Remember Abraham? (Galatians 3:6-9)

How is it possible that a perfectly righteous God can declare a sinful person to be righteous? This is the heart of the debate Paul finds himself in when he wrote the letter to the Galatians. The men from Jerusalem (Judaizers) who came to trouble the Galatians answered this question by saying Gentile Christians should be circumcised and keep the law of Moses (Acts 15:1). They maintained that Gentiles must become Jewish in order to be saved and a person was only made righteous through adherence to the Law of Moses. Paul strongly disagrees. In fact, he tells the Galatians that if the Judaizers want to take you back to Moses; He’ll do one better and take them back to Abraham! In Galatians 3:6-9, Paul shows that Abraham was not justified before God because of the Law, but was justified by faith. This is important because, like Abraham, his descendants would be justified by faith, not law.

How was Abraham Justified?

Abraham was justified by faith, not law. In Genesis 12:1-3, we read about the Lord appearing to Abraham and telling him, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Later, after Abraham prayed that the Lord would give him a son, the Lord said to him, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness”  (Gen 15:5-6). Abraham was not accounted righteous before God because he kept the law of Moses, but because he believed in faith.

Paul points the Galatians to Abraham. Look at how Abraham was justified. He “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” “Accounted” is a mathematical term. It refers to taking one value as equal to another (e.g., crediting one thing as another.) This is also referred to as justification. Justification is an act of God in which He declares a sinner to be righteous because of that person’s faith in Christ. God declared Abraham, a sinner, to be righteous based on his faith, not his works. 

How are Abraham’s Sons Justified?

Abraham’s “sons”, like Abraham, are justified by faith, not law. Paul wrote, “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” The sons of Abraham, Paul argues, are not just the Jews, but everyone (Jew and Gentile) who has faith in Jesus. If Paul hadn’t made the Judaizers upset before now, this would definitely do it. Paul reminds them that God promises to justify the nations by faith, not law; because Abraham himself was saved by his faith. Paul argues that even though the Galatians were saved apart from works of the law, this did not happen in a way contrary to Scripture. Their salvation through faith in Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to bless the nations through the father of the Jewish people, Abraham. 

How are You Justified before God?

How is it possible that a perfectly righteous God can declare a sinful person to be righteous? He could carry out the appropriate penalty for sin upon the sinner. In doing so, He would remain righteous. To ignore our sin and refuse to punish us, would mean He is unrighteous. The only way a righteous God can declare a sinful person to be righteous is if someone who is perfectly righteous took the penalty on behalf of the unrighteous and offered the unrighteous His righteousness. In this divine exchange, God remains righteous. This divine exchange is possible because Jesus is the righteous one who “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age” (Gal 1:4). When we repent and believe, Jesus’ death pays the penalty for our sin and His perfect righteousness is granted to us. Being born again, we now are able to love, serve, and obey Him. This divine exchange occurs by grace through faith, not according to the works of the law. 

How can I be Justified before God?

We can be justified before God because He is loving, merciful, and gracious. Paul told Timothy, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim 1:15). Paul also told the Romans, “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). While in this life, we can call upon the God “who is rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4). God sent His Son into the world to save sinners because He is compassionate. We follow Jesus by becoming a Christian and growing as a Christian. You become a Christian by admitting you are a sinner who has rebelled against Him and deserve death. You repent of your sin and believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died to bring you forgiveness. You confess your faith in Him as Savior and Lord; asking to be saved. Paul told the Romans, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9).

You may be familiar with the children’s song “Father Abraham”. The song goes: 

Father Abraham had many sons. Many sons had Father Abraham. 

I am one of them and so are you. So let’s all praise the Lord. 

Why do we sing this song (and go through all the motions)? It is because we want (us and our children) to be aware of the promise God made to Abraham to justify the nations! We want people to become Christians by believing in Jesus and placing their faith in Him so that they would be a son of Abraham. Abraham’s sons are not justified before God because of adherence to the Mosaic Law, but by faith. The question for all of us is this: Are we blessed along with righteous Abraham? Are we one of Abraham’s sons? Are you trusting in Jesus Christ for your salvation and hope of eternal life? Let us live for Him and serve Him as we long for His return!