Study Desk

This is what I mean: God had an agreement with Abraham and promised to keep it. The law, which came four hundred thirty years later, cannot change that agreement and so destroy God's promise to Abraham.

So what was the law for? It was given to show that the wrong things people do are against God's will. And it continued until the special descendant, who had been promised, came. The law was given through angels who used Moses for a mediator to give the law to people.

Instead, the Scriptures showed that the whole world is bound by sin. This was so the promise would be given through faith to people who believe in Jesus Christ.

In other words, the law was our guardian leading us to Christ so that we could be made right with God through faith.

You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This means that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

You belong to Christ, so you are Abraham's descendants. You will inherit all of God's blessings because of the promise God made to Abraham.

God did this so he could buy freedom for those who were under the law and so we could become his children.

So now you are not a slave; you are God's child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child.

But now you know the true God. Really, it is God who knows you. So why do you turn back to those weak and useless rules you followed before? Do you want to be slaves to those things again?

Brothers and sisters, I became like you, so I beg you to become like me. You were very good to me before.

So, my brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

We have freedom now, because Christ made us free. So stand strong. Do not change and go back into the slavery of the law.

So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. Then you will not do what your sinful selves want.

Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please.

We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit.

Some people are trying to force you to be circumcised so the Jews will accept them. They are afraid they will be attacked if they follow only the cross of Christ.

Those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so they can brag about what they forced you to do.

So do not give me any more trouble. I have scars on my body that show I belong to Christ Jesus.

That is, in Christ, he chose us before the world was made so that we would be his holy people—people without blame before him.

In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace,