Paul declares how God counted Abraham Righteous
Galatians
3:6-10 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the
children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the
heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying,
In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are
blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are
under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth
not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. KJVPaul concluded his reaffirmation of true righteousness before God by virtue only of “faith in Christ” by asking them a question that they should be without confusion sure of the answer (Galatians 3:5). Paul gives the greatest illustration of justification by faith through the most recognizable, renowned, and reverenced Jew in Jewish history. Paul now proceeds to recount for them the manner in which God the Father declared Abraham righteous in His sight. Certainly, this is not the first time Paul has explained by making it plain and comprehensible to these Galatian Churches the true way of righteousness before God by using the recipient of God’s Justification (Abraham) as his teaching example. Paul wants to once again with as much clarity as he can write, show them that even the Jewish Patriarch (Abraham) could do and did nothing of any sort of “good works” before God to make himself acceptable to Him.
Paul (as he did in his letter to the Romans) gives a clear picture of what made Abraham right or acceptable in God’s sight and allowed him to come into His Presence without fear of facing destruction or being demolished or being destroyed from God’s Presence. Paul (as he also did in the letter to the Romans) goes back to Abraham’s beginning and shows the Galatians how he (Abraham) was not even looking for God, but God came to Abraham and “preached the Gospel to him” and Abraham (when he heard the voice of God or the Word of God) simply, sweetly, and solely “believed God” and then God counted him righteous in His Presence. Our Lord Jesus reminded the Jews when He was on the earth about Abraham’s faith with these words, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” (John 8:56).
Paul wants to remind and reiterate to these Galatian Churches that during the time God came to Abraham, there was not even any “Law” known by man. The fact that Abraham was promised by God to become the Father of many nations (Genesis 12:3; Genesis 15:6; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Genesis 28:14) and that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through him was the foreshadowing of Christ the Messiah who would come into this sinful world (as a human being, God becoming a Man) and become a sinless sacrifice through the loins or seed of this one man Abraham, therefore, this is what makes him the “Father of the faithful” and makes them and us the “children of Abraham”. Abraham through “faith” then received the seal of his righteousness “circumcision” (Romans 4:9-13), whereas these Galatians and us today receive the seal of our righteousness “God the Holy Spirit” (John 14:16-17 & Ephesians 1:13).
Finally, Paul concludes this discourse and examination of the evidence of true righteousness before God by using the most clear example of Abraham by declaring to these Galatian Churches that only those individuals who “believe God”, as Abraham did, are the sharers in the blessings of God with Abraham. Paul wants to make clear to them that they will be locked out of the blessings of Abraham if they abandon the way or method that Abraham approached God, “by faith” and now determine that they will approach God by the “works of the law”, for Paul wants to bring to their understanding these very words that he wrote to the Roman believers when he said, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works” (Romans 4:1-6).
The conclusion here is that Abraham did not do or engage in any actions of goodness or obedience as to carry them out before God or did he show a certain behavior as to act well or properly by not being naughty or wicked in God’s presence to make himself acceptable to God the Father and the same must hold true for you Galatians by simply “believing God” and walking in or living in the “faith” you received from Him at the moment you were born again of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20). Abraham was a heathen idolater when God called him out from his father’s land to the place that He (God) would show him. God did not force Abraham to believe Him and leave his idolatry, but simply revealed Himself to him and he “believed God” just as you Galatians did at the moment you were saved by God the Holy Spirit and endowed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ephesians 1:3-6). Wake up from your slumber and fight the good fight of “faith” not “works” is the thundering Paul announces to them as did the Prophet Joel in this manner, “Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare a war; wake up the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up!” (Joel 3:9).
My own Personal Note: Paul’s desire here is to show these Galatians that even Abraham (that many of them held up in the highest regard, renown, and reverence) did nothing “outward” to please God (for he could not, he was a heathen idolater), but when he “believed God” then and only then was he justified in God’s sight.
“Doubtless in confirmation of that grand doctrine, that we are justified by faith, even as Abraham was. The Apostle, both in this and in the epistle to the Romans, makes great use of the instance of Abraham: the rather, because from Abraham the Jews drew their great argument, as they do this day, both for their own continuance in Judaism, and for denying the Gentiles to be the church of God.(Genesis 15:6). Know then that they who are partakers of his faith, these, and these only, are the sons of Abraham, and therefore heirs of the promises made to him. So then all they, and they only, who are of faith - Who truly believe. Are blessed with faithful Abraham - Receive the blessing as he did, namely, by faith.” John Wesley
“Faith had been the means, too, of Abraham’s acceptance with God, Galatians 3:6-10. From the first the gospel of faith had been proclaimed to him by the Divine Spirit. Long before he had become a Jew by the initial rite of Judaism, he had been a humble believer in God’s promise, on the basis of which he was reckoned righteous. Simple faith was the only condition that he had fulfilled, and the promise that all flesh should be blessed through him had been given when he was still a believing Gentile. Surely what had sufficed for the father of the faithful was good enough for his children! Let each reader see to it that he does not merely believe about Christ, but believes in Him, so as to be no longer under the curse, but within the blessing.” F. B. Meyer
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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