We Are Saved by Faith, Not by the Works of the Law
Paul begins this chapter with an urgent question:
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth…?” — Galatians 3:1
The Galatian believers had started their Christian journey by trusting in Christ, but they were now being persuaded that they needed to keep the Law to become fully accepted by God. Paul asks them:
“This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” — Galatians 3:2
The answer was obvious. They had received salvation and the Holy Spirit through faith—not by keeping the Law. Paul continues:
“Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” — Galatians 3:3
In other words:
If God saved you by grace, why are you now trying to grow by relying on your own efforts? The Christian life begins with grace and continues by grace. We never graduate from depending upon Christ.
This reminds us that the Christian life is built upon faith from beginning to end. Just as we could not save ourselves through our own efforts, neither can we grow spiritually by relying solely on human strength. God never intended us to begin with grace and then continue by self-effort. Every stage of our walk with Him depends upon His grace, His Spirit, and His power working within us. Rather than striving to earn God’s approval, believers are called to trust Him daily, allowing the Holy Spirit to continue the work that He began. Spiritual growth flourishes where dependence upon God remains strong.
Abraham Was Declared Righteous by Faith
Paul then takes the Galatians back to the Old Testament. He points to entity[“people”,”Abraham”,”biblical patriarch”] and writes:
“Just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’” — Galatians 3:6
This is remarkable. Abraham lived hundreds of years before the Law of Moses was given. Yet he was declared righteous because he believed God. Paul explains:
“Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” — Galatians 3:7
This means God’s plan of salvation has always been based on faith. The Law did not replace faith. Nor did it become another way of salvation. Paul then reminds them of God’s promise:
“And in you all the nations shall be blessed.” — Galatians 3:8
That promise ultimately points to Jesus Christ, through whom people from every nation can receive salvation. Paul also explains why Christ came:
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us…” — Galatians 3:13
Jesus willingly bore the curse that sinful humanity deserved so that believers might receive God’s blessing.
This chapter reminds us that God’s plan of salvation has always been centred on faith. Long before the Law was given, Abraham was accepted by God because he trusted His promises. That same principle remains true today. No amount of religious effort can replace simple faith in Christ. Jesus bore the curse of sin so that we might receive the blessing of God’s grace. As we, our confidence rests not in our own performance but in the perfect work of Christ, who has accomplished everything necessary for our salvation.
In Christ We Are One Family
Toward the end of the chapter, Paul explains the purpose of the Law. He writes:
“Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ…” — Galatians 3:24
The Law was never intended to save people. Its purpose was to reveal sin and point people toward their need for a Saviour. Now that Christ has come:
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:26
Paul then gives one of the most encouraging statements in the New Testament:
“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” — Galatians 3:27
Finally, he declares:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:28
Paul is not saying that these earthly distinctions no longer exist. Rather, he teaches that every one of us stands on exactly the same ground before God. No one is saved because of:
– nationality, – social status, – background, – gender, – education, – or religious heritage. Everyone comes to God through the same Saviour.
This reminds us that the Gospel unites people in a way nothing else can. At the foot of the cross, every one of us stands equally in need of God’s grace and equally receives His mercy through faith in Christ. Our identity is no longer defined primarily by our background, achievements, or status, but by our relationship with Jesus. This truth should produce humility, unity, and love within the Church. As members of God’s family, we are called to treat one another as brothers and sisters, celebrating the unity that Christ has purchased through His sacrifice.
Deeper Waters
Galatians 3 forms the theological heart of Paul’s defence of justification by faith. Paul argues from both experience and Scripture. First, he reminds the Galatians that they received the Holy Spirit through faith rather than through keeping the Law. Their own Christian experience confirms the truth of the Gospel.
Second, Paul turns to Abraham. By quoting Genesis 15:6, he demonstrates that justification by faith was established centuries before the giving of the Mosaic Law. This proves that faith has always been God’s means of declaring sinners righteous.
Paul then explains the role of the Law. Rather than being a means of salvation, the Law exposes humanity’s sinfulness and reveals the impossibility of achieving righteousness through human effort. In this sense, it functions as a “tutor” leading people to Christ.
The chapter reaches its climax in Christ’s redemptive work:
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us…” — Galatians 3:13
Paul alludes to Deuteronomy 21:23, showing that Jesus willingly bore the covenant curse that belonged to sinners so that believers might inherit the blessing promised to Abraham. The chapter also develops the biblical theme of adoption into God’s covenant family. Those who belong to Christ become Abraham’s true descendants—not through physical ancestry but through faith. Galatians 3 encourages us to: depend upon God’s grace rather than personal effort, rejoice in the finished work of Christ, understand the true purpose of the Law, embrace their identity as God’s children, and pursue unity within the body of Christ.
Ultimately, Galatians 3 points entirely to Jesus Christ. He is the promised Seed through whom God’s blessing reaches all nations. He fulfilled the Law perfectly, bore its curse on behalf of sinners, and opened the way for all who believe to become children of God. In Him, the promises made to Abraham find their ultimate fulfilment, and through faith in Him, believers receive forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and the privilege of belonging forever to God’s family.