Read Galatians 3:5-9.

Introduction⤒🔗

The well-known hymn, Faith of Our Fathers, reminds us to put the emphasis in the right place: to focus our attention on the Christian faith of our forefathers. That hymn can serve to remind us that what is truly significant about our forefathers is the Christian faith they possessed: the faith by which they lived; the faith for which many of them suffered, and some of them died; the faith by which they were saved, their personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The churches of Galatia needed to regain that focus. They needed to understand that what was truly significant about Abraham, the great forefather of Israel, was his faith in Christ. Jewish teachers had come to Galatia and were teaching these Gentile Christians that if they hoped to share in the blessing of salvation they must become part of Abraham’s family: they needed to be circumcised and accept the Jewish lifestyle. Thus, they would become “adopted” sons of Abraham and so share in the religious heritage of the Jews.

The Apostle Paul informs these Gentile Christians that what was truly significant about Abraham was his faith in Christ; and if they hoped to share in the blessing of salvation they must share in the faith of Abraham.

Transferring and applying these things to our own day, we must understand that what gives us access to the blessing of salvation is not religious heritage, but personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We may sum it up like this: Rather than putting your faith in your forefathers, you must imitate their faith in Christ.

Imitate the Faith of Your Fathers, Because They were Saved by Faith←⤒🔗

It was an established fact, taught in the Scriptures, that Abraham was the friend of God. King Jehoshaphat prayed, “O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?” (2 Chron. 20:7) Furthermore, it was the clear teaching of Scripture that Abraham was the earthly father of God’s people. In Genesis 17:7 we hear the LORD declare to Abraham, “I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.”

But the Apostle Paul emphasizes that it is very important to understand the basis of Abraham’s relationship with God and to understand who are Abraham’s true spiritual children that share with him in the blessing of God.

In verse six, Paul points out that Abraham was justified by faith: “Abraham ‘believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness.’” Paul is quoting Genesis 15:6. Abraham had no righteousness of his own; he had no personal merit before God. The LORD accepted Abraham on the basis of Abraham’s faith: Abraham trusted the LORD’s word and the LORD’s ability to fulfill His purpose and promise. Thus, Paul is arguing that it is the clear teaching of Scripture that Abraham was justified by faith (in the LORD), not by works that he produced and presented to the LORD.

Furthermore, the Scripture makes it clear that Abraham believed and was justified before he received the sacrament of circumcision. The sacrament of circumcision is first introduced in Genesis 17; the LORD instituted the sacrament of circumcision some thirteen years after the events recorded in Genesis 15, the passage that declares that Abraham was justified by faith. Thus, Abraham was already justified and accepted before the LORD God some thirteen years prior to the institution of the sacrament of circumcision. Circumcision, therefore, was not the basis or the reason for Abraham’s justification; rather, it was a sign and seal confirming his justification. Note Romans 4:11, “[Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.”

Translating this into New Testament terms, one must not trust in the sacrament of baptism; rather, we must understand that one’s baptism is the sign and seal of one’s saving relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism is visibly illustrating the saving work accomplished by Christ and the baptized person’s relationship to Christ. Rather than trust in the sign, we must always trust in the person of Christ Himself and be confident of what He has done for us. By way of illustrating the relationship between the sacrament as sign and seal and the person of Christ Himself, we may consider the following example: If we possess a coupon that entitles us to a free meal at a local restaurant, we do not eat the coupon; we go to the restaurant and eat the meal that is offered. The coupon points us to the restaurant and affirms that we have the permission to eat a meal there.

Paul appeals to the Scriptures to show that Abraham’s justification, (his legal acquittal or acceptance with God), was not based on personal merit that he was able to offer to God, nor was it based on religious sacraments or ceremonies. On the contrary, his justification was based on his faith in the LORD: faith in what the LORD said He would do and what He ultimately accomplished by the atoning work of Christ at Calvary. Jesus said to the Jews, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad” (Jn. 8:56). Jesus is referring to the incident recorded in Genesis 22, the time in which the LORD provided a sacrificial lamb to be placed upon the altar instead of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham was enabled to see that the promised Messiah would be the ultimate substitutionary sacrifice of dedication and atonement on behalf of His people, and Abraham put his faith in Him.

Having dealt with the question, “How was Abraham justified (i.e. accepted by God)?”, in verse seven Paul goes on to deal with the next question, “Who are the true sons of Abraham?” His answer: “those who have faith, they are the sons of Abraham.”

The heretical teachers that were troubling the churches of Galatia claimed that they were the children of Abraham. Only by submitting to circumcision and accepting the Jewish lifestyle could the Gentiles become “adopted” children of Abraham.

