Faith and Belief
(Genesis 15:1-7; Romans 4:1-12; Hebrews 11:8-19; James 2:14-26)

1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as having been crucified? 2I wish only to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law or by hearing of faith?

3Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh? 4Did you suffer so many things in vain, if indeed also in vain? 5Therefore, the One supplying to you the Spirit and working miracles among you, is it out of works of the Law, or out of hearing of faith?

6So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.”a 7Know then that those of faith, these are sons of Abraham. 8And the Scripture, having foreseen that God justifies the Gentiles by faith, foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All the nations will be blessed in you.”b 9So then, those of faith are blessed along with the believing Abraham.

Christ Redeemed Us
(Deuteronomy 21:22-23)

10For as many as are of works of the Law are under a curse, for it has been written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue all things having been written in the book of the Law, to do them.”c 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, because “The righteous will live by faith.”d 12But the Law is not of faith. Rather, “The one having done these things will live by them.”e

13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it has been written: “Cursed is everyone hanging on a tree”f— 14so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that through faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

The Purpose of the Law
(Romans 7:1-6)

15Brothers, I am speaking according to man. No one sets aside or adds thereto a covenant even of man, having been ratified. 16Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It does not say “and to seeds” as of many but “and to your seed”g as of One, who is Christ.

17Now I say this: The Law, having come four hundred and thirty years afterward, does not annul the covenant having been confirmed beforehand by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18For if the inheritance is by the Law, it is no longer by a promise. But God has granted it to Abraham through a promise.

19Why then the Law? It was added on account of transgressions, until the seed to whom promise has been made should have come, having been ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator. 20However, a mediator is not of one; but God is one.

21Is the Law therefore contrary to the promises of God? Never may it be! For if a law had been given being able to impart life, then righteousness indeed would have emerged from out of the Law. 22But the Scripture imprisoned all things under sin, so that by faith from Jesus Christ, the promise might be given to those believing.

23Now before faith came, we were held in custody under the Law, having been locked up until the faith being about to be revealed, 24so that the Law has become our trainer unto Christ, so that we might be justified by faith. 25And faith having come, we are no longer under a trainer.

Sons Through Faith in Christ

26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29Now if you are of Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.