Justification with God comes not by law-keeping or moral performance but by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Paul shows that all who rely on works are under a curse because no one perfectly keeps God's law. But God gave Abraham righteousness through faith before the law or circumcision, and that same blessing—peace with God and his abiding presence—is extended to Jew and Gentile alike. Christ redeems sinners from the curse by becoming a curse for them, bearing God’s wrath on the cross so that they might receive the promised Spirit through faith and become true children of Abraham.

This passage comes at the end of Paul’s bold defense of the gospel of grace—that we are justified by faith, not by works of the law. It’s an audacious claim, and it raises the question: if salvation is by grace, does it matter how we live? Paul’s answer is deeply personal and theologically rich. The Christian life begins with death: “I have been crucified with Christ.” The old self—the one that lived as its own reference point—has died, and now Christ lives in us. The Christian life isn’t about trying harder, giving up, or achieving spiritual greatness. It’s about living in union with Christ—Christ as the reference point for everything we do.