You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise. —Galatians 3:26-29

I can only answer the question ‘What am I to do’ if I can answer the prior question ‘Of what story or stories do I find myself a part? —Alasdair MacIntyre

Week 1: When he met Jesus, Paul discovered he was part of a much bigger story than he’d realized.

missionaries insisted that the Galatians follow Jewish dietary laws and practice circumcision. Paul was not teaching something he came up with, but what was

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to him. (Galatians 1:11-12)

When we place tradition above the

for the tradition, we have created an idol.

Week 2: After meeting Jesus on the Damascus road, Paul needed to discern how to

. When discerning, follow the teaching and example of Jesus, and seek out wise people who

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him well. There is no “

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but equal” in the Kingdom of God.

Those who have been crucified with Christ will no longer separate themselves from one another but will gather around one table. —Richard Hays, New Testament Scholar

Joining Abraham’s Story

Paul reminds the Galatians their receiving

was not the result of works of the law. (Galatians 3:1-2)

Paul’s rivals may have argued that Gentile Christians must be circumcised in order to become Abraham’s

. (Genesis 12:1-10)

The core question is how we are

, or restored to right relationship with God. (Galatians 2:15-16)

Paul contrasts faith with works of the law.

Judaism has never taught that individuals must earn God’s favor by performing meritorious works; members of the covenant people are already embraced by God’s gracious election and mercy. —Richard Hays

Paul’s conflict was not with Judaism, but with other

.

A Story of Faith

Paul responds that Abraham’s true heirs are those who believe. (Galatians 3:6-7, Genesis 12:3)

The phrase often translated as “faith

Jesus Christ” may be better translated as “the faithfulness

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Jesus Christ.”

The faithfulness of

on the cross is the source of our salvation, not anything humans do.

The ground of our hope is the righteousness of God, not any human ‘works’ or ethnic status. —Richard Hays

While the law had an important role, it could never give life—and was never intended to. (Galatians 3:19)

The books of the law continue to help us recognize our need for grace. (Galatians 3:21-22)

Paul’s rivals found their identities in a particular set of practices instead of in

.

If we define our identities according to something temporary, it is only a matter of time until we’re in

.

A Bigger Story

Christ’s coming is not just another historical event, but the

of the history of creation.

In this new age, all are welcomed as

of God. (Galatians 3:25-26)

In baptism, the old things that define us are washed away, and we receive a new identity. (Galatians 3:27)

Our identity in Christ transcends

division or status marker and awakens us to his story. (Galatians 3:28-29)

The world is more than you ever thought, you are more than you ever thought, God is more than you could begin to think, and you are not trapped in the story you tell yourself about yourself; that is vision is a gift worth sharing. —Rowan Williams

We find our place in Jesus story by faith—simply trusting God.

Faith is not a matter of mustering heroic capacity to believe the odd or miraculous; it is simply a matter of receiving gratefully a gift that God has chosen to give us, completely without regard to our deserving. —Richard Hays

When we find our identities in Jesus’ story, we no longer need to worry about finding and defending our own identity.

Action Step

Ask yourself what

you’ve placed your trust in. Practice letting them

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.