Faith and False Hope

¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. ¹¹ But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. ¹² And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. ¹³ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: ¹⁴ That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:10–14, KJV)

There is a sense in which every person lives by faith. The problem is not faith, but the object of their faith. Let me explain. Today many will trust in their jobs to experience the blessings of life. Yet one day they get bad news. Their employer went bankrupt or experienced a downturn in the business and the employee lost their job. One minute they were experiencing blessing the next they lost everything. I know, because I have lost a job unexpectantly.

I knew a man who prided himself in his health. Yet eventually he experienced an illness that threw him into a deep state of depression.

Some get involved in a party lifestyle where drugs, and alcohol get them through the challenges of life. Yet later they become severely addicted and have squandered away blessings and become so bound that they find no earthly way of escape.

For others it is their earthly relationships that they trust, only to experience betrayal. Well, I could go on, but I think you get my drift.

This issue of faith and false hope also is active in the area of religion. Many people are trusting in a religious system for their hope of eternal life. There are many of these systems around. All of these offer hope for life here and forever. However, none of these will offer true hope. Only faith in Jesus offers true hope.

In this section of Paul’s letter, he hits this issue of a false hope. He wrote that anyone, who relied on doing works of the law to be justified by God were actually all under a curse. How could he make such a statement? Paul quoted the Old Testament writing, “The one who does them shall live by them” (v12). The person who trusts the law for justification is obligated to keep the totality of the law. The problem is that, apart from Jesus, no person has ever followed the law perfectly. All of us have broken the law in part and thus all of us have sinned.

Here is the blessing of our faith. Jesus did for us something that we could never do for ourselves.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

Paul in the letter to the Galatians put it this way.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—” (Galatians 3:13, ESV)

Christ who was not labeled with the accursed because He alone followed the law without blemish, became a curse for us, in our place. This so that we who have trusted in Jesus would have the curse removed and be declared righteous by God.

There is but one and only one way for us to experience the eternal blessings of God. It is by trusting in Jesus Christ alone. He is the one who fulfilled all righteousness and took upon Himself the penalty of our sin. He became a curse so we could become righteous.