What Galatians 3:6-7 really means: Faith Makes Family

Faith, Not Rules, Makes Us Abraham’s Family

Paul is writing to churches in Galatia who are being pressured to follow Jewish laws like circumcision to be 'real' Christians.

Some teachers claimed that faith in Jesus wasn’t enough - you also had to obey the Old Testament law. But Paul points back to Abraham, quoting Genesis 15:6: 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.' That happened long before the law was given, showing that being made right with God has always been about trusting Him, not rule-keeping.

Paul says that those who have faith, not merely those who follow the law, are the true children of Abraham.

Counted as Righteous: How Faith Becomes Right Standing with God

At the heart of Galatians 3:6 is a radical idea: being made right with God doesn’t come from doing enough good things, but from trusting Him - and that trust is counted as righteousness.

The key word here is 'counted,' from the Greek *elogisthē*, which means 'credited' or 'reckoned' - like something placed in your account. In ancient accounting, this wasn’t about what you earned, but what was given to you. Paul pulls this straight from Genesis 15:6: 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.' That moment focused on Abraham’s trust in God’s promise, and God treated him as righteous even though he was not yet perfect.

This idea stands in sharp contrast to how many people thought about God back then - and still do today. Some believed you had to earn your way into God’s favor through religious rituals, moral effort, or ancestry. But Paul says no: if Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, was made right with God by faith alone, then that’s the only way anyone ever gets right with Him - including us.

It’s not our effort that makes us right with God - it’s trust, and that trust is treated by God as if it were righteousness itself.

And this opens the door wide: if faith makes someone a child of Abraham, then Gentiles who believe aren’t outsiders. They’re full heirs. As Paul will go on to say, in Christ, there is no dividing line between Jew and Gentile - because the promise comes through faith, not bloodline or behavior.

Faith as Active Trust: Becoming Abraham’s Children Today

True faith that makes someone a child of Abraham is active trust, like Abraham’s belief in God’s promise despite seeming impossibility.

Paul makes this clear in Romans 4:11, where he says Abraham is 'the father of all who believe,' showing that faith, not circumcision or ancestry, is what connects people to him. That means anyone - Jew or Gentile - who trusts God like Abraham did is counted as righteous and welcomed into God’s family.

The Galatians heard radical news that they needed more than faith, and today we likewise find that our standing with God comes through trust, not deeds.

Abraham’s Faith: A Thread That Runs Through the Whole Story of God’s Rescue

Paul’s use of Abraham in Galatians 3:6 serves as a key that shows how God has always saved people from the beginning.

When Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 - 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness' - he’s tapping into a truth that echoes all through Scripture. Centuries later, James 2:23 says the same thing to make a different point: 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' showing that his faith was real because it led to action. Paul says we are made right with God by faith, not works, while James says real faith is demonstrated in how we live.

This pattern of salvation by faith appears again and again. Jesus tells a sinful woman, 'Your faith has saved you; go in peace' (Luke 7:50), and Paul and Silas tell the jailer, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved' (Acts 16:31). These moments aren’t random - they follow the same path Abraham walked. The Reformation rediscovered this truth when it seemed lost, showing that from Genesis to Revelation, God has always welcomed people not because of their performance, but because of their trust.

Faith is not the opposite of works - it’s the starting point, the root from which real change grows.

So when we live like this - trusting God more than our résumé - we stop comparing ourselves to others and start showing grace. Church becomes a place where people aren’t judged by how well they follow rules, but where faith is nurtured and love grows. And when we treat each other that way, our whole community begins to reflect the heart of God - the same God who, from the start, has always made a way for sinners to come home through faith.

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