Find inspiration in Galatians on the delicate task of helping individuals remember and return to their path of faith and goodness.
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Sometimes there are people in our lives that have drifted away from what is good and right. In times like this, we may have to confront and correct those individuals. At times, it may require planning an intervention for the wayward person. Then, when we meet with that individual, we do it with much respect and with empathy. We do this with the goal to help them to remember and return to their previous path.
In Galatians 3.1-14, Paul is addressing the people of Galatia and their drifting away from the gospel of faith. His goal in this letter is to bring the Galatians back to the truth of the gospel. He writes…
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You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
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Paul’s letter to the Galatians tackles a critical issue: how are we justified before God? In Galatians 3.1-14, he passionately argues for justification by faith, not by works of the Law. He confronts the Galatians’ drift towards legalism, reminding them of the true foundation of salvation.
In this passage, Paul reminds the Galatians, and us today, to…
1. Remember the Proof (vv. 1-5)
Paul starts this section by calling the Galatians foolish, asking them who bewitched them. He was concerned about their shift from faith to legalism. This shift came about because some Jewish believers had infiltrated the believers in Galatia and began requiring works of the law, such as circumcision.
Paul reminds the people of how he clearly portrayed to them that Christ was crucified. He reminds them of the centrality of the cross of Christ. He wants them to remember how their Spiritual walk began through faith and not by works.
Along with reminding them of the cross of Christ, he also reminds them of their own experience of receiving the Spirit of God. He asked them, how did you receive the Spirit? Did they receive it through works, or by faith? Remembering how they received the Spirit, he questions them as to why they turned back to the works of the law.
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This is so true for us today. We are saved by the grace of God through faith and not by works. We receive the Spirit of God through faith. So, if we receive the Spirit through faith, then why would we ever go back to the works of the law? Like the Galatians, we are to remember the proof of what and why we believe.
Along with remembering the proof, Paul also pointed them to…
2. Remember the Promise (vv. 6-9)
Paul then brings up the patriarch of the faith, Abraham. The scripture says that Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Abraham was declared righteous before the law was given. He was declared righteous on his belief in God. This establishes the priority of faith over the law. It demonstrates that salvation has always been by grace through faith, even before the law was ever given.
Along with Abraham’s faith, Paul also reminds the Galatians that the true descendants of Abraham are not those who adhere to the law, but those who share Abraham’s faith. The Gentiles, and us, through faith in Christ, are included in this promise.
Then Paul concludes this section by leading them to…
3. Remember the Potential (vv. 10-14)
In verse 10, Paul reminds the gentiles that those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse. They were under a curse because perfect obedience to the law is impossible. To be saved through the law requires us to be able to live by the law in complete obedience our entire lives. Obedience to the law is not something that is completed from this point forward, it is something that is required from the moment we are born.
This highlights the laws condemning nature. It reveals the impossibility of earning salvation through perfect obedience. What the law really does is reveal sin. However, it does not provide a way to overcome sin. This is where justification by faith comes into play. Justification by faith is a pivotal point in Paul’s theology. It emphasizes that faith, not works, is the means by which we receive God’s righteousness and true life.
Fortunately for us, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law. He took the curse of the law upon himself by becoming a curse for us on the cross. Deuteronomy 21.23 states, “you must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be sure to bury it the same day, because anyone who has hung on a pole is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.”
So, Jesus bore the penalty for our sin, freeing us from the condemnation of the law. He became a curse for us by going to the cross. He took the sins of all mankind upon himself so that by faith in him our sins will be forgiven. This highlights the incredible grace and love of God.
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Paul’s words in these few verses give us a clear picture of justification by faith. The foundation of our faith is Jesus Christ. Because of his sacrifice on the cross we can be saved. Like Abraham, our faith is credited as righteousness. Not because of things we have done, but because of what Jesus has done. Justification by faith, through the cross of Jesus, is how we receive the Spirit of God within us. Being justified by faith is a message of hope for all who abide by it.
Let us continually remember all that Jesus has done for us and always return and remain steadfast in our relationship with Him through faith.
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