Today's reading is confusing in that it speaks of Christians who live without faith. This needs clarifying. First, no one can be a Christian without faith. However, the NT letter to the church at Galatia describes those who believed in Christ and were saved, then fell into the notion that they had to live their Christian life in their own strength and their own efforts. Faith in Christ includes faith for all of life, but they thought they had to do something to earn God's grace. This letter addressed this concern in several ways. The first calls them to consider where this idea came from and how evil it is:
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. (Galatians 1:6–10)Next, Galatians presents the true gospel. Salvation is by faith in Christ, never in ourselves or anything we do, no matter what it is, or who it is:
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15–16)
Then these believers who were trying to live by works were plainly told they had been duped into thinking their perfection came by self-effort. How could they think that would work. If self-effort could not get them saved, how could self-effort change their lives?
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And 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.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 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”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:1–14)
The reading for today did not distinguish between people trying to perfect their lives by works and people who try to get saved by their works. The former happens to some Christians, but the latter cannot be called "Christian" for they never trusted the Lord for anything. I cannot 'try to act like a Christian' if I am not one. Not only that, once Christ saved me, He keeps me in His care and changes my life. My faith may falter and I might fail to act like what I am, but that cannot change what Christ has already done, nor does it change the reality that I belong to Him.
PRAY: Jesus, my assurance is in You. Always. If I put it in myself, I'm walking in the flesh and forgotten what You have done and are doing for me. You are my Savior; I am not. You are enough.
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