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15 Brothers and sisters, let me take an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or add to a human covenant that has been duly established, so it is in this case. 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ. 17 What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. 18 For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Galatians 3:15-18)
In Galatians 3 the point is: we can't enjoy the promise or the life changing work of the Spirit, if we are living by "works of law." In order to enjoy the power of the Spirit, we must live daily by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20).
Our efforts to measure up to the law as a means of gaining or maintaining God's favor is a transgression of the law itself (Galatians 2:18), and it brings a person under the law's curse (Galatians 3:10). When we try to supplement our faith with works of the law, we are promoting deadly legalism.
Now, in Galatians 3:15–18, 430 years after Abraham, God gave the law to Israel through Moses at Mt. Sinai to make clear that our inheritance does come from works of the law. Our inheritance or experiencing the life changing power of the Holy Spirit in our lives comes through our choice to trust Him daily.
In v.15 Paul uses an illustration. In their culture at that time, there were covenants of property or inheritance arrangements or oaths which could not be cancelled or changed. Paul is illustrating how the Mosaic law can not annul or alter the terms of the Abrahamic covenant which were received by faith and realized by faith.
In v.17 Paul gives the application of the illustration which is: the law, which came 430 years later, does not annul the promise previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. It was God who spoke the promise to Abraham and it was the same God who gave the law to his descendants.
Paul is careful to say that God, through the law, was not telling us to earn God's blessing by our good works. If that were the case, the covenant with Abraham would have been nullified.
The main point of v.16 is that Jesus Christ is the seed, or the descendant of Abraham. And, it is only through a personal relationship with Christ do we realize the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit made to Abraham.
According to v.18, if the inheritance is achieved by means of keeping the law, then Christ would not be needed, had the inheritance already been attained. But God gave the inheritance (salvation) to Abraham by a promise, namely, through Christ.
At the end of the day, Jesus Christ is the end of all the searches of our hearts. It is only in a real and honest relationship with the Lord Jesus do we receive from Him eternal life. Our problem is we do not know what eternal life truly is. A healthy exercise is looking up quotes on the subject of eternal life. It is sad when you read the quotes.
Why do so few know how to describe eternal life? Because, in order to describe eternal life, one must have experienced it. So what is eternal life? In John 1, we are told Jesus came FULL grace and truth. Eternal life is to receive from Jesus Christ fullness. At the root of all our sin is our lack, our deficiency. When the created is united with its creator, eternal life is experienced. Eternal life renders selfishness null and void for at the root of our self is our flesh.
Oh to be defined by the love of this one who has no lack, no need, no selfishness. When we are defined by Him, this one who came to serve and to not be served ... Now, that is eternal life.
