The Just Shall Live By Faith – Galatians 3
How do we truly live before God? Paul writes to the Galatians with urgency, pointing them back to the foundation of faith. They were slipping into a mindset that mixed human effort with God’s grace, but Paul reminds us that our righteousness comes not from works, but through faith alone.
Galatians 3:3 (CSB)
“Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the human effort?”
Paul’s question cuts deep. We start our journey with God by His Spirit, yet how often do we try to perfect it through our own strength? It’s a subtle shift, but it undermines the very grace that saved us.
Galatians 3:6-9 (CSB)
“Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, so those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham, saying, ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’”
Abraham’s faith, not his deeds, made him righteous. This same faith blesses us—Gentiles and Jews alike—showing that God’s promise has always been about faith, not law.
Galatians 3:13 (CSB)
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’”
Christ took the curse we deserved, breaking its power over us. His sacrifice on the cross is our redemption, freeing us to live by faith.
Galatians 3:22 (CSB)
“But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin’s power, so that the promise might be given on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ to those who believe.”
Sin held us captive, but faith in Christ unlocks God’s promise, offering freedom to all who trust in Him.
Galatians 3:25-26 (CSB)
“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.”
The law was our guardian until faith arrived. Now, as God’s children through Christ, we live under His grace, not rules.
Galatians 3:28-29 (CSB)
“There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.”
In Christ, all barriers fall—we’re one family, heirs of Abraham’s promise through faith.
The just live by faith, not effort. Christ’s work on the cross, not our striving, defines us. This faith unites us as God’s children, breaking down divisions and fulfilling His promise. Are we trusting in Christ’s finished work, living by faith alone, and sharing this unity with others?
