“Not by Law, But by Promise (Galatians 3:10-22)” | 9/21/25
Galatians 3:10-22 | 9/21/25 | Thad Yessa
We all know the feeling: that sense of not measuring up. It’s like running on a treadmill that only speeds up the faster you go. No matter how hard you push, no matter how fast you move, you collapse in exhaustion and defeat.
That’s exactly what Paul is addressing here in Galatians 3. He’s talking to people who thought the Christian life was about keeping pace with the Law, earning God’s approval by doing enough, obeying enough, being enough. But Paul pulls back the curtain and shows us the truth: life under the Law only brings a curse.
At its core, Galatians 3 presents us with two paths. One path is paved with human effort, law-keeping, and self-reliance. It promises life if you can keep every step perfectly, but in reality it only ends in exhaustion and curse. The other path is marked by faith in God’s promise. It doesn’t depend on our performance but on Christ’s finished work, and it leads to blessing and life.
That’s what Galatians 3:10-22 is all about: the Law’s curse and Christ’s promise.
Galatians 3:10-22 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.
15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ.17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
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I. The Law Brings Curse; The Promise Brings Blessing (vv. 10-14)
Paul doesn’t ease us into this. He says, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” (v. 10). That’s 100 percent obedience, 100 percent of the time. No exceptions. No curve grading.
The sobering reality that the Bible paints about our sin and disobedience is that we all deserve God's wrath. The law exposes our guilt and leaves us trembling before His judgment. Martin Luther captured this truth when he said,
“The principal point of the law…is to make men not better but worse; that is to say, it sheweth unto them their sin, that by the knowledge thereof they may be humbled, terrified, bruised and broken, and by this means may be driven to seek grace.”
(Luther, quoted in Stott, Message of Galatians, 91)The law doesn’t ask a person to believe; the law asks a person to obey. Obey this. Do this. Continue. Work. The law is a curse. To understand this, we must see God’s covenantal framework. The covenant with Abraham was rooted in blessing: “I will bless you…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:2-3). But when God gave the covenant through Moses, the emphasis shifted. In Deuteronomy 27, the people were divided between two mountains, one side proclaiming blessings, the other proclaiming curses. The final curse in that chapter (Deut. 27:26) is exactly what Paul quotes in Galatians 3:10.
The law is relentless. It reminds us that we are cursed under God’s judgment because none of us can obey it perfectly. Even our best religious efforts collapse under its weight. Galatians 3 declares that the curse falls on all people, even those trying hardest to keep God’s commands. Leviticus 18:5 says, “The person who does them shall live by them.” In other words, if you want life under the law, you must do it all. But that’s exactly the point: no one can. The treadmill speeds up, and we collapse.
This is why Paul contrasts it with Habakkuk 2:4: “The righteous shall live by faith.” Life does not come through the exhausting effort of law-keeping but through trust in God’s promise. The law shows us our curse; faith clings to God’s gift of righteousness. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks: “What does every sin deserve?” The answer: “Every sin deserves God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come.”
Let’s be honest before God’s law. It says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart”, have you? “Love your neighbor as yourself”, do you? We rename lust as “looking,” slander as “sharing,” greed as “planning,” and bitterness as “boundaries.” The law doesn’t grade on a curve; it requires us to do “all things…” (v. 10), including the hidden places of the heart. This is the reason why every one of us needs grace, why I need grace.
But Paul then declares the hope of the gospel: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” (v. 13). Imagine being locked inside an iron cage with no door, no key, and no hope of escape. That is the condition of every sinner apart from God’s grace. And then, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Gal. 4:4-5). Paul insists Christ accomplished redemption. His death was effective. His cross-work was decisive. He fully delivered his people from the curse of the law, “by becoming a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13).
In this exchange Christ took our curse so we could receive his blessing. He bore our guilt so we could wear his righteousness. Because of the cross of Christ, the curse of the Law has been lifted. That which blocked the flow of God’s blessing has been removed. Now, in Christ, the blessing of Abraham pours forth, not only to Israel, but to all the nations of the earth (Gal. 3:14). When men and women from all nations turn from sin and trust in Christ, they receive forgiveness and reconciliation. They stand in the channel of God’s promised blessing.
And what do we receive instead? The blessings of the promise. Paul mentions them here:
Justification (v. 11): declared righteous in God’s sight.
Forgiveness (v. 13): our guilt removed by Christ’s curse-bearing death.
