Galatians 3: Faith Fruit
Pastor Stone Webber | January 25, 2026
The Power of Faith: From Seed to Fruitful Tree
There's something extraordinary that happens when we truly grasp the magnitude of God. When we declare that "anything can happen," we're not speaking in hyperbole or wishful thinking—we're acknowledging a fundamental truth about the nature of our Creator. God sits above every name, wielding power beyond our comprehension, capable of transforming any situation we face.
The beauty of our faith lies in this simple yet profound reality: God is never surprised by our circumstances. He's not in heaven scratching His head, wondering how to help us navigate our challenges. Instead, He invites us to place our complete trust in Him, believing that He is sufficient for every need we encounter.
The Deception of Worry
In Matthew 6, we find a powerful reminder about the futility of worry. God clothes the