How Someone Like You Can Get Covenant Blessings (The Abrahamic Covenant Part 2)

We've seen how a covenant is more personal and more binding than a contract.

A covenant is full of love.

And a covenant, it's also something you can count on,

something that is attached to the nature of God himself.

So it's much more enduring than a mere relationship.

And covenant is how the Lord has promised his grace to people like you and me.

Our sermon text today will be all of Galatians 3.

As we walk through these verses, I invite you to listen and think about this question.

How can someone like you and how can someone like me get such glorious covenant blessings?

How is this possible?

Galatians chapter 3.

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

This is the Apostle Paul writing to a region in which there are many Christian churches.

This region is called Galatia.

He begins by saying in chapter 3,

Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth,

before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed among you as crucified.

I just want to learn this from you.

Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing of faith?

Are you so foolish?

Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?

Did you suffer so many things in vain?

If it is indeed in vain.

He therefore, who supplies the Spirit to you and does miracles among you,

does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

Even so, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

I know, therefore, that those who are of faith are children of Abraham.

The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,

preached the good news beforehand to Abraham,

saying,

In you all the nations will be blessed.

So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse.

For it is written,

Cursed is everyone who doesn't continue in all things that are written in the book of the law and do them.

Now, that no man is justified by the law before God is evident,

for the righteous will live by faith.

The law is not of faith, but the man who does them will live by them.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.

For it is written,

Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ,

that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Verse 15.

Brothers, speaking in human terms,

Though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been confirmed,

no one makes it void or adds to it.

Now, the promises were spoken to Abraham and his offspring.

It doesn't say to descendants as of many, but as of one,

to your offspring, which is Christ.

Now, I say this,

A covenant confirmed beforehand by God in Christ,

the law which came 430 years after does not annul,

so as to make the promise of no effect.

For it is, if the inheritance is of the law,

it is no more of promise.

But God has granted it to Abraham by promise.

Then why is there law?

It was added because of transgressions,

until the offspring should come to whom the promise has been made.

It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Now a mediator is not between one, but God is one.

Is the law then against the promises of God?

Certainly not.

For if there had been a law given,

which could make alive,

most certainly righteousness would have been of the law.

But the scripture imprisoned all things under sin,

that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ

might be given to those who believe.

But before faith came,

we were kept in custody under the law,

confined for the faith,

which should afterwards be revealed,

so that the law has become our tutor

to bring us to Christ.

That we might be justified by faith.

But now that faith has come,

we are no longer under a tutor.

For you are all children of God,

through faith in Christ Jesus.

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ

have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek.

There is neither slave nor free man.

There is neither male nor female.

For you are all one in Christ Jesus.

If you are Christ,

then you are Abraham's offspring

and heirs according to the promise.

This is the word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

You may be seated.

Let's pray.

Amen.

Oh Lord,

you are a God who keeps your covenant.

Your word endures forever and ever.

Lord,

Lord,

we ask that by the power of your Holy Spirit,

you will apply these glorious promises

to every soul that belongs to you.

Help us to know,

Lord,

by the work of Jesus,

we are heirs with Christ.

to receive this truth

and to live in it.

We ask for your glory.

Amen.

I invite you to picture an airport scene.

There's two characters.

These are two travelers.

But by their outward appearance,

they are very different.

And you can tell.

They both get on the same airplane.

They're both heading to the same place.

One of them is begrudging.

She's used to flying first class.

And now she sees more and more people getting on.

And this seat next to her is open for a little bit longer.

Well,

then comes this second lady.

She's a bag lady.

Do you know what a bag lady is?

Way too many Walmart bags just tied onto her body.

Her hair is a mess.

She's wearing clothes that maybe haven't been washed for quite a while.

And this second lady comes.

And sure enough,

she goes for that one open seat next to the lady that's used to flying first class.

Throughout the flight,

the one that arrived late,

she's just glad she made it on.

That flight was about to take out.

