Galatians 3:11-12 11Because now it is evident by the law no one is justified before God, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does these things will live by them.”
Paul quotes one of his favorite proof texts in v. 11, Habakkuk 2:4 (Romans 1:17). He has already claimed that he lives by faith (2:20), therefore, he is one of the justified. He has given himself as an example of how a person should live. He is building his case that no one is justified by the law. The purpose of the law is not to justify but to lead to the point of faith. The law is the fuller explanation of how to love. Parts of the law are relevant to specific contexts, but behind every law there is the guiding principle of love for God and love for others. The law cannot justify because humans are incapable of keeping it. We all have a bent to sin because of an inner rebellion against God as we exert our will against God’s will.
The law is different from faith. Faith is the desire to please God, and the law is the guide for this. However, Paul interprets certain laws for Jews only, such as circumcision. The gospel is much bigger than the Jews. Paul writes in Romans 2:25, “For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.” Circumcision is one of the reminders of covenant. The old covenant symbolized in physical circumcision has been replaced by the circumcision of the heart with the new covenant. This new form of circumcision is open to all people because it deals with the deep human problem of sin. Faith is the open door that agrees with God’s assessment of us, that we are sinners but also loved. Faith is learning to trust in the promises God has given in the gospel.
The Galatians has wandered from this essential truth and had been taught by the false teachers that physical circumcision was the sign of being righteous. Paul writes to correct this misunderstanding. In today’s situations, circumcision is not the issue. More critical for many people is the misunderstanding that a person can do enough good deeds to tip the scale and “make it to heaven.” This is just another form of “works of the law,” just a law of their own making. Living by human effort like this is not faith. Faith is shown by living in dependence, obedience, and love about which we will come to know through the Holy Spirit.
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