No More Rules: Embracing Grace Over Performance – Sermon – Pastors Dave & Marlee Page

Are You Trying Too Hard?

Have you ever felt like no matter what you do, it’s never enough? Maybe you’ve tried to be the “perfect” student, parent, employee, or friend, only to realize you just can’t measure up.

A lot of people approach God the same way. They think, “If I just pray more, do more good things, and avoid all the bad stuff, then God will accept me.”

But here’s the problem, no one can be good enough on their own.

This is exactly what Paul was dealing with in Galatians 3. The Christians in Galatia started off trusting Jesus completely, but then some religious teachers came along and told them, “Believing in Jesus isn’t enough—you also have to follow all these religious laws.” Paul wasn’t having it! He reminded them that righteousness, being made right with God, has always been about faith, not following rules.

Faith, Not Rule-Keeping, Brings Us Closer to God

Paul starts this passage with a serious wake-up call:

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” (Galatians 3:1)

In today’s terms, Paul is saying, “What in the world are you thinking?! Have you forgotten what Jesus did for you?”

You see, these new believers had personally experienced God’s grace, yet they were now acting as if their salvation depended on their ability to follow religious rules.

Paul reminds them of a crucial truth: they didn’t receive the Holy Spirit because they worked hard or followed a bunch of rules. They received the Spirit when they simply believed in Jesus.

“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:2-3)

Now, pay close attention here because Paul is pointing out something we all struggle with. It’s easy to start our Christian journey with faith, but then slip into thinking we have to prove ourselves to God. We might not follow ancient Jewish laws, but many of us act as if God’s love depends on how well we perform.

Ask yourself, “why do we fall into this trap?”

We live in a world where almost everything is earned.

• You work hard; you get paid.
• You study; you get good grades.
• You put in effort; you see results.

Naturally, many people assume it must be the same with God. Thinking that if we just try hard enough, do enough good deeds, and avoid all the “big sins,” then we’ll finally be in good standing with Him.

But that’s not how salvation works. God’s love and acceptance isn’t based on our performance, it’s based on faith.

Imagine someone gives you a brand-new car as a gift. You don’t have to work for it, earn it, or pay them back—it’s completely free! But then, a few months later, you start sending them monthly payments because you feel guilty about accepting such a big gift.

That’s exactly what the Galatians were doing! They had received salvation as a free gift through faith, but now they were acting like they had to earn it.

The same thing happens today when people believe in Jesus but then fall into the mindset that they must keep His approval by following religious rules, attending church a certain number of times, or dressing a certain way. But Paul makes it clear: We were saved by faith, and we continue living by faith.

“So again I ask, does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3:5)

Here is where Paul points them to one of the greatest examples of faith in history—Abraham.

“So also Abraham ‘believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’” (Galatians 3:6)

Abraham was the father of the Jewish people, and many in Paul’s audience looked up to him as the ultimate example of righteousness. But Paul makes a key point here: Abraham wasn’t declared righteous because of his good works, he was declared righteous simply because he trusted what God said.

Let’s go back to the book of Genesis.

Abraham (originally named Abram) was just an ordinary man when God called him. He didn’t come from a family of believers—his father, Terah, worshiped idols (Joshua 24:2). But God had a plan for Abraham’s life, and He made a bold promise:

“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:1-2)

At this point, Abraham had no children. He was 75 years old, and his wife, Sarah, was unable to have children. From a human perspective, God’s promise seemed impossible. How could a childless, elderly couple become the start of a great nation?

But here’s the key: Abraham believed God.

“Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)

Abraham wasn’t righteous because of his behaviour. He wasn’t perfect—he made plenty of mistakes. He lied about his wife (twice!), doubted God’s timing, and even had a child with his wife’s servant because he thought maybe he needed to help God fulfill the promise. But despite all of that, God still counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Faith, Not Religious Rule-Keeping, Makes Us Right with God

Paul uses Abraham’s story to prove his point to the Galatians: If Abraham was saved by faith and not by law-keeping, why would they think they had to follow the law to be right with God?

“Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3:7-9)

In that time, this was a radical statement. Many Jewish believers thought that to be part of God’s family, you had to be physically descended from Abraham and follow the law of Moses.

But Paul says, true children of Abraham aren’t those who follow the law, they are those who have faith like Abraham did.

This means that anyone, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, religious or not, in that time or in our time today can be saved by faith alone. No one is excluded from God’s family because they don’t follow certain religious traditions.

Everyday Example: Trusting a Promise

Imagine a parent tells his child, “I’m going to take you to Disneyland next summer.” The child doesn’t question it. They don’t make a checklist of good behaviours to earn the trip. They simply believe their parent’s word and get excited for what’s coming.

That’s the kind of faith Abraham had! He didn’t see how everything would work out, but he trusted that God would keep His promise.

