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 A
simple "concordance" study of "promise"
should open our eyes to remarkable truths. God's promise to
Abraham (Gen. 12:) coupled with the explanation in Gal. 3:16,
comes about as close as one can get to a "key" for the
scriptures. God built a nation through which His Son would be
given for the redemption of "all nations."
In
Gal. 3:16-17 Paul says the seed was Christ, and that the law
cannot cancel the blessings promised in Him. Inheritance
is not by means of law, but by means of promise (3:18).
The law served to "bring us to Christ" (in that sin
and the need for mercy are, by law, made apparent-- see Rom.
3:19-20, 7:13), but justification and salvation are through
faith in Him who was promised; hence we are
"heirs according to promise" (Gal. 3:26-29).
In
Romans 9: the sovereign will of God is shown to have chosen the
ancestry of Christ. Abraham had two sons, but Isaac was selected
to be in the lineage. Again, of Isaac's sons, it was Jacob, not
Esau, who was called. The physical, literal descendants of
Abraham were not, by virtue of family relations or of
"works" (merit) in this favored position. Only those
"chosen of God" in keeping with His promise were
so blessed (vs. 6-11). It was presumptuous, therefore, for Jews
to object to God's gift of Christ for Gentiles as well as Jews.
It was His business, not theirs, that spiritual "children
of Abraham" included whosoever would trust in Christ (vs.
22-f). The corporate body of believers (the "vessels of
mercy" — Jew AND Gentile saints) are then associated with
the promise made re. the "remnant" (24-f).
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Romans
9: is grossly misused when twisted to teach that God elected
certain individuals to be saved; but it does relate
salvation in Christ to promise (the result of Grace)
rather than to law or meriting works (v.11). There is a likeness
in Isaac and all saints. "We, brethren, as Isaac was, are
the children of promise" (Gal. 4:28)
Covenant
and promise are related in Acts 3:25f, and God's keeping of His
promise is realized in the resurrected Christ. We receive
promised blessings when our sins are forgiven. This theme
is repeated in the sermons of Paul: "Of this man's (David)
seed hath God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a
Savior, Jesus" (Acts 13:23). Then read vs. 32-33; and see
that this blessing is called "the sure mercies of
David" (v.34). Finally, "Be it known unto you.... that
through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of
sins" (v.38). Paul certainly did not preach nationalistic
"hope" for Israel; but his message of salvation in
Christ was "the hope of the promise made of God unto our
fathers" (Acts 26:6-7).
There
were other promises of God, such as the miraculous power of the
Holy Spirit, through Christ, to chosen witnesses (Lu. 24:49,
Acts 1:4, 2: 33). This is referred to in Gal. 3:5, 14, as
something "worked among" the Galatians. It signaled
the source and certainty of the New Covenant, here
and in Acts 2. But in the greater and more general sense,
PROMISE refers to God's mercy and grace in giving His Son for
our redemption. How wonderful that His promise is immutable and
so very sure (Heb. 6:13-20).
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