Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

The ending of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3 are classic words of Paul! “If righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. Oh, you foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?” Paul has been defending the Gospel with his own testimony, but now as we enter chapter 3, he uses scripture to prove to the Galatians the Gospel is about faith alone. After Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions to help the Galatians to see the comparison between faith and works, he brings in Abraham! This might seem insignificant, but the Judaizers, who were claiming this different gospel, would know about Abraham and even consider themselves “sons of Abraham”. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, which shows us that Abraham believed God and was counted to him as righteousness. This is important because the Judaizers used the Old Testament to make their point. And Paul says, "Hold up! You want to talk about the Old Testament? Let’s talk about Abraham! You know - the one who God promised to bless all nations through? Yeah, that Abraham believed (aka he had faith in God), and it was counted to him as righteousness (aka he was justified by his faith), AND anyone who has faith is a son of Abraham." This was Paul’s way of rebuking those who claimed that works could save and called themselves sons of Abraham.

Next, in verses 10-12, Paul shows us how sinful we are. We could never keep the whole Law, no one can; therefore, we are under the curse of the Law. BUT CHRIST! He redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us. Can we stop here for a minute and let that sink in? The Son of God, who lived a perfect, sinless life, became a curse for us sinners so that we could be changed and have a relationship with God. I don’t sit in this truth enough. I don’t marvel at the grace I have been given because I’ve heard it for so long! May we not skip over the fact that no matter if we were saved 30 years ago or 30 minutes ago, we all need to be reminded it was by God’s grace He sent His Son to make a way for any sinner to repent and believe!

So why the Law? I love that Paul uses this question because I’ve asked myself this a few times too. If the Law doesn’t save us and we can never keep the whole Law, then why is it there? The first reason he gives is to make us aware of sin. It’s like when our kids are little, and they do or say something they shouldn’t, so we tell them not to say or do that. Their response is: “But I didn’t know…” Our son used to say this all the time. He was right, he didn’t know it was wrong until we told him. But now he knows, so if he does it again, he is deliberately disobeying. The Law made the people aware of what was right and wrong. It also locks us all up, like being a prisoner in a dungeon with no way out. But that verse doesn’t end. There is a comma to tell us: SO THAT! I love those two words in this verse. It’s a purpose clause. The purpose of the Law is so that all who hear the Gospel can receive and believe in Jesus BY FAITH!

For those of us who believe, we are now children of God! We are clothed with Christ! We are Abraham’s sons and daughters and heirs with Christ. Let that sink in. When you and I believe that Jesus is the only way to God and we confess our sins, repent, and turn to Jesus, we become a child of God. We are now crucified with Christ so that He lives in us, and the life we now live is His!

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Have you placed your faith in Jesus? If not, know this Gospel - the Good News -  is for all! Talk with your House Church pastor or email us at hello@venturechurch.org to talk with someone about what next steps you need to take.
• Take a few moments to let this sink in - once you place your faith in Jesus, you are a child of God. Spend time thanking God for His grace in your life.

Family Devo: Galatians 3

By: Selena Rosetti

We are all loved by God, no matter who we are or where we come from!  

In today’s scripture reading, we learn this important truth about God’s love for us. There is nothing we could ever do to make God not love us. Before Jesus came, people had to try to follow a lot of rules to try to be good enough for God. But even if they followed all the rules, it wasn’t enough.

When Jesus came, he changed everything. He died on the cross for our sins so that we could be forgiven and made right with God. When we put our faith in Jesus and accept His free gift of salvation, we become part of God’s family. There is no one on earth who is excluded from this free gift that Jesus offers. It doesn’t matter if we are young or old, boys or girls, live in a different country, or have different skin color. We are all loved by God.

So, remember, you are special and loved just the way you are. You don’t have to be perfect or follow the rules perfectly. Just believe in Jesus and accept His love and forgiveness, and you will be a part of God’s family.  

If you haven’t trusted in Jesus as your Savior, now is a great time to find someone you can talk with to help walk you through this important decision.  

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that Your Word reminds us that we are all equal in Your eyes and each one of us is loved by You. Thank You for giving us Your free gift of salvation through Jesus. Help us to live our lives in the same way that Jesus modeled for us and treat everyone around us as people who are equally loved by You. Amen.