Living by Faith, Not by Law
Freedom in Christ-5
TITLE: Living by Faith, Not by Law
TEXT: Galatians 3:1-14
TONE: Warning
TARGET: Believers
TASK: To warn believers of the danger of reverting to the law after receiving the grace of God through Faith in Christ.
TEACH: Faith in God makes great optimists. Over in Burma, Judson was lying in a foul jail with 32 lbs. of chains on his ankles, his feet bound to a bamboo pole. A fellow prisoner said, "Dr. Judson, what about the prospect of the conversion of the heathen?", with a sneer on his face. His instant reply was, "The prospects are just as bright as the promises of God."
TRUTH: Biblically speaking, faith is a profound and multi-dimensional concept that encompasses trust, belief, and reliance on God. It goes beyond mere intellectual assent to truths about God and involves a wholehearted commitment to, and reliance upon, God and His promises.
Hebrews 11:1 provides a foundational definition: “Now faith is the assurance of things hopes for, the conviction of things not seen.” This verse indicates that faith acts as both an assurance and a conviction, enabling believers to trust in the invisible and future realities promised by God. Faith, therefore, encompasses believing in the truth of the gospel, trusting completely in God’s redemptive work through Christ, and living in accordance with that trust.
We find several biblical principles concerning faith that we are to live by.
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I. Remember the Significance of the Cross (3:1-5)
Explanation: Don’t be misled; keep the focus on Christ crucified and resurrected. Paul rebukes the Galatians for being foolish, influenced away from the truth by emphasizing rituals over the sacrifice of Christ.
Paul refers to the Galatians as “Foolish.” This specific word is used again in 3:3, and refers to a failure of intellect, of understanding or comprehension (1 Tim. 6:9; Titus 3:3; cf. Luke 24:25). The Galatians, Paul suggests, are failing to draw the obvious inference from their experience as Christians. What has caused them to be so foolish? Witchcraft, Paul implies. Someone has “bewitched” them. The verb Paul uses, βασκαίνω (baskainō), means “to exert an evil influence through the eye”; we might say, “to bewitch with the ‘evil eye’ ” (NLT: “Who has cast an evil spell on you?”). Some interpreters argue that we should take Paul’s claim seriously: he thinks that the Galatians are under an evil spell (Neyrey 1988).[1] They are behaving irrational. Those trapped in the throes of legalism believe they must do something to earn right standing before God, which is the curse of the law, we cannot.
Paul also exclaims that “before their eyes Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. This reference is undoubtedly to Paul’s preaching about Christ among the Galatians: by means of vivid word pictures, Paul presented to them the central salvific reality of the cross of Christ (esp. see 1 Cor. 2:1–5). What is meant, then, is a “vivid verbal description”[2]
Paul emphasizes the profound significance of the cross as the central tenet of the Christian faith, urging the believers not to be swayed by superficial rituals or human traditions that detract from the transformable power of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. Paul’s rebuke to the Galatians for their foolishness is a poignant reminder that reliance on the law or any human effort for justification obscures the essence of the Gospel, which is the unmerited grace given through faith in Christ alone.
Application: Avoid being distracted from the centrality of the cross in your journey. Rely on faith, not works, for receiving the Spirit.
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II. Trust in the Experience of Faith (3:5)
Explanation: Faith, not works, invites the Spirit’s power. Paul questions whether the Spirit is received by observing the law or by hearing with faith. Paul, here, presents a pivotal argument rooted in the experiential reality of the believer’s own faith journey, asserting that the transformative power of the Holy Spirit is activated and sustained not by adherence to the law, but through faith.
Therefore, Paul challenges the Galatians to reflect on their own experience: did they receive the Spirit and witness miracles because they meticulously followed the law, or because they embraced the message of Christ through faith? This rhetorical question underscores a fundamental theological truth: The Spirit’s indwelling and the accompanying evidences of God’s power – such as miracles, spiritual gifts, and personal transformation are divine affirmations of faith, not human compliance.
Paul’s emphasis on faith over works aligns with the overarching theme of Paul’s proclamation – that salvation is a grace-driven, Spirit-led transformation of the heart, initiated and completed by God. By relying solely on faith in Christ’s redemptive work, the believer allows the Spirit to work freely, manifesting the life and virtues of Christ in them.
Application: Live expectantly by faith, allowing God’s Spirit to work through you beyond rule and regulations.
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