Adoption (v. 14a): brought into God’s family as His sons and daughters.
The Holy Spirit (v. 14b): God’s presence given as the down payment of our inheritance.
When you look at the cross, you can never again say, “God doesn’t care about me.” He cared enough to take your curse Himself.
The law shows us the curse we deserve. But Paul reminds us the promise came first, and it still secures us.”
II. The Law Brings Conviction; The Promise Brings Security (vv. 15-18)
Now Paul turns to the relationship between the Law and God’s promise to Abraham. He makes it clear: the promise came first.
Before explaining what the law does, Paul pauses to make clear what the law does not do. He gives an “example from everyday life” (v. 15). Even in human affairs, a covenant or legal will is binding once it has been established. No one can annul it or add to it. If that’s true of human contracts, how much more secure is God’s covenant promise?
Paul applies this truth to the gospel. God gave Abraham a promise of blessing through faith. Centuries later, 430 years later, to be exact, the law came through Moses. Some might conclude that the law modified the promise, making blessing conditional on obedience. But Paul insists that this is impossible: “The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise” (v. 17).
If the law were a new way of salvation, it would mean God had changed his mind. It would imply we didn’t need a Savior, that blessing could be earned rather than received by grace. But that would overturn the very nature of the promise. Paul drives the point home: “For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise” (v. 18).
Law and promise are two entirely different principles, mutually exclusive. The law says: “Do this, and live.” The promise says: “I will do this, and you must only believe.” One depends on performance; the other depends on the giver’s word.
Christian, when you catch yourself bargaining with God, “If I read more, serve more, perform better, then He’ll be pleased”, remember: Christ is your righteousness today. Pray, serve, obey, not to be loved, but because in Christ you already are.
Paul’s point is simple: a gift-promise requires only faith, but a law-wage requires flawless obedience. And since no one can perfectly obey, the law can only convict. But the promise? The promise secures our blessing, because it rests not on us, but on the unchanging Word of God.
Think of it this way: if you write a will, it can’t be annulled later by someone else because they don’t like it. If that’s true in human agreements, how much more in God’s? (v. 15). God’s promise stands unshaken.
And what was that promise? Paul says it was made to Abraham and his offspring and then clarifies: not “offsprings” but “offspring,” who is Christ (v. 16). In other words, the promise was always pointing to Jesus.
So here’s the argument: our inheritance doesn’t rest on our ability to keep the Law. It rests on God’s faithfulness to His promise in Christ. The Law convicts us. It shows us we can’t measure up. But the promise secures us. It tells us that our future doesn’t depend on our performance but on Christ’s finished work.
An inheritance isn’t earned by chores. You don’t work for it. You receive it because you’re in the family. In Christ, you’re not an employee trying to get paid. You’re a child resting in your Father’s faithfulness.
III. The Law Brings Imprisonment; The Promise Brings Freedom (vv. 19-20)
Paul then asks the obvious question: if the promise is so secure, why give the Law at all? “Why then the Law?” (v. 19). If God’s covenant with Abraham was sufficient, if justification is by faith alone, why would God give the law at all?
Paul’s answer is that the law was never designed to replace the promise. Instead, it was “added because of transgressions” (v. 19). The law exposes sin for what it really is. It is like a floodlight in a dark room, revealing every corner of dust and filth we’d rather not see. It multiplies our sense of guilt, not because the law is bad, but because we are. It is similar to whenever a police car turns on it’s lights and sirens and I and everyone else immediately taps the brakes, not because we are in the moment necessarily breaking the law, but because we all have broken the law and are filled with guilt! As Paul says in Romans 5:20, “the law came in to increase the trespass.” It also is meant to limit the lawlessness of us! The law is holy, but when it meets the sinful heart, it provokes rebellion, showing us how desperately we need a Savior.
But notice how Paul contrasts the way the law was given with the way the promise was given. The law was delivered through intermediaries, ordained through angels, and mediated through Moses (v. 19). That means the law came with layers of distance. God did not speak it directly to His people in the same way He gave the promise to Abraham. Instead, it was given with mediators in between, underlining its temporary, subordinate role.
By contrast, the promise came straight from God Himself. No angels. No human go-betweens. Just God making an oath, swearing by His own name, binding Himself to Abraham and his offspring forever. In Genesis 15, the Lord speaks to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” (v. 1). Abram is honest, he has no child, no heir. But God takes him outside and says, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them. So shall your offspring be.” (v. 5). And then the key line: “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” (v. 6).
