Pastor David Jang systematically teaches how the core of the Christian faith, namely the “doctrine of salvation,” is connected to “God’s promise” by examining Galatians in parallel with Romans. Salvation is regarded as the heart of Christian theology because it directly deals with how human beings, upon facing death, can avoid God’s judgment and attain eternal life. According to Pastor David Jang, when analyzing Paul’s argument in Galatians 3, observing it alongside the overall structure of Romans makes Paul’s flow of thought even clearer. Since Romans has 16 chapters, one may split it into chapters 1–8 and 9–16. Furthermore, chapters 1–8 can be divided into three parts: chapters 1–4 address “justification,” chapters 5–7 address “sanctification,” and chapter 8 addresses “glorification.” Galatians, similarly, deals at the outset with how a sinner is justified, then proceeds to the path of sanctification, and finally speaks of the path to ultimate completion, displaying a structural parallel to Romans.
In particular, Pastor David Jang points out that Galatians follows the same progressive flow of justification–sanctification–glorification as Romans does. While Romans up to chapter 4 emphasizes that human beings, who are sinners, can be justified “by faith,” the early portion of Galatians demonstrates this same logic. In other words, the solution to how humans can be freed from sin and counted righteous is “through the grace of Christ.” In Galatians, Paul proclaims that Christ has fulfilled all the demands of the law and paid the penalty for sin on the cross, thereby saving us.
Consequently, Pastor David Jang underlines that we are justified only by faith—indeed, only by grace. In this context, the Reformation slogans “by faith alone, by grace alone, by Scripture alone” are once again highlighted. While the Catholic Church presented church rites and traditions as conditions for salvation, Protestantism clung to the truth of salvation “by faith alone.” Pastor David Jang explains that if notions such as “you must keep the law to be saved” infiltrate our belief, the merit of the cross is weakened and human works take center stage, thereby distorting the true nature of salvation.
Before delving into a full exposition of Galatians 3, Pastor David Jang first identifies three core theological concepts regarding humanity’s path to salvation: 1) Christology, 2) Soteriology, and 3) Eschatology. Among these, he emphasizes that Soteriology—which asks “how can humans avoid judgment and attain eternal life after death?”—is the most crucial. By citing Hebrews 9:27—“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment”—he shows that no one can avoid the judgment that follows death. Ever since mankind was expelled from Eden, the way to regain the “promised land (the heavenly city)” is precisely the path of salvation, and Pastor David Jang declares that this path depends not on law-keeping but solely on “faith” that trusts in Christ’s grace.
When Galatians 3 takes up the issue of the law and promise, Paul first points to the example of “how Abraham was reckoned righteous.” The law was given through Moses at Mount Sinai after the Exodus, but Abraham received God’s promise 430 years earlier. Likewise, circumcision is introduced in Genesis 17, whereas the initial promise to Abraham (Genesis 15) comes before that. Accordingly, Pastor David Jang repeatedly highlights Paul’s argument: the genuine way to be justified lies in “God’s gracious promise that existed before the law,” not in the systems of the law or circumcision that arose later. This clearly reveals the foundational idea that salvation is not from works but from “accepting God’s promise by faith.”
Looking at Galatians 3:15–29, Paul declares, “The promise came first, and the law came later.” When God made a covenant with Abraham, He employed the ancient Near Eastern covenant ritual of passing between the pieces of torn flesh (Genesis 15), which is equivalent to God’s unbreakable oath. Hebrews 6:13–19 likewise emphasizes how God swore by Himself when He made His promise to Abraham. Interpreting this passage, Pastor David Jang observes that faith is not mere mental assent but “believing in”—that is, seeing oneself already included within that future promise. Hebrews 11:1—“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”—supports this point. Even though Abraham had no realistic chance of having a child, he trusted in God’s word and God’s faithfulness, effectively “bringing the future into today,” for which God counted his faith as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).
Thus, Pastor David Jang elucidates the main theme of Galatians: “not the law, but the promise; not works, but grace; and receiving that grace by faith is the only way to salvation.” This was true for Abraham. Even before Moses and the law, God had already prepared a promise of salvation that would extend to all humanity. Once that promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, both Jews and Gentiles alike were welcomed to become God’s children—a point that Paul announces. According to Pastor David Jang, Paul’s proclamation can be seen in Galatians 3:28–29: “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” He interprets this as symbolizing the gospel’s dynamic energy that breaks the dividing wall and unites Jews and Greeks as one.
Furthermore, salvation expands beyond the individual level to include the universal restoration of creation. Romans 8 demonstrates that all creation waits with eager longing for the day when the children of God will be revealed in glory (Rom 8:19). While chapters 1–7 of Romans focus on how an individual is liberated from sin and justified, chapter 8 teaches that salvation is “cosmic” in scope, wherein all creation rejoices together. Galatians, too, closes in chapter 6 by emphasizing the role of the Holy Spirit, echoing Romans 8. Ultimately, through the Holy Spirit, believers can restrain sin (which the law exposes) and live as those declared righteous, eventually participating in the final day when all creation worships God—this is the completion of salvation.
