. 
to counter the arguments of the Judaizers. A Judaizer was someone 
who came to the church and said that it's good that you believe 
the gospel, but you also must be circumcised. You also must 
undergo this observance of the law in order to be accepted with 
God. So what Paul is saying is good 
in as far as it goes, but you also must take on that sign of 
circumcision and a commitment to do the law. turns their arguments 
upside down and shows that Abraham was justified by faith alone 
and that the law itself, specifically the covenant, the Mosaic covenant 
specified that no man could indeed be saved by law keeping. Well, 
now we get into a bit of a difference or not a difference, but a comparison 
between the covenant. So I want to read and then we're 
going to do just a brief review of what's called covenant theology. 
So I would ask that you would put on your thinking caps, as 
they used to say to us. in school and be ready to review 
some material, because I think it's very important that we understand 
something of God's covenantal dealings as we especially enter 
in to this section in the book of Galatians. I'll just pick 
up reading in chapter three at verse 15. Brethren, I speak in 
the manner of men, though it is only a man's covenant. Yet 
if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham 
and his seed were the promises made. He does not say and to 
seeds as of many, but as of one and to your seed, who is Christ. And this, I say that the law, 
which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the 
covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should 
make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of 
the law, it is no longer a promise. But God gave it to Abraham by 
promise. What purpose then does the law 
serve? It was added because of transgressions 
till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. And 
it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now, 
a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is 
the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not. For if there had been a law given 
which could have given life, truly righteousness would have 
been by the law. But the scripture has confined 
all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might 
be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were 
kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would 
afterward be revealed. Therefore, the law was our tutor 
to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 
But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as 
many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There's neither Jew nor Greek. 
There's neither slave nor free. There's neither male nor female. 
For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, 
Then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. Amen. This morning we considered 
Proverbs 28, 13. It says whoever covers his sin 
will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes it will 
find mercy. In Acts 16, Paul and Silas tell 
the Philippian jailer, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and 
you shall be saved. There are other statements in 
the Bible that we cling to and we hold on to, and they're precious, 
wonderful promises from God. Well, covenant theology sort 
of lies behind the scene. Covenant theology is a study 
of God's dealings with men throughout history by various covenants. It is because of those covenants 
that God has made that we find those passages like whoever confesses 
and forsakes them will have mercy. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. Those things are true because 
of God's activity sort of behind the scenes, though it's not really 
behind the scenes. It's fleshed out in the pages 
of Scripture. We might come. to a study like 
this and scratch our heads and say, why would I need to know 
covenant theology? Well, because when you start 
to understand God's comprehensive plan, I believe those promises 
are even more precious. Those promises are even more 
glorious. They're even more wonderful to 
realize that it has been God's plan from the very beginning 
to save a people by Jesus Christ for His own glory and for our 
everlasting bliss. And so when we start to see the 
unity of the Bible, all those isolated passages find their 
place and they cause us to just stand and marvel and wonder at 
what God is doing. So here specifically, what Paul 
is doing in Galatians 3, 15-18 is highlighting the priority of the promise. Basically, the 
Judaizers, again, came along and said, yes, the promise to 
Abraham was good. But God made more promises. God gave more covenant to Moses, 
called the Mosaic Law or the Mosaic Covenant. Now you need 
to fulfill that along with this promise made to Abraham in order 
to be saved. So Paul, in effect, goes behind 
the Mosaic Law and says, no, the promise stands by itself. The Mosaic law had a particular 
purpose, which is what he picks up in verses 19 to 24. It had 
a specific function in God's plan, but its function was never 
to render us acceptable to God. Remember, we're sinners. We cannot 
keep the law. We're sinners. We are unable 
to merit God's favor. We cannot fulfill every demand 
that God has legislated. So while the Mosaic Law had a 
specific function, we cannot say its function was to do what 
was specified there, along with faith in the gospel of Jesus, 
