Galatians 3:7-9. 7Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Twice in these three verses, Paul speaks of those who are “of faith.” This is identity language, similar to saying “of Abraham.” It tells us our origin. Just as the Jews came out of Abraham, we who are in Christ come out of faith.
By Paul’s day, “sons of Abraham” was a common way for Jews to identify themselves. This, of course, was a great source of pride for them. But now, Paul is breaking down the ethnic barrier that the Jews had built up. All who are “of faith” are “sons of Abraham.” It doesn’t matter your race or bloodline. For Paul, Abraham is the model of faith—not law-keeping or circumcision. Abraham is not the model Jew; he’s the model “man of faith.” Therefore, the Gentiles who are “of faith” are just as much “children of Abraham” as the Jews (a radical thought).
At the heart of Paul’s gospel is this new, great big family of faith. Just as God promised Abraham that all the nations on earth would be blessed through him, now all the nations are blessed in Abraham’s son, Jesus Christ. And what is that blessing? The blessing is Jesus himself. The blessing is the life of Christ placed in us by the Spirit of Christ so that we too have died to sin and been raised to live a life unto God (2:20), together, as one big family.
Paul’s message here doesn’t just free the Jews from law-keeping as righteousness; it frees them from an identity that is rooted in their biology. It frees them from their racial pride. Paul’s gospel reminds us that we all share the same image of God inside of us, that all nations are meant to be blessed in Christ, and that Abraham is our father, not because he was a Hebrew, but because he was a “man of faith.”
Can you say that you are “of faith”? If you have been justified by God through faith in Christ, then you too are “of faith.” Now ask yourself, “Do I walk by faith?” Is faith in God’s blessing—Christ in me—my controlling identity and motivation? It can be, that’s for sure. You too can be full of wholehearted trust in God’s word.
You: Are you “of faith”? Is this your primary identity—faith in God through Christ? Or do lesser identities (even ethnic identities) still offer you pride?
You in Christ: What is the connection between union with Christ and living by faith?
Christ in you: How does being “of faith” allow you to live a life of faithful obedience, as Abraham and Jesus did?
Pray: Father, it’s hard to trust your word to me at times because I am so bent on controlling my own life and destiny. But I want to be a “person of faith.” I want to trust you with all my heart. Let Jesus convince me that I can. Amen.