They still let her on.

And she's there.

And she's going to the place she wants to be.

Well,

the first lady has all these opinions and criticisms of her.

And before long,

the flight's getting old.

And she's telling her,

do your hair this way.

You know,

put these things here and fix yourself up a little bit better.

The flight's not pleasant for either one.

This is a little bit like the church in this region of Galatia.

You had those who were from the line of Judah.

They're used to being that first class standing.

And the temple was set up that way.

And now there are these Gentiles that are a mess.

And yes,

their lives,

God will clean them up.

But Paul's message to these churches is that there are no second class citizens.

There's no first class in the church and second class.

You are all heirs with Christ.

You are all purchased by him.

You are in Christ.

And he will carry you to your place of rest.

So as we walk through these verses,

I want to encourage you with this truth.

How can someone like you

picture yourself at your worst in your life?

How can that person

have confidence

that these blessings of the covenant

are for you?

And how can they be for someone like me?

Number one,

reject the lie

that covenant blessings depend on you.

Reject the lie

that God's covenant blessings depend on you.

That's what Paul writes

in verses one,

two,

and three.

Look there with me.

Foolish Galatians,

who has bewitched you

not to obey the truth

before whose eyes

Jesus Christ

was openly portrayed among you

as crucified.

Paul's saying,

I preached to you.

I preached the crucifixion of Jesus,

the son of God.

You saw him with the eyes of faith.

Verse two,

I just want to learn this from you.

Did you receive the spirit

by works of the law

or by the hearing of faith?

Are you so foolish?

He uses as strong of language here

as he uses anywhere else.

He says,

who has bewitched you?

And he calls them fools twice.

You're a fool.

They got bewitched.

And he's writing to Christians

in the church.

See,

you and I can,

we can be deceived.

There can be lies

that creep into our thinking

just the same.

This is the only time

in the New Testament

where the word bewitched is used.

It means to entice.

It can be charming,

but it's malicious.

It's to deceive.

It's like setting a bowl of soup

with only two drops of poison in it.

You take that and you die.

To be bewitched,

it has connotations

of coming from the darkness,

from a demon.

And it's a fool

who would fall for this trap.

Why can you and I be fools?

Why do we need to beware

of this deception?

We've all been fooled before.

We get fooled for one of two reasons.

We're fooled

either because we want

to get something good,

they sucker you in,

or because we fear

something bad.

See,

the new-to-faith Gentiles

in this region,

they wanted to make sure

that they can hold on

to their salvation.

They're wanting to make sure

they can have this good thing.

It's like that lady

on the airplane

willing to change her hair,

willing to do all these things

this other lady's telling her to

to make sure

that she's doing it right

as she flies.

But the Jewish Christians

in Galatia,

they fear losing

God's blessing

by not keeping

all of the ceremonial laws,

by not continuing in those.

And that's why

you can be fooled.

In our sin of pride,

we want to be

first-class Christians.

We all want to be that.

We want to please God,

and that's good.

But where it becomes

an idol,

where we become deceived,

is where we want to

please God more than

that person.

Start comparing ourselves

to one another.

When we know

we have sinned,

we fear,

and we want to make sure

that we can hold on

to our salvation.

One of our children

in our congregation

asks that,

well,

what if I get baptized,

but then I sin

after I've been baptized?

We want to make sure

I'm doing all I need to

to hold on to my salvation.

And let's see how Paul

answers those desires.

He says,

you saw Christ

portrayed as crucified.

You received the Spirit

by faith,

not because you were

keeping the law well.

that same way

that God saved you,

God will keep you.

Reject the lie

that covenant blessings

depend on you.

Covenant blessings

depend on God.

Picture a mother

who's got little children,

not getting enough sleep.

She hears on a podcast

by a pastor,

quote,

all future blessings

of the Christian life

are conditional

on your keeping

of the covenant.

This is a strong teaching

that's very popular

right now.

