Read Galatians 3 at Bible Gateway.
The Galatians had started out so well. They had believed the good news about Jesus and received the Holy Spirit simply by trusting in Him. But then some new teachers arrived and confused them, telling them that in order to be saved, they needed to obey the Law as well as trust in Jesus.
Paul strongly corrected this false teaching. From the Scriptures and from the Law itself, he explained why salvation does not come by obedience. He reminded the Galatians what it is that saves a man. You see, we have been into the courtroom of the Heavenly Judge, and the blood of the Lamb was found brushed over our guilty verdict. Jesus has redeemed us from the indictment—the “curse”—of the Law which required death as the penalty for sin. We have been justified, not by obedience to the Law, but by the free gift of God, received simply by faith in Christ Jesus. This is called justification by faith. We are made right with God not because we have obeyed the Law perfectly, but because we trust in what Jesus has already done for us.
Why This Matters. Obedience to the Law has not passed away–it is just not the instrument of salvation. The Law, Paul says, is not against the promises of God!
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice Law-lessness!’” Mat 7:21-23
Teaching Tools. Context is King.
If there are questions, this is a good resource:
The Righteousness that is of Faith – Christine Miller
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