Faith is the cornerstone of the Christian life, yet many believers unknowingly live under the weight of performance. We often strive to earn God’s favor through our actions, forgetting that Jesus already fulfilled the requirements of the law. The gospel calls us not just to do, but to believe. The radical truth is that we’re justified by faith, not by works; embracing this truth transforms our relationship with God.

Trusting vs. Performing

God has set the tone for understanding the difference between living by faith and living by the law. “So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” (Galatians 3:9). Those who are of faith are blessed, not because of their performance, but because they believe. Faithful Abraham wasn’t perfect, but he believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

By contrast, going through life trusting in our own efforts blocks God’s blessings. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse…” (Galatians 3:10). The law demands perfect obedience, which means that if a person fails in one area, they’re guilty of all. Living under the law means living under a curse, because no one can fulfill all its requirements. The law is about doing; faith is about believing.

Galatians 3:11 continues, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” Justification isn’t earned; it’s received through faith in what Jesus has already done. We aren’t declared righteous because of our actions, but because of our belief in Christ’s finished work. The just live by faith, not by effort.

The law and faith are mutually exclusive. “And the law is not of faith…” (Galatians 3:12).  When the law is in force, it operates on a merit system—do good, get good; do bad, get bad. In comparison, faith operates on grace—believe and receive what Jesus has already provided.

Already Blessed

Paul reinforced this truth in his letter to the Romans. “For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect” (Romans 4:14). Trying to earn God’s promises through works cancels out the power of faith. Performance-based Christianity voids the promise. Faith and rule-keeping can’t coexist.

Paul proclaimed to the Galatians, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law… that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:13, 14).  Jesus became a curse for us so we could be free from the law’s demands. We’re therefore blessed not because of what we do, but because of what He did. The blessing comes through faith, not self-reliance.

Empty Works

Many believers unknowingly live by a merit system, thinking their confessions or actions earn them favor with God. When viewed through the lens of the law, we believe our words are more powerful than Christ’s finished work. “Your words are so powerful that they will kill or give life, and the talkative person will reap the consequences” (Proverbs 18:21, TPT). We believe we must confess to make things happen, rather than confessing because we believe they’ve already happened. Faith speaks as a response to belief, not as a tool to manipulate outcomes.

Faith begins with belief and naturally leads to confession. We don’t speak to make it happen, because it already has. Our words aren’t the cause of the blessing, but the evidence of our faith in it. “We having the same spirit of faith… I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13).

Resting in Faith

Hebrews 9:14 teaches that the blood of Christ purges our conscience from dead works so we can serve the living God. Dead works are efforts to earn what God already gave us. Trying to deserve healing, blessing, or favor puts us back under the law, but believing it’s already ours moves us into rest.

Rest isn’t inactivity; it’s trusting and relying on God. It’s doing what the Holy Spirit leads us to do, without striving to earn. It’s living from a place of confidence in what Jesus has already accomplished on the cross.

Faith-Based Declarations

The kind of faith we need isn’t passive, but responsive. Trusting that we’ve been healed causes us to speak healing. Likewise, when we believe we’re blessed, we speak blessing. Our actions flow from belief, not from striving to earn.

Jesus praised the centurion in Matthew 8 for his great faith—not because he performed, but because he believed. The centurion said, “Speak the word only,” and Jesus marveled at his faith. Likewise, the Canaanite woman persisted in belief, even when Jesus initially refused her. Her faith was great because she refused to stop believing.

Unshakeable Belief

Faith isn’t measured by size, but by endurance. Great faith is faith that keeps believing, even when nothing seems to change. It endures through trials, delays, and disappointments. It says, “I believe God,” no matter what.

The Christian life doesn’t focus on trying to get God to do something, but on responding to what He has already completed. We’re not trying to become prosperous, we are prosperous. We’re not trying to achieve success; we’re already successful in Christ.

So how do we walk in the blessings of God? We believe, depending not on our own faith, but on the perfect, fully developed faith of Jesus Christ. We believe, we speak, and we rest. From that place of rest flows praise, worship, and peace.

Faith without a corresponding response is dead. However, our response shouldn’t be effort, but belief expressed through words and actions. It’s a life lived in agreement with what Jesus did. This is a life of grace, not performance.

Separating ourselves from performance-based Christianity frees us from endlessly working to please others. We can stop trying to earn what can never be earned. Believing God turns our lives into a testimony of faith in the finished work of Christ.