Faith Not Works: Redeemed From the Law's Curse

Devotional

Day 1: The Gift That Can’t Be Billed

Grace arrives without invoices. Paul confronts the Galatians’ confusion: salvation cannot be earned like wages. Like a parent handing a child a Christmas gift only to demand payment, adding conditions to grace perverts its nature. The cross cancels every debt, leaving only open hands to receive. Legalism suffocates joy, but Christ’s blood secures freedom. [35:43]

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
(Galatians 3:1–3, KJV)

Reflection: Where have you subtly believed God’s love depends on your performance? What would it look like to rest in His finished work today?

Day 2: Bewitched by Spiritual Self-Sufficiency

Legalism disguises itself as discipline. The Galatians traded Spirit-fueled faith for rule-keeping, thinking their efforts could finish what God started. Like patients insisting they’ll heal their own wounds, they abandoned the Great Physician. Self-reliance drains hope, but dependence on Christ’s righteousness restores life. [36:14]

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”
(Galatians 3:10–11, KJV)

Reflection: What “spiritual checklist” have you used to measure your worth? How might surrendering that list deepen your trust in Christ?

Day 3: Abraham’s Faith, Not Moses’ Law

Covenant roots dig deeper than Sinai. Paul reaches past the Law to Abraham, whose faith—not circumcision or sacrifices—made him righteous. Like an heirloom seed passed through generations, this faith blooms in Gentiles grafted into God’s family. The Law diagnoses sin; grace alone cures it. [46:29]

“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”
(Galatians 3:6–8, KJV)

Reflection: When have you prioritized rule-following over relational trust? How does Abraham’s story reframe your view of obedience?

Day 4: Redeemed from the Curse’s Receipt

Christ absorbed the invoice of sin. The Law’s curse—like a scarlet “C” stamped on every lawbreaker—was nailed to the cross. Jesus drank the poison meant for us, swapping our guilt for His righteousness. Redemption isn’t a coupon to clip but a liberation to celebrate. [54:33]

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
(Galatians 3:13–14, KJV)

Reflection: What shame or failure still feels “unpaid”? How does the cross declare your account settled?

Day 5: The Fields Are White, Not Waiting

Harvest urgency trumps complacency. Paul’s rebuke ignites a mission: the Galatians’ freedom exists to be shared. Like farmers spotting ripe wheat, believers see hearts ready for gospel hope. Legalism builds walls; grace compels us to highways and hedges, offering Christ’s gift without fine print. [58:56]

“Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
(John 4:35, KJV)

Reflection: Who in your orbit needs to hear “no strings attached” grace? What practical step will you take this week to share it?

Sermon Summary

Paul keeps pressing Galatians 3 with holy astonishment. Paul asks, “Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?” because a people who had seen Christ crucified set before them had started acting like grace needed a bill attached to it. The gift picture makes it plain, the moment payment is required, grace disappears. Christ saves by Christ alone, nothing more and nothing less.

Legalism creeps in looking spiritual, disciplined, and even biblical, but legalism shifts confidence away from Christ and back onto the self. Paul will not let the church trade freedom for bondage by saying, “I did this, I gave that, I showed up there.” Faith refuses that long list of “I, I, I” and asks the only question that matters, does a person know Christ?

Paul’s questions cut right to the heart. The Spirit did not come by works of the law, but by hearing with faith. God does not take broken people and ask for a polished church resume. God changes from the inside out, not by behavior modification, but by heart transformation. The Christian life begins by grace, and it keeps going by grace.

Paul reaches back to Abraham because Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Abraham was not saved by works. The gospel was never God’s plan B. The promise was already running through the whole Bible, with Old Testament saints looking forward by faith and believers now looking back to Christ’s finished work.

The true children of Abraham are not marked off by bloodline, tradition, denomination, or family history. Faith in Jesus Christ brings Jew and Gentile into God’s covenant family. Christ bought and paid for that family with His precious blood spilled at Calvary.

The law does not grade on a curve. One broken command leaves a person guilty, and no heavenly scale balances out bad with enough good. The law reveals the need, but grace meets the need. Christ redeemed by becoming the curse, hanging on the tree, bearing the judgment, and giving righteousness to sinners who could never pay that price.

The gospel now sends that hope to every nation, street corner, neighbor, workplace, and family table. Faith receives the free gift, and gratitude replaces guilt. Christ finished the work, and the Spirit sends God’s people to share Jesus with a hurting and broken world.

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Key Takeaways

1. Grace disappears when payment is required. A gift stops being a gift the moment a bill gets handed over. Grace cannot be mixed with earning, because earning turns the heart back toward self and away from Christ. The gospel leaves no room for a person to say, “God accepted all this because of what was done,” since salvation rests on what Christ has already done. [35:43]
2. Legalism sounds spiritual but deceives. Legalism often looks clean, disciplined, and religious, which makes it dangerous. It does not always deny Christ with its mouth, but it quietly moves confidence from Christ’s blood to human performance. The soul can be busy with religious boxes and still be walking away from the freedom Jesus purchased. [38:07]
3. God changes from inside out. The Spirit does not merely polish behavior so a life looks acceptable from the outside. God transforms the heart, and then speech, work, love, service, joy, and endurance begin to bear witness to Christ. Real holiness is not a performance for applause, but a reflection of Christ that makes others glorify the Father. [41:36]
4. The law grades on no curve. The law requires complete obedience, not a better score than the person in the next pew. Comparison is a trap because Christ alone is the standard, and every sinner falls short before Him. The law exposes guilt so that grace can be seen as the only hope, not as a reward for the mostly decent. [49:19]
5. Christ became the curse. Christ did not merely make salvation a possibility for strong people to finish. Christ redeemed sinners by taking the curse they owed, bearing judgment, and paying the price that could never be paid back. The cross stands as God’s intentional way of rescue, where punishment fell on Christ and righteousness came to the guilty by faith.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:45] - Continuing Through Galatians
[32:14] - Faith And The Scripture Reading
[35:18] - The Gift That Cannot Be Earned
[36:14] - Who Hath Bewitched You
[38:07] - The Deception Of Legalism
[41:07] - Receiving The Spirit By Faith
[42:03] - Heart Transformation From God
[45:16] - Abraham Believed God
[47:19] - True Children Of Abraham
[48:48] - The Curse Of The Law
[52:15] - The Free Gift Of Christ
[54:01] - Christ Redeemed From The Curse
[55:48] - Grace Alone Through Faith Alone
[56:50] - Sent To Share The Gospel

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Galatians 3:1-14
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness’? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘In you shall all the nations be blessed.’ So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 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.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’ But the law is not of faith, rather ‘The one who does them shall live by them.’ 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’— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” [32:39]

Genesis 15:6
“And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” [33:24]

Deuteronomy 27:26
“‘Cursed be anyone who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’” [34:00]

Habakkuk 2:4
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” [34:10]

Deuteronomy 21:23
“his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.” [34:23]

Observation questions

In Galatians 3:1-5, what repeated contrast does Paul make between “works of the law” and “hearing with faith”? [41:17]
According to Galatians 3:6-9, what does Paul say about Abraham, and who does he call the children of Abraham? [47:19]
In Galatians 3:10-12, what does the passage say happens to those who rely on the law, and what does it say about how the righteous live? [49:19]
What word pictures help show the difference between grace and earning: a gift with a bill attached, a patient going to the hospital, and a law that does not grade on a curve? [35:43]

Interpretation questions

Paul asks, “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” What does that reveal about the danger of starting with grace but then trying to grow by self-effort? [44:09]
Legalism often looks serious, moral, and even biblical. Why is it still so dangerous, and how can it quietly move trust away from Christ and back onto self? [38:07]
Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God. How does that help show that salvation has always been by faith and was never limited to one bloodline or one people? [46:44]
Christ redeemed His people by becoming a curse for them. What does that teach about the seriousness of sin and the fullness of what Jesus actually accomplished on the cross? [54:31]

Application questions

Where is the heart most tempted to hand God a résumé—church attendance, giving, serving, family background, or trying to be better than others? What would it look like to lay that down and rest again in Christ alone? [36:57]
Grace is a free gift, not a payment plan. When guilt rises up, does the heart tend to run toward Christ or try to clean itself up first? What usually exposes that pattern? [52:15]
God changes people from the inside out. Where has there been evidence of heart transformation in recent months—in speech, habits, relationships, work, or response to suffering? Where is more surrender still needed? [41:46]
The law does not grade on a curve, and comparison is a trap. Who does the heart most often compare itself to, and how has that comparison either fed pride or discouraged honesty about sin? [50:17]
Christ took the curse that sinners deserved. How does remembering that truth reshape the way a believer views shame, failure, and forgiveness this week? [55:18]
Faith receives the gift, and gratitude replaces guilt. What is one practical way to serve the Lord this week out of love rather than obligation? [56:42]
The gospel is meant to go to neighbors, coworkers, family members, and strangers. Who is one person the Lord may be putting on the heart right now, and what might be a simple faithful next step to share Jesus with them? [58:56]

Sermon Clips

54s

“``Have we begun measuring our relationship with God by our performance, by what's on the outside? The gospel reminds us our acceptance before God rests solely and securely in Christ and Christ alone. The cross already accomplished everything necessary for our salvation. The law reveals our need. Grace meets that need. Faith receives the gift because Christ finished the work. We walk each day now in gratitude rather than guilt. We serve out of love, not obligation. We live in a freedom that Jesus purchased on the cross because salvation has never been about works. It's always been, always been by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.”

35s

“Imagine this, Christmas comes and man, you've been, you've been so excited because you know, you got this thing that your kid wants and you're getting all ready for Christmas time and and you get it and your child opens it. It's right there and they're thrilled and they're excited and then you hand them the bill. He say, here you go. That's going be $250 Man, that ain't how a gift works. You do that, it's no longer a gift. The moment payment is required, grace disappears and this is exactly what's happening in the early church.”

37s

“This word bewitch that's used here in the Greek, it carries the idea of being deceived and led astray And friends in the church today, legalism is deceptive. It sounds spiritual. It looks disciplined, and it often appears biblical, but it suddenly shifts our confidence away from Christ and onto ourselves. We begin thinking we have to fill all these boxes before we come to Jesus. Listen, you ever go to the hospital because you were feeling great? That ain't how it works, is it?”

54s

“Listen, he's not gonna send you the bill. Alright. Thanks. Alright now. Here you go. It's a free gift that god has given to us despite imperfections, our brokenness, and our sin. Scripture says, even yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. You know what that means? He knew you were a sinner. He knew you were gonna sin and you were gonna rebel. And even yet still, willingly, Christ said, let thy will be done, father. If this is the way, god, there's another way. Let this cup pass from me. But if this is the only way, let thy will be done, father, and he willingly goes as a lamb to slaughter onto that cross for you, for me, because of our brokenness, because of our shame, because of our sin.”

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