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In this sermon, Pastor Ian Thompson opens one of the most hard‑hitting sections of Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Galatians 3:1–18 forms the doctrinal heart of the epistle, confronting the church with a choice that still shapes Christian life today: law or faith, works or grace, performance or promise.

Paul’s thunderous cry — “O foolish Galatians!” — is explored in its full context, reminding us that chapters and verses were added centuries later. Paul’s grief and urgency flow from everything he has already said: the danger of drifting from the Gospel, the seduction of legalism, and the temptation to finish the Christian life in the flesh after beginning in the Spirit.

This message unfolds in three movements:

• The Just Shall Live by Faith (vv.1–11) 
  Paul takes the Galatians back to Abraham, showing that righteousness has always come by faith, not works. The sermon highlights the Reformation‑igniting truth: “The just shall live by faith.”
• The Law or Faith? (vv.12–14) 
  The law demands perfection — and none can give it. Christ redeemed us from the curse by becoming a curse for us, fulfilling “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” The blessing promised to Abraham — righteousness, the Spirit, and life — comes only through faith in Christ.
• When Is a Promise Not a Promise? (vv.15–18)  
  God’s covenant with Abraham came centuries before Moses. The law cannot cancel, replace, or undo the promise. If we cling to works, we cannot cling to Christ. If we trust our performance, we cannot trust His grace.

Pastor Ian applies this truth to the modern church, warning against today’s “Judaizers” who smuggle works back into salvation — whether through rituals, habits, or expectations God never commanded. Salvation is Christ alone, received by faith alone, kept by grace alone.

Application includes:

• Guarding your heart from drifting back to law
• Refusing to measure others by performance
• Resting in the promise, not your own strength
• Walking in the Spirit, not the flesh

This sermon calls every listener to live as children of the promise — never bewitched by performance, never burdened by law, but anchored in the grace given to Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Key Themes: Justification by faith, promise vs. law, grace, Judaizers, covenant, Abraham, Christian assurance, Spirit‑filled living.