Grace in Galatians (Part 98): Being Fully Persuaded About God's Promise
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 3:18 TPT)
“For if our inheritance of the promises of God depends upon the keeping of the Law, it wouldn’t be the result of God’s promise to us. But God surely did give it to Abraham and to us through the promise!”
Supporting scriptures:
(Hebrews 6:17-18 TPT)
“So God added his promise to his purpose, since he wanted to make it perfectly clear to those who inherited the promise that he is unchanging and committed eternally to his purpose. So through two unchanging truths—his promise and his purpose—in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have turned to him for refuge will find overwhelming encouragement to seize hold of the hope set before us.”
(2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV)
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.”
(Ephesians 2:12-13 TPT)
“You had absolutely no connection to the Anointed One. You had no citizenship in Israel, were strangers with no connection to the covenant promises and the richness of God’s promises. Without hope, you had a future with no foundation, living in a world without God. But now, because of Christ Jesus’ blood sacrifice on the cross for you, everything has changed; you who were once distant and far away from God are now brought delightfully close to him through the blood of the Anointed One.”
Setting the Stage:
We’re continuing our deep dive into Galatians 3:18, and there’s so much MORE in this verse! Yesterday, we established that your inheritance is based on relationship, not performance, and that faith receives what grace provides. But today, I want to go deeper.
Think about what Paul is revealing here: there are TWO completely different systems for relating to God. One is based on what YOU DO (law-keeping), and the other is based on what GOD SAID (promise), and whether or not you believe it. One creates uncertainty because it depends on your ability to perform perfectly. The other creates absolute certainty because it depends on God’s unchanging Word!
This is life-changing! When you understand that your inheritance is secured by God’s PROMISE rather than your PERFORMANCE, everything changes! Your confidence shifts from shaky ground to the solid rock!
This is what it means to be FULLY PERSUADED about God’s promise! Like Abraham, who was fully persuaded that what God promised, He was also able to perform (Romans 4:21), you can live with that same level of certainty! Being fully persuaded means you’re not wavering between “maybe” and “hopefully”; you’re standing firmly on “God said it, and that settles it!“
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. God’s Promise Creates Certainty; The Law Creates Uncertainty.
Living under law-keeping means you’re NEVER sure if you did enough. But living under God’s promise means you’re ALWAYS certain because God’s Word never fails! This is the difference between constant anxiety and complete confidence!
How this applies to you:
— Under the Law, you’re constantly asking, “Did I do enough? Did I pray enough? Did I give enough? Did I serve enough? Am I good enough?” There’s no finish line under law-based living because you can never be sure you measured up. That’s exhausting! When I was religious, I lived with the fear of losing my salvation, with the pressure to perform, and with the uncertainty of my future, always wondering if God was going to bless me. That’s no way to live!
— But under the promise, you ask a completely different question: “What did God say?” If God promised it, then it’s settled and sure! Your confidence is not in your ability to perform; your confidence is in God’s ability to keep His Word! This is a completely different way to live!
— The Law system says, “If you keep all these rules perfectly, THEN you’ll be blessed.” The promise system says, “God GAVE you the blessing; now receive it by faith!” One is conditional and uncertain; the other is unconditional and certain!
— Hebrews 6:18 says we have “overwhelming encouragement” because of God’s promise! You’re not living on shaky ground, wondering if you’re qualified. You’re standing on the solid rock of God’s unchanging Word!
— Your inheritance is not in question! It’s not up for debate! God didn’t say, “Maybe I’ll bless you if you’re good enough.” He said, “I SURELY gave it through the promise!” That’s absolute certainty!
— Stop living in uncertainty about God’s goodness toward you! He promised to bless you, and His promise is as reliable as His nature! Walk in the confidence that comes from knowing your blessing is guaranteed by God’s Word, not earned by your works!
— If Isabella and I are ever wondering about something, I always go back to “What did God say?” If I know what God said, then I know what will happen. I may not know when. But I know what I believe will happen. And what’s awesome is that when God finally does it, most of the time it is greater than I expected. His “what” was greater than my “what.”
2. You Are Included in Abraham’s Inheritance Through Christ.
Paul says God gave it to Abraham AND to US (Gal 3:18). You’re not excluded from God’s covenant blessings; you’re INCLUDED through Jesus Christ! Every promise God made to Abraham is YOURS because you’re in the Singular Seed!
How this applies to you:
— This is HUGE! You might think, “Well, God made those promises to Abraham, not to me.” Or, you may think, “Well, that applies to Abraham and to the Jews, becuase they are his descendants.” But Paul is saying NO! You’re IN the promise because you’re IN Christ! Everything God promised Abraham flows to you through your union with Jesus!
— Ephesians 2:12-13 reminds us that we were once strangers to the covenant promises, but now, through Christ’s blood, we’ve been brought close and connected to everything God promised! You’re not on the outside looking in; you’re on the inside looking up!
