Living By Faith: Galatians Bible Study Pt. 4

In Galatians, Paul really drives home an important truth: becoming members of God’s people and inheriting His promises doesn’t come from following the Jewish law—it’s all about placing our faith in Christ. This message runs throughout the chapter, as Paul asks the Galatians some thought-provoking questions. He’s trying to help them see the mistake in following false teachers who are steering them away from the gospel.

Paul starts by reminding the Galatians of their conversion. He asks them to think back on their experience—how they received the Holy Spirit. And here’s the key part: they didn’t receive it because they followed the law of Moses! They received it because they believed the message of Christ. This distinction is so crucial. The law of Moses wasn’t the key to salvation—it was a temporary guide, pointing the way until Jesus arrived. Their transformation and relationship with God were based on their faith in Jesus, not on following a set of rules. That’s something we need to remember today—our salvation is about faith, not religious checklists!

Then Paul shifts to what’s happening in the present. He challenges the Galatians, asking them if they’re now trying to reach perfection by human effort through the Jewish law. It’s kind of like saying, “Wait a minute, why are you going backwards when Christ has already given you everything?” By going back to the law, they were undoing all that Jesus had done in their lives, which would make their struggles and suffering for the faith completely pointless. Paul’s reminding them—and us—that we don’t have to rely on our own efforts. It’s all about God’s grace!

In Galatians 3:5, Paul emphasizes that God’s blessings come through faith, not from trying to earn His favor by following the law. To really nail this down, he brings up Abraham, who’s such a key figure in the faith. How did Abraham become righteous in God’s sight? Not by obeying the law—because it didn’t even exist yet!—but by simply believing in God. His faith is what made him right with God. Isn’t that amazing? Faith has always been the way.

God’s promise to Abraham was that “all nations will be blessed through you.” This shows that God’s family was never meant to be restricted to just one group of people (like the Jews following the law), but to all people who believe. This was God’s plan all along! It’s a powerful reminder that you don’t need to follow the Jewish law to be pleasing to God—faith is what truly matters.

So, if observing the law—like circumcision—isn’t what makes us members of God’s people, then what does? It’s simple: faith! Faith is how we become part of God’s family. Anything else He asks of us comes after that, but the starting point is always faith.

Paul even quotes Deuteronomy 27:26 in Galatians 3:10 to make the case that no one can be made righteous through the law alone. The verse basically says that anyone who doesn’t uphold the law perfectly is cursed. And, well, let’s face it—we can’t keep the law perfectly. So if we relied on the law alone to be righteous, we’d all fall short and be cursed. Habakkuk 2:4, which Paul also quotes, makes it even clearer: “The just shall live by his faith.” It’s right there—living by faith, not by the law, is what makes us right with God.

The Israelites learned through the law that they were under a curse because of their sin, but they were also taught to trust God to bless them. Both of these ideas—sin’s curse and God’s promise of life—find their ultimate resolution in Jesus. Jesus took on the burden of our sin, lifted the curse, and now offers us righteousness and life through faith. Isn’t that incredible? It’s all about trusting in Him and His grace.

So, why is it a problem to try to earn God’s acceptance by doing good things or following the law? The issue is that we’d be relying on ourselves rather than on God’s grace—grace that He freely gives. And let’s be honest, as humans, we’re always going to fall short. If we had to depend on ourselves to be righteous and make it to Heaven, we’d constantly fail. But the beauty of it all is that Jesus already did the work for us. All we have to do is have faith, trust Him, and live in the grace He’s given us.

Thanks for taking the time to read through my thoughts on Galatians and what it means to live by faith. I'm excited to keep diving deeper into this study and share more insights with you all. Let me know what you think or if anything stood out to you—I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, keep living in His grace and truth. ❤️