We can relate

to this mother

because she thinks,

well,

I did not keep

the covenant well

even just this morning.

I had a rage of anger

against my kids

who won't obey

and won't listen

and keep fighting each other.

We can relate to that

because we all

can look at our lives

and we can start

to feel like

I'm running low

on hope.

If this depends on me

and me obeying God

to get blessings,

I'm hopeless.

We've all been there too.

Maybe I was never saved.

Has the enemy brought

that little dart

against you?

You're such a sinner.

You've been baptized

and you continue

to live in sin

and continue to stumble.

Maybe you were never saved.

While we certainly hear

from God's word,

there is no place

for a false assurance.

If you're grafted

into Christ,

he will bear his fruit in you.

This is not a licentiousness,

but that's not the message

to the church in Galatia.

The church in Galatia

was adding on

to the gospel of grace

works.

Add on the works

to make sure you stay.

Paul says,

see Christ again.

See Christ portrayed

openly.

Among you

as crucified.

We need to be a church

that sees Christ

among us

every time we gather.

And how do we see Christ?

We see him

bearing all our sin,

paying for it

once and for all.

And as we gather

around the foot

of the cross,

360,

all of us gathered

around Christ

receiving grace

from him,

it changes

how we relate

to one another,

doesn't it?

dear believer,

you are not

your own.

You were bought

with a price.

It's the very high price,

the precious blood

of God,

the son himself.

Verse 29

of our sermon text,

he says,

church,

you are Christ's.

Christ's.

So reject the lie

that covenant blessings

depend on you.

Number two,

how is it that the Lord

ministers

his blessings to you?

How does the Lord

minister

his blessings to you?

to minister

is to carry out

with the authority

of an office

all of the responsibilities

and roles

and privileges

that that office

can bestow.

I see here

in these verses

four through nine

two ways

in which Paul

reminds the church

this is how you

receive this.

This is how the Lord

ministers

his blessings

to you.

It's by the spirit

and it's by the word.

by the spirit

and the word.

First,

the spirit.

He reminds us

of times

we have experienced

his powerful

working in us.

He says,

think back to a time

when the spirit

ministered to you.

What was that like?

You know what it was like

if you're saved.

The spirit convicted you.

Look what he says

in verse four.

Did you suffer

so many things

in vain

if indeed

in vain?

The word suffer

means did you experience?

Did you go through

this?

Were you carried

along by this?

By this ministry

of the spirit?

He says the spirit

moved among you

for a reason.

The reason the spirit

drew you to Christ

in the first place

was for his purpose.

It's so that you

would never forget

God is real.

God is truly

applying to you

personally

all the blessings

of Christ

because this was

the plan

of the God

the Father,

Son,

and the Spirit.

And he reminds us

in verse five

that therefore

the one who supplies

the spirit to you

and does miracles

among you

does he do it

by the works

of the law

or by the hearing

of faith?

Did the spirit

cause you to repent

and see Jesus

as crucified

because you were

a good person?

Or was it because

you heard the gospel

and the spirit

gave you a faith

to believe that

this could be true

for you as well?

Well, of course,

it's not because

you're a law keeper

that the Lord

ministered to you.

It's because you're

a sinner

in need of him

and that's why

he will continue

to minister

to you now.

The Spirit

of God

ministers

the blessings

of Christ.

He applies it

to you

while you were

sinners.

That's the ministry

of the Spirit

and the way

the Lord does this

in the second place

is by the ministry

of the Word.

He teaches us

from the Bible.

He calls the church

to study the Lord's

acts and his revelation

in all of Scripture.

And he takes them

to one particular passage.

He takes them

to the story

of Abraham

in Genesis 15.

Look at verse 6

of our sermon text today.

Even so,

Abraham believed God

and it was counted

to him

for righteousness.

He's quoting

to the church

Genesis 15

Genesis 15:6

verse 6.

He's saying,

study the Bible.