The Pharisees, that sect of the Jews with whom the heretical teachers had close ties, put their pride and confidence in the fact that they were the physical descendants of Abraham. But what these men failed to realize was that there is not only a physical relationship with Abraham, there is also a spiritual relationship; and it is the spiritual relationship alone that is all-important with regard to salvation. During His earthly ministry the Lord Jesus confronted the Jews with this very truth. The Jews declared, “We are Abraham’s descendants” (Jn. 8:33),” Our father is Abraham” (Jn. 8:39). But Jesus replied,

I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; nevertheless, you are trying to kill me, because my word finds no place in you. ³⁸I am relating the things I have seen in my Father’s presence; and you are doing the things you have heard from your father. ³⁹They responded by saying to him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus said to them, If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the things Abraham did. ⁴⁰But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham would not have done that. Jn. 8:37-40

The Jews confidently asserted that they were “Abraham’s descendants;” they were Abraham’s physical offspring (Jn. 8:33). Jesus acknowledges that they were “Abraham’s descendants” (Jn. 8:37), but He denies that they are “Abraham’s children” (Jn. 8:39). He points out that if they really were Abraham’s children, like Abraham, they would listen to and accept the Word of God, which He was presenting to them (Jn. 8:39-40). Thus, Jesus is pointing out that there is a distinction between having a natural relationship with Abraham, (being merely a physical descendant of Abraham), and having a spiritual relationship to Abraham, (sharing his faith in the LORD and his fellowship with the LORD).

This is the very truth the Apostle Paul is emphasizing here in Galatians 3:7; namely, those who trust in the LORD are the true children of Abraham. A man may have the same blood running through his veins that Abraham had, but that is inconsequential when it comes to spiritual matters. A man needs to have the same faith in his heart that Abraham had; that alone gives one a true spiritual affinity with Abraham.

By way of contemporary application: We must each one personally and individually possess the same saving faith in Christ as our forefathers. We must not put our trust in being part of the religious heritage passed down from our forefathers, putting our confidence in the fact that “my own name is recorded in the same church role as my godly grandfather.” We must not put our trust in the mere fact that we happen to be the physical offspring of godly forefathers, putting our confidence in the fact that “Dad had a great relationship with the LORD, I am his son/daughter, so I guess the LORD will accept me, too, for dad’s sake because I am his child.” Rather than putting our faith in our forefathers and whatever religious heritage we may have received from them, we must imitate their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Imitate the Faith of Your Fathers, Even If You Don’t Have Such Human Fathers←⤒🔗

Up to this point, the apostle has demonstrated that it is not enough for a man to be merely a physical descendant of Abraham; rather, it is essential that the man possess the same faith in the LORD that Abraham had. But someone might raise the question, “What about the Gentiles?” It is evident that a Jew must go beyond merely physical descent from Abraham to spiritual affinity with Abraham, but what about the Gentiles who do not have any physical descent as a starting point? Are they left out?

Once again, Paul provides the answer from Scripture, this time quoting Genesis 12:3 in combination with Genesis 18:18, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, announced the good news in advance to Abraham, [proclaiming], ‘All the nations shall be blessed through you’” (vs. 8). The LORD declared to Abraham, “All the nations shall be blessed through you.” Abraham is the source of blessing because it would be from his lineage that the promised Savior would come. The LORD asserts, “all the nations” shall be blessed through Abraham. As the N.T. commentator, H. Ridderbos points out, “Plainly, the sharing of all the nations in Abraham’s blessing cannot be based upon biological relationship with him.”¹ Indeed, the Gentiles’ sharing in the blessing is based upon their spiritual relationship with Abraham, namely, his faith in the LORD. The blessing that is in mind is nothing other than justification: “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, announced the good news [i.e. the gospel] in advance to Abraham” (vs. 8a). Hence, the Apostle Paul sees in the promise of Genesis 12:3/Genesis 18:18 the assurance that the Gentiles will be saved by faith.

Thus, Genesis 12:3 reveals that the blessing of salvation is promised not only to Abraham’s direct descendants, the people of ethnic Israel; it is also promised to all who respond to the gospel and thus possess the same faith as Abraham. So, by means of Scripture, Paul demonstrates that physical descent from Abraham is not a necessary prerequisite for becoming a true spiritual son of Abraham.

By way of contemporary application, we may ask the question, “What about those who have no godly believing forefathers?” What about those who, unlike Bruce Wilkinson, have no examples of living faith in Christ that may be imitated? Bruce Wilkinson was raised in a devoted Christian household:

As a child, I would always see my father and mother reading the Bible, he notes fondly. Or I would stumble into the living room in the morning and see my father on his knees, praying. It was a constant pattern. Those images stayed with me for forty years. Though my faith was tested years later, growing up with parents who believed strongly in the Bible...provided a fertile environment for a child.

What about those who, unlike Timothy, have had no encouragement and instruction in the way of salvation from a young age? The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy of his godly heritage:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise with regard to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim. 3:14-15

Those who have no godly forefathers that have set an example of true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ may simply look directly to Christ Himself. The promise of salvation is offered to all and to any who will come to Christ and trust in Him. In a Christian, covenant, home, the LORD uses godly believing fathers (and mothers) to point the children to Christ the Savior. But for those who have grown up in irreligious homes, the LORD uses other means to bring to Christ those whom He has ordained to save: in the case of the Gentile Galatians, it was the ministry of the Apostle Paul.

