Do we trust in our own good works to save us from our sins, or do we rely on the work of God to do so? In his letter to the churches in the Roman province of Galatia, Paul forcefully stated that the followers of Christ are not obligated to keep the Law of Moses. In fact, attempting to be justified by keeping the Law is to turn one’s back on the grace of God.
In the next section of his letter Paul presents several arguments which prove the inferiority of the Law. The first argument is the personal experience of the Galatian Christians. In chapter 3, verse 1 through 5, Paul writes, “Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified? I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain, if it is indeed in vain? He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?”
Paul addresses the Galatians as people who have the capacity to think and understand, and yet have allowed something to interfere with their minds. Though they have all the right information, they have arrived at the wrong conclusion. It is as if they have given someone else power over their minds.
The reason Paul writes this way is that he had clearly proclaimed Christ to them. His message was so plain that it was as if he had shown them a picture of Christ being crucified. Receiving justification through the cross of Christ is contradictory to the attempt to earn salvation by keeping a code of conduct.
Even in their state of confused thinking, the followers of Christ in Galatia could remember how they received God’s Spirit. It was not by observing the Law of Moses. They received the Spirit by believing the gospel. Having received the Spirit’s power at the beginning, could they not see how foolish it would be to try to go forward in their own strength?
These people had suffered for following Christ, were they now going to say that they had made a mistake? Did they think that God would continue to give them His Spirit and do miracles among them if they abandoned their faith in Christ to observe the Law of Moses?
In his second argument Paul refers to the experience of Abraham. In verses 6 through 9 he writes, “Even as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.” Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.”
If we desire for God to count us as righteous, it is wise to ask how those who have gone before us have obtained righteousness. In this regard Paul uses Abraham as an illustration. Paul quotes Genesis chapter 15, verse 6 which tells us why God counted Abraham righteous. It was not because Abraham was able to perfectly keep a code of conduct. No, Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God.
This was not a special arrangement just for Abraham. God promised that all nations would be blessed through him. How would all nations be blessed? Through Jesus Christ. Through His mother Mary, Jesus is a descendant of Abraham. Just as Abraham was justified by believing God so, too, are all those justified who believe in the One whom God sent to pay the penalty for sin.
In contrast to the justification which comes through belief, the Law can only condemn. In verses 10 through 14 Paul writes, “For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Now that no man is justified by the law before God is evident, for, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Paul points out that the reason those who try to observe the Law of Moses are under a curse is because the Law requires perfect obedience. There is no provision in the Law to compensate for breaking the Law. The penalty for breaking the Law is spiritual death. Since no one aside from Christ has ever been able to keep the Law perfectly, the result is that the Law condemns us all. And once we have been condemned by the Law, the Law cannot justify us.
Justification is given by a different principle than by keeping a code of conduct. Paul tells us what this principle is by quoting the prophet Habakkuk, “The righteous will live by faith.” In other words, it is faith, not our efforts to observe the Law which will justify us before God. How does this work? All of us are under a curse because we have broken God’s commands. Jesus, who kept the Law perfectly, took our curse upon Himself and sacrificed Himself on our behalf. He paid the penalty which we incurred as a result of our sin. It is through believing on Jesus Christ and accepting the sacrifice which He made on our behalf that we are justified.
The principle of justification by faith is not restricted to the Jewish people. It is a universal principle. Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for people of all races to have a right relationship with God. It is not only the physical descendants of Abraham who are blessed (that is who are redeemed from the curse), but all those who put their faith in Christ. And, to those who believe, God has promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.