See,

how is it

that God

has ever

saved anyone?

God saved you

the same way

he saved Abraham.

God did not

save Abraham

because Abraham

kept the law.

God saved Abraham

because he believed

by faith

that this could be true

and God counted it

to him

as righteousness.

In verse 6

he says,

Know therefore

that those who are

of faith

are children

of Abraham.

This Gentile

whose life

is a mess

is a child

of Abraham.

First class citizen

in the kingdom

of God.

And dear believer,

you are

the fulfillment

of God's promise

long ago.

Look at verse 8.

The scripture

foreseeing that God

would justify

the Gentiles

by faith

preached the good news

beforehand

to Abraham

saying,

In you

all the nations

will be blessed.

God promised

this three times

to Abraham.

Genesis 12,

18,

and 22.

Verse 9,

So then those

who are of faith

are blessed

with faithful Abraham.

Do you follow

Paul's logic?

This is how

someone like you

and me

can receive

God's covenant

blessings.

The Lord

designed

your salvation.

The Lord

accomplished

your salvation.

And the Lord

has applied

your salvation.

what he began

in you,

he will finish.

What he initiated

by the ministry

of the Spirit

through the Word

of God,

he will finish.

He will bring it

to its fulfillment

in your life.

You were

Christ's.

You are

Christ's

as the Spirit

has united you

to him now

through faith.

And you shall

always

be

Christ's.

Let the Lord

minister this truth

to you again

today.

Through his

word,

you're seeing

these words

for yourself

and by the

power of his

Spirit.

Number three,

Paul clarifies

that covenant

blessings do

require obedience.

Covenant

blessings do

require obedience.

But he says

it's not

your obedience

that secures

them.

look at what

he says

in verse 10.

He says,

as many

as are

of the

works of

the law

are under

a curse

for it

is written

cursed

is everyone

who doesn't

continue

in all

the things

that are

written

in the

book of

the law

and do

them.

He's

quoting

Deuteronomy

27,

26.

He says,

yes,

to get

blessing,

you must

have

obedience.

And what's

more,

that if you

break the

covenant,

you get

cursed.

We know

that the

moral law

of God

is perfect

and the

keeping of

God's

moral law

is required

for anyone

to be

saved.

But look

at what he

says in

verse 11.

No man

is justified

by the

law before

God.

And it's

evident because

the Bible

says in

Habakkuk 2,

4,

the righteous

will live

by faith.

Paul's

preaching that

the only way

that sinners

like you and

me can be

declared

righteous

by the

holy God

is if

the Lord

Jesus,

God the

Son,

took on

a flesh

and he

made himself

under his

own law.

And he

did that to

become the

substance of

his own

ceremonial

sacrificial

system.

He obeyed

the Father

perfectly and

received all

the blessings

of the

promise.

All the

blessings that

God has ever

promised find

their yes

and amen.

Ultimately,

in Christ.

In verse

12, we

read that

the law

is not

of faith,

but the

man who

does them

will live

by them.

So do

covenant

blessings require

obedience?

Yes, they

do.

And only one

who obeys

them perfectly,

personally,

and perpetually

can live

by them.

There's no

hope for

anyone under

Adam's curse,

but that's

why the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

He became

the righteousness

we could

never achieve

on our

own.

We read

in verse

13,

Christ

redeemed

us from

the curse

of the law,

having become

a curse

for us.

It is

written,

cursed is

everyone who

hangs on

a tree.

Someone like

you and me

could never

have a hope

of receiving

covenant

blessing.

And we

have two

problems.

We are

not righteous

and our

sin needs

to be

punished.

Jesus

Christ

fulfilled

both.

He kept

the law

perfectly

to give

you freely

the righteousness

you could

never have.

And he

took the

penalty so

that you

don't need

to die

for your

sins.

He kept

the law

and he

set you

free.

He was

cursed so

that you

could be

blessed.

