Day 2: Saved by Grace, Not Works
Reading: Galatians 3:1-14
Faith or Works of the Law
3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?[a] 4 Have you experienced[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[c]
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[d] 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[e] 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f] 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”[g] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Footnotes
[a] Galatians 3:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
[2] Galatians 3:4 Or suffered
[3] Galatians 3:6 Gen. 15:6
[4] Galatians 3:8 Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18
[5] Galatians 3:10 Deut. 27:26
[6] Galatians 3:11 Hab. 2:4
[7] Galatians 3:12 Lev. 18:5
[8] Galatians 3:13 Deut. 21:23
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Devotional:
The early church struggled with a question we still face: "Is Jesus enough?" Some insisted that faith needed additions—rituals, rules, cultural conformity. But Peter's declaration remains true: "We are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus." Salvation isn't a reward for good behavior; it's a gift for believing hearts. You didn't receive the Holy Spirit by following rules perfectly—you received Him by believing the message about Christ. Today, ask yourself: Am I trying to earn what's already been freely given? Rest in this truth: God's acceptance of you is complete, unconditional, and based entirely on Jesus' finished work, not your ongoing performance.
Faith or Works of the Law
3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?[a] 4 Have you experienced[b] so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[c]
7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”[d] 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”[e] 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.”[f] 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.”[g] 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.”[h] 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Footnotes
[a] Galatians 3:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.
[2] Galatians 3:4 Or suffered
[3] Galatians 3:6 Gen. 15:6
[4] Galatians 3:8 Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18
[5] Galatians 3:10 Deut. 27:26
[6] Galatians 3:11 Hab. 2:4
[7] Galatians 3:12 Lev. 18:5
[8] Galatians 3:13 Deut. 21:23
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Devotional:
The early church struggled with a question we still face: "Is Jesus enough?" Some insisted that faith needed additions—rituals, rules, cultural conformity. But Peter's declaration remains true: "We are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus." Salvation isn't a reward for good behavior; it's a gift for believing hearts. You didn't receive the Holy Spirit by following rules perfectly—you received Him by believing the message about Christ. Today, ask yourself: Am I trying to earn what's already been freely given? Rest in this truth: God's acceptance of you is complete, unconditional, and based entirely on Jesus' finished work, not your ongoing performance.
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