Galatians 18-Day Reading PlanSýnishorn

Growing up, we learn that hard work pays off and that if we want something in life, we have to put in the effort. We receive a reward for the things that we accomplish. You get a paycheck when you work; you get good grades when you do well in school. If you practice a sport or a hobby, you get better and receive praise. We all learned this, and it is what we teach our children. So, why is the Apostle Paul so upset when the Galatians are acting the only way they know how by relying on themselves to achieve perfection and right standing with God?

Paul begins this chapter by boldly calling the Galatians fools and reminding them that the purpose of Jesus has been made clear to them not by human effort but by the Holy Spirit. Why then are they trying to rely on their effort to be better? The same reason you and I do it - because it's what we have learned. If we want to achieve righteousness, receive blessings, and miracles, surely it must be up to us to put in the effort. The world we live in reinforces the idea when we work hard, we get rewarded, become better, or receive praise, and eventually, we believe that about our relationship with Jesus.  

Before we know it, we are working to please the Lord and forgetting that we could never be good enough. In the book of Romans, Paul writes that no one is righteous. This can sound depressing, but it's great news. Our righteousness is not based on human effort but by our faith alone. Our faith in Jesus saves us, and it is our faith in him that changes us.  

Pastor Dick Kaufmann says, "Christians think that we are saved by the gospel, but we grow by applying biblical principles to every area of our life. But we are not just saved by the gospel; we grow by applying the gospel to every area of life." 

To make his point, Paul uses Abraham the "founding-father of Jewish people," as an example. In Genesis 15:6, God says, 'And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.'  

Abraham wasn’t righteous because he tried really hard. He was counted as righteous because of his faith. The same is true for the Galatians, you, and me. We receive the blessings not because of something we did but because of what Jesus did.

Question

Do you find yourself trying to work hard to earn right standing with God? How does knowing that God counted you righteous even when your life was a mess change how you view God?