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Understanding Why Faith Is the Way to Righteousness
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Ask God: Paul had preached the salvation message to the Gentiles in Galatia, and many accepted Christ. After Paul left, false teachers came, saying that the Gentiles had to become Jews before they could be saved. Paul’s letter corrected the false teaching. Good Evening Reader, Paul’s letter reminds us that we are saved by faith, not by following the Law. Even today, some Christians set their own rules of conduct to be followed to be saved. Remember that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, not by how good we think we are. May God Bless you this day. Elvin Understanding Why Faith, Not Keeping the Law, Is the Way to Righteousness Why Christians in Galatia Were Being Misled by False Teachers Text: Galatians Chapter 3 Introduction: Are You Depending on Christ or Trying to Earn God's Approval? Imagine someone telling you that believing in Jesus Christ is not enough to receive God's promises. You must also follow certain religious rules, observe traditions, and meet additional requirements before God will fully accept you. Would you believe them? This was the very problem facing the Christians in Galatia. Paul had preached the Gospel to them, and they had believed in Jesus Christ. Most of these new believers came from a Gentile background. They had not grown up following Jewish customs or observing the Law of Moses. They believed Paul's message because they wanted what God had promised through Jesus Christ. They expected forgiveness of sins, righteousness before God, the gift of the Holy Spirit, a new relationship with God, and eternal life. But false teachers came along and began changing Paul's message. They taught that believing in Jesus was not enough. Gentile believers also had to become Jews, be circumcised, and follow the Law of Moses to receive God's full blessings. Paul was deeply concerned. These teachers were taking the Galatians away from the very foundation of the Gospel. They were replacing faith in Christ with the idea that people could earn God's approval by keeping religious laws. Paul wanted them to understand one important truth: God's promises are received through faith, not earned through keeping the Law. Let's look at three important truths Paul teaches us in Galatians Chapter 3. Being a Good Person Cannot Make You Righteous Before God First, consider a person who believes he deserves eternal life because he has obeyed the laws of society. He pays his taxes, treats people fairly, helps his neighbors, and has never committed a serious crime. He reasons that he is a good person and has done nothing deserving of God's punishment. Surely, God will accept him. The problem is that being good by man's standards does not make us righteous in God's sight. This is an important part of understanding the Law of Moses. God gave Israel the Law to establish His standards of holiness and righteousness. The Law showed people what God expected and revealed what sin was. But the Law also revealed something about mankind. No person could earn righteousness by perfectly keeping its commandments. Paul explains this in Romans 3:20: "For by the law is the knowledge of sin." The Law could identify sin, but keeping its commandments could not remove the guilt of sin or make a person righteous before God. Think about it this way. A speed limit sign tells you how fast you can drive. If you exceed the speed limit, the sign identifies your violation. But the sign cannot remove the violation or pay the fine for you. The Law was never intended to be mankind's Savior. It showed us our need for one. That is why Jesus came. He lived without sin and fulfilled the requirements of the Law. He then took our sins upon Himself and paid the price we could never pay. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains that we are saved by grace through faith. Salvation is God's gift, not something we earn through good works. Here is the difference: We do not become righteous by doing good things. We receive righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ. Our good works should be the result of our salvation, not the way we obtain it. God's Promise to Abraham Came 430 Years Before the Law Second, to understand Paul's argument, we must go back to Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham long before the Law of Moses existed. In Genesis 12, God promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation and bless all the families of the earth through him. Later, God confirmed His promise through a covenant. Genesis 15:6 tells us: "And he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Notice what happened. Abraham believed God, and God counted his faith as righteousness. Remember that righteousness means being in right standing with God. Abraham was not made righteous by keeping the Law. The Law had not yet been given. He was made righteous because he believed God's promise. This is an important distinction. God's covenant with Abraham was based on God's promise, and Abraham received that promise through faith. God also promised that through Abraham's seed, all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). Paul explains in Galatians 3:16 that this promised Seed ultimately refers to Jesus Christ. In other words, God's plan was always to bring salvation to the world through Jesus Christ. The promise to Abraham was pointing toward the coming of Christ and the blessings that believers would receive through Him. Now consider the timing. Galatians 3:17 tells us that the Law came 430 years after God established His covenant with Abraham. Why is this important? Because the Law could not cancel a promise God had already made. God did not change His plan of salvation when He gave Moses the Law. Why, then, did God give the Law? The Law revealed sin, established God's standards for Israel, and showed mankind its need for a Savior. Galatians 3:24 explains that the Law served as a tutor or guardian to bring us to Christ so that we might be justified by faith. The Law showed us the problem. Jesus provided the answer. Galatians 3:10 also explains that those who depend on keeping the Law are under a curse if they fail to keep everything written in it. No sinful person could meet that perfect standard. Jesus alone lived without sin. Then Jesus went to the cross and took the curse upon Himself for us (Galatians 3:13). Here is the distinction we must understand:
The Law did not replace God's covenant with Abraham or cancel His promise. God's plan of redemption was always pointing toward Jesus Christ. Through Faith in Christ, We Receive God's Promises Third, Paul wanted the Galatians to remember what they had received when they first believed his message. They had not received God's blessings by keeping the Law. They received them by believing in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:2 asks: "This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" Paul was reminding them of their own experience. They had received the Holy Spirit through faith, not by becoming Jews or keeping the Law of Moses. What did they receive through believing in Jesus?
Notice what Paul was teaching them. They did not have to become Jews to receive God's promises. They did not have to earn God's acceptance by keeping the Law. Through faith in Jesus Christ, they already belonged to God. Galatians 3:26-27 says: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." What an encouraging message! The Gentile believers were not second-class members of God's family. They had the same opportunity to receive God's promises as Jewish believers. The same is true today. Salvation is available to everyone who believes in Jesus Christ. Summary: Stop Trying to Earn What God Has Already Offered Through Christ Paul's message to the Galatians is just as important for believers today as it was when he first preached it. Many people still believe they can earn God's approval by being good. They attend church, give money, help others, obey religious traditions, and try to live morally. These are good things, but none of them can earn salvation or make us righteous before God. We can fall into the same trap as the Galatians when we begin depending on our religious activities, good behavior, or ability to follow rules instead of depending on Jesus Christ. This does not mean that obedience and good works are unimportant. They are important parts of living the Christian life. But we must understand their proper place. We do not obey God to earn His love. We obey Him because we love Him. We do not do good works to earn salvation. We do good works because we have received salvation. Ephesians 2:10 explains that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Our relationship with God begins with faith in Jesus Christ. As we grow in that relationship, the Holy Spirit works within us to change our hearts and help us live according to God's Word. Here is the hope Paul wanted the Galatians to understand: We are not trying to earn something that God has already offered us through Jesus Christ. We receive His promises through faith. We grow in our relationship with Him through His Word, prayer, obedience, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Don't allow anyone to convince you that Jesus is not enough. Continue pursuing Christ, growing in your knowledge of God's Word, and walking in the freedom that comes from knowing Him. Our salvation is not earned by what we do. It is received through what Jesus Christ has done for us. Elvin Send your comments to elvin@AskGodFor.com and let me know what you think of the lessons. Go to: www.AskGodFor.com To See More Living Life Lessons |
Grow in the Knowledge of God's Word
Teaching is my passion and teaching believers the Word of God is my calling. That's why I write a weekly newsletter from the Word of God. Knowledge builds faith and faith builds understanding. Drop your email below to receive helpful lessons about God's Word.