Galatians 3:10–14 (ESV)
The
Righteous Shall Live by Faith
10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone
who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But
the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 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”— 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.
One of the more famous verses found in Galatians is “The righteous shall live by faith.” Paul is still hammering out
Law and Gospel. The Lutheran Study Bible states: “Christ redeems us from the Law’s curse by becoming a curse for us. One sin, no matter how trivial it may seem to us, makes us a transgressor of the whole Law and accountable to God (Jas 2:10).
But Christ’s death on the cross releases us from the guilt of every transgression.
I pray: O Holy Spirit, continue to strengthen us in the new life of faith begun in our Baptism. Amen.
Edward A. Engelbrecht, The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2009), 2007.