Grace and works in Galatians 3: theological analysis and biblical interpretation

Galatians 3, Paul claims that grace trumps works. Works applied without faith constitutes lip service to the law. Without faith, works are meaningless. The Law refers first to the foundation of the Covenant, outlined clearly in the Old Testament. Paul explains why the Old Testament law has been superseded by the new laws of Christ. While the law is an important part of faith, faith is the key to salvation.

The state of grace refers to a condition of being "with the Holy Spirit," (Matt1618 1998). Paul refers to the Old Testament when he states, "For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise," (Galatians 3:18). Paul also refers to the process of "justification," as when he points out that "God would justify the Gentiles by faith," (Galatians 3:8).

One of the most complex passages in Galatians 3 is Paul's description of the "curse" of living by the law alone. "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse," (Galatians 3:10). Paul explains in Galatians 3:13, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law," by enabling the grace of God to be a sufficient justification. In fact, Paul seems to be saying that "God always accepted people by faith rather than by works," (DeLashmutt 2010).

Paul clearly states that works refers to human effort: "After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3). Human effort is meaningless in the face of God, because there is no amount of human effort that can equal the state of grace that is bestowed only by the Lord. Paul even claims that human effort and suffering may be "for nothing," because works can never produce miracles (Galatians 3:4). Being in a state of grace therefore enables the production of miracles, whereas works alone can never allow for Christ's work to manifest in the mundane world.

Even before Christ, Abraham understood the primacy of faith over works. As Paul says, Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," (Galatians 3:6). One of the drawbacks of relying on works is also the development of sinful pride: "God condemned those (whether they were Jews or Babylonians) who were proud of themselves and did not rely upon God," (Matt1618, 1998).

The relationship between faith and the law is like that of Christ and humanity. Faith liberates us from the law. Paul goes so far as to say that before Christ, "we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed," (Galatians 3:23). The law is an insufficient condition for either salvation or righteousness. Paul implies that faith has replaced works as the new law of Christ. In fact, Christ is the ultimate result of God's law. "The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator," (Galatians 3:19). If Christ is the law, then the only way to achieve righteousness is via faith in Christ. According to DeLashmutt (2010), "God gave the Law, not to be the means by which we earn God's acceptance, but to convince us of our need for faith in Christ by exposing our sin and guilt." The law underscores human weakness and original sin. Obeying the law is futile, but faith in Christ is not.