God's

covenant

blessings

require

obedience.

The good

news is

it's not

your

obedience

or mine.

Jesus

Christ

fulfilled

all of

the

requirements

so that

he could

receive

the blessing

and turn

around

and apply

those to

his people

freely.

Number

four,

how did

the Lord

secure

the blessings

he promised

to Abraham?

how did

the Lord

secure

these

blessings

that he

promised?

Look at

verse 14

with me.

The blessing

of Abraham,

the Lord

purposed

to give

it freely

to the

Gentiles

as well,

those that

are not

from the

physical

line of

Abraham,

and he

secured

it through

Jesus

Christ.

How can

Gentiles

claim all

of those

same blessings

and promises

as their

own now?

In

Genesis

15,

the Lord

said,

I am

your shield.

I am

your great

reward.

It's because

the Lord

accomplished

that which

he promised,

and he

applied it

to those

who would

receive his

promise

by faith,

trusting that

what he

says can

be true

for you.

In

verse 14,

he says,

it's that

we might

receive the

promise of

the Holy

Spirit.

How do

you receive

it?

Through

faith.

What is

faith?

So that

these promises

and blessings

can be

yours.

Faith is

an open

hand like

a beggar

receiving

what God

is going

to freely

give.

You have

a saving

faith when

you see

your need

for a

Savior,

and his

spirit cuts

you to

the heart,

and he

turns you

from the

sin,

and he

turns you

to the

Savior,

not because

of the

good works

you do,

but because

you need

him to

give you

this salvation

freely.

in verse

15,

Paul says,

brothers,

when a

covenant

has been

cut or

confirmed,

no one

makes it

void or

adds to

it.

How is

this promise

for you,

and how

is it

secured?

It's because

God

covenanted

this promise.

No one

can add

to what

God already

sealed in

this covenant,

and no one

can take

away from

it.

verse 16,

he says,

now the

promises were

spoken to

Abraham and

his offspring.

He doesn't

say to

descendants as

of many,

but as

of one to

your

offspring,

which is

Christ.

All that

God stored

up in the

treasury of

heaven,

in the

course of

human history,

God would

intervene in

time,

and in

space.

And through

the physical

seed of

one man,

Abraham,

would come

the promised

savior,

that same

seed that

the Lord

promised back

to Eve in

the garden

after the

sin of Adam

and Eve and

the curse on

the serpent,

the Lord

promised this

one seed

will come

to save

and deliver.

Now this

promise gets

more narrow,

more specific.

It will come

from the

bloodline

of Abraham.

Let me

define some

of the terms

here to make

sure our

kids are

understanding

the argument

that Paul

is opening

up.

He's talking

about an

inheritance,

and he's

saying who

this inheritance

is for.

So to give

a simple

example,

the grandpa,

as we saw

in Sunday

school,

let's say

grandpa owns

this amazing

ranch,

this great

farm.

That's the

inheritance.

The inheritance

is what he's

going to pass

on to the

next generation.

And this

grandpa puts

on a piece

of paper the

names that

are going to

get this.

those names

on this

piece of

paper,

the last

will and

testament,

those are

the heirs

of this

grandpa.

Galatians 3

is a glorious

passage because

it says this

has been

established.

Who will get

all of the

inheritance,

all of the

blessings?

It's whose

names are

written in

this will.

These are

the heirs.

In this

passage,

Galatians 3

16,

the promises

were spoken

to Abraham

and his

offspring,

which is

Christ.

Christ is

the one

who will

inherit and

ultimately

fulfill these

promises.

He will be

the heir of

all that God

has stored up

to one seed

from Abraham.

See, what

happens in the

church is that

we have other

people wanting

to change the

terms.

So we have

a group wanting

to say this

person's name is

not on the

list, but we

want to go ahead

and give them

the blessings of

the inheritance.

And then

they're saying

this person,

their name is

on there, but

we don't want

them to be part

of it for

these reasons.

