Grace in Galatians (Part 113): But NOW That Faith Has Come!
Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians.
Key scriptures for this year:
(2 Corinthians 9:8 TPT)
"Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do."
(Galatians 5:4 TPT)
"If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!"
(Romans 6:14 ERV)
"Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God's grace."
(1 Corinthians 15:10 CEV)
"But God treated me with undeserved grace! He made me what I am, and his grace wasn't wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God's grace at work and not me."
Scripture we will study today:
(Galatians 3:25 TPT)
“But now that faith has come, we are no longer under that servant-guardian.”
(Galatians 3:25 NLT)
“And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.”
(Galatians 3:25 ERV)
“Now the way of faith has come, and we no longer live under the Law as our guardian.”
Supporting scriptures:
(Romans 6:14 TPT)
“For sin will never have dominion over you, since you are not under the written law but living under the abundant grace of God.”
(Romans 7:6 NLT)
“But now we have been released from the Law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the Law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”
(Galatians 5:16-18 NLT)
“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the Law of Moses.”
(Colossians 2:14 NLT)
“He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”
Setting the Stage:
In Part 112, we discovered the life-changing transition from servant to son! We learned that the Law was our guardian. I explained yesterday that this guardian was a strict household supervisor whose job was temporary. The guardian brought us TO Christ, and once we arrived at Jesus through faith, the guardian’s job was OVER! But here’s where it gets even better: Paul doesn’t just say the guardian’s job is finished; he says something far more powerful in verse 25. He says, “BUT NOW that faith has come, we are NO LONGER under that servant-guardian!”
Today I want to focus on two critical phrases in this verse: “BUT NOW” and “NO LONGER”! These are declarations of a PERMANENT STATUS CHANGE! The old system is OVER, and you’re living in a completely new reality!
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. “But NOW” Marks a Permanent Shift in Your Status With God!
When Paul says “But NOW that faith has come,” he’s not talking about YOUR personal faith journey (although that matters). He’s talking about the ARRIVAL of the system of faith through Jesus Christ! The way God relates to humanity shifted from the Law to faith, from guardian-supervision to Spirit-leadership, and from servant status to son status! And that shift is PERMANENT!
How this applies to you:
— The words “but now” mark a clear dividing line in human history! There’s BEFORE faith came (the Old Covenant, the Law system, guardian-supervision), and there’s AFTER faith came (the New Covenant, the grace system, Spirit-leadership). You’re living in the “after” era!
— This isn’t about you getting better at keeping rules or finally measuring up to God’s standards. This is about God Himself changing the entire system! He didn’t modify the Law or make it easier; He replaced it with something infinitely better: faith in Christ!
— Romans 6:14 says you’re “not under the written law but living under the abundant grace of God.” That’s your current reality! You didn’t earn this status; God GAVE it to you the moment you placed your faith in Jesus!
— Many Christians live as if the shift never happened! They’re still trying to relate to God through Law-keeping when God has already declared that the faith system has arrived and the Law system is over!
— The guardian was required before faith came, but now that faith has arrived, the guardian is NO LONGER necessary! You don’t need someone standing over you with a rule book when you have the Holy Spirit living inside you!
— Think about how radical this is! God Himself is saying, “The old way of doing things is OVER. I’m not relating to you through rules anymore; I’m relating to you through faith in My Son!” That’s the “but now” reality you’re living in!
— You’re not trying to transition from Law to grace; the transition has ALREADY HAPPENED! The “but now” is your current address!
— Say this: “I live in the age of faith, the era of grace, and the season of the Spirit!” Let that sink in for a moment. Meditate on that.
2. “No Longer” Means the guardian’s Authority Over You is FINISHED!
Paul doesn’t say, “We’re trying not to be under the guardian,” or “We hope someday we won’t be under the guardian.” He says, “We are NO LONGER under that servant-guardian!” This is a statement of our present reality. This is our current condition, not some future aspiration!
How this applies to you:
— “No longer” is a powerful statement! It means what WAS true is NOT true anymore. You WERE under the Law’s supervision, but you’re NOT anymore! That season is OVER! And what’s crazy to me is that this transition happened over 2,000 years ago, but still, somehow, my mother raised me to be compliant with a system (the Law) that we transitioned away from on the Day of Pentecost. Why did my mother raise me that way? Because she was raised that way. And unfortunately, no matter how much I share the Word with my Mom, she refuses to leave a system of rites, rituals, and routines for the genuine relationship (through the Holy Spirit) that Jesus died for us to have. But my mother is not the only one. Millions of Christians live under the Law, when Paul said, 2,000 years ago, that we are NO LONGER under this system!