in order to be saved. So that's kind of what he's doing 
here. Now, just by way of review, a covenant. You've already heard 
me mention that several times. A covenant in its most basic 
definition is this. It is an agreement between two 
or more persons. That shouldn't be very difficult 
for any of us. It is an agreement between two 
or more persons. Men make covenants, as Paul appeals 
to here in verse 15. But when we speak of covenant 
theology, we are referring to those covenants that God made 
with man. And there are several. He gave 
a promise that he would save a people by Jesus Christ all 
the way back in Genesis chapter 3 at verse 15. In Genesis chapter 
3 at verse 15, after Adam and Eve sinned and God comes to deal 
with them concerning this sin, he makes this statement to the 
serpent. Genesis 3, 14, the Lord God said 
to the serpent, because you have done this, You are cursed more 
than all cattle and more than every beast of the field. On 
your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of 
your life. I will put enmity between you 
and the woman and between your seed and her seed. He shall bruise 
your head and you shall bruise his heel. This is a promise concerning 
the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. We learn that the deliverer 
would be a man born of a woman. Very obvious, that's what he 
says. It says in between your seed and her seed, he shall bruise 
your head. The deliverer would accomplish 
redemption through suffering. He would have his heel bruised 
in this transaction. But then thirdly, the deliverer 
would accomplish glorious conquest and victory. He would crush the 
head of the seed of the serpent. He would trample him underfoot, 
rendering him inoperative, rendering him unable to keep us out of 
heaven. So this is the initial promise 
of God made to man to save a people from their sins. Now that promise 
is administered by these various covenants. God made a covenant 
with Noah, an agreement with Noah. Some have called this the 
covenant of preservation. That means that God has promised 
not to destroy the earth. He would not send another flood 
and destroy it. So what this covenant provides 
is stability in the created order. Stability so that the Redeemer 
could come. Stability so that the Redeemer 
could save His people from their sins. Some refer to this as a 
common grace covenant. The next one is that covenant 
of promise made with Abraham. Again, God highlights or reiterates 
the fact that in Abraham, he will bless the nations of the 
earth, all families. Then there is the covenant made 
with Moses. We call that the covenant of 
law, the Mosaic covenant. That's probably what Paul is 
referring to throughout Galatians 3 when he says those who are 
of the law, those who are trying to mingle Moses and Abraham for 
acceptance with God. Then there is the covenant of 
the kingdom that is made with David, king of Israel. Second 
Samuel 7, there was a promise given by God that from David's 
line, one would come to sit upon the throne and reign forever 
and ever. And then the last covenant is 
called the New Covenant that is prophesied by Jeremiah in 
Jeremiah 31. It is inaugurated by the Lord 
Jesus Christ through his blood, according to Matthew 26 and Luke 
22. It is expounded upon in Hebrews 
chapter 8 and Hebrews chapter 10. So that is a brief review 
of these historical covenants. So it's important for us to understand 
that the priority is Paul highlights here is in the Abrahamic. the 
promise stands firm. These subsequent covenants that 
were made had a specific purpose, but one of the purposes was not 
to annul or get rid of the promise made to Abraham, and it was not 
to add to it or supplement it. It was not as if God said, you 
know, I messed up with Abraham, telling him it was only by faith. 
Now we need to come and keep the law. This is what the Judaizers 
would have been saying, not that God messed up, but that we needed 
to supplement belief on the gospel with obedience to God through 
the Mosaic covenant. Now that you're all thoroughly 
confused. Let's look at Galatians chapter three. I actually hope 
that you're not confused, but let's look at Galatians chapter 
three. There are three things we need to observe in this section 
of scripture. First is the human analogy that 
Paul employs in verse 15. Secondly, the divine promise 
reiterated in verse 16. And then thirdly, the relationship 
between the law and the promise versus 17. Now, when we speak 
in these categories, this does not mean there was no promise, 
no blessing, no grace in the Mosaic Covenant. It doesn't mean 
that at all. People were saved in the Mosaic 
Covenant by belief on the Lord Jesus Christ, the same way they 
were in the Abrahamic Covenant. It's just a major feature, the 
major category. When we think about the Mosaic 
Covenant, we generally think of law. That's why Paul is addressing 
this particular issue. Notice his method. Brethren, 
I speak in the manner of man. I'm going to bring it home very 
simply. I want you to understand this 
reality in this point. Again, we might think, why is 
this important? Because we need to understand 
that the grand panorama of God has purpose to save Jew and gentile 
by the Lord Jesus Christ. This affects us. He says, I speak 
in the manner of men, though it is only a man's covenant. 
Yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. That's 
a genuine reality in our lives. If you make a last will and testament, 
you sign your name to it. When you die, people don't fix 
it or change it or annul it or supplement it. Now, while you're 
living, you can write someone out of the will, I guess. But 
after you're dead, when that last will and testament takes 
effect, it is binding. You can't mess with it at that 
point. That's why we as people ought to have our affairs in 
order. We don't want the government coming in and taking our children 
and separating our assets and all that sort of thing. Get that 
stuff taken care of so that after you're dead, they have to go 
based on that last will and testament. The same thing is true in a covenant. 
If you and I make an agreement between one another and we ratify 
that covenant, we pledge and promise we don't annul it. We 
don't get rid of it. We need to be Psalm 15 sort of 
men and women. We need to swear to our own hurt, 
not change. We need to be faithful to our 
word. Paul is appealing to a human analogy. When it is only a man's 
covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. 
Think you know where he's going with this. Thus, if God makes 
a promise, no one can annul it or add to it. If God makes a 
promise to save by Jesus Christ, by faith in Jesus Christ alone, 
You don't supplement that. You don't add to that. You don't 
listen to Judaizers. You don't go out and get circumcised 
in order to have acceptance with God. That's where he's going 
in this particular argument. Notice, secondly, the divine 
promise. Verse 16. Now to Abraham and 
his seed were the promises made. This is a lesser to the greater. 
He says in verse 16, he does not say and to seeds as of many, 
but as of one. and to your seed, who is Christ. The connection is between a man's 
covenant, which has certain rules, and God's covenant, which has 
certain rules. The fact that God made this promise, 
it is binding, it is solid, it is good. This is good news for 
us. If the Mosaic law could not invalidate 
acceptance with God by Jesus Christ, do you think anything 
you or I do can invalidate acceptance with God by faith in Jesus Christ? This is a great encouragement. 
Not even Moses himself could add to or annul this promise 
that was made by God previously to Abraham. And notice specifically, 
Paul understands that in both Greek and Hebrew, seed has a 
collective meaning. He understands that seed can 
be both singular and collective, referred to a whole body. Here 
he wants to isolate the reality that the covenant had in this 
divine arrangement is not necessarily Abraham. It is Jesus. It is the 
Lord Christ. So what is he saying? Since this 
covenant was made with Christ, it is confirmed by God and Christ. You cannot annul it. You cannot 
get rid of it. You cannot make it null and void 
or put additions to it. And this is a blessed statement. 
He says he does not say antecedents as of many, but as of one. And 
to your seed, who is Christ? That's who the covenant is. The 
Westminster Larger Catechism says, With whom was the covenant 
of grace made? The covenant of grace was made 
with Christ as the second Adam and in him with all the elect 
as his seed. We benefit by virtue of the fact 
that the seed of Abraham, the Lord Jesus Christ, effectively 
carried out the demands of the covenant. And by virtue of His 
work, we are counted seed. That's what He means in verse 
29 of chapter 3. And if you are Christ's, then 
you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. There 
were three basic features within the Abrahamic promise. There 
was a promise of land. We read that. Remember at the 
very end of Genesis 15, God says, you're going to get this land. 
We'll look at that in a few minutes and see how it's fulfilled in 
Christ. There was a blessing of seed. And by that, it meant 
descendants, spiritual offspring. You notice the imagery that God 
used with Abraham. There was one time he told him 
to go outside and look up at the stars. And he said, Abraham, 
are you able to count those stars? Well, no, he wasn't, right? You're not able to count the 
stars. I mean, you might see some small patch and maybe, you 
know, pick out 10 of them, 15 of them. Say, wow, there's a 
lot of stars up there. God said to Abraham, look at the stars. 
