Galatians 3:12–14 - God’s Gift That Keeps On Giving

In Ephesians 2, the apostle Paul makes this famous statement: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

This is not your own doing. That’s what Paul says. But what, exactly, is “this?” What is the “gift” that is “not a result of works?” Being saved by grace through faith. Faith is necessary to be justified before God, and apparently it’s not something we can take credit for.

But it’s often presumed that this faith is something a person can and should muster up from within themselves. Granted, we are called to believe and to trust – we are called to respond to God with faith. But that faith – saving faith – must be given by God.

Here in Galatians 3, Paul confirms that truth in different words. It’s the simple difference between a wage and a gift. A wage is earned; a gift is unearned. A wage is given in exchange for services rendered; a gift is given freely, based solely on the choice of the giver.

Saving faith is a gift, and it’s one that keeps on giving. Have you ever received a gift that “kept on giving?” In other words, you continued to enjoy its benefits over and over and over. The faith God gives is that way – it keeps giving after you first receive it.

But what does faith give? Or, what does God give us through faith? Salvation from sin and death, for sure. We can be certain of our eternity with God. But there is so much that we receive now through the faith God gives: and three things in view in these verses: life, atonement, and blessing.

These come to bear right now in our lives. This life is freedom from sin’s control. It’s the Spirit of God dwelling within us. It’s the power of God to work all things together for good in our lives. This atonement is relief for our conscience. It’s the remedy for fear of God, arrogance toward God, and apathy toward Him. And this blessing is, above all, the knowledge of the one true God and a real and lasting relationship with Him. It’s the renewal of the whole self. It’s the hope of everlasting joy.

Now, at the end of verse 11, which we looked on the previous Lord’s Day – last week – Paul quoted from the OT book of Habakkuk. God told Habakkuk, “The righteous shall live by faith” – rather than relying on our ability or understanding. God’s people must rely on Him in this life, not only for salvation but for everything. This bolstered Paul’s argument for relying on Christ only not Christ plus works of the law.

Then here in verse 12, Paul provides another OT quote – from the book of Leviticus. Leviticus outlined the laws God gave to ancient Israel to increase their awareness of sin and to guide their lives. But the book also contains clear evidence of God’s grace.

Like Deuteronomy, Leviticus expects they will fail to keep God’s law perfectly, but in chapter 26, God says, “But if they confess their [sin]...if…their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their [sin], then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham.” They would all naturally stray from Him, but God says He would show grace to those who humbly returned to Him.

So why does Paul quote Leviticus here? Notice again he says, verse 12, “But the law is not of faith,” rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” The law is something we make an effort towards. You could say, the law is of doing. God gave them His law, and it was their “to-do list,” but clearly, it wasn’t the way for them to be justified before God. After all, He predicted their shortcomings.

When Leviticus says, “The one who does them shall live by them,” the meaning is that perfect law keeping would give life in God. But the message of Leviticus is that no one would keep the law perfectly, therefore no one could attain that life in God by keeping the law.

And Paul uses this Lev. quote to contrast the wages of law keeping with the gift of faith. The law is of doing; faith is of receiving. Faith is of grace. The perfect doing of the law – which secures that life in God for His people – was ultimately done for us by Jesus Christ. Those who lived before Christ looked forward to it, those of us who live after Him look back upon it.

And yet, for the Israelites, even though they could not keep the law perfectly, that didn’t make it not worth attempting. Just because you can’t do something perfectly doesn’t mean you give up doing it, especially when God tells you to do it! Anything God commands you to do is for your good. Do you believe that?

God indicated that if the Israelites would humble themselves before Him, He would help them do those things. He would make a way for them always, though the way would not always be simple or easy, but through that whole process, they would know and love God more. The same is true for God’s call on our lives to obey Him. We will keep failing, but He will help us. And again,

His law is not of faith – it is of works. It is something we aim to do. Clearly, “law” and “faith” are opposites here. Law is about doing. Faith is about receiving. Listen again to Ephesians 2: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Reflect for a moment on this gift: the gift of knowing God and being free from helpless slavery to sin. Think of the benefits you enjoy because of life in Christ: the soundness of mind, the calmness of spirit, the strength of heart. You could not take hold of that by your own ability.