Well, if a

grandpa dies,

there's an

executor of the

will, there's a

lawyer who knows

the law, and

he's going to

point to this

and say, this

is binding.

No one can

add or take

away from

this.

This is what

secures it

right here.

And this is a

covenant.

The covenant

says all the

blessings are in

Christ.

Whoever is in

Christ is the

one who's going

to receive it.

No one can add

or take away

from that.

So as a

church, we have

to look to

Christ.

We have to

look to who

it is that all

of these blessings

are sealed up

in.

And we don't

have any

authority to

add or take

away from it

because Christ

has secured

all of these

blessings for

all those who

belong to him

through faith.

faith.

The Lord secured

for you all

the spiritual

blessings that

he promised to

Abraham in

this covenant

with Jesus

Christ as the

heir.

Number five,

why did the

Lord then still

give his law

to Israel?

Paul's working

through this

argument and

that's the

natural rebuttal.

Well, what

about all of

the civil laws?

What about all

the ceremonial

laws that were

piled on for

Israel?

What do we do

with those?

Verse 17, he

says the

requirements of

the law cannot

annul God's

promises and

make the promise

of no effect.

If the

inheritance is

of the law,

then it is of

no more of

promise.

But God has

granted it to

Abraham by

promise.

He's saying

that the

ceremonial laws

given to

Israel under

Moses do not

change the

promise of

free grace

that he gave

to Abraham.

Well, then the

natural question

is,

what do we

make of

those?

What do we

do with

those?

In verse 19

and 21, he

asked those

questions.

Then why is

there the

law?

Verse 21, is

the law then

against the

promises of

God?

And he says

certainly not.

He gives two

answers.

Number one,

it's because we

must be convicted

of our sin

before we will

ever repent.

The law is

very important to

convict us of

our sin.

in verse 21,

he said,

for if there

had been a

law given

which could

make a life,

most certainly

righteousness would

not have been

of the law.

Verse 22,

but the

scripture imprisoned

all things under

sin, that the

promise by faith

in Jesus Christ

might be given

to those who

believe.

The law was

added because

of transgressions.

So why do we

have the law?

Why was the law

given to Israel?

It's because

everyone who

will turn to

God to receive

grace by faith

must first be

convicted of

our sin.

We must repent.

We must see

that we fall so

short of the

glory of God.

And so the law

cuts us down.

It humbles us.

And it exposes

us.

I cannot save

myself.

The second

reason he gives

is because we

must see our

great need of

God's grace

before we will

turn to God

with hoping

faith in that

offspring that

will come.

The Lord will

send a Messiah,

an anointed one.

The Lord will

send one who

will fulfill the

law.

The Lord will

send a victor

who will conquer

all the enemies.

And he will

come at the

fullness of

time.

We read in

verse 19.

There is one

to whom the

promise has

been made.

And that's the

Lord Jesus

Christ.

The Lord Jesus

Christ will

come.

And you must

see your need

for him.

When the

Lord Jesus

was brought

to the temple

as a baby,

there were

two believers

who had the

Old Testament

scriptures and

the Lord had

prepared them in

their spirit to

receive him.

And when they

did, the spirit

ministered to him.

This is the

anointed one,

that promised

seed of long

ago.

If we're reading

the Old Testament

correctly, we are

reading with an

anticipation.

There is more.

There is a grand

act.

There will be the

coming Messiah.

The blessing that

God had promised

to Abraham was

salvation.

You will be

God's people.

You will dwell in

his kingdom.

You will be secure

in him forever.

He will be your

shield.

And the Lord

kept all of his

promises.

The Lord kept

the promises to

Abraham in a

physical and an

earthly sense.

And he also

fulfilled them and

expanded them into a

spiritual fulfillment.

The physical seed of

Abraham did get this

land that God

promised after they

came out of slavery

in Joshua 21.

