Ten Gospel Truths

What the Bible Teaches - Truth #6

1. The old covenant "gendereth to bondage" (Galatians 4:24, KJV, "slavery," NEB).
2. It is the spiritual experience of being "under the law," under a fear motivation (4:21).
3. The old covenant was formed at Mt. Sinai when Israel vainly promised, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" (Exodus 19:8). God did not ask them to make that promise. They broke it soon afterwards.
4. Peter's promise never to deny the Lord was an old covenant promise (Mark 14:29-31).
5. God made seven great promises to Abraham, but did not ask him to make any promise in return (Genesis 12:1-3). God repeated and enlarged them later, still exacted no promise from him (13:14-17; 15:4, 5). Chapter 15:9-17 shows that the covenant is a one-way promise.
6. God never asks us to make promises to Him; He asks us to believe His promises to us (15:6).
7. Abraham is "the father of all those who believe." Thus he is the example of genuine righteousness by faith (Romans 4:1, 11-13, 16-18). The law, given 430 years later, became "our tutor" ("schoolmaster," KJV) to lead us on a long detour back to the experience of Abraham, to be "justified by faith" (Galatians 3:23-26). ( Waggoner Caught the Bible Idea)