When I was in school, I liked math for one main reason—formulas. The process was simple and satisfying: put the right things in, get the right things out. Every problem had a solution, and the formula guaranteed it.
It’s a great mindset for math, but a dangerous one for faith! At its core, that kind of thinking carries a subtle assumption—that we are in control of outcomes and can somehow earn God’s grace and favor. Paul dismantles that assumption in Galatians 3, grounding his argument in verse 11 with a declaration borrowed from the prophet Habakkuk: “The righteous will live by faith.” Then, through the story of Abraham—the father of our faith—he unfolds three defining characteristics of what true faith actually looks like.
First, faith is built on dependence. Paul opens the letter by confronting the Galatian church directly: why would they turn back to the law after witnessing the crucified and risen Christ? Jesus’ work was enough to secure their salvation—not their own striving.
In verse 6, Paul roots this in Abraham’s story, quoting Genesis: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” That word credited is an accounting term—it describes something deposited into an account. What Abraham could never earn, God freely placed there. That is exactly what Jesus accomplished for us at the cross. Faith, then, is not simply what we believe about God—it is what we entrust to Him.
Second, faith is displayed through obedience. In Genesis 12:1 and 4, God calls Abraham to leave his country, his people, and his father’s household and go to a land He had not yet revealed. And Abraham went! He didn’t negotiate, delay, or wait for more information. True faith moves when God speaks—it chooses immediate obedience over the comfort of staying put.
Third, faith is willing to surrender. Later in Abraham’s story, God asks him to do the unthinkable: sacrifice his son Isaac, the very child through whom God had promised to fulfill His covenant. Abraham loved Isaac deeply, yet he set out on the journey fully intending to obey. At the last moment, an angel stopped him: “Do not lay a hand on the boy… Now I know that you fear God” (Gen. 22:12).
What Abraham surrendered that day, God redeemed beyond anything he could have imagined—providing a ram in Isaac’s place and reaffirming His covenant promises. Full surrender is rarely easy, but God always has something waiting on the other side of it—something greater than anything we could obtain on our own.
Faith was never meant to be a formula we manage or a transaction we complete. Instead, it’s a daily walk of dependence, obedience, and surrender—trusting God as our source, taking the next step without delay, and releasing whatever He asks us to lay down. Whatever step He’s asking you to take today, I encourage you to take it, fully trusting His provision will meet you there!
