The Blessing of Faith

How Did You Begin? (1-5)

How did you begin the Christian life?

Paul was pointing the believers back to the starting point of their relationship with God, their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

By faith or by works?

Paul argued that the Galatian believers were in relationship with the Triune God by faith.

By faith they trusted in Christ’s completed work on the cross, and his resurrection. (v 1)

By faith they received the Holy Spirit, who seals and sanctifies the believer. (vv. 2-3)

By faith they entered into relationship with the Father, who gives the Spirit and actively works in the lives of believers. (v 5)

In Whom Have You Believed? (6-7)

Abraham believed God’s Word, no matter how big or small the call.

Abraham trusted God’s Word, no matter how impossible it seems.

Abraham received righteousness from God by faith.

Genesis 12:1–4 ESV

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Evidences of Faith:

Repentance - he left his old life and turned to God. “So Abram went”

Faith - he trusted God’s promise and leadership - “as the Lord had told him”. He was going to a country that God would show him, he did not know where he was going, but he trusted the one he was following.

The Fruit of Faith:

Imputed Righteousness -

Genesis 15:6 ESV

And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Are you Walking in the Blessing? (8-9)

The blessing of faith personally - justification. God ordained that he would justify the Gentiles by faith.

The blessing of faith to others - Abraham was made a source of God’s blessing to the world!

God did not call you to keep the blessing to yourself.

All nations were blessed through Abraham.

Who does God want to bless through you?

As you walk by faith in God, as you testify of your faith in God to others, you take part in God’s plan to bless the world through justification by faith.