It’s Faith, Not the Law, That Saves Us

Galatians 3:1-14, 23-29

1 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.

6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”

13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

These verses bring such freedom to me! Praise God! He is such a wonderful and awesome God to serve. Why would anyone deny His existence? Why would anyone not want to fall in love with Him?

Verse 13 brings to light the whole reason for Christ to have come to earth and to give up what He had in heaven. He did that for me! He did that for you! I wouldn't have done it for me or you. His love for me and you was so great that He couldn't stand to let us wallow in our sin any longer. God did not want to start over again because of the sins of His creation so He made a bridge between us and Him by having His Son die on the cross and become sin for us. That is love.

It is love to do something like that for someone with no guarantee that they will accept it or even believe it. He did that for me whether I ever acknowledged it or not. I liken His action to Him providing everyone a get out of jail free card and some don't take it. They would rather spend their eternal life in darkness, isolation, dispair and torment. That does not make sense to me. I am excited for my eternal life with Jesus. I get to walk on streets of gold and serve Him continuously. No more sickness, no more disease, no more crying, no more heartache. Why does that sound so bad to people?

I love the fact that by having faith in God's Word and what Jesus did for me on the cross that I get to partake of the blessing God bestowed upon Abraham. All the nations of the world will be blessed because of Abrahams's faith in God's promise to him. The blessing is there for everyone to partake in, if they have the faith to believe and accept it. Why wouldn't you want to be supernaturally protected? When God's super comes upon my natural things change for the better. Praise God!

Father I thank You for the promise You gave to my father of faith, Abraham. I thank You that the promise You gave to him is mine to enjoy through faith in You. The same faith Abraham had in You and Your promise. I am eternally thankful for Jesus going to the cross to become cursed for me and to die for my sins. I am thankful that the same Holy Spirit that raised Him from the dead is living inside of me right now and I have that same dynamic power to raise people from the dead. I thank You for loving me before I was even born and You continue to love me and see me as righteous. I promise to share Your love with others today and to reveal Your truth to them. Guide me, direct me and give me the words to say and the opportunity to say them to the right people. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)

The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).

Published by Erik L. Vakula
Daily Bread From the Word
Copyright © 2009 Erik Vakula, All Rights Reserved