What was the point? I will make your descendants 
more numerous than those stars. There's another instance where 
he tells Abraham to look at the sand on the seashore. You ever 
tried to count sand? It's hard enough to try and figure 
out how many jelly beans are in a glass jar, let alone grains 
of sand. I don't know any of us who are 
that bored that we're going to try and count grains of sand. That's right up there with watching 
paint dry. That's right up there with watching 
the grass grow. There are none of us who are 
going to spend our time in doing that. It was a device that God 
was utilizing to tell Abraham that in him all the nations of 
the earth would be blessed. All of the families of the earth 
would be blessed. Jew and Gentile would be blessed. So there was a promise of land, 
there was a promise of seed, and there was also a promise 
of blessing. They will be blessed. They will 
know benefit. In the particular chapter we're 
working in, those two primary blessings are justification by 
faith alone and the reception of the Holy Spirit, having the 
Spirit in our lives and in our hearts. So he says that this 
promise was made to the Lord Jesus Christ. The covenant of 
grace was made with Christ as the second Adam and in him with 
all the elect as his seed. One commentator says, with reference 
to this verse, in effect, Paul is here going behind the teaching 
of his opponents to remind his converts that God's promise was 
given long before the mosaic law appeared and to assert that 
it was given not to observers of the law, but to Christ. And later, as he says, to those 
who are Christ's own, those who believe. John Calvin said, but 
if Christ be the foundation of the bargain, the arrangement, 
he doesn't mean, hey, I got something for 38 cents. If Christ be the 
foundation of the bargain, it follows that it is of free grace. This covenant is made with Jesus 
and His obedience and His righteousness and His law keeping is imputed 
to us. It stands to reason that our 
circumcision, our obedience to the law is not necessary. We cannot do it even. Calvin 
goes on to say, And this too is the meaning of the word promise. 
As the law has respect to men and to their works, so the promise 
has respect to the grace of God and to faith. So Paul highlights 
this blessed reality that the promise to save is made to the 
Lord Jesus. Now notice thirdly, verses 17 
and 18. He draws out the implication. 
And this I say, verse 17, that the law, which was 430 years 
later, probably from the time of Abraham's call. You'll notice 
some texts specify 400 years, some say 430. They were in captivity 
or in bondage for about 400 years. A lot of commentators reference 
this 430 to being the call of Abraham, the initial giving of 
the promise. The math, the numbers are all worked out in detail 
in the better commentaries. I refer you to that. That's not 
my area of competence. But notice, in this I say that 
the law, which is 430 years later, cannot annul the covenant that 
was confirmed before by God in Christ. That's the point. So 
these Judaizers come to your church and say, look, you need 
to believe and be circumcised. Paul says, no. The promise has 
priority. There was a reason God gave the 
law, as he'll specify when we see this, God willing, next week. 
There's a reason for the law. There is a specific function, 
but it was not to render men fit for the kingdom of God. It 
was not to render men accepted with God. It was not meant to 
add to the promise law keeping in order for salvation. You see, 
Paul says, if men make covenants and once they're confirmed, they 
don't know it, they don't add to it. When God makes a covenant, 
the same thing is true. He doesn't know it. He doesn't 
add to it. He's not saying 400 years later, 
oh, yeah, by the way, I need you to get circumcised. That'll 
really fit you for heaven. He's not saying that to the Christian 
church today. Look, you need to believe the 
gospel. Plus, you need to engage in this activity and then you'll 
be ready to enter into heaven. This is why it's so important, 
brethren, that we concentrate and focus on our acceptance with 
God. It's by faith alone. That's the 
accent. That's the emphasis. That is 
the push in this entire book. That is why Paul starts out by 
saying, I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting him 
who called you in the grace of God. You are turning to another 
gospel, which is not another. This is why Paul pronounces anathema 
on those who distort. If you remember this morning, 
we read Joshua 7. What did Achan do? He took things 
under the ban. He took things that were devoted 
to destruction. When Agen took those things devoted 
to destruction, he aligned himself with them, and he then was devoted 
to destruction. That Greek word or the Hebrew 
word is what Paul uses in the Greek to say, let those who distort 
the gospel be under the ban. Let them be devoted to destruction. 
Let them be under the curse. The same way Achan identified 
with lawlessness and rebellion and suffered the wrath and fury 
of God. In the same manner, those who 
add works to faith, let them be anathema from Christ. You 
see, we may not think this is that important, but this is most 
important. It answers the most fundamental 
question a man can ever ask. How can a sinful man stand before 
a holy God? This is the very idea that launched 
the Protestant Reformation. Rome, as you know, taught faith 
plus words, faith plus subscription to the sacramental system, faith 
plus doing whatever Rome taught. Luther and Calvin and Zwingli 
said, no, it's by faith alone. Our acceptance is based upon 
Christ doing, Christ dying, Christ rising. It is all of Jesus. It is none of us. It is because 
our covenant mediator fulfilled the law. It is because our covenant 
mediator stood in our place and died for our sins. It's not based 
on a little bit of him and a little bit of me. It is all of grace 
or it is none of grace. That is the rub. That's why Paul 
is spending so much time and why we're spending so much time 
going through this. Because the assault by the Judaizers 
did not end in the first century. It continues on today. The attacks 
on justification continue. It is rampant. There is literature 
out there produced all the time attacking this very dogma that 
man is justified by faith alone. And if you are not on your guard, 
if you are not on alert, you will be sucked into this sort 
of a mindset. Because there's a part of us 
that we want to share the glory. There's a part of us that we 
want to pat ourselves on the back. There's a part of us where 
we want to say, I was a bit wiser. I was a bit smarter. I was a 
little bit better than the other. Well, that's not the gospel. 
