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(s) we will study today:
Galatians 3:4 NIV
“Have you experienced so much in vain–if it really was in vain?”
Galatians 3:4 TPT
“Have you endured all these trials and persecutions for nothing?”
Galatians 3:4 MSG
“Are you going to just throw it all away now? Were all those experiences for nothing?”
Romans 8:28 ERV
“We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan.”
2 Corinthians 4:17 TPT
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
Setting the Stage:
Today, we move to Galatians 3:4, where Paul asks a critical question: “Have you experienced so much in vain?” The Galatians had suffered persecution for the gospel. They had experienced the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. They had witnessed miracles, signs, and wonders. Now Paul is essentially asking, “Are you really going to throw all of that away by going back to the Law?”
Here’s what I want to talk about today: Your suffering under grace has purpose, but your suffering under Law is pointless. The Galatians had suffered for the true gospel of grace, and that suffering was producing something eternal. But if they went back to law-based living, they would still suffer, but it would be meaningless suffering that produces nothing but frustration.
Think about it: Under grace, when you face trials, God works them for your good (Rom 8:28). Under Law, when you face trials, you’re just trying harder to be good enough. Under grace, your troubles are achieving eternal glory (2 Cor 4:17). Under Law, your troubles are just punishment for not measuring up.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Everything You’ve Experienced Under Grace Has Divine Purpose.
When Paul asks, “Have you experienced so much in vain?” he’s reminding them that every experience under grace (both good and challenging) has been purposeful. Under grace, nothing is wasted. Every trial, every breakthrough, every lesson will be used by God to work out for your good.
How this applies to you:
— Your struggles under grace are not random; they’re strategic. God uses them to reveal more of His grace to you and to develop your faith. Every challenge you’ve faced while walking in God’s grace has been working something in you.
— The Galatians had suffered persecution for believing the gospel of grace. That suffering bonded them together, strengthened their faith, and proved the reality of their commitment. To go back to Law after all of that would make all that suffering pointless.
— Under grace, your pain has purpose. God doesn’t cause all your problems, but He uses all your problems to reveal more of His grace and power in your life. Nothing is wasted when you’re living the grace life.
— Every time the enemy attacked you for walking in the power of God’s grace, every time religious people criticized you for not being focused enough on the rules, and every time you were misunderstood for resting in who and what God called you to be and do — none of it was in vain. God was using it all to establish you in Him and in your divine calling. But if you go back to simply trying to earn everything by your own works, you will still suffer and face challenges; however, that type of suffering is more akin to a “self-inflicted wound” than suffering for Christ.
— Grace makes your suffering about God, and under the Law, your suffering is about you! In other words, under grace, suffering is transformative. Under the Law, suffering is punitive.
— The very fact that you’ve experienced the power of grace proves that it’s real. You’ve seen God move without you earning it. You’ve received breakthroughs you didn’t deserve. Why would you go back to trying to earn what you’ve already received freely?
2. Going Back to the Law Makes Your Grace Journey Meaningless.
Paul’s concern is that if the Galatians return to Law-based living, everything they experienced under grace would be in vain; empty, meaningless, wasted. This is because the Law and grace are incompatible systems. You can’t mix them without destroying both. If you add Law to grace, it is no longer grace. If you add grace to Law, it is no longer Law.
How this applies to you:
— Every time you shift back to performance-based religion, you’re essentially saying that what Christ did wasn’t enough. You are shifting your focus back to YOU, and you are no longer relying on Jesus and His finished work. I know I am going to heaven, and it is because of Jesus. Not because of me.
— The Galatians had experienced the Holy Spirit through faith, not works (Gal 3:2). To go back to Law would be to abandon the power of the Holy Spirit and shift your focus to your performance.
— When you try to add performance to grace, you’re not adding to grace; you’re abandoning grace. Paul says you’ve “fallen away from the revelation of grace” (Gal 5:4 TPT).
— Think about all you’ve learned about grace, all the freedom you’ve experienced, all the peace you’ve found in knowing you’re accepted, not based on performance. Would you really trade all of that for the bondage of trying to be good enough?
— When you go back to Law, you’re not just taking a step backward; you’re nullifying your forward progress. All the ground you’ve gained under grace is lost when you return to performance-based living.
— The enemy’s greatest strategy is to get you to abandon grace for the Law, because he knows that under Law, you’re powerless.
— God has called us to live a supernatural life. The only way to tap into the supernatural is by using your faith. Your faith taps into God’s grace, and things happen that you cannot explain. However, when you go back to performance-based religion, you are living a completely HUMAN life, and there will be NO supernatural power.
3. Your Experiences Under Grace Are Evidence That Should Keep You From Going Back.
Paul is essentially saying, “Look at all you’ve experienced! Let that be your
evidence that grace works!” Your experiences under grace should be proof enough that you never need to return to Law-based living.
How this applies to you:
— Remember what life was like before you understood grace. Remember the effort you put into trying to please God. Remember the guilt, shame, and condemnation you constantly dealt with. Remember, never feeling good enough and dealing with constant failure. Why would you go back to that?
— Every miracle you’ve experienced came through grace, not through your performance. Every breakthrough, every answered prayer, every provision, all came because of God, His grace, and His goodness, not yours. God’s blessings are gifts to receive, not rewards to earn!
— The Galatians had seen miracles, signs, and wonders (Gal 3:5). These didn’t come through keeping the Law but through believing the message of grace. I am sure you can say the same.
— Document your grace journey. Write down what God has done since you’ve been walking in His unearned grace. Let these testimonies be anchors that keep you from drifting back into performance-based religion.
— When religion tries to pull you back with guilt and condemnation, remember your experiences. Remember the peace you felt when you first understood grace. Remember the joy of knowing you’re accepted in Christ.
— Your transformed life is evidence that grace works. You’re not the same person you were. That change didn’t come through trying harder; it came through receiving grace. Let your transformation testify to the power of God’s amazing grace.
4. Grace Gives Meaning to Both Your Victories and Your Trials.
Under grace, nothing is in vain; neither your successes nor your struggles. Paul wants the Galatians to understand that grace gives divine purpose to everything they’ve experienced. This is radically different from Law, where you’re just trying to avoid punishment.
How this applies to you:
— Here is a major point: Under grace, your victories are testimonies of God’s goodness, not monuments to your goodness. When you live #TheGraceLife, every success points to God and His grace, not to you and your performance. This keeps you humble and grateful.
— Under grace, your trials work things inside of you, and they are not seen as mere punishment for bad behavior. God is able to use moments of trials and testing to reveal His strength in your weakness and to develop the character of Jesus in you. In this way, you are not being punished; you’re being processed and prepared!
— Under grace, even when you fail, God is able to use your failures for His glory. Grace redeems your mistakes and uses them to teach you dependence on God rather than confidence in flesh.
— When you understand that nothing is in vain under grace, you can face anything with confidence. You know that whatever comes your way, God will use it for your good and His glory.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You that nothing I’ve experienced under grace has been in vain!
Every trial, every triumph, every experience has been working Your purposes in my life.
I refuse to go back to Law and make my grace journey meaningless.
I remember all You’ve done since I’ve been walking in grace, and I let these experiences anchor me.
My suffering under grace has purpose; it’s achieving eternal glory that far outweighs it all.
I will not throw away all I’ve experienced by returning to performance-based religion.
The miracles, breakthroughs, and transformations I’ve seen all came through grace, not Law.
I document my grace journey and let my testimony keep me from drifting back.
Nothing in my life is in vain because grace gives divine purpose to everything.
I am living #TheGraceLife, and everything is working for my good. GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!
I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and prosper!
