Heirs According to the Promise

by Hugh DeLong

Text: Galatians 3

Recall that God made a promise that through Abraham’s seed all nations (peoples) would be blessed.

Jesus is introduced as the Seed of Abraham (Matthew 1:1). Between Abraham and Jesus, God repeatedly chose whom He would use to produce the promised ‘seed’ (a person). He chose Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and later Judah through the line of David.

In using Israel, God enlarges that to the nation of Israel through the covenant that He made with them. That covenant, however, came hundreds of years after God’s promise. The promise stood.

That covenant or law, which was made with Israel, was to guide them until the promised child (Jesus) came. It served as a ‘tutor’ or ‘guardian’. Paul states: “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with 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” (Galatians 3:25-28).

Jesus was the promised child. He was the ‘seed’ of Abraham, the king through David and Judah, and of course, he was an Israelite, born under the law given to them.

The blessing that was to come was for all nations. Jesus directs the great commission and the preaching of the fulfillment of that unto ‘every creature' (all humans) and ‘every nation’ (cp. Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 28:18-20).

In submitting to that commission, people by faith and being baptized, become children of God and receive the blessings that are only to be found ‘in Christ’.

Now note the ending of chapter 3: “And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise” (Galatians 3:29). The promise? What promise? The Christian Standard Bible accurately includes the definite article here – the promise. The promise to Abraham.

Thus, the disciples of Jesus – regardless of their nationality or ethnicity – are the children of God today. The question then is: Are you a disciple of Jesus? Have you submitted to the great commission?