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September 17

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A PROMISE TO BELIEVE

From: September 17, 2023

“God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ” (Galatians 3:16 NLT).

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul referred to Genesis 22:18, where God had promised Abraham that in “your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” He pointed out that the word “seed” was singular, not plural, so that it pointed to a “child” not “children.” He did this to make the case that Christ Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise. And therefore, believing in Christ had always been God’s plan for salvation, not the law.

Why did Paul go all the way back to Genesis to make his case? Because certain Judaizers had come to Galatia teaching that the new Gentile believers needed to start keeping all the law as given through Moses. Paul warned them that the law could not save. For the “righteous will live by faith” (Gal.3:11). Paul went back to the covenant God had made with Abraham to show its superiority over the covenant of the law made through Moses.

Why was the promise superior to the law? Several reasons. First, it came first. Paul noted that it preceded the Mosaic covenant by “430 years” (Gal. 3:17). Second, the promise was given by God as an unconditional covenant with Abraham that was irrevocable, while the Mosaic covenant was conditional upon Israel’s ability to obey it. Third, the promise was given for salvation, while the law was given because of sin. The promise was given to bring blessing to all nations through the Promised Seed, Christ Jesus.

I’m thankful for the Promised Seed, Christ Jesus today. As Tim Keller said, “For a promise to bring a result, it needs only to be believed, but for a law to bring a result, it has to be obeyed.”

Christ Jesus is God’s promise to believe.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we love how Your Word, from Genesis to Revelation, fits together as a whole. Thank You for the Promised Seed, Jesus Christ. For we have believed in Him and received adoption as Your children. Strengthen us today to walk not by rules and duty, but by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Trust in the Lord always, for the LORD God is the eternal Rock” (Isaiah 26:4 NLT).

From: September 17, 2022

TRUST IN THE LORD ALWAYS

When all else fails, we tend to finally shift our trust to the Lord. Yet Isaiah calls us to a better way. Trust in the Lord “always.” Those who try to take a stand on sand soon discover it only seems to work on sunny days. As soon as clouds and storms and seas rise, they find themselves sinking and everything they’ve built falling. But the LORD God, which is Jehovah (or Yahweh) never fails. He is the everlasting Rock.

And who is this Rock? Isn’t it Christ Jesus? For Christ is the stone the builders rejected (Matt. 21:42). He is the rock in the wilderness from which waters burst forth (1 Cor. 10:4). Those who come to Christ, trusting always in Him, will find salvation, peace, rest, and continuous refreshment for their souls.

Let us put our trust in the Lord always.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we trust in You and in Your Son, Jesus. For He is the Eternal Rock that you have set as the Cornerstone of Your church. Christ is the Rock on which we take our stand. We pull our trust off of lesser things and put our trust on You, O Lord. All good things come from You. And only You can save us and sustain us. Today, we again place our full trust in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say “and to seeds,” as though referring to many, but referring to one, and to your seed, who is Christ” (Galatians 3:16 HCSB).

From: September 17, 2021

A PROMISE TO BELIEVE

In this verse in his letter to the Galatians, Paul referred to Genesis 22:18, where God had promised Abraham that “in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” He pointed out that the word “seed” was singular, not plural. He did this to make the case that Christ Jesus was the fulfillment of that promise. And therefore, believing in Christ had always been God’s plan for salvation, not the law.
 
Why did Paul go all the way back to Genesis to make his case? Because certain Judaizers had come to Galatia teaching that the new Gentile believers needed to start keeping all the law as given through Moses. Paul warned them that the law could not save. For the “righteous will live by faith” (Gal.3:11). Paul went back to the covenant God had made with Abraham to show its superiority over the covenant of the law made through Moses.
 
Why was the promise superior to the law? Several reasons. First, it came first. Paul noted that it preceded the Mosaic covenant by “430 years” (Gal. 3:17). Second, the promise was given by God as an unconditional covenant with Abraham that was irrevocable. But the Mosaic covenant was conditional upon Israel’s ability to obey it. Third, the promise was given for salvation, but the law was given because of sin. The promise was given to bring blessing to all nations through the Promised Seed, Christ Jesus.
 
I’m thankful for the Promised Seed, Christ Jesus today. As pastor Tim Keller has said, “For a promise to bring a result, it needs only to be believed, but for a law to bring a result, it has to be obeyed.”
 
Christ Jesus is God’s promise to believe.
 
PRAYER: Dear Father, we love how Your Word, from Genesis to Revelation, fits together as a whole. Thank You for the Promised Seed, Jesus Christ. For we have believed in Him and received adoption as Your children. Strengthen us today to walk not by rules and duty, but by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2 NKJV).

From: September 17, 2020

THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER

Written by David, this psalm cried out to God to lead him to a place that was safe and secure. When his heart was “overwhelmed,” perhaps by the attacks of enemies or by the disappointments of life, David cried out for a place where his heart could find rest and his clouded vision could be cleared.
 