Saving faith gives life that was unattainable. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul says, “By the grace of God I am what I am.” So there’s no room for us to brag or be puffed up when, by God’s grace, we find ourselves able to walk by faith and enjoy the life that is in God.

Now, Paul has a logical flow in his argument. Back in verse 11, he said, “No one is justified before God by the law.” So look at verse 13 again, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” Jesus Christ was executed on a wooden cross made from a tree. We remember that every Lord’s Day, though this week it’s on everyone’s calendar. Jesus Christ died an awful death. Why?

Because the law of God pronounces a curse on each of us because of our sin. Or, put differently, the law condemns us. It exposes our guilt. Therefore Christ “redeemed us.” He paid a real price for our sins. That price was death, in accordance with God’s Word.

His death was real and actual. In fact, so real and actual was His vicarious payment for our sins that Paul says Jesus “became a curse for us.” Christ did not just make the payment; He was the payment.

His redemptive work is as real as His human life. And His sacrificial death is as real as the cursed guilt you feel and the cursed shame you carry. His payment is as actual as the cursed regret that stings you and the curse fear that fills you. Sin is cursed; our failures are cursed. Christ became a curse for us. His substitutionary payment is sufficient for all of your sins.

And notice yet another OT quote by Paul. This one is from Deuteronomy as well. “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” Now in ancient Israel, it was disgraceful and shameful for someone’s dead body to be hung on a tree for others to see after the person’s death. The sense here is that if it was cursed to be treated this way after death, then how much more so to be treated that way before your death, and then, suspended on that tree, to suffer such a death in such disgrace and shame. That is the death our Lord Jesus died for us.

Now, of course, we can die, and all of us will. But we cannot atone for our sins. However, saving faith gives atonement that was unaffordable. Christ became the curse, and He broke the curse. He atoned for our sins, and then He rose to immortal, eternal life. And He bestows that life on us by faith. “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

If you have trusted in Christ, you can rest in this fact: He has paid for all your sins. Your conscience may not want to accept that. Your mind may struggle to grasp that. But if you have Christ, you have that unaffordable atonement, because He Himself is that atonement. Do you have Christ? Trust in Him today.

There’s just one more aspect of God’s gift of faith that Paul brings up here. Christ became a curse for us, verse 14 “so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”

The Jews generally saw non-Jews, i.e. Gentiles, as unclean and unfit to know God. The Gentiles worshipped false gods, and they did all kinds of immorality. They were not physical descendants of Abraham, so it was widely assumed that they could not benefit from God’s promises to Abraham’s descendants. As a result, God’s Holy Spirit could never dwell within and among the Gentiles. This is why so many who believed that Christ was from heaven couldn’t understand why He would associate with these “unclean” people.

But verse 14 clearly states that He came into the world so that those unclean people could know God and have peace with God. Christ came so people from all nations and ethnicities could receive the gift of faith and all the benefits of that gift.

Having the one true God as your God was and still is “the blessing of Abraham,”which is another OT reference, from Genesis 12. There, God told Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Even the Gentiles. And notice again how verse 14 says we receive this blessing – “through faith.”

So many of our blessings can be measured. Our health, our time on this earth, our number of healthy relationships. Our money and possessions, our opportunities. Who wouldn’t like more money, more time with youthful health, more time with family and friends? These are all measurable blessings.Scripture tells us that the blessing of saving faith is different.

In Ephesians 3, Paul says he prays [16] that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, [17] so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, [18] may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, [19] and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.[20] Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Saving faith gives blessing that is immeasurable.

We cannot fully comprehend it, though we will comprehend it more and more. If you are in Christ, you have been given such blessing. “And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” God gives faith, and He strengthens it, and He will sustain it until the end of our lives. He gives all these means for making it stronger, and we do participate in those. We do all the aspects of worship together, and we read His Word and pray. We fellowship together and encourage each other. And the saving faith that He gives keeps on giving.

Let’s bow in prayer.