All of the good

things the Lord

promised to Abraham,

Isaac, and Jacob,

they all came to

pass.

And in 1 Kings

1 Kings 4:1

chapter 4 verse 1,

we read that with

Solomon again after

David the man of

war had defeated the

enemies with the

sword, then came

Solomon with the

kingdom of peace.

And the Lord gave

them all the land.

All of the good

things God promised,

he gave.

And the Lord also

exposed the need of

God's people to have

Yahweh as their

king.

After Joshua and the

Israelites lived in

the land, there were

so many problems.

It was porous.

They never defeated

the idols.

They allowed idolaters

to live in their

midst.

They had no king and

everyone did whatever

pleased them.

The book of Judges is

an ugly book to

expose their need of

a king.

They need God

himself, Yahweh, to

rule as their king.

The disobedience of

the Israelites in the

land led them to

exile.

It led them to see a

greater fulfillment

must come, one that

we can't produce by our

own good works.

And that's why Paul

says the law for them

was a tutor.

It was a trainer.

It was a servant of

the great king that

they need.

The law serves the

same purpose for the

church today.

It humbles us.

It tells us we need a

king to rule over your

heart and your life.

Look at what a wreck

your life is without

Christ ruling over you

as a king.

repent again.

Humble yourself.

Turn to God to be

your king and your

savior once again.

Praise him for his

law.

What pleases the Lord

in his moral law does

not change.

We look back on the

ceremonial laws and we

see these all foreshadow

the work of Christ on

the cross.

Christ.

We look at his civil

law and we long for a

kingdom of true peace

and one day Christ will

rule over the new

heavens and the new

earth perfectly.

We long for him to

rule and to be under

that rule.

And now we are in a

spiritual sense.

We are his people.

We are united to him.

He rules over his

church.

I'm going to try to be a

little bit more specific

as we wrap this up with

the sixth observation.

There are specific

promises that God gave

through Abraham and his

offspring Christ.

So I want to do my best to

show you what I see in the

scripture.

You can study further on

your own as well.

And then come to Sunday

school next week as we pick

up where we left off on this

topic.

Here's the question.

What specific blessings can

someone like you and me

expect?

What are the specific

blessings from the

Abrahamic covenant that

someone like you and me

Gentiles used to be

sinners.

We had no concept of God

and his word until he

ministered to us.

What can we expect?

Four things for us.

The Lord had promised

Abraham a child.

Do you remember that?

Him and his wife were

barren and the Lord said

you will have a child.

Well on earth Abraham

got Isaac.

Because God keeps his

covenant he also fulfilled

and expanded this with

Jesus Christ.

And he gave him an

offspring Jesus born from

the line of Abraham.

He's on every genealogy

as Abraham through this

line came Jesus Christ.

So yes he got the son on

earth and God fulfilled and

expanded it further by

giving him the offspring

Jesus Christ in heaven.

Now look at what he says

in verse 26 for the

church.

You are all children of

God through faith in

Jesus Christ.

The expansion of this

blessing pulls you in to

the family of God and the

blessings he promised

Abraham as well.

The child.

Number two.

The Lord counted Abraham's

faith as righteousness.

And because God keeps his

covenant Jesus Christ

fulfills and expands this

blessing to you as well.

In verse 27.

As many of you as were

baptized into Christ you

have put on Christ.

You have been baptizing

Christ in two ways according

to scripture.

First you have been baptized

by blood.

Mark 10 39.

Jesus says you are

baptized in the blood as

you drink from this cup of

his covenant.

See the baptism of blood it

means that you have been

washed by the work of

Christ on Calvary.

You have seen Jesus Christ

portrayed through the

preaching of the word.

You have seen that it was

your sin that kept him

there.

It was your voice as one of

the mockers.

And the Lord Jesus in grace

is paying for that very sin

for you.

That's to be baptized by the

blood.

Baptism of the spirit.