Pastor David Jang contrasts these two pillars of soteriology—personal salvation and cosmic salvation—urging believers to emphasize personal repentance and faith while also remembering the grandeur of the gospel that leads to a “new creation” of all things. If the law merely restrains sin and reveals it, the gospel removes sin, justifies sinners, and encompasses the entire creation that has suffered under sin and death, setting its sights on the new heavens and the new earth. For this reason, efforts to explain salvation by human works fundamentally diminish the gospel’s scope and obscure the blood-stained cross of Jesus Christ. This aligns precisely with Paul’s fierce warning to the Galatians: “If you say one must be circumcised to be saved, then Christ’s cross is in vain.”
In conclusion, Subtopic 1 can be summarized as “the essence of salvation and the importance of the promise.” Reflecting on Galatians and Romans, Pastor David Jang clarifies how humanity, trapped in sin, can be freed and declared righteous before God, progress toward genuine sanctification by the Holy Spirit, and ultimately reach glorification, all culminating in the restoration of the universe, not merely individual salvation. At every stage, the starting point is to trust in God’s promise and receive Christ’s grace by faith, a fact already confirmed by Abraham’s example.
Pastor David Jang stresses that Galatians 3 demonstrates through historical examples how Paul persuasively shows “the promise came first, and the law arose later.” The figure chosen is Abraham. God’s promise to Abraham is found in Genesis 12 (his calling) and Genesis 15 (the making of the covenant). The circumcision scene in Genesis 17 and the law given at Mount Sinai after the Exodus occur significantly later. Paul captures this point by noting that “the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God” (Gal 3:17).
This observation proves that Abraham was not counted righteous for meticulously keeping the law or circumcision. Pastor David Jang pays special attention to Genesis 15:6: “And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” This verse first brings together “faith” and “righteousness.” Even while despairing over his lack of offspring, Abraham embraced God’s promise (“He who shall come from your own body shall be your heir”) without doubting. Faith is not “a tangible, current proof we can rationally grasp” but “the posture of seizing an unseen future reality,” committing oneself entirely to the covenant God established.
However, in the Galatian churches, certain false teachers—Judaizers—insisted, “Gentiles also must keep the law and undergo circumcision if they truly wish to be saved.” The overall context of Galatians is largely Paul’s rebuttal of this claim. Pastor David Jang explains that this was a fundamental dispute concerning the “method of salvation.” It was a clash between Paul’s teaching that salvation comes “by faith alone” and the assertion that at least a measure of human works (law-keeping) must be included.
In Galatians 3:16, Paul unequivocally declares, “The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring (singular), not ‘offsprings’ (plural). That offspring is Christ.” He thus makes it clear that Abraham’s covenant refers not just to one blood-related heir but that, ultimately, through the Messiah Jesus Christ, all nations would be blessed. Hence, the promise is not the privilege of a single people group; every Gentile who believes in Jesus Christ can likewise become Abraham’s descendant (Gal 3:29). Pastor David Jang likens Paul’s statement to “two rivers merging into one,” for it expresses the gospel’s power in tearing down the barrier between Jew and Gentile.
Why, then, was the law given? Galatians 3:19 says it was “added because of transgressions.” The law restrains wrongdoing and teaches that sin is indeed sin (Rom 3:20). Pastor David Jang recalls the “guardian/tutor” analogy in Galatians 3:24–25, comparing the law to a paidagōgos who escorts a child to school. The law identifies our sin and helps us acknowledge it, ultimately directing us toward grace and to Jesus Christ. The law itself is not flawed; rather, it is a limited instrument, lacking any decisive power to grant eternal life.
Pastor David Jang elucidates the interplay between the era of law and the era of promise (the gospel), saying, “Paul does not dismiss the law as irrelevant. Rather, the law cannot make us righteous but makes us aware of our sin, imprints guilt, and eventually functions as a tool that drives us to Christ.” Indeed, Paul confesses in Romans 7 that he came to grasp his sinfulness more deeply through the law, confirming the law’s role as an accuser that plainly reveals sin.
Yet salvation is ultimately rooted in “promise” and fulfilled through “faith.” As Galatians 3:22 explains, although the law exposes everyone as a sinner, righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ. Once we move beyond the guardian function of the law and faith has come, we enter the status of children of God. We are no longer slaves; we are endowed with the privilege of becoming God’s children (Gal 3:26). For this reason, Pastor David Jang keeps underscoring the primacy of “God’s promise” over the law.
Pastor David Jang also explains why the stance that “salvation comes through the law” is so dangerous—namely, because it “overshadows and blurs the grace of the cross.” If one begins placing weight on circumcision or declaring that any breach of Old Testament ordinances nullifies salvation, the focal point shifts from “Christ’s merit” to “human achievement.” This resonates exactly with the historical backdrop of the Reformation, when Protestants cried “by faith alone, by grace alone, by Scripture alone” as they criticized the Catholic emphasis on salvation by its traditions and ceremonies. Losing sight of the fact that Jesus bore our sins on the cross and shed His blood as the complete and sufficient basis for salvation leaves believers lacking assurance, ultimately sliding into the perpetual bondage of a “works-based religion.”
