Galatians 3

Justified by Faith

1 Man, you all Galatians must be tripping. Who cast a spell on you, You saw Jesus dying on the cross as clear as day, but now you are acting like that means nothing!

2 Let me ask you one thing: did you receive the Spirit by following rules, or by hearing and believing,

3 Are you really that foolish, You started by the Spirit, but now you are trying to finish by your own strength,

4 Did you go through all that for nothing, I hope not!

5 Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you keep the law, or because you believe what you heard,

The Promise to Abraham

6 Remember Abraham, He believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.

7 So, understand this: real children of Abraham are those who have faith.

8 The Scriptures saw it coming, that God would make the non-Jews righteous by faith, and it preached the gospel to Abraham way back, saying, “All nations will be blessed through you.”

9 So everyone who has faith is blessed like Abraham, the man of faith.

Christ Redeemed Us

10 But those who try to be right with God by following the law are under a curse, because the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep every single rule in the law.”

11 It is clear that nobody is made right with God by the law, because “The righteous will live by faith.”

12 The law is not based on faith; it says, “Do this and live.”

13 Christ took on the curse for us. The Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” That is what Jesus did on the cross.

14 So, the blessing promised to Abraham could come to the non-Jews through Christ Jesus, and we could receive the Spirit through faith.

15 Look, brothers and sisters, even in everyday life, if a covenant is confirmed, nobody can break it or add to it.

16 Now, the promises were made to Abraham and his “seed”, not “seeds,” as in many people, but to one person, “your seed,” who is Christ.

17 This is what I am saying: the law, which came 430 years later, does not cancel the promise made to Abraham.

18 If the inheritance comes by the law, it is no longer by the promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise.

The Purpose of the Law

19 So why was the law given, It was added to show people their sins, until the “seed” (Jesus) came. It was put in place through angels by a mediator.

20 A mediator means there are two parties, but God is one.

21 Does the law go against God’s promises, Nah, never! If a law could give life, then righteousness would come from the law.

22 But the Scriptures locked up everything under sin, so the promise might be given to those who believe in Jesus.

23 Before faith came, we were held prisoners under the law, locked up until faith would be revealed.

24 So the law was like a babysitter to lead us to Christ, so we could be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under that babysitter.

Sons of God Through Faith

26 Because in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith.

27 All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and you are heirs according to the promise.