Galatians PT 2 3:10-14

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

This is the heading for this segment of scripture in my Bible.

Webster's Dictionary defines righteous as:

1. : acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin. 2. a. : morally right or justifiable.

I'm staring at these 3 definitions and looking at them through the truth of the Gospel:

I haven't lived a perfect life according to divine or moral law, I am not free of guilt or sin on my own and I am not justified apart from Jesus.

Righteousness, then, as defined by our most trusted resource is impossible on my own.

How is that Paul says the Righteous live by faith?

This may be old news to you, but it is absolutely incredible to be reminded. We ARE righteous in Jesus. It is impossible to have relationship with God outside of this truth. (Titus 3:4-8, Romans 8:29-30).

Therefore, The Righteous that live by Faith, are US. But the Righteousness is not a result of anything we have done or could do and is attained through Faith in Jesus Christ and HIS work.

This is so amazing.

It is so easy to fall into old mindsets that somehow the way I'm living my life is affecting my standing with God- that is a lie from hell! My position with God is complete in Jesus, the rest of the process of becoming more like Him depends on my understanding that I was saved, am being saved and will be saved. To break that down....there is a moment of salvation that we become new. We are "born again". Yet, just as a child grows and matures, as spiritual infants (at the time we are saved) we also have a process of growth and maturity (2 Corinthians 3:18) as we become more and more like Jesus. Then, at His return, the completion and fullness of salvation will be experienced (1 John 3:2).

The point is, Righteousness is ONLY obtained through Jesus and those that have given their lives for Him cand ONLY live by faith (Hebrews 11:6). It is through faith that the rest of what we do is made complete (James 2:26, James 2:18).

Does this make sense?

What you do good in life has no effect on your position with God. Your performance here on earth doesn't get you into heaven and doesn't give you relationship with Jesus. Your FAITH makes you righteous because you are now "hidden in Christ". Your FAITH, then, becomes the motivation and fuel to the way you live your life as an outward demonstration of the inward transformation in Jesus and empowered by Holy Spirit.

Galatians 3:10-14

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The Righteous shall live by faith." But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us --for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hanged on a tree"--so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

What an incredible reminder this is for the Galatians and us.

Have you ever tried really, really hard to be a good person at some stage in your life? I mean done everything you could to deal with the annoying people at work while parenting your kids with tons and tons of grace and doing all the things that your spouse loves....I have. It is EXHAUSTING. When you do life out of your own strength according to moral obligation (law) you can FEEL the effects of being underneath a curse that we aren't supposed to be under. When Paul says, "The one who does them shall live by them." He's saying that if you go live your life under a set of rules and laws, you're going to be measured by that way of life. The 'Law' has no grace- JESUS brought that. The curse that people lived under for so long in wait for Messiah was put on Jesus at the cross. Now, ALL of us have access to God BECAUSE of the righteousness that we are clothed in due to the finished work of eradicating sin and separation. THAT is a good word.

Why was this being highlighted once again to the Galatians?

Because the Jews that were harping on them to get circumcised and follow Torah were drawing these people back into the old convenant. They were appealing to the fact of the Jewish people being God's chosen and sowing doubt among these new believers in their standing with God BECAUSE they were gentiles and uncircumcised. They were saying, "You can't be a part of God's chosen a part from our convenants and lineage. You must DO these things to receive."

That my friends, is NOT the Gospel.

That is why Paul was so upset.

We live by faith, we receive by faith, we change by faith. It is Jesus and ONLY Jesus that has done anything to make it possible for us to have relationship with God. The relationship is what is demonstrated through our actions- otherwise, everything we do is futile because is on to something we can't obtain instead of for someone we love (1 John 4:19).

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It's interesting to me as I go through this book. In my expectation to learn, I have found that what I'm expecting vs what I get in expectation is not at all what I expected lol (Isaiah 55:8-9). I did not know that I would be constantly reminded of our own traditions and denominations doing very much the same thing the Jewish church was doing to new Christians thousands of years ago. I have a completely different perspective on these people as well....most of the time individuals that are passionate about getting new Christians to do all the things and assimilate with the specific church aren't doing it out of bad motives. I would say most of them are doing it because that's what they know to be the right way. How many of us push the right way of things rather than introduce people to The Way?

In my expectation to learn, I have found that what I'm expecting to learn vs what I get in expectation is not at all what I expected

I think it's important that no matter what body of believers we belong to, that we each take inventory of how we are actually inviting people and equipping people in this kingdom lifestyle. What do we believe about the Gospel? How are we maturing and growing in RELATIONSHIP with God- not what are we doing FOR Him, how are we getting to know Him?

How are you getting to know Jesus?

Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can possibly ask or imagine according to His power at work within us...

Lyns