Galatians 3 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

You foolish Galatians! Who tricked you? Jesus as The One was publicly displayed right in front of you as executed on the stake.

I just want to know one thing from you: Did you receive the Breath of God by following the law, or by trusting what you heard?

Are you really that senseless? You started with the Breath of God — are you now trying to reach the finish line through your own human effort?

Did you go through all of that for nothing? Surely it wasn't for nothing!

So when God gives you the Breath and works powerful things among you, does he do it because you follow the law, or because you trust what you heard?

Think about Abraham — "he trusted God, and it was credited to him as being right with God."

So understand this: the real children of Abraham are those who live by trust.

And Scripture saw ahead of time that God would make non-Jewish people right with him through trust, so it announced the good news to Abraham in advance: "Through you, every nation on earth will be shown favor."

So those who live by trust are shown favor right alongside Abraham, the man who trusted.

But everyone who depends on following the law is living under a curse, because it's written: "Cursed is everyone who doesn't continue doing everything written in the book of the law."

Now it's obvious that no one is made right with God through the law, because "the person who is right with God will live by trust."

But the law isn't based on trust. Instead, "the person who does these things will live by them."

The One rescued us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — because it's written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

He did this so that the favor promised to Abraham would come to non-Jewish people through Jesus The One, and so that we could receive the promised Breath through trust.

Brothers and sisters, let me use an everyday example. Even with a human contract, once it's been finalized, no one can cancel it or add conditions to it.

Now, the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his offspring. It doesn't say "and to offsprings" — meaning many — but "and to your offspring," meaning one person, who is The One.

Here's my point: The law, which came 430 years later, doesn't cancel the contract God had already finalized. It can't wipe out the promise.

Because if the inheritance comes through the law, then it no longer comes through a promise. But God gave it to Abraham through a promise as a gift.

So what was the point of the law? It was added because of all the ways people fail, and it was meant to last until the offspring who was promised would come. It was put in place through angels and delivered by a mediator.

Now a mediator isn't needed when only one party is involved, and God is one.

So does the law work against God's promises? Absolutely not! If a law had been given that could actually produce life, then yes, being right with God would come through the law.

But instead, Scripture locked everything up under the power of corruption, so that what was promised — through trust in Jesus The One — could be given to those who trust.

Before this trust came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the coming trust would be revealed.

So the law served as our guardian until The One came, so that we could be made right with God through trust.

But now that trust has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Because you are all children of God through trust in Jesus The One.

Because every one of you who was submerged into The One has been clothed with The One.

There is no longer Jew or non-Jew, slave or free, male or female — because you are all one in Jesus The One.

And if you belong to The One, then you are Abraham's offspring — heirs according to the promise.