Thursday, July 25, 2013

Galatians 3:16

Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely
Galatians 3:16

16 Now [de] to Abraham [Abraam] and [kai] his [autos] seed [sperma] were [rheo] the promises [epaggelia] made. [rheo] He saith [lego] not, [ou] And [kai] to seeds, [spermata] as [hos] of [epi] many; [polus] but [alla] as [hos] of [epi] one, [heis] And [kai] to thy [sou] seed, [sperma] which [hos] is [esti] Christ. [Christos] KJV-Interlinear

16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. NASB

The passage being referred to here is from Gen. 22:17-18.

Gen 22:17-18
17 indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."   NASB

The subject is still faith versus works, as the means of securing salvation and the process through which the spiritual life functions.

This faith comes through one person and one person only, and that person is Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the distant seed, or descendant of Abraham.  Abraham lived about two-thousand years before the birth of Jesus.

It is through this single seed, Jesus, that the world will be blessed.

It is not through the many descendants, or the many seeds, by which the world will be blessed.
People have nothing to do with securing blessings for the human race.  If that were the case then works, good deeds, good intentions, sincerity and so forth would have a place in securing the spiritual life, but that is not the case.

Faith and faith alone is the path and means of the spiritual life, not works.

The descendants of Abraham both in his genetic descendants, and descendants or others by means of the pattern of faith which Abraham demonstrated, all may be the recipients of Gods blessing, but only through their individual faith, not and never by means of anyone's lifestyle.

You cannot earn your way into heaven.  You do not deserve admission into heaven.


That is a gift from God through faith, and by no other means.  Otherwise you would boast as to your unique ability to achieve that which no one else has ever been able to achieve.