God then confirms His promise with a covenant. Abram prepares the animals for sacrifice, cuts them in half, and lays the pieces opposite each other. Normally, both parties would walk through the pieces, pledging their own lives if they broke the covenant. But when the sun sets, Abram falls into a deep sleep. A smoking fire pot and a flaming torch, symbols of God’s own presence, pass between the pieces. God alone walks the path. He binds Himself to keep the promise. “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram” (v. 18).
One came through many hands; the other came from the hand of God alone. The law was indirect, but the promise was immediate. The law was temporary, but the promise was eternal.The promise depends solely on God, and God does not change. That makes the promise infinitely more secure.
We need to be clear on the purpose of the Law; otherwise, we’ll end up sideways. Everything God creates has a purpose, and with that purpose, it is good. But even good things can go bad when we use them for what they were never meant to do.
Charles Spurgeon captured this with one of his vivid illustrations: “A handsaw is a good thing, but not to shave with.” A saw is perfect for cutting wood, but disastrous for your face. Put it to the wrong use, and you’ll lose more than hair! He continues, “There’s sense in choosing your tools, for a pig’s tail will never make a good arrow, nor will his ear make a silk purse. A good thing is not good out of its place.”
And if that’s true for a saw or a pig’s tail, how much more for God’s Law! The Law is good, but it must be used for its intended purpose. Its role is to restrain sin, and in doing so it exposes sin’s subtlety and strength.
So Paul’s point is not that the law was useless. Far from it. The law was preparatory; it revealed sin, restrained rebellion, and pointed us to Christ. But it could never justify, and it could never free. Only the promise in Christ can do that. The law brings imprisonment, but the promise brings freedom.
This is why Paul will not allow the Galatians or us to confuse the two. Law and promise are not partners in salvation. They are opposites. The law brings conviction, but the promise brings freedom. The law reminds us of our chains, but the promise of Christ shatters them.
And here’s the wonder: the very thing that once imprisoned us now drives us to long for release. The law leaves us crying out for freedom, I just can’t do it, and the gospel answers that cry. In Christ Jesus, the promise has triumphed. The prison doors are open. We are free.
The law imprisons, but is it against God’s promise? No, the law cannot give life, only Christ can.
IV. The Law Brings Death; The Promise Brings Life (vv. 21-22)
At this point in Paul’s argument, some might be thinking: If the law exposes sin, multiplies guilt, and leaves us imprisoned, then isn’t the law opposed to God’s promises? Doesn’t it actually work against salvation? Paul anticipates this concern when he asks: “Is the law then contrary to the promises of God?” (v. 21).
It’s the same kind of objection kids raise about rules at home. Imagine me telling my kids that our “Yessa rules” are mainly there to show them where they fall short. No doubt at least one of them would exclaim: “That’s not fair! Are these rules just out to get us?” Paul expects that kind of protest. But his answer is firm and to the point: “Certainly not!” (v. 21).
Why not? Because the law and the promise have very different purposes. The promise gives life; the law cannot. Paul explains: “For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law” (v. 21). That’s the heart of the matter. The law cannot create spiritual life. It cannot give the new heart that delights in obedience. At best, it can tell you what life with God looks like, but it cannot empower you to live it.
This is why, when the law is treated as a source of life, it ends up bringing death. The law is like a mirror: it can show you the dirt on your face, but it cannot wash you clean. It’s like an X-ray: it can diagnose the broken bone, but it cannot heal it. The problem isn’t the law itself; it’s us. Our fallen human nature makes the law powerless to save. As Paul says in Romans, “ For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do” (Rom. 8:3).
Paul drives this home with a dramatic conclusion: “But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin” (v. 22). The law doesn’t make us sinners; it reveals that we already are sinners. It’s like a courtroom verdict, every piece of evidence piles up until the guilty sentence is undeniable. There’s no mistrial, no loophole, no technicality to appeal on. The only hope is a pardon, and that pardon comes only through Christ. Israel’s own story bears this out. Even though God redeemed them physically from Egypt, they were still enslaved spiritually. He gave them His good law at Sinai, but He had not yet given them a new heart (Deut. 30:6). And so the law that should have led to life only brought curse and judgment.
