“How the Blessing of Abraham Becomes Ours” - Galatians 3:1-14 - Rev. Dr. David Harding

The Big Idea: In Galatians 1 and 2, Paul clearly shows that we are saved (declared righteous before God) when we stop trusting in our moral efforts or the law (we die to it) and trust in the finished work of Christ (we live to God). As chapter 3 begins, Paul makes the surprising claim that we are not only justified by faith in Jesus, but we are also sanctified by faith in Jesus. In other words, we receive the blessing of a relationship with God by believing the gospel, and we grow in the blessing of that relationship the same way, by believing the gospel. Paul proves this by appealing to the personal experience of the Galatians (1-5), by appealing to the example of Abraham (6-9), and be appealing to the Scriptures (10-14).