Righteousness By Faith
One of the quiet struggles many believers carry is the feeling that they are never doing quite enough for God. We know we are saved by grace, yet over time we begin to measure our faith by performance—by how consistent we’ve been, how strong we feel spiritually, or how well we think we’re living the Christian life.
In Galatians 3, Paul lovingly but firmly confronts that struggle. He asks a piercing question: “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). In other words, why would we trust Jesus to save us, but then trust ourselves to sustain us?
Paul reminds us that righteousness—being made right with God—has always come by faith. Abraham was not declared righteous because he performed religious works, but because he believed God and trusted His promise. Long before the law existed, God’s plan was clear: salvation would be received, not achieved. Faith has never been a shortcut; it has always been the way.
Galatians 3 also gently exposes the weight we place on ourselves when we rely on works instead of grace. The law demands perfection, and none of us can meet that standard. But here is the good news of the gospel: Jesus did what we could never do. Scripture says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). At the cross, Jesus took the full weight of our failure so that we could receive the full blessing of God’s grace.
Let us continue to walk by faith—just as we began—resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
In His Service,
Pastor Patrick