“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that are under the law…” (Gal. 4:4,5).

Paul says Christ entered the world, “…to redeem them that were under the law” (the Jews). We are born to live, but He was born to die. That fateful night long ago will echo this wonderful truth to the end of time. Namely, the wooden feeding trough that the lambs frequented cradled the Lamb of God, who would one day hang upon an old rugged Cross. Why? That He might redeem “…us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).

But what does all this have to do with us Gentiles? Much in every way! First and foremost, we learn from Paul’s gospel that God’s plan of redemption wasn’t to be limited to Israel. Hence, Paul received a new revelation that “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). Christ gave Himself a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:6). Moreover, the law, which condemned Israel, also pointed its bony finger into the face of the Gentiles declaring that we, too, were under the sentence of condemnation. Consider these solemn words:

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19). If God’s chosen people were unable to keep His righteous standard, should we suppose that we would have fared any better had the Gentiles, been placed under the law? Christ has redeemed both, Jews and Gentiles, from the curse of the law. Today, then, we are saved by grace through faith alone! We walk by grace alone, and will one day be caught up together by grace alone!

So then, while God’s plan of redemption was gradually unfolded, Paul was given the secret of the gospel, which is Calvary. He is the first to reveal the significance of what God was doing in Christ. In other words, Paul explains why the virgin birth was essential, that a provision was made for all at Calvary, that forgiveness is through the blood of Christ, how that we were redeemed from the curse of the law, etc. Although dispensational distinctions are extremely important, may the Lord also give us an understanding as to the importance of the connections between the two programs of God.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

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