Did you notice that today’s reading is made up of eight quotes from the Old Testament? Paul’s focus today is on how the “law” fits in to the scheme of salvation and the gospel truth we believe in. What does Paul mean by his reference to the “law?” I understand the law as including the law given through Moses, but more broadly, the entire principle of being made right with God by what we do.
While the law is important and given by God, we are never made right with God by following the law. When you think of it, who is Paul’s audience? The Gentiles. They don’t even have the same heritage or knowledge of what the law is. Can you imagine wanting to join a club that had been in existence for many years with lots of rules, both written and just tradition. Then you find out that you’re expected to know and follow every single one before you’d be allowed to join. First of all, it would take forever to feel like you fit in, and chances are pretty good you would eventually give up. If the law was crucial to our salvation, then everyone, including Gentiles, would be subject to it and need to know all about it.
What would that look like? Would we all have to take a crash course? Would there be a test? I’m not saying that God’s laws are bad. They were very helpful for the time and situation they were established. I’m also not saying that we should go out and break them just to see what happens. That’s not the point of this reading. Rather, our righteousness is simply not all about following the law. If it was, we would fall short. We would continually be trying harder, saying things like “I’ll do better next time.”
It’s clear God was thinking of the Gentiles when he made the promise to Abraham. “God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” All nations. Everybody. God knew then that what he was building through Abraham would be available to “all.” Is it beautiful to realize that was part of God’s promise from the beginning?
We now see that promise being fulfilled. “So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.” That’s a beautiful thing. It connects us to the beginning of God’s love story with his people. We become God’s people as if we have been “grandfathered in.”
Verse 11 is quoting Habakkuk, one of the minor prophets, and the verse in Habakkuk reads, “But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.” Even in the Old Testament, the prophets were cautioning the people that being right with God came through faith, as shown by the example of Abraham. When we cling to this truth, we can live each day putting our trust in God rather than ourselves. It works so much better that way.
Paul describes the law as a curse. There is no way anyone could follow the law in its entirety. Our sinful natures would certainly hold us back. Paul is black and white here. If we live by faith, we are under God’s blessing. If we live by works (the law), we are under God’s curse. Yet, we have reason to celebrate. That reason is Jesus Christ. “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.”
Take some time today to focus on this image of Christ hanging on the cross for you. How do you respond to being rescued by that kind of love?
Let’s pray … Lord, I am humbled by what you have endured for me. I have no words to express my deep gratitude. You love me so much. It’s hard to imagine you were thinking of me when you made the promise to Abraham. Help me to wrap my mind around the vastness of your provision. I want to grow deeper in my faithfulness and devotion to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
