The Importance of Faith

We have seen the interrogation of faith and the illustration of faith and today we’ll see the importance of faith. Next week is the identity of faith.  Paul anticipates the Judaizers next objection since they were huge fans of the law of Moses. In general, they recognized the importance of the Abrahamic covenant, but they gave priority to the Mosaic covenant. This led them to emphasize law over faith. The next question is: “Why did God give Moses the law if the law doesn’t do anything for our salvation?

I. The of God (15-18)

• Paul highlights the who is making the promise. 
• The illustration given is that when a or agreement is made by people involving obligations and , no one can add to it of take from it.  It will remain as it was originally made.
• God is a God who cannot . God made a promise that He would enter into a relationship with sinners through alone.
• The Mosaic Law does not the promise of faith made to Abraham.

II. The of the Law (19-21, 24)

     A. The Law was for .

• The purpose of the Law is to reveal sin, not remove sin. The purpose of the Law is to show sin, not save from sin. 
• There is a sense in which laws sin, but they also provoke sin.  (Romans 5:20)

     B. The Law was . 

• A temporary law cannot be greater than a promise.
• The law reigned from Mount to Mount where it was done away with by Jesus dying on the cross!

     C. The Law was our . 

• The Law shows us where we fall and points us to the answer. 

III. The of Faith (22-25)

• Because the law is temporary, we need a permanent to our sin problem.
• The law of Moses does not hinder or nullify the promise of God that is available by faith to those who believe.
• Jesus it all! The laws of Moses with all the ceremonies, and rituals, and priesthood, and sacrifices were never intended to be permanent. It was all a pointing to a substance.