Understanding Galatians 3:6-9: Faith, Not Works

The Galatian Crisis and Abraham's Faith

The reason Paul brings up Abraham in Galatians 3:6-9 becomes clear only when we understand the crisis facing the Galatian churches.

Some Jewish Christians were teaching that Gentile believers had to follow Jewish laws - like circumcision and dietary rules - to be fully part of God’s people. Paul responds by pointing to Abraham, the father of the Jewish faith, who was declared righteous by God not because of obeying laws, but because he believed God’s promise. Since Abraham was made right by faith *before* the Law was given, Paul argues that faith - available to all, Jew or Gentile - is what truly makes someone a child of Abraham.

This sets the foundation for Paul’s larger argument that the blessing of Abraham now comes to all who believe, through Christ.

Justification by Faith and the Inclusion of the Gentiles

Paul’s use of Abraham in Galatians 3:6-9 is a significant theological point that redefines who belongs to God’s family.

The key phrase 'it was counted to him as righteousness' comes from Genesis 15:6, where Abraham believes God’s promise of descendants, and God declares him righteous - not because of anything Abraham did, but because of his trust. The Greek word *elogisthē* ('counted' or 'credited') is financial terminology, like depositing righteousness into Abraham’s account, showing that right standing with God is a gift received by faith, not earned by moral performance. Paul uses this to dismantle the idea that Gentiles must become Jews to be saved, arguing instead that faith itself makes one a true child of Abraham. This was radical in a culture where religious identity was tied to ethnic lineage and law-keeping.

Paul then highlights that Scripture 'foreseeing' God’s plan 'preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham' - a stunning claim that the good news of salvation for all nations was announced long before Jesus came. The quote from Genesis 12:3, 'In you shall all the nations be blessed,' shows that God’s promise was never limited to Israel alone. The inclusion of Gentiles was part of the original plan. By linking justification by faith with this promise, Paul shows that the gospel is not a new plan B but the fulfillment of God’s oldest intention.

The blessing of Abraham was never meant to stop with his descendants - it was always meant to flood the world through faith.

This means that anyone - Jew or Gentile - who believes joins Abraham’s spiritual family and shares in his blessing. The next section will show how Christ, as the true 'offspring' of Abraham, unlocks this blessing for all who trust in Him.

Faith, Not Heritage: Who Really Belongs to God's Family

This promise to Abraham is relevant today, reshaping who belongs in God’s family.

Back then, many assumed you had to be a Jew and follow the Law to be right with God. But Paul says the real children of Abraham are those who share his faith, not his bloodline or religious rituals.

The blessing of Abraham isn’t earned by keeping rules or being part of the right group - it’s received by trusting God, just like he did.

That’s good news: it means we don’t have to earn our way in by perfect behavior or religious tradition. The same God who counted Abraham as righteous counts us righteous when we trust Him. And because of Christ, the blessing promised to Abraham - forgiveness, relationship with God, and the Spirit - now flows to everyone who believes, no exceptions. This truth levels the playing field: no one is more favored because of background, race, or religious resume. Faith opens the door for all.

The Unified Promise: From Abraham to Us Through Christ

This truth - that faith, not law-keeping or heritage, makes us heirs of Abraham - finds its fullest meaning when we see how God's promise unfolds across the entire Bible.

In Genesis 15:6, we read that 'Abraham believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness' - a moment of simple trust that set the pattern for all who would follow. Centuries later, Paul picks up this same verse in Romans 4:3 to show that Abraham’s righteousness came before circumcision and the Law, proving that God’s way of making people right with Himself has always been through faith. This means the promise was never based on human effort but on God’s grace received by trusting Him.

Galatians 3:29 then brings it home: 'And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.' This is the climax of the story - Christ is the true 'offspring' of Abraham through whom the blessing flows to all who believe. The Law, added later, was never meant to replace the promise but to point toward Christ until He came. Now, in Him, the old divisions collapse: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female - all who trust are united as one family, equally loved and equally heirs. This redefines belonging: no one is more 'in' because of background, performance, or religious resume. The same faith that made Abraham right with God opens the door for everyone.

The promise wasn't just for Abraham, and it wasn't just for Jews - it was always meant to reach everyone who believes, through one faithful descendant: Christ.

So in everyday life, this means we live with deep confidence - not striving to earn God’s favor, but resting in His promise. Our churches should reflect this radical inclusion, welcoming all who believe without favoritism or hidden requirements. And in our communities, we become people known for grace, not rules, pointing others to the blessing that began with Abraham but reaches us all through Christ.

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