Episode 923
Exploring the Liberation of Promise: Insights from Galatians 3:15-22
The "Daily Bible Refresh" is presented each day by Rev. Dr. Brad Miller who has a goal of speaking a bit of the bible into two million ears (one million people) in three years (2025-2028).
He is the author of "The A, B, C-1,2,3 Bible Study Guide" Free to you by clicking HERE.
Brad served as a local church pastor for forty years and has a background in radio and podcasting. Moreover, he is a life-long student of The Bible.
He believes in the words of Jesus that “scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21)
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This episode provides a detailed examination of Galatians 3:15-22, where the host elucidates the theological implications of the relationship between law and promise as articulated by Paul. The discussion commences with a legal analogy, emphasizing that God’s promises, akin to a will, remain unassailable by subsequent regulations or human interventions. This sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the law's role, which, according to Paul, was not instituted as a means of salvation but rather as a temporary measure to guide humanity until the arrival of Christ.
The podcast further explores the notion that the law serves to highlight the futility of human efforts to achieve righteousness and emphasizes the necessity of waiting in faith for God's divine promise to unfold. The speaker engages listeners in contemplating how religious institutions often create barriers to grace and belonging, which can lead to alienation rather than communal connection. By advocating for a liberation from such religious systems, the discussion encourages a re-evaluation of what it means to be in relationship with God, emphasizing that divine love is accessible to all without intermediary structures.
In conclusion, the episode presents actionable reflections, inviting listeners to reconsider religious practices that they might have mistaken for essential paths to divine acceptance. By embracing direct experiences of God's love and justice in their daily lives, individuals are encouraged to transform their spiritual journeys from mere observances to authentic relationships. This paradigm shift fosters a deeper understanding of faith as a direct and personal experience of divine grace.
Takeaways:
- The original promise made by God to Abraham and his descendants remains unaltered by subsequent religious laws and regulations.
- Paul's interpretation of the law emphasizes its function as a guide to illuminate our inherent need for divine connection and community.
- The promise of direct access to God's love challenges the established religious authority structures that often mediate such access.
- Religious systems that commodify grace or establish hierarchies of worthiness are fundamentally at odds with the liberating message of the gospel.
- We are encouraged to reflect on our relationship with spiritual practices, viewing them as tools for personal growth rather than requirements for divine acceptance.
- Identifying and setting aside religious rules can lead to a transformative experience of love and justice in our lives, fostering deeper community connections.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- voiceofgoddaily.com
Transcript
Promise and Liberation Understanding Galatians 3:15 22 on the Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller hello my good friends, Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller here with the Daily Bible Refresh and daily visit into the New Testament of the Bible with the selected verses from the Revised Common Lectionary.
Speaker A:Three year cycle of reading through the entire Bible.
Speaker A:We're in Year C, the Pentecost season and we made the Bible reading the Bible understandable by using the Message Version, relatable by giving you some points to ponder and applicable by giving you some action steps.
Speaker A:We have a prayer.
Speaker A:We do all of that in under 10 minutes or so.
Speaker A: million a million people by: Speaker A:Let's get into our reading for the day from Galatians 3:15 22 from the Message Friends, let me give you an example from everyday affairs of the free life I am talking about.
Speaker A:Once a person's will has been signed, no one else can annul it or add to it.
Speaker A:Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his descendants.
Speaker A:You will observe that scripture in this careful language of a legal document does not say quote two descendants, close quote referring to everybody in general, but quote to your descendant close quote.
Speaker A:The noun note is singular, referring to Christ.
Speaker A:This is the way I interpret this.
Speaker A:A will earlier signed by God is not annulled by an addendum attached 430 years later, thereby negating the promise of the will.
Speaker A:No, this addendum with its instructions and regulations has nothing to do with the promised inheritance in the will.
Speaker A:What is the point then of the law?
Speaker A:The attached addendum?
Speaker A:It was a thoughtful addition to the original covenant promises made to Abraham.
Speaker A:The purpose of the law was to keep a sinful people in the way of salvation until Christ the descendant came inheriting the promises and distributing them to us.