This is why Paul describes the law as a household guardian or tutor (vv. 23-24). Like a stern (4th grade teacher Ms. Priest constantly reminding you of your mistakes and violations of class rules) teacher, the law kept Israel in line, exposing their failures and reminding them that they were not yet mature heirs. Its role was not to give the inheritance but to keep them longing for the One who could.
And here’s the gospel: Christ has come, and with Him comes life. What the law could not do, give life, God has done by sending His Son. As Paul proclaims in Romans 8:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:1-2).
Through His death, Christ bore every curse our sins deserve. Through His resurrection, He pours out His Spirit to give us new life. The Spirit does what the law never could: He changes our desires, empowers our obedience, and bears fruit in us.
So what does this mean for us?
First, the law still has a role, but a limited one. It guides, restrains, and convicts. But it cannot give life.
Second, life comes only by rooting ourselves in God’s promises. To root yourself in the law is to become brittle and cold, a spiritual porcupine. But to root yourself in the gospel is to become fruitful, alive, filled with joy.
Third, we must walk by the Spirit. The Spirit gives life, motivates love, and produces the fruit that the law could never grow (Gal. 5:22-23).
The law brings death; the promise brings life. And in Christ Jesus, we live not under condemnation but under grace, not by law but by the Spirit, not for fear but for freedom.
It’s like the flashing “Check Engine” light in your car. That light doesn’t fix the problem; it just tells you something’s wrong. The Law flashes red on the dashboard of our souls, but Christ opens the hood, takes the broken engine of our lives, and gives us something brand new.
The law brings curse, conviction, chains, and death. But in Christ, the promise brings blessing, freedom, and life.
Conclusion: Christ Breaks the Curse
When we step back and take in Galatians 3, the contrast could not be starker. The Law brings curse, conviction, imprisonment, and death. But the promise in Christ brings blessing, security, freedom, and life.
That’s not just a theological chart, it’s the story of every one of us. We all begin under the Law. We all begin with the weight of “not enough” pressing down on us. Some of you know that treadmill feeling well, you run and run, but the pace only increases. You serve more, pray harder, try to be better, but the more you strain, the louder the Law shouts back: “Guilty.”
And here’s the thing: the Law is not wrong. It is holy. It is right. It is good. But it was never meant to save you. It was meant to show you your need for the One who can.
The gospel on the otherhand: Christ Jesus stepped under the curse. He was nailed to a tree so that the curse would fall on Him and the blessing might flow to you. He entered the prison house of sin, took the sentence you and I deserved, and then flung open the doors to set us free. He bore the death the Law demanded, and He rose again to pour out His Spirit and give us life.
This means you don’t have to live under the tyranny of “not enough.” In Christ, you are justified, fully righteous in God’s sight. You are forgiven, your sin nailed to the cross and remembered no more. You are adopted, no longer a slave, but a beloved son or daughter of the King. You are indwelt by the Spirit, empowered to love and serve God not out of fear, but out of joy.
Some of us need to come to Christ for the first time; others need to come back to the same Christ we already have, but by faith, not fear. If you are new to this: turn from your sin and yourself, and entrust your whole weight to Jesus, who became a curse for you. If you belong to Him already, lay down your good works ledger. The same cross that saved you secures you; the same Spirit who gave you life will keep you in life. We’ll have elders and a prayer team available after; we would love to pray with you, answer questions, and help you take a next step in following Jesus.
And so the question Galatians 3 leaves us with is deeply personal: Where are you placing your hope?
Are you still clinging to the Law, your performance, your record, your effort, hoping that maybe it will be enough?
Or are you clinging to the promise, Christ Himself, who is enough?
If you are not in Christ, this is an invitation to stop striving and start trusting. Lay down your attempts at self-salvation, and receive the gift of Christ’s salvation. The Law has done its work: it has shown you your guilt. Now let Christ do His: to redeem you, bless you, free you, and give you life.
And if you are in Christ, this is a reminder to live like it. You don’t have to earn what has already been given. You don’t have to run on the treadmill of performance anymore. The Spirit of life has set you free from the law of sin and death. So walk by the Spirit. Keep in step with the Spirit. Bear the fruit of the Spirit. And let your life overflow with the blessing of Abraham to the nations.
So let us leave here not crushed by the Law but lifted by the gospel. Not under curse but under blessing. Not in prison but set free. Not dead but alive. Alive in Christ, who is our righteousness, our life, and our hope forever.