— This means when God told Abraham, “I will bless you and make your name great,” that blessing is YOURS! When God said, “All nations will be blessed through you,” that includes YOU being blessed! You’re not hoping to get in on the blessing; you’re already in because you’re in Christ!
— Every promise in the Bible that applies to Abraham’s seed applies to YOU! It’s all part of your covenant inheritance!
— The word “us” in this verse includes YOU! God didn’t just give the inheritance to Abraham and then close the door. He gave it to Abraham AND to all who would come to God through faith in Christ! That’s YOU!
— This is why you can pray with confidence! You’re not asking God for something He might give you if you’re lucky. You’re claiming what already belongs to you as an heir! You’re receiving your inheritance by faith!
— Stop living like you’re not part of the bloodline of blessings! Through Christ, you have full access to every covenant blessing God promised Abraham! Walk in that reality today!
3. Promise-Based Living Eliminates Performance-Based Anxiety.
When your blessing depends on God’s promise rather than your performance, the pressure is OFF! You don’t have to lie awake at night wondering if you did enough to qualify for God’s favor!
How this applies to you:
— Religious believers live with a constant, low-level anxiety about their standing with God. “Did I mess up too much yesterday? Did I pray long enough today? Did I give enough? Did I serve enough?” That’s law-based anxiety, and it’s exhausting!
— But when you understand that your inheritance comes by PROMISE, not by performance, that anxiety DISAPPEARS! Why? Because your blessing doesn’t depend on your ability to be perfect; it depends on God’s dedication to you, to His Word, and to the plans He made for you before the world began!
— This doesn’t mean you become lazy or careless! Actually, the OPPOSITE happens! When you’re not stressed about earning God’s approval, you’re free to serve Him out of love and gratitude rather than fear and obligation! What I have found (at least for me) is that when the pressure to perform is off, I work harder than ever before, becuase I am yielded to God and His grace.
— Grace-based living says, “I’m already blessed because God promised it, so NOW I can work with joy and peace instead of pressure and anxiety!” You’re serving from a place of resting, not stressing!
— Think about how this changes your daily life! You don’t have to wonder if God is disappointed in you when you mess up. You already know He’s committed to blessing you because He gave it to you by PROMISE, and His promises don’t depend on your perfection!
— This is the revelation that sets you FREE! You can wake up every day knowing your inheritance is secure, your blessing is guaranteed, and God’s favor is on you; not because you earned it, but because He promised it!
— When you understand this, you enter every day with confidence! You’re not performing to prove you’re worthy; you’re receiving what God freely promised to do in your life! The pressure is OFF, and the peace is ON! This is #TheGraceLife.
4. When God Says “Surely,” You Can Live with Absolute Confidence.
Our text says: Galatians 3:18 TPT
“For if our inheritance of the promises of God depends upon the keeping of the law, it wouldn’t be the result of God’s promise to us. But God surely did give it to Abraham and to us through the promise!”
Notice Paul uses the word “surely“! This isn’t “maybe” or “hopefully” or “if you’re good enough.” God SURELY gave the inheritance through the promise! When God says “surely,” that settles it!
How this applies to you:
— The word “surely” means there’s NO DOUBT! God isn’t leaving room for exceptions. He SURELY gave the promise, and He will SURELY watch over it to bring it to pass in your life! That means you can live with absolute confidence that what God promised, He WILL perform!
— This is backed up by Hebrews 6:17-18, which says it’s IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie! When God makes a promise, He is staking His entire reputation on fulfilling it! Your inheritance is as certain as God’s character and integrity!
— You can stop second-guessing God’s goodness toward you! Stop wondering if you’re really going to receive what He promised! If God said it, then it’s settled in heaven, and it will manifest on earth!
— 2 Corinthians 1:20 says every promise from God finds its fulfillment in Christ! Every promise is “Yes” in Christ, and then “Amen” comes from us. Understanding this gives you bold confidence when you declare the promises of God over your life. You are not declaring something you came up with; you are declaring what God promised to do. You are bringing Him in remembrance of His own Word (His Promises), and you are expressing your confidence that God WILL DO what He SAID He would do in your life!
— Start your day declaring God’s promises over your life with unwavering confidence! Not as someone hoping it might happen, but as someone who knows it WILL happen because God surely gave it by promise! When you’re fully persuaded, your declarations carry the weight of certainty!
— This is what it means to live #TheGraceLife in 2025 and beyond! You’re not trying to earn God’s promises through perfect performance; you’re receiving them through confident faith! Walk today knowing that what God promised to Abraham and to you is absolutely certain, because when God says “surely,” that settles it forever!
That's enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You that Your promise creates certainty in my life!
I am not living in anxiety, wondering if I did enough; I’m living in confidence, knowing You promised certain things for me!
I am included in Abraham’s inheritance through Christ!
Every promise You made to Abraham is mine because I’m in the Singular Seed!
The pressure is OFF because my inheritance depends on Your faithfulness, not my performance!
When You say “surely,” I can live with absolute confidence!
I’m not hoping to get blessed; I am fully persuaded that what You promised, You are able to perform in my life!
I am 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!
Comments