The Spirit by Works or Faith

Galatians 3

Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched y’all, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly portrayed as crucified? I just want to learn this from y’all: Did y’all receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are y’all so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are y’all now being perfected by the flesh? Did y’all suffer so many things in vain, if it was indeed in vain? So then does he who supplies the Spirit to y’all and does miracles among y’all, does he do it by the works of the law or with hearing of faith?

Even so, Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”+Gen 15:6 Y’all should know then that those who are of faith are children of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the ethnic groups by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the ethnic groups will be blessed.”+Gen 12:18 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the faithful.

For all those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who doesn’t continue to do all things that are written in the scroll of the law.”+Deut 27:26 Now it is clear that no one is justified by the law before God, for, “The righteous will live by faith.”+Hab 2:4 The law is not of faith, but, “The person who does them will live by them.”+Lev 18:5

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,”+Deut 21:23), so that the blessing of Abraham might come on the ethnic groups through Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Law and the Promise

Siblings, speaking according to humans, though it is only a human covenant, once it has been confirmed, no one cancels it or adds to it. Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He doesn’t say, “and to seeds”, referring to many, but to one, “to your seed,” who is Christ. What I mean is this: The law, which came four hundred thirty years after, does not invalidate a confirmed beforehand by God, so as to nullify the promise. For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by a promise.

Then why is there the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed would come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not between only one person, but God is one.

Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could make alive, most certainly righteousness would have been based on the law. But the Scripture locked up everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

Children of God

But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, confined for the faith which was later to be revealed. So the law has become our guide to bring us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guide. So y’all are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of y’all who were baptized in Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female; for y’all are one in Christ Jesus. If y’all belong to Christ, then y’all are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.