The Galatians, however, were acting like a child who, after receiving the promise, starts doing chores and trying to be extra good, just in case their parent changes their mind. But our Heavenly Father doesn’t work that way. His promises are sure and always true, and we receive them through faith, not effort.

Paul has been making it crystal clear: we’re made right with God through faith, not by following a list of religious rules. But now, he takes it even further—not only does rule-keeping fail to save us, but it actually leaves us trapped, exhausted, and under a curse.

“For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’” (Galatians 3:10)

That’s a heavy statement. Paul is saying that if you’re trying to get on God’s good side by being a “good person,” checking all the religious boxes, or following all the rules, you’re actually making things worse for yourself. Why? Because the standard isn’t “mostly good.” The standard is perfection and no one can live up to that.

Think about a student who believes that getting perfect grades is the only way to make their parents proud. No B’s, no mistakes—just perfection. At first, they study harder, work longer hours, and try to be the best. But over time, the pressure becomes unbearable. One bad test score, and they feel like a failure.

That’s what happens when we try to earn God’s approval through our own effort. We work and work, trying to prove we’re “good enough,” but the standard of perfection keeps moving out of reach.

Paul is saying, if you want to rely on your own goodness to be right with God, you have to be flawless. Every thought, every action, every motive, 100% perfect, 100% of the time. But since none of us can do that, we’re left in a cycle of failure, guilt, and shame.

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10)

That’s like saying, “I only cheated once on my taxes” or “I only lied one time.” If perfection is the requirement, one mistake is enough to disqualify you.

This is Why Religion Can’t Save You!

This is why performance-based religion doesn’t work. It says, “Do more. Be better. Try harder.” But where does that lead?

• Some people get prideful because they think they’re doing it right (“At least I’m not as bad as that guy”).
• Others feel exhausted and anxious, always wondering if they’ve done
• Many give up altogether, thinking, “I’ll never measure up, so why even try?”

Paul is saying: That’s not how God wants us to live! The religious system that says, “If I just pray more, serve more, and avoid all the wrong things, THEN God will accept me,” is actually a trap. It doesn’t bring life—it brings guilt, burnout, and fear.

“Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith.’” (Galatians 3:11)

Being right with God has never been about following rules. It’s always been about trusting Him.

And so, we are left with this one question – If performance-based religion is exhausting and impossible, what’s the solution?

Church family, that’s precisely where Jesus steps in and takes the weight off our shoulders.

The pressure to be perfect? Gone.
The fear of not measuring up? Gone.
The impossible standard? Met—for us—by Jesus.

When He died on the cross, He took the weight of all our failures, all our shame, and all our sin. He didn’t just erase the debt—He paid it in full.

Paul finishes this section by reminding us of the good news:

“He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Galatians 3:14)

Here’s what that means for you:
Instead of stress, we get peace.
Instead of guilt, we get grace.
Instead of striving, we get rest.

And best of all? We get God Himself.

We don’t have to work to be “good enough” for God. Through faith in Jesus, we belong to Him.

Paul’s message in this first part of Ch. 3 is clear: Trying to earn our way to God through rule-keeping and religious performance will always leave us exhausted and empty. But through faith in Jesus, we are set free.

So, the question is—how will we live?
Will we keep striving, trying to prove ourselves, carrying a weight we were never meant to bear? Or will we trust Jesus, rest in His work, and walk in the freedom He’s given us?

As we close, here are two key ways we can apply this truth to our daily lives:

1. Stop Trying to Earn What Jesus Already Paid For

Many of us are still living as if God’s love depends on our performance. We think, “If I just pray more, serve more, sin less, THEN God will accept me.” But Paul reminds us: Jesus already did the work for us.

• You don’t have to be perfect—Jesus was perfect for you.
• You don’t have to work for God’s love—you already have it.
• You don’t have to fear failure—grace covers you.

Take a deep breath. Rest in the freedom Jesus has given you. Instead of asking, “Have I done enough?” start asking, “Do I trust that Jesus has already done enough?”

2. Live in Relationship, Not in Religious Obligation

God never wanted a group of people who simply follow the rules. He wants a relationship. When we shift our focus from rule-keeping to walking in faith, everything changes:

• Instead of guilt-driven obedience, we have joy-filled surrender.
• Instead of fear-based religion, we have a faith-based relationship.
• Instead of trying to “be good enough,” we trust that Jesus already is.

So let go of the pressure to “perform” for God. Spend time with Him. Talk to Him. Trust Him. Let your faith be about love, not obligation.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Paul is giving us a choice:

• Do we want to live under the weight of trying harder, doing more, and hoping it’s enough?
• Or do we want to step into the freedom of faith, trusting in Jesus completely?

Jesus didn’t come to give us more rules—He came to give us life. And when we place our faith in Him, we step into a life of grace, peace, and true freedom.

Today, choose to let go of striving and start trusting. Jesus is enough.