Galatians 3:10-12

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

(v10, NIV)

Paul continues to show why it is by faith that we are justified, and how you should not seek to be justified by the law. There were many people seeking to be justified by the law. Even today, there are many people who seek to be justified by the law. Just look around you, ask a few probing questions and you'll find what people are really seeking to do. I find in this North American culture that the overwhelming theme is that all you need to do is be "good". Even among Christians and in the Christian churches you'll find people like that. I'm not saying everybody, but it amazes me how many people believe that, and it amazes me to find prominent people in the church believing and teaching that. This actually randomly makes me think of another thing.

Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

(Romans 1:32, ESV)

This passage is found among a long length of verses talking about these evildoers. These people exchange the glory of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). It's sad, but what's worse is that here in verse 32, it says they give approval to those who practice them.

Anyway, looking back to Galatians chapter 3, Paul is quoting Deuteronomy 27:26. Here it says that those who don't do everything in the Law are cursed. Paul is speaking to these Jewish Christians who believe that it is through the law that we are justified. However, even if they abide by the law, you and I both know that as we seek to be "good" and not sin, we always mess up. Nobody is perfect. We all sin and in our attempts to be "good", we all screw it up eventually.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

(Romans 3:23, NIV)

They already know that everybody falls short of the glory of God. They know that they can't perfectly keep the law. One way or another, they'll slip up. At the very least, there has to have been some point in their life where they did slip. Thus, they are cursed because they did not follow everything in the Law. How can they be justified if they did not follow it perfectly and are therefore cursed?

Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."

(v11, NIV)

Paul brings to the table another quote from the Old Testament. Paul is firing these quotes at them non-stop and continues to build upon his case. His case is clearly supported in this quote of Habakkuk 2:4.

The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them."

(v12, NIV)

Now, these who Paul is speaking to may object. Or at the very least, they'll argue against his point saying that they are living by faith. They may say that by following the law they are living by faith. That could make sense, couldn't it? It takes faith to believe that these laws are given to us by God. It takes faith to believe that these laws are correct and we should follow them. However, Paul shoots another Old Testament verse at them in light of their objection. This quote from Leviticus 18:5 shuts down their objection. They want to say that by following the law they are living by faith. However, this verse shows that by following the law, they are living by the law.