John the Baptist he said I

baptize you with water but

there is one coming it's

Jesus Christ in Luke 16.

He will baptize you with the

Holy Spirit.

That means that Jesus Christ

will give the spirit of God

to you.

You who were dead in your

trespasses he will make you

alive.

That's called regeneration.

And as he brings you alive

the spirit indwells you and

sanctifies you and lives in

you and creates in your life a

place where the Holy God

Father Son and Spirit can live

and abide forever.

That's what it means to be

baptized by blood and

baptized by the Holy Spirit.

As many of you as were

baptized into Christ he says

you have put on Christ in

verse 27.

To put on Christ it means that

you have received Christ's

righteousness as your own.

To be baptized in Christ it

means that you are submerged.

As Jonathan pointed out to our

kids last week it's it's like a

pickle a cucumber is a cucumber

but it's baptized into the the

brine and the vinegar and it

becomes a pickle.

That's sanctification.

You are baptized in Christ.

You have put on Christ.

You are washed by his blood and

you are identified with him.

He changes your very substance.

The third blessing is that the

Lord promised Abraham a great

people from all over the earth

like the dust that would be

united to God in the heavens like

shining stars.

Do you remember that last week?

Your offspring will be like the

dust.

They will be like the stars.

It doesn't mean like the Lion

King where you die and become a

literal star.

It means that the glory of God

the spiritual purity and glory of

God is in you and your life

reflects him.

That's what that means.

Well on earth Abraham got the

Jewish nation and he got this

ethnic people a true people

living in a true land and

because God keeps his covenant

Jesus Christ further fulfills and

expands this promise.

Look at what he says in verse 28.

Now there is neither Jew nor Greek.

There is neither slave nor free

man.

There is neither male nor female.

He's saying there is not a first

class and a second class Christian.

There is only first class citizens in

the kingdom of God.

There is no difference between any of

you and it's because you are united

to Christ.

Not by your works.

Not by your outward appearance.

By faith.

That's what you all have in common.

You are all one in Christ Jesus.

So we don't go to church for

community.

We don't go to church for

fellowship.

We don't chase after the byproducts.

We are church because we are one

in Christ.

We are one through the same faith,

the same spirit that ministers and

unites us.

Well guess what you get as a result?

Your lives do become more like

Christ.

You do get the deepest conversations.

You do get friends and true

fellowship for life and it's more

than a friendship.

It's a fellowship that is even

tighter and closer and more

more intimate and meaningful than a

blood relation.

Have you ever experienced that in

the church?

That's what we get.

Why would we settle for anything

less?

Well the fourth promise is that the

Lord promised Abraham a land.

On earth he got the promised land.

He got geographic Israel.

And because the Lord keeps his

covenant Jesus Christ also further

fulfills and expands on this.

Listen to the language from the

Bible itself teaching us this.

Hebrews 12 21.

Writing to the church.

Writing to you who have a faith and

are united to Christ.

You have come to Mount Zion.

Mount Zion is the hill in

Jerusalem where the temple is.

And he's saying all of you across the

world.

All of the nations.

You have come to Mount Zion.

Mount Zion.

To the city of the living God.

The heavenly Jerusalem.

He's saying don't pattern yourself off

of old Jerusalem.

You're part of the heavenly Jerusalem.

You have come to the assembly of the

firstborn.

Well in the ancient world it's only the

firstborn that gets all the

inheritance.

The firstborn gets grandpa's farm.

And he's saying you are the assembly.

The gathering.

The church of the firstborn.

Every single one of you is a

firstborn.

You are enrolled in heaven.

This is language of citizenship.

You are on the roster.

You belong here.

You can vote.

You can have land.

You possess this kingdom.

It's yours.

You have come to God.

The judge of all.

To the spirit of just men.

Made perfect.

To Jesus.

The mediator.

Of this new covenant.

That's what it means to be a

Christian.

God keeps all of his promises.

He further fulfills them.

And he expands them.