The gospel is all about Jesus, about his doing and about his 
dying. And we need to make sure that 
we don't fall prey to this Judaizing tendency. Come to our church. 
Do this. Do this. Believe the gospel and 
you shall be saved. That needs to be the emphasis, 
the accent and the stress in the Free Grace Baptist Church. 
This needs to be how you witness. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ 
and you shall be saved. Not believe and do what I do. 
In fact, believe and don't do what I do. Believe and you will 
be accepted by God in His grace and in His mercy. That's the 
point. Paul says, and this I say, that 
the law which was 430 years later cannot annul the covenant that 
was confirmed before by God in Christ that it should make the 
promise of no effect. He says, for if the inheritance 
is of the law, it is no longer a promise, but God gave it to 
Abraham by promise. You've heard me say that. These 
two approaches to God are mutually exclusive. It's either law or 
grace. It's either faith or works. Not 
a combination of the both. Now, if you opt for law and you 
opt for works, you need to be perfect. You're not perfect. I encourage you to opt for Jesus. 
Faith in Him. reliance upon grace, casting 
your soul solely upon the one alone who is able to save you 
from your sins. That's the point. For if the 
inheritance is of the law, it is no longer a promise. But God 
gave it to Abraham by promise. He has countered Every argument 
that the Judaizers have raised, he has handled it biblically, 
he has handled it theologically, he has handled it exegetically, 
and he has rammed it right back down their throats. And he is 
emphasizing justification by faith in Jesus Christ and that 
alone for our acceptance. He says the same thing in Romans 
4. Romans chapter 4, verses 13 and 14. Romans 4, verses 13 and 
14. For the promise that he would 
be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed. Notice, through the law, but 
through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of 
the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of 
no effect, because the law brings about wrath. For where there 
is no law, there is no transgression. Now that needs explanation in 
its own right and context, but the specific thing I want you 
to notice is that if those who are of the law are heirs, Faith 
is made void and the promise made of no effect. He is saying 
what he is saying in Galatians. The Mosaic law does not nullify. The Mosaic law does not render 
void. It does not add to and stipulate 
things to this Abrahamic promise. We are accepted by God based 
on the virtue of Christ and him alone. That's what we need to 
get. Now, in conclusion, we learn 
three things and then we close. I think I just heard a whoosh. 
Maybe it wasn't audible, but that's kind of how I thought 
it went. You know, sometimes at night, 
especially these more teaching types of sermons, I feel like 
it's hard to connect. Maybe it's just me. Maybe you're 
all going, yeah, brother, covenant theology is great. I hope that's 
what you're doing. I hope that someday you'll say, 
man, covenant theology is great. It just brings the whole thing 
together. It just puts it into the God 
word perspective. Salvation wasn't an afterthought 
in the mind of God. It was all keenly orchestrated 
in accordance to his decree. He hasn't decreed whatsoever 
comes to pass. He has purposed the end. He has 
purposed the means to achieve that end. Christ didn't come 
willy-nilly, wasn't haphazard. He didn't offer a kingdom to 
the Jews, and they rejected it. So then he went to the cross. 
This is what older-style dispensationalism taught, that Jesus offered a 
kingdom to the Jews, they rejected it, so God enacted Plan B. Let's save Gentiles. That is 
so contrary to the thought of Scripture. As if Jesus' death 
at Calvary was an afterthought. And I said, that's old style 
dispensationalism. Unfortunately, it's probably 
still out there. But the newer progressive dispensationalism, 
thankfully, doesn't say that. You wonder, what is dispensationalism? 
