Faith Leads to Righteousness

There is a definition of insanity that I can I very much identify with. It says that insanity is doing something the same way over and over and expecting a different outcome.

I can identify because for years I attempted to please God by trying as hard as I could to do it all perfectly. I was depending on my effort and desire to make God love me. Then God showed me that He already loved me and that it was not about following all the rules but about depending on what Jesus did on the cross.

It is about grace and not the law.

In Galatians 3:1-9 Paul shares that salvation is by grace and not the law and then gives an example of that from the Old Testament.

Galatians 3:1

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

Paul calls the Galatian believers foolish or unwise. Then he asks who has bewitched or deceived them.

Paul says that these Galatian believers knew that Jesus had been crucified. The implication here is clear, that the way the Galatian believers were trying to relate to God was not consistent with the truth that Jesus had been crucified.

Galatians 3:2-3

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

Paul has a question for these Galatian believers. Since you began this journey with Jesus based on His Spirit imparting grace to you, are you now trying to follow Jesus based on the law or human effort?

Jesus tells us that following Him is about denying self and taking up your cross daily. That is not something that the law can enable us to do. That is something that only the grace of God can enable us to do.

Following Jesus cannot be based on following the law because that is human effort. It can only be done by depending on the grace given us through the Holy Spirit.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is depending on God’s grace to follow Jesus.

Galatians 3:4-5

Have you suffered so much for nothing – if it really was for nothing? Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

Why does God work in and among His people? Is it because they follow all the rules or because they believe God?

The answer is obvious. God is able to work in and through His people based on their trusting Him, not because they perfectly obey all the commands of God.

We will never perfectly and fully obey God’s command. Jesus did! When we depend on grace through faith we receive Jesus’ fulfillment of the law and the Father sees us has having perfectly fulfilled the law.

Jesus says that if our faith is the size of a mustard seed, we will say to a mountain, “Move,” and it will move. Trusting Jesus is the key.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is, through faith in Jesus, seeing Him work in and through His people.   

Galatians 3:6-9

Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scriptures foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Paul uses Abraham as an example of righteousness received by faith.

In using Abraham as an example of righteousness by faith, Paul points out four truths.

Those who believe are children of Abraham.

Abraham received righteousness because he believed. We as children of Abraham received our righteousness in the same way, by believing God.

All people, including Gentiles, are justified by faith.

Scripture is clear that God is not a respecter of people. That means that God doesn’t treat one group one way and another group another way. He doesn’t treat people differently depending on the circumstances. God justifies all people, in all circumstances, in any time by faith. He never does it based on the law.

All nations will be blessed through Abraham because he believed God.

Everyone has been blessed because it was through Abraham’s line that Jesus was born into the world.    

Not only did Abraham’s faith serve as an example for us, God used Abraham to bring the Messiah to the earth.

Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus.

Those who believe God will be blessed as Abraham was because he believed God.

How was Abraham blessed?

He was declared righteous.

He was provided for.

He was protected.

He was guided.

He was called a friend of God.

We will be blessed in the same way God blessed Abraham.

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is following the example Abraham and thus being blessed as he was.

Grace allows triumphs over sin.

Faith always leads to righteousness.

By Grace Through Faith Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                              Joe