1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4 Did you suffer so many things in vain–if indeed it was in vain? 5 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– 6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 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.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 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.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 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”– 14 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

Big Idea: Faith in Jesus empowers you to be free of

1. Façade of Freedom (V.1-5)

• a. Foolishly misled (v.1-2)
• b. Flesh vs. Spirit (v.3-5)
• c. Misunderstanding the Father’s plan and work (v.5)

Your self-reliance is

2. Example of Freedom (v.6-9)

• a. The original promise in Abraham (v.6-7)
• b. God’s plan all along (v.8)
• c. Blessed by faith (. v9)

3. Redemption of Freedom (v.10-14)

• a. What the law accomplishes (v.10)
• b. What Jesus accomplished (v.13)
• c. What believers received (v.14)

Transfer your hope from

Small Group Questions

1. What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.

2. What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind?

3. Reflect on the example of freedom presented in verses 6-9. How does Abraham serve as a model of faith and freedom from self-justification? Why is it important to recognize that obedience flows from faith, not the other way around?

4. How has the finished work of Jesus on the cross transformed your understanding of freedom and self-justification? Share personal insights or testimonies from your journey of faith.

5. How can we practically live out the truth that faith in Jesus empowers us to be free of self-justification? What steps can we take individually and as a small group to continually place our trust in Christ’s finished work?