4 Lessons from The Book of Galatians

More details and resources for this study will be posted on the blog soon!

Now let’s complete our study in Galatians with this review…

Here’s 4 Lessons From the book of Galatians

1.) We are saved by grace through faith, not by works of the law.

Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia because they were deserting the grace of God and returning to Moses’ law. He reminded them to not enslave themselves to the law when they have been set free through Christ!

Paul writes in Galatians 2:16

 Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

We are saved:


By Grace alone (Sola Gratia)
Through Faith alone (Sola Fide)
In Christ alone (Solus Christus)
According to Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura)
For God’s Glory alone (Soli Deo Gloria)

When we come to Christ, he does not give us a list or a lecture – he gives us his righteousness and he makes us holy through his son’s death on the cross.

• We should not pray, read the Bible or go to church to earn more favor with God.
• We should not do good works, give money or dress a certain way in order to receive salvation.

Instead, because of God’s love for us and because of his free gift of salvation to us – as a result and an outpouring of our love and gratitude to him – we should love him and serve him and obey him and want to know him in a deeper way.

2.) Legalism says “do”. Grace says “it’s done.”

Galatians 4:6&7 says,

 ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

Paul says that Jesus was sent to redeem those under the law, so that we are no longer servants but rather a son and heir.

It is his Spirit inside of us that allows us to cry out to him as Abba, Father.

As children of God, we have eternal security through Jesus Christ and we do not have to earn it.

As a daughter of the King of Kings, your relationship with God is secure.

He is your Abba, Father. Do not seek security in other things. Rest in his love because as you learn to rest, you will grow closer and closer to him. And the closer you are to him, the more your heart will desire to honor and obey him.

Legalism says – do.

Grace says – it is done.

3.) How to Live a Spirit Led Life

Sometimes the Christian life turns into a list of rules to follow and formulas and outward behaviors. But over and over the Bible tells us to be still and wait on the Lord. We need to be Spirit led.

The Christian life is NOT a list of rules and formulas. It is a personal walk with the living God.

Galatians 5:16 & 17 says:

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Our flesh does not want to be still and wait on God.

We were born with a sin nature, but when we were born again we were given the Holy Spirit and now we have these two opposed natures inside of us…and friends the struggle is REAL! There is an inner war inside of us between the flesh and the Spirit.

Paul does not say – you will not have the fleshly desires. He says, when you walk in the Spirit – you will not GRATIFY them.

God sent his son to die for you and you have been set free. Yield to the Holy Spirit and be still, wait on the Lord and listen to him.

Live a Spirit led life. He loves you so.

4.) God’s grace is not a license to sin.

Paul reminds them to not be deceived or fooled into thinking that they can feed the flesh and reap the fruit of the Spirit.  God sees and will not be mocked in that way. 

God’s grace is not a license to sin, so if they choose to sin, they would reap corruption.

Galatians 6:9 says:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

But for those sowing to the Spirit, he encouraged them to not grow weary in doing good.  The principle of sowing and reaping requires patience.  An oak tree does not appear in a single day.  So, Paul encouraged them to not give up.

Our thoughts, actions, words, hobbies and habits are all seeds.  If we plant pumpkin seeds, we get pumpkins.  We cannot get a tomato from a pumpkin seed and in the same way, we cannot reap God’s blessings when we are planting sinful habits. 

Divine discipline follows the law of sowing and reaping.  If we sow bad decisions in our lives, we will suffer.  Sometimes we might be tempted to think that we can get away with doing wrong, but God always sees and knows.  Eventually, it does catch up with us.

Pause and consider – What are you sowing right now?  And what are you reaping right now?  What changes need to be made to sow more to the Spirit and less to the flesh?  Stay strong, be patient and keep sowing to the Spirit. Do not give up!

Final Conclusion:

As Paul closes the book of Galatians, he writes one final plea for them to not return to the law.  He reminded them that those who force circumcision had wrong motives. They were avoiding persecution and boasting in their flesh.  Paul had suffered for Christ. He had been beaten, whipped and stoned.  His body bore the marks of Jesus. And so, this is his final argument.  Rules, religion and traditions would not save them.  Only the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ would save them and that was Paul’s only boast.

The Lord says in Jeremiah 9:23 & 24:

“Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, ²⁴ but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” 

Absolutely nothing we do can bring us into a right relationship with God. 

Our works cannot save us.

We are saved by faith alone, by grace alone, through Christ alone.  Jesus deserves all the glory for laying his life down for our sins. 

Give God glory right now…And may “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.” Galatians 6:18

Keep believing and keep walking with the King,

**Chime In** What have you learned during your time in Galatians?

What’s next?

We are on break!

We will start back on Monday, November 1st with the Making Your Home a Haven Bible Study.

More details and resources for this study will be posted on the blog soon.

If you are looking to do a Bible Study
during our break, here’s a few I recommend:

Ecclesiastes – Wisdom for Living Well
A 6-Week In-depth Bible Study with a Free Video Series

With over 950 5-Star Reviews on Amazon – this is my most popular Bible Study!  It is a  verse-by-verse in-depth study of the book of Ecclesiastes. You can find all of the free resources for this study along with the video series —-> HERE.

Ruth – God’s Amazing Love for You
A 5-Week In-depth Bible Study with a Free Video Series

With over 1,000 5-Star Review, this is my second most popular study.  It is a verse-by verse, in-depth study of the book of Ruth.
You can find all of the free resources for this study along with the video series —> HERE.

Rest and Release
A 4-Week Bible Study with a Free Video Series

You can find all of its resources and the free video seres —–> HERE.

Other books of the Bible

You can find all of the books of the Bible we have already studied together and the free resources to go along with those studies on this page —–> HERE.

I encourage you to pick a book of the Bible and study it on your own and I’ll be back in April to study with you again!

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