The only thing they kept hearing was this: "The man who used to persecute us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy!"

You see, then, that those who have faith are Abraham's real descendants.

Because the Scripture saw ahead of time that God would justify the gentiles by faith, it announced the gospel to Abraham beforehand when it said, "Through you all nations will be blessed."

Now it is obvious that no one is justified in the sight of God by the Law, because "The righteous will live by faith."

But the Law has nothing to do with faith. Instead, "The person who keeps the commandments will have life in them."

This happened in order that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the gentiles through the Messiah Jesus, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Now before faith came about, we were held in custody and confined under the Law in preparation for the faith that was to be revealed.

And so the Law was our guardian until the Messiah came, so that we might be justified by faith.

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

For all of you are God's children through faith in the Messiah Jesus.

Through the Spirit by faith we confidently await the fulfillment of our righteous hope,

for in union with the Messiah Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. What matters is faith expressed through love.

So then, whenever we have the opportunity, let's practice doing good to everyone, especially to the family of faith.