Speaker A:Obviously this law was not a first hand encounter with God.
Speaker A:It was arranged by angelic messengers through a middleman, Moses.
Speaker A:But if there is a middleman as there was but if there was a middleman as there was at Sinai, then the people are not dealing directly with God, are they?
Speaker A:But the original promise is the direction blessing of God received by faith.
Speaker A:If such is the case, is the law, then an anti promise, a negation of God's will for us?
Speaker A:Not at all.
Speaker A:Its purpose was to make obvious to everyone that we are in ourselves out of right relationship with God and therefore to show us the futility of devising some religious system for getting by our own efforts what we can only get by waiting in faith for God to complete his promise.
Speaker A:For if any kind of rule keeping had power to create life in us, we would certainly have gotten it by this time.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Just an incredibly deep and intense legal jargon here really about what is happening here and really Paul.
Speaker A:In this reflection, Paul wrestles with the relationship between law and promise.
Speaker A:And he's offering insights that really are remain relevant to our contemporary culture in our journey that we're on right now.
Speaker A:So let's go consider some points to ponder.
Speaker A:The first is the liberation of religious systems.
Speaker A:Paul challenges the idea that we can create religious systems to earn divine favor in our time.
Speaker A:This speaks to the way religious institutions often create hierarchies of worthiness and complex rules of belonging.
Speaker A:Progressive faith calls us to question systems that commodify grace or create barriers to inclusion.
Speaker A:The promise comes directly from God, not through religious gatekeepers.
Speaker A:A second point to ponder is the purpose of guidelines.
Speaker A:Rather than seeing religious laws as a means of salvation, Paul suggests they serve to illuminate our need for connection and community.
Speaker A:This invites us to view spiritual practices not as requirements for divine acceptance, but as tools of four awareness and growth.
Speaker A:It's about relationship, not regulation.
Speaker A:The third point is about direct access to divine love.
Speaker A:Paul emphasizes that the original promise offers direct blessing without intermediaries.
Speaker A:This radically democratic vision challenges religious authority structures and suggests that every person has direct access to divine love.
Speaker A:No institution, no doctrine or ritual can claim exclusive control over God's promise.
Speaker A:Let's talk about an action step.
Speaker A:Identify a religious rule or practice that you've treated as essential for divine acceptance and experiment with setting it aside for a time.
Speaker A:And instead focus on direct experiences of love and justice in your daily life.
Speaker A:Notice how this will shift your relationship with both your spirituality and your community.
Speaker A:We'll come back and have a prayer in just a moment, but I also want you to know we have a great resource for you.
Speaker A:It's called the ABC 123 Bible Study Guide.
Speaker A:You can pick it up at our website, voiceofgodaily.com you will find it helpful.
Speaker A:Let's have a prayer.
Speaker A:Oh God, you are the source of endless promise.
Speaker A:Free us from systems we create to measure worthiness and belonging, to remind us that your love flows freely, unrestricted by our rules and regulations.
Speaker A:When we're tempted to build barriers, show us the way of openness.
Speaker A:When we seek to control access to your grace.
Speaker A:Humble us with your boundless generosity.
Speaker A:Help us trust the direct connection we share with you and each other.
Speaker A:Guide us from real keeping to relationship building, from religious performance to authentic presence.
Speaker A:May we become channels of your promise, breaking down walls that divide, creating spaces where all can encounter your liberating love directly.
Speaker A:Amen.
Speaker A:My good friends, it's always a pleasure and a privilege to be with you here on Daily Bible Refresh.
Speaker A:Please join me again tomorrow.
Speaker A:We're on a mission here.
Speaker A: ionaires, a million people by: Speaker A:You can help by subscribing to the podcast and telling others about it.
Speaker A:We usually drop our episodes every day before 6am Eastern Time.
Speaker A:Please join us and you will.
Speaker A:We'll be blessed together.
Speaker A:Till tomorrow then, friends.
Speaker A:My name is Dr.
Speaker A:Brad Miller.
Speaker A:Remember that God's loyal love doesn't run out.
Speaker A:His merciful love hasn't dried up.
Speaker A:It's created new every morning.
