The Promises and the Law of God

The promises of God, all of them, find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ (2 Cor 1:20), the seed of Abraham and mediator of a new covenant (Gen 22:17–18; Gal 3:16; Heb 9:15; 12:24). The Old Covenant with ethnic Israel was faulty because the Israelites were unfaithful covenant partners. Even with sinful Moses, a faithful servant in the household of God (Heb 3:5), as their mediator with Yahweh, the Jews remained disobedient (Ex 32:9; Rom 10:21).

The Law of God exposed Israel’s hardened hearts toward Yahweh (Heb 3:15; 4:7). Transgressions increased after Moses received God’s revelation of divine holiness on Mount Sinai (Rom 5:20; Gal 3:19). Important to our understanding, the giving of God’s Law through Moses had no salvific value. Falling short of the glory of God’s standard, as a universal experience, should be recognized by every reader of the Bible (Rom 3:23).

Under the Old Covenant, His chosen people were given numerous advantages for living lives that would be pleasing to Yahweh, the God of Israel (i.e., temple; priesthood; sacrifices; prophets; Law; covenant; etc.). In fact, by obeying the Law of God, many blessings would be theirs to enjoy (Dt 28). The reverse was true, too. The curse of God was upon those who disobeyed (Dt 27).

Forgetting the covenant promise of God (Gen 12, 15, 17), the Jews obsessed themselves with keeping the Law (Ex 20; Dt 5), thinking God was grading them on a curve because no one was obeying the Law to perfection. The promise of a coming Deliverer did not register with the Jews as one coming to save them from the curse of sin and death — their inheritance from Adam, who is the federal head of humanity.

Despite their focus on Moses and periphery neglect of Abraham, the covenant promise remained that a seed (singular) would be sent from God to deliver His people Israel from enemies other than flesh and blood (Eph 6:12; 1 Cor 15:26). Misconstruing deliverance to be political and militant, the Jews did not conceive sin, death, judgment, eternal punishment, and fiery hell to be their greatest problems solved by Messiah.

The inclusion of the Gentiles in Yahweh’s promise to Abrham also eluded their understanding (Acts 10, 15; Gal 3:14). All nations, that is, people from every nation, tribe, and tongue would be blessed when the promised Seed arrived (Gen 18:18; 22:18; Rev 5:9; 7:9). Today, every spiritual blessing belongs to every believer, Jew and Gentile, transferred into Christ Jesus by God’s grace (Gal 3:28; Eph 1:3; Col 1:13).

The New Covenant was ratified by Jesus Christ, the federal head of true Israel, His church, a holy nation of royal priests (Is 49:1–6; 1 Cor 15:22; Gal 6:16; 1 Pet 2:9). This chosen people, called out from every tribe, is a new creation “in Christ” (2 Cor 5:17). Upon securing righteousness by His own merit in life and death, the resurrected God/man now reigns over His kingdom, having all authority in heaven and on earth (Ps 110:1; Mt 28:18). All things are not yet subject to Him, who rules as Lord of all (Acts 10:36), but when the full number of God’s elect enter the fold of the Great Shepherd of the sheep (Rom 11:25)…the end will come to the ruler of this age, Satan’s minions, and this worn out world of sin and death (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Thess 2:8; Heb 1:11–12).

All people are shut up in sin (Gal 3:22); but those who God gifts faith to believe His covenant promise — new life — abundant, today, and eternal in the new heavens and new earth to come (Is 65–66; Jn 10:10; Rom 6:4; 1 Jn 5:11–13; Rev 21–22). This new life is the life of God in the soul of man. The Holy Spirit, another promise of God in the New Covenant, is given to God’s elect redeemed people (Acts 2:33; Rom 5:5; Gal 3:14; Eph 1:13). He takes up permanent residence in the hearts of those He has made alive through indwelling them (Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11; Eph 2:5; Col 2:13; 1 Pet 1:3).

Faith in Jesus Christ comes to a soul when the Holy Spirit does His work of grace. The new believer, who belongs to Christ by His purchase of blood, is made manifest (Acts 20:28; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 3:23; Gal 3:29). Faith rejoices in both the Justifier (Jesus Christ) and the justification by His blood (Rom 5:9). Declared “not guilty” of all transgressions, the adopted child of God receives an imputed righteousness from his or her Savior (Is 53:6; Rom 8:15, 23; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 1:5). The believer knows from God’s Word of promise that there is now no condemnation to ever fear, again (Rom 8:1).

The fulfilled promise of Jesus Messiah, the Law-Giver and Law-Keeper, is good news. It is to be heralded to all people, everywhere in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit (Mt 24:14; Mk 16:15; 1 Cor 1:24; 1 Thess 2:13). The accuser of the brethren has no argument to present against the Gospel of God’s grace (Rev 12:10). No one can bring a charge against God’s elect because the righteousness of the Law has been achieved and satisfied by the one Mediator (Rom 8:33; 1 Tim 2:5), appointed by God to be the Great High Priest (Heb 3:1), who offered Himself to God as the unblemished Lamb of God (Jn 1:29; Heb 7:27; 9:14). Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice was accepted by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead (Acts 17:31), following His crucifixion on the cross — a one-time sacrifice, once for all His chosen people to save them from their sins (Mt 1:21; Rom 6:10; Heb 7:27; 9:12; 10:10; 1 Pet 3:18).

Having been baptized into Christ (Gal 3:27), many sons receive their upward call to a better country, even the New Jerusalem, God’s heavenly Zion (Phil 3:14; Heb 3:1; 11:16; 12:22; Rev 3:12). Christians now live their lives by faith in the Son of God (Gal 2:20), who lives in them by His Spirit (Rom 8:9, 11). Faithfulness is never a game of obedience to the Law. Instead, it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us (Gal 5:22), who causes us to walk in God’s statutes (Ezek 36:27).

God in us is the hope of glory (Col 1:27); and it is Him willing and doing His good pleasure in the saints, today (Phil 2:13). He who began this good work, of empowering every good work prepared beforehand for us to walk in, will surely complete all things that concern us (Ps 57:2; 138:8; Eph 2:10; Phil 1:6), who are being molded as clay into conformity to Christ, the perfect man (Jer 18; Rom 8:29; 9:19–24).

My dear reader, rejoice and give thanks to God who has performed all our works for us (Is 26:12). Delight yourself in the Lord and trust Him in every situation (Ps 37:4; Prv 3:5–6). His grace is sufficient for your sanctification (Rom 15:16; 1 Cor 1:30; 1 Thess 4:3; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; Heb 2:11; 1 Pet 1:2), as it was sufficient for your justification (Rom 3:24; Titus 3:7).

God shows no partiality (Gal 2:6); but He does have mercy and compassion on whom He wills to in His predetermined plan and foreknowledge (Acts 2:23; Rom 9:15–16). Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all we can think or imagine, yes, to Him be all honor, praise, dominion, and glory…now and forevermore (Eph 3:20; Rev 5:13). Glory! Hallelujah! Amen and Amen.

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

August 18, 2023