Hence, Subtopic 2 centers on “the relationship between law and promise, and why promise (faith) is the sole path to salvation.” Through Galatians 3, Paul lays out 1) the historical fact that the law arrived 430 years afterward, 2) Abraham’s example of being reckoned righteous by faith, 3) what the law can and cannot do, and 4) the truth that Jesus Christ is the singular “offspring” of the promise. Applied to today’s church, rituals, traditions, and regulations are not essential prerequisites for salvation. Rather, they are the orderly expressions of gratitude and obedience shown by those who are already saved. True salvation fundamentally hinges on “God’s covenant and our faith-acceptance of that covenant.”
Next, in Galatians 3, Pastor David Jang connects the question of how a justified believer actually walks in holiness—in other words, the process of sanctification—with Romans 6–7 and 8. Being justified means one’s status changes (justification), whereas sanctification is a transformation of one’s condition (sanctification). Not only has the believer, once saved, received forgiveness of sins, but they also receive the Spirit of Christ and must now “put on” Christ as if wearing new garments. Galatians 3:27 declares, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” symbolizing this truth. Paul often uses “put on” language because our “conduct” is visible externally, much like clothing (Revelation 19:8, “the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints”).
However, because human nature still retains sinful tendencies, there is always a pull to return to “old habits.” A legalistic approach cannot fundamentally eliminate this sinfulness, for the law may expose sin but cannot erase or uproot it. That is why Paul emphasizes “life by the Spirit” in Galatians 5–6. Romans 8 likewise highlights that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we conquer the sinful body and gain true freedom as God’s children.
In this respect, Pastor David Jang insists that the Holy Spirit’s help is the powerful freedom that the law cannot provide. The law shows what is right, but the Holy Spirit renews us from within so that we willingly practice good and renounce evil. When Jesus says, “Love your enemies” (Matt 5:44), a legalistic mindset would maintain, “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” making it nearly impossible to love one’s enemies. But when the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts, we recall the love of the cross that saved sinners like ourselves, allowing a “new nature” to flourish, even extending love to our enemies.
Pastor David Jang warns that sanctification should not be reduced to mere “human self-improvement” or “moral training.” Rather, sanctification is fundamentally an inner transformation led by the Holy Spirit, which naturally yields visible fruit in one’s life. This becomes feasible because we possess a new identity in Christ as children of God. Galatians 3:28 proclaims, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” revealing this “new identity.” Religious, ethnic, gender, or social distinctions are transcended, for we have become God’s children in Christ. We are no longer “slaves” but “sons,” and Pastor David Jang points out that this sure identity is precisely what sets us free and fills us with the joy of the gospel.
Moreover, Pastor David Jang highlights how Galatians ends (chapters 5–6) and Romans 8 likewise concludes by underscoring the Holy Spirit’s role. Under the law, humans can never become truly righteous; under the Spirit’s power, however, we begin to anticipate and experience “eternal life.” Romans 8:19 indicates that even creation waits eagerly for the unveiling of God’s children and the completion of salvation. As the gospel broadens beyond the salvation of a single individual, all of creation is drawn into restoration. Finally, “everything in heaven and on earth praises the Lord” (Revelation 4), fulfilling what Scripture promises about salvation.
Ultimately, this leads to eschatology. Pastor David Jang underscores again and again that salvation is not solely “going to heaven after we die”; rather, we progressively and certainly experience transformation on earth through the Holy Spirit, culminating in the restoration and rejoicing of all creation. Therefore, instead of laboring anxiously under the curse of the law through human effort, we should place our assurance in God’s promise and Christ’s redemptive cross, walking in step with the Holy Spirit.
Through this teaching, Pastor David Jang explains that Galatians 3 concretely illustrates how those who have been justified can live a holy life rooted in their identity as God’s children. “If you have been united with Jesus in baptism, you have already put on Christ as you would put on new garments. Don’t defile these garments; wash them daily. This pertains to your conduct, so let the Holy Spirit help you renew your behavior.” According to Pastor David Jang, this message resonates across Galatians, Romans, and indeed the entire Bible. The only way to overcome the sin and evil of this world is the Spirit’s power, and we must remember to press on in faith.
In conclusion, Subtopic 3 focuses on “the freedom through the Holy Spirit and the restoration of community.” Having been justified, we are no longer under the “guardian” of the law; rather, in the Holy Spirit we enter freedom, love, and holiness. Pastor David Jang calls this “the privilege of a son,” for just as a son freely lives in his father’s household, so a believer justified by faith can boldly approach God and serve others. Surpassing the divisions, exclusions, and condemnation that legalism fosters, the people united in Christ live in mutual love and service, ultimately participating in the redemption of all creation. Pastor David Jang reiterates that this is not mere idealism but the “promise” guaranteed by the cross and the “salvation” that the Holy Spirit is already unfolding among us.
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