We can pray like David. We can ask for the “Rock that is higher.” For we have access to that Rock, which is Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 10:4). He invites all those who are “weary and heavy-laden” to come unto Him and to find rest for their souls.
 
PRAYER: Dear Father, we are surrounded by so much change and challenge that we don’t know how to manage it. It overwhelms us. Yet You are able, Lord. For You are the Rock of Ages, the eternal and unchanging God. We turn our desire for control and overwhelmed hearts to You. Take control. We surrender afresh today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock” (Isaiah 26:4 NLT).

From: September 17, 2019

TRUST IN THE LORD ALWAYS

When all else fails, we tend to finally shift our trust to the Lord. Yet Isaiah calls us to a better way. Trust in the Lord “always.” Those who try to take a stand on sand soon discover it only seems to work on sunny days. As soon as clouds and storms and seas rise, they find themselves sinking and everything they built there falling. But the LORD God, which is Jehovah (or Yahweh) God, never fails. He is the everlasting Rock. And who is this Rock? Isn’t it Christ Jesus? For Christ is the stone the builders rejected (Matt. 21:42). He is the rock in the wilderness from which waters burst forth (1 Cor. 10:4). Those who come to Christ, trusting always in Him, will find salvation, peace, rest, and continuous refreshment for the souls.
 
PRAYER: Dear Father, we trust in You and in Your Son, Jesus. For He is the Eternal Rock that you have set as the Cornerstone of Your church. Christ is the Rock on which we take our stand. We pull our trust off of lesser things and put our trust on You, O Lord. All good things come from You. And only You can save us and sustain us. Today, we again place our full trust in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat” (Isaiah 25:4 NLT).

From: September 17, 2018

THE LORD IS A TOWER OF REFUGE FROM THE STORM
In the midst of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the nations, he makes this declaration concerning the Lord. The Lord is a strong tower of refuge and a shelter for the poor and distressed. As we consider the aftermath of Hurricane Florence on Eastern NC, may we take encouragement from Isaiah’s words. Many are getting up this day and feeling discouraged. But the Lord is a shelter from the muggy heat and distress that follows a storm.
 
Let us offer help and serve those who are in need in the name of Jesus. And let us also make sure to pray for them and offer this word from Isaiah to them, that the Lord is a strong tower and refuge from the storm!

“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made” (Galatians 3:19 NKJV).

From: September 17, 2017

If the law cannot save, what purpose does it “serve?” Paul asked this rhetorical question after making the point that the “promise” of God was given 430 years before the law of God was added. The “promise” was given to Abraham that through his “Seed” all nations would be blessed (Gen.22:18). This “Seed” is Christ. So, since faith in the “Promised Seed” is the only way of salvation, why was the law given? It was given “because of transgressions.” The promise is for salvation, but the law is “because” of sin. Paul goes on in his epistle to the Galatians to give what some have called the three “R”s of the law, which answers his question, “what purpose does the law serve?”
 
THREE “R”s OF THE LAW:
1) Reflect our guilty condition (Like a perfect mirror).


2) Restrain our sinful behavior (Like a prison guard).

3) Reveal our need for a Savior (Like a pedagogue).

 
The law is good and useful, but it cannot save. Only faith in Christ saves.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…” (Galatians 3:13 ESV)

From: September 17, 2016

What is the “curse of the law?” Does Paul teach that the law itself is accursed? Certainly not. The law of God is perfect. The law teaches us of righteousness, the difference between right and wrong. Yet, this teaching cannot empower us to keep it, nor can it save us when we inevitably break it. The law is like a mirror, revealing our sin-blemished, leprous flesh, but not able to heal us from its terminal progression. So, what is “the curse of the law?” It is the curse that falls on anyone who does not keep every word of the law. For the one who would live by the law, seeking to be justified by their own effort at righteousness, must keep every word of it (Gal. 3:10, Deut. 27:26). But the good news is this: Christ has “redeemed,” bought us out from under the “curse,” so that we might experience God’s “blessing” (Gal. 3:14). We are to live by faith in Christ’s redemption, not by claiming to be good enough through our own effort.

“When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2 NKJV)

From: September 17, 2015

Written by David, this psalm cried out to God to lead him to a place that was safe and secure. When his heart was “overwhelmed,” perhaps by the attacks of enemies or by the disappointments of life, David cried out for a place where his heart could find rest and his clouded vision could be restored. We can pray like David. And when we ask for the “rock that is higher,” we have access to that Rock, which is Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). He invites all those who are “weary and heavy-laden” to come unto Him and to find rest for their souls.

“In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you” (Isaiah 26:9a NLT)

From: September 17, 2014

Isaiah sought the Lord. As he lay his head down at night, he searched for God’s presence. When he awoke in the morning, he listened for God’s voice. Do you have this habit? Are your last words and thoughts at the end of the day for the Lord? Do you open your eyes looking for Him and listening for His voice? If you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him (Jer. 29:13).