QT 19/08/2026 Wed Galatians 3 From Striving to Standing: Resting in Christ Alone 唯独在基督里得安息

QT 19/08/2026 Wed Galatians 3 From Striving to Standing: Resting in Christ Alone
READ https://www.esv.org/Galatians+3

What if everything you've been taught about earning God's approval is wrong? Galatians 3 reveals a life-changing truth: God doesn't accept you because of your performance—He accepts you because of Christ. Stay with me as we discover the freedom of living by faith instead of striving.

Is it Faith Over Performance? Are you living by grace—or by guilt? Galatians 3 exposes the danger of striving to earn God's favour and points us back to the freedom found in Jesus Christ. Let’s look at the key verse:

Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? (Galatians 3:6, ESV)

Reflection

Galatians 3 confronts one of the greatest temptations in the Christian life: believing that God's acceptance depends on our performance rather than on Christ's finished work.

Paul asks the Galatian believers a piercing question:

"Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?" (Galatians 3:2)

The answer is obvious. They received salvation through faith, not by earning it. Yet after beginning with grace, they were drifting toward legalism—trying to perfect themselves through rule-keeping.

That temptation remains today. We may know we are saved by grace, yet we subtly believe God loves us more when we have a "good" week spiritually and less when we fail. We measure ourselves by Bible-reading streaks, ministry success, or moral victories. While spiritual disciplines are valuable, they are never the basis of our standing before God.

Paul points us to Abraham. Long before the Law of Moses existed, Abraham was declared righteous because he trusted God's promise (Genesis 15:6). Salvation has always been by grace through faith. The Law has an important purpose—it reveals our sin and shows us our need for a Savior. It is like a mirror that exposes our condition but cannot cleanse us. Only Jesus Christ can do that.

Paul writes that "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). On the cross, Jesus bore the penalty we deserved so that all who believe in Him receive the blessing promised to Abraham: forgiveness, righteousness, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Because we are united with Christ by faith, our identity is no longer determined by ethnicity, social status, achievements, or failures. We belong to Him. We are God's children and heirs according to His promise (Galatians 3:26–29).

The gospel calls us every day to stop striving to earn God's favor and instead to rest in Christ, obeying Him out of gratitude rather than fear.

Gospel Truth

You are not justified by what you do for Christ, but by what Christ has done for you. Good works are the fruit of salvation, never the root of it (cf. Ephesians 2:8–10). The Christian life begins by grace, continues by grace, and ends in grace. Faith in Christ—not human achievement—is the foundation of our relationship with God.

Application

• Examine whether you are relying on your spiritual performance instead of Christ's righteousness.
• Thank God that your acceptance before Him is based entirely on Jesus.
• Practice obedience today as a response to God's grace, not as an attempt to earn His love.
• Encourage another believer who may be burdened by guilt or legalism with the truth of the gospel.

Prayer

Heavenly Father. Thank You that You have justified me by faith through Jesus Christ and not by my own efforts. Forgive me for the times I try to earn what You have already freely given through Your Son. Help me to trust fully in Christ's finished work and to walk in joyful obedience because I am already accepted in Him. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that my life bears fruit that honors You. Keep my heart centered on the gospel every day. In Jesus' name, Amen.

QT 19/08/2026 星期三  加拉太书 3 从努力到安立：唯独在基督里得安息
阅读 http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/gal/3/

如果你所学到的关于“如何赢得神认可”的一切都是错误的，会怎样？《加拉太书》第3章揭示了一个能改变生命的真理：神接纳你并非因你的表现——而是因基督。请继续阅读，让我们一同发现凭信心而活、而非靠努力挣扎所带来的自由。

是凭信心还是凭表现？你是在恩典中生活——还是在内疚中生活？《加拉太书》第3章揭露了为赢得神的恩宠而努力的危险，并引导我们回归在耶稣基督里所找到的自由。让我们来看关键经文：

“正如亚伯拉罕信　神，这就算为他的义。’”——加拉太书3:6

反思

《加拉太书》第三章直面基督徒生命中最大的诱惑之一：认为神的接纳取决于我们的表现，而非基督已成全的工作。

保罗向加拉太的信徒提出了一个发人深省的问题：

“你们接受了圣灵，是靠着行律法，还是因为信所听见的福音呢？”（加拉太书3:2）

答案显而易见。他们是因信得救，而非靠自己的努力换来的。然而，虽然起初是靠恩典，他们却逐渐偏离正道，陷入律法主义——试图通过遵守规则来使自己臻于完美。

这种诱惑至今依然存在。我们或许知道自己是因着恩典得救的，却在潜意识里认为：当我们在灵性上度过“美好”的一周时，神对我们的爱就更多；而当我们失败时，神对我们的爱就更少。我们用连续读经的天数、事工的成功或道德上的胜利来衡量自己。虽然属灵操练很有价值，但它们绝不是我们在神面前地位的基础。

保罗将我们的目光引向亚伯拉罕。早在摩西律法颁布之前，亚伯拉罕就因信靠神的应许而被称义（创世记15:6）。得救向来是本乎恩，也因着信。律法有一个重要的目的——它揭示我们的罪，并向我们显明我们需要一位救主。它好比一面镜子，能照出我们的真实状况，却无法洁净我们。唯有耶稣基督能做到这一点。

保罗写道：“基督替我们受了咒诅，就救赎我们脱离了律法的咒诅，因为经上记着：“凡挂在木头上的，都是受咒诅的”（加拉太书 3:13）。在十字架上，耶稣承担了我们应得的刑罚，使所有信靠祂的人都能领受应许给亚伯拉罕的祝福：赦免、称义，以及圣灵的恩赐。

因为我们借着信心与基督联合，我们的身份不再由种族、社会地位、成就或失败所决定。我们属于祂。我们是神的儿女，也是照着祂的应许作祂的后嗣（加拉太书 3:26–29）。

福音每天都在呼召我们：不要再努力去赚取神的恩宠，而是要在基督里安息，出于感恩而非惧怕来顺服祂。

福音真理

你得称义并非因你为基督所做的事，而是因基督为你所做的事。善行是得救的果子，绝非得救的根源（参见以弗所书 2:8–10）。基督徒的生命始于恩典、延续于恩典、终结于恩典。对基督的信心——而非人的成就——是我们与神关系的基础。

应用

• 省察自己是否正倚靠属灵的表现，而非基督的义。
• 感谢神，你在祂面前蒙悦纳完全是基于耶稣。
• 今天要实践顺服，以此回应神的恩典，而非试图赚取祂的爱。
• 用福音的真理鼓励那位可能因内疚或律法主义而背负重担的信徒。

祷告

天父。感谢祢，祢是凭着对耶稣基督的信心称我为义，而非凭着我自己的努力。求祢赦免我那些试图靠自己努力去换取祢早已借着祢的儿子白白赐予之恩的过犯。求祢帮助我全然信靠基督已成全的工作，并因我在祂里面已被接纳而满怀喜乐地顺服而行。求祢用圣灵充满我，使我的生命结出荣耀祢的果子。求祢每天使我的心专注于福音。奉耶稣的名祷告，阿们。