In verse nine, Paul sums up his argument: “So then, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.” Abraham is identified as “the believer.” The one thing that is spiritually significant about Abraham is his faith in the LORD: he believed in the promises the LORD made to him, he believed in the LORD’s ability to fulfill His promises, and therefore, he put his faith in the LORD. Abraham believed in the Messiah whose work was illustrated for him in the incident in which the LORD provided a substitutionary lamb to take the place of Isaac upon the altar (Gen. 22).

Conclusion←⤒🔗

Are you trusting in the religious heritage and tradition passed down to you by your forefathers? Don’t trust in them and that heritage; rather, imitate their faith in Christ.

Are you trusting in the sacraments and the observance of religious practices? The sacraments are signs that point you to Christ, and seals that can only be effective if they are confirming your faith in Christ. If you have grown up in a Christian home and have received the sacrament of baptism as an infant, you must recognize that the sacrament signified, (or, illustrates), the cleansing blood of Christ that must be applied to your soul if you are to be saved. The sacrament further serves as a seal, giving assurance that Christ’s shed blood shall surely and certainly be the means of salvation for all who trust in Him. Thus, when you look back to your baptism, understand what it represents; and rather than trust in the sacrament itself, put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One whose work is illustrated in the sacrament of baptism.

Are you trusting in yourself and any supposed merit you may assume to possess? Don’t seek to futilely produce your own personal merit; rather, trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect, divine merit.

Or, like Abraham, are you trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for your salvation? If so, you are a true child of Abraham and share in the blessing of salvation that he received from God by faith.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. How does the LORD define His relationship with Abraham in Isaiah 41:8? To confirm His relationship with Abraham, what did God do? See Gen. 17:7 In what did the Jews place their confidence? See Jn. 8:33a Like the Jews did with regard to Abraham, do you place your faith in a godly forefather, rather than imitating him by placing your faith in Christ the Lord?

But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob—[the one] whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham my friend... Isa. 41:8

The LORD declared to Abraham,

I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. Gen. 17:7

[The Jews] answered [Jesus], We are Abraham’s descendants... Jn. 8:33a

2. According to the Pharisaical Jews who had affiliated themselves with the Christian church, how could the Gentiles share in the Jewish inheritance? See Acts 15:5. Like those Jews, do you place your faith in baptism, in your membership in your godly forefather's church, and in your efforts to lead a moral life, rather than becoming a member of the spiritual body of Christ by placing your faith in Him?

Then certain men of the sect of the Pharisees stood up, expressing their belief that it is necessary to circumcise them [i.e. the Gentile converts] and to charge them to keep the law of Moses. Acts 15:5

Receiving the sacrament of circumcision indicated that a man was entering into the covenant that the LORD had established with Abraham and his descendants; he was becoming an “adopted” member of Abraham’s earthly “family.”

3. The Jews placed their faith in their relationship with Abraham, but what was the basis of Abraham’s relationship with the LORD? See Gen. 15:6. What is the significance of the fact that the LORD alone passed between the pieces of the carcasses when making His covenant with Abram? See Gen. 15:9­ 10, 17-18a. What does the Lord Jesus tell us is the work that God requires of us? See Jn. 6:29; How does the Apostle Paul describe Abraham? See Gal. 3:9. How does Paul answer the jailor’s question concerning the way of salvation? Acts 16:30-31a,

[From the fact that] Abraham 'believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness,' ⁷[you must] understand that those who have faith, they are the sons of Abraham. Gal. 3:5-6

And [the LORD] said to [Abram], Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat and a three-year-old ram, also a turtle-dove and a young pigeon.¹⁰Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two, and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half... ¹⁷When the sun went down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between the pieces of the divided animal carcasses. ^18aOn that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram... Gen. 15:9-10, 17-18a

In a typical covenant of that time, both parties would pass between the corridor composed of the severed animal carcasses, thereby each one pledging his very life to keep the covenant. But in the covenant the LORD makes with Abraham and his descendants, only the LORD takes upon Himself the pledge to fulfill the covenant; Abraham’s role is to place his faith in the LORD, depending upon Him for the fulfillment of the covenant and its obligations.

Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work God requires, that you believe on him whom he sent.' Jn. 6:29

So then, those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. Gal. 3:9

And [the jailor] brought them out and said, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' ³¹So they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' Acts 16:30­ -31

4. In Genesis 12:3, the passage quoted by the Apostle Paul in Gal. 3:8, what promise did the LORD make to Abraham that pertains to the Gentiles? How is that promised fulfilled? See Matt. 28:19. What does the Apostle Paul assure those Gentiles who have placed their faith in the Jewish Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ? To whom is the promise of salvation offered in Jn. 3:16?

The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, announced the good news in advance to Abraham, [proclaiming], 'All the nations shall be blessed through you.' Gal. 3:8

The risen Lord Jesus Christ gave to His disciples the commission:

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit... Matt. 28:19

So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and [members of] the household of God. Eph. 2:19

The “saints” has the meaning of those who have been set apart by covenant to be God’s own possession.

...for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Jn. 3:16

5. If you once put your faith in a godly forefather, or in church membership and the attempt to lead a moral life, but now have put your faith in Christ Jesus the Lord, what brought you to this point? Might your experience help others with a similar religious background likewise come to saving faith in Christ?