— Romans 7:6 says, “We have been RELEASED from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power.” Notice the past tense? You’ve BEEN released! This isn’t something you’re working toward; it’s something that’s ALREADY DONE!
— Many Christians are free, but they don’t know it! They’re still checking in with the guardian, still measuring themselves by his standards, still looking for his approval, even though his authority over them is FINISHED!
— Colossians 2:14 says Jesus “canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.” The Law had a list of charges against you, but Jesus CANCELED them! The debt is paid, the record is cleared, and the guardian has no legal standing to supervise you anymore!
— You’re not gradually transitioning out from under the guardian’s authority; you’re ALREADY out! The phrase “no longer” means it’s a DONE DEAL!
— Living #TheGraceLife means that we are free to be led by the Holy Spirit, we have the mandate to believe (no matter how big it is) whatever He leads us to do, and we then have the blessing of receiving the grace to do it, even though we (in our flesh) are not good enough for the assignment! That, my friends, is amazing grace!
3. God Replaced External Compliance With Internal Leadership!
Here’s what’s so beautiful about this transition: God didn’t just remove the guardian and leave you to figure things out on your own! He replaced external supervision with internal leadership! You now have the Holy Spirit living inside you, guiding you, empowering you, and leading you into righteousness from the inside out!
How this applies to you:
— The guardian supervised you from the OUTSIDE with rules, regulations, and requirements. But the Holy Spirit leads you from the INSIDE with His presence, His voice, and His power! That’s a completely different way of living!
— Galatians 5:18 says, “When you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.” Being Spirit-directed and being Law-supervised are two completely different systems! One is internal and relational; the other is external and regulatory!
— Think about the difference: The guardian could tell you what NOT to do, but he couldn’t empower you TO do it! The Holy Spirit not only shows you God’s will but also gives you the desire and power to fulfill it! That’s grace!
— Many Christians are trying to live a New Covenant life with an Old Covenant mindset! They’re Spirit-filled but Law-focused. They have the Holy Spirit living inside them, but they’re still relating to God as if they’re under the supervision of the guardian!
— The Holy Spirit will NEVER lead you contrary to God’s Word, so you don’t have to worry about being led astray! When you focus on following the Spirit’s leadership, you’ll naturally fulfill what the Law required without even trying!
— You have everything you need already inside of you! The Holy Spirit isn’t just your helper; He’s your leader, your teacher, and your empowerer!
4. Stop Going Back to What You’ve Been Freed From!
Paul was writing to believers who had experienced the freedom of “no longer” being under the guardian, but then they turned around and put themselves BACK under his supervision! And Paul is basically saying, “Why would you do that? Why would you go back to what you’ve been freed from?“
How this applies to you:
— Paul’s entire letter to the Galatians addresses this problem: believers who started in faith but were returning to Law-keeping. They experienced the freedom of grace but were being persuaded to go back under the guardian’s supervision!
— Every time you try to earn God’s favor through performance, you’re going back to the guardian! Every time you relate to God through rule-keeping instead of relationship, you’re putting yourself back under supervision!
— 2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is FREEDOM.” Freedom is your inheritance! But you can forfeit your freedom by choosing to go back under a system of rules!
— Religious systems today are still trying to put believers back under the guardianship! They’ll say, “Yes, you’re saved by grace, BUT you need to follow these rules to stay in God’s favor.” That contradicts what Paul is teaching here!
— A mature son doesn’t need a guardian; a mature son walks in relationship with the Father! We are called to walk with God, being led by His Spirit, and educated by His Word.
— You have a choice every single day. You can live under a system of compliance (checking boxes, following rules, measuring yourself by external standards), or you can live in the Spirit’s leadership (walking by faith, developing Godly character, and experiencing the freedom of sonship). The guardian is NO LONGER your supervisor! So stop acting like he is! This is #TheGraceLife, and it’s how we are supposed to live!
That's enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace!
When I read, “but now faith has come,” I know everything has changed for me!
I declare that I am NO LONGER under the Law!
I’m walking in the freedom of the Spirit!
I refuse to go back to what I’ve been freed from!
I’m not trying to earn Your favor through performance; I’m receiving Your grace through faith!
The Holy Spirit is my leader, my guide, and my teacher. Not only that, but He gives me the power to do what He leads me to do!
Therefore, I’m living from the inside out, empowered by grace and led by the Holy Spirit!
I’m Living the Grace Life, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
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