That's the opposite of covenant theology. Covenant theology sees 
God working through covenants. Dispensationalism sees God working 
in dispensations, specific periods of time. And I think when you 
appreciate covenant theology, you'll see Moses isn't against 
the promise, as Paul says. The promise isn't against Moses. 
There's unity. There's forward movement. There's 
progress. They work together. They advance 
one another. There is a specific cause and 
reason for each of these elements that are involved. With reference 
to the Abrahamic covenant, this promise made to him, it is indefectible. That means you cannot break it. 
It is inviolable. That means it cannot be destroyed. This is good news for us. When 
God made that promise that we saw in Genesis chapter 15, He 
meant it. Remember, I read it. I've said 
it before, as we've considered Galatians. God alone walked between 
those pieces. God alone walked between those 
animals. The symbolic reference was to 
cut the animals. The members who were engaged 
in covenant making would walk between the animals with the 
idea that if one or both parties broke the covenant, may what 
happened to those animals happen to them. Now, it's interesting. It is God alone that walks through. 
It's not Moses or I'm sorry, it's not Abraham. It's God confirmed 
in Christ. Robertson, O. Palmer Robertson, 
a good book on covenant theology, by the way. It's called The Christ 
of the Covenants. He says, by dividing animals 
and passing between the pieces, participants in a covenant pledge 
themselves to life and death. These actions established an 
oath of self-malediction. Malediction is a bad word. Benediction 
is a good word. May you be blessed. Malediction 
is a bad word. May I be cursed. The covenant 
members walking between these animals were engaged in self-malediction. If they should renege on their 
covenant pledge, they were calling upon themselves to be cursed. 
He goes on to say, if they should break the commitment involved 
in the covenant, they were asking that their own bodies be torn 
in pieces, just as the animals had been divided ceremonially. 
In the case of the Abrahamic covenant, God, the creator, binds 
himself to man, the creature, a creature by a solemn blood 
oath. The almighty chooses to commit 
himself to to the fulfillment of the promises spoken to Abraham 
by this divine commitment. Abraham's doubts are to be expelled. God is solemnly promised and 
has sealed that promise with a self maledictory oath. The 
realization of the divine word is assured. You see, some people 
see in this, wow, it's just an academic exercise. No, we should 
see in Genesis 15, the promise of our salvation is rock solid. 
You should see in Genesis 15 what you see when you look at 
the cross. When you look at the cross, you should see it paid 
and finished. When you look at the cross, you 
should see it made good. All the promises of God are yea 
and amen in Christ Jesus, according to the apostle. Same thing with 
Genesis 15. God puts Abraham into a deep sleep, and then that 
torch passes through. God is saying, I am the one who 
pledges to save my people from their sins. I don't know, that 
to me is a world of encouragement. That's a fridge magnet. That's 
what I need to look at. I need to see that ceremony. 
I need to think in terms of God walking through those pieces, 
pledging to himself the salvation of my wretched soul. Because 
if it's up to me, if I've got to participate, if I've got to 
get circumcised, if I have to keep the law, I am dead and buried 
and in hell. But that God is sworn. Paul says 
it this way in Hebrews chapter six. Beautiful, beautiful statement. For when God made a promise to 
Abraham, because he could swear by no one greater, he swore by 
himself, saying, Surely blessing, I will bless you and multiplying, 
I will multiply you. And so after he had patiently 
endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater 
and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 
Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs 
of promise the immutability of his counsel. Immutability means 
unchangeable mess. God doesn't promise and then 
change. God doesn't promise and say, oh yeah, I want you to get 
circumcised. God doesn't promise and then say, oh yeah, you need 
to do this. God doesn't promise to say, oh yeah, I forgot to 
tell you, you've got to do this as well. No, it's immutable. 
He says he confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things 
in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong 
consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope 
that's set before us. This hope we have is an anchor 
of the soul. See what covenant theology is? 
It's an anchor for the soul. Yes, believe individual texts, 
but see them in that great plan of Almighty God to save His people 
from their sins, and which enters the presence behind the veil 
where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become 
High Priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. 
Secondly, the Lord Jesus and the Abrahamic promises. How does 
that land promise get fulfilled? A lot of question about that. 
That group of people called dispensationalists believe there needs to be a return 
of Israel and Jews back to the promised land. There needs to 
be a geopolitical, that means an earthly political kingdom 
ruled by Christ on earth for a period of a thousand years. 
That's not the teaching of the New Testament. If you were paying 
attention when I read Romans chapter 4, verse 13, you'll see 
what God meant in this land promise. Romans 4.13, for the promise 
that He would be the heir of The world. When he looked north, 
he looked south, he looked east, he looked west. It was the world 
that God was giving to his seed, Jesus Christ. This jives with 
Psalm 2. Ask of me and I will give you 
the nations for your inheritance. The uttermost parts of the earth 
as your possession. This is why Jesus says in Matthew 
28, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 
Go therefore and do what? Disciple the nations. Why? Because 
the Father gave them to the Son. This has implications for missions. This has implications for your 
prayer life. The fact that Jesus is the heir 
of the world ought to cause you to pray earnestly for those men 
in China, for those people in India, for the people in Eritrea, 
For the people in Haiti, for the people in Dominican Republic, 
for the people on your own street, Jesus has crowned rights. He is the heir of the entire 
world. This land promise was not confined 
to Palestine. It's not looking for a future 
fulfillment in terms of Jews returning to their land. 1948 
did not satisfy biblical prophecy. Jesus satisfied biblical prophecy 
when he ascended on high, and he sat down at the right hand 
of the Father, and he has all authority in heaven and on earth. Brethren, that covenant theology 
ought to promote prayer, earnest prayer, praise, worship, adoration, 
the lamb, the seed, all the elect in Christ are recipients of the 
blessings of the covenant. And the blessings that we've 
seen, justification by faith alone and the Holy Spirit. Every 
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, according to 
Paul in Ephesians chapter one. He has blessed us already with 
these things. The Abrahamic covenant is fulfilled. The covenant of promise is fulfilled 
in and through and by the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then finally, we need to 
highlight the permanence. Not only does this promise have 
priority over the Mosaic law, it is permanent. It is permanent, 
it's not going anywhere. Hopefully, you've already seen 
that the Lord God Almighty has decreed to bless his people in 
Jesus Christ. I think this is a great encouragement. 
If the Mosaic covenant cannot annul the covenant confirmed 
by God with Abraham, do you think you can? Do you think that you can undo 
this covenant? Sometimes people think that, 
oh, I'm really a Christian, but if I keep this, I keep that, 
I'm going to break up. No, by God's grace you are in. He who 
began a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Christ. 
Now it doesn't mean you're a false professor. It doesn't mean if 
you're living like the devil, you're living like a wicked, 
wretched person. But if you are truly in Christ, 
as Paul says in Romans 8, there is nothing that can separate 
you from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 
And you see that torch passing between those animals. You remember 
Hebrews chapter six and those two things that God swore with 
reference to this promise to save his people. I think Romans 
eight takes on a beautiful nuance and a beautiful and rich encouragement 
to the people of God. We'll just end by reading. Romans 
chapter eight, beginning in verse thirty one. What then shall we 
say to these things? If God is for us, who can be 
against us? He who did not spare his own 
son, but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not with 
him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against 
God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who 
is he who condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore 
is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also 
makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the 
love of Christ, shall tribulation or distress or persecution or 
famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Look at the implication. If the Mosaic Covenant cannot 
annul or add to or destroy that covenant of promise, can these 
things For your sake, we are killed all day long. We are counted 
as sheep for the slaughter. Yet, he says in verse 37, in 
all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who 
loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, 
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, 
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created 
thing. shall be able to separate us 
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Comfort, 
encouragement, and strength for God's people. Let us pray. Lord 
in heaven, we thank you for your promise to save a people through 
Jesus Christ. We thank you that you gave him 
the land, you gave him a seed, you gave him blessing to confer 
upon his people. Father, we just pray that you 
would strengthen us, that we would not waver, but we would 
look to the God of the covenant, the God who is rock solid, the 
one who has promised and cannot lie and cannot change. I would 
ask, Lord in heaven, that these things would not just be an academic 
exercise on a Sunday night, but they would find their way into 
our hearts. They would find their way into our lives. That we would 
meditate upon these promises. That we would see the greater 
plan, the big picture of what you are doing in terms of saving 
sinners. And our Father, we just give 
you praise and glory and thanksgiving for including us. And we'd ask 
now that you would go with us, that you would fill us with your 
Spirit. Watch over us in this coming week. And we pray through 
Christ our Lord, Amen.