Lesson 12: Counting on the Right Righteousness
Read Galatians 3:1-29 - www.bible.com/bible/59/gal.3
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.
15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified.


We have talked in the previous several lessons about how our own good works are not good enough to get us to God or to satisfy His demand of penalty for our sin. In our first verse of this lesson we read there is a curse under the Law.

Some of us understand what it means to live under a curse. God’s curse means death (see Ezekiel 18:1-4 and Romans 6:23). If we insist we have never done anything worthy of the death sentence, look again at the Ten Commandments. Exodus 20:3: The very first commandment is that we shall have no other gods in our lives but God. How many of us have ever wanted what WE want – money, love, food, sleep, our rights, a fair hearing on something, a home, a good grade on an exam, to be healed? The list can go on. Is there anyone who can say they have never wanted any of the above? We are cursed by the very first commandment – before we ever get to the ones we think we can pass. By simply wanting what WE want, we have made ourselves more important than God. We have become our own god.

Every time we think we can keep the Ten Commandments, we place ourselves under the curse of the Law simply because we are telling God we do not need Him or His righteousness; we can do it on our own. The sin is pride, the first sin on God’s list of abominations (see Proverbs 6:16-19).

Our verses today tell us we cannot mix law and faith – works and grace. Romans 11:6 says if we try to mix them so we follow both, then grace is no longer grace. We must live by faith in Jesus Christ, wearing His robe of righteousness rather than our own to be at peace with God (see Job 29:14, and Jesus’ story in Matthew 22:11-14).

*In what area of your life is Jesus asking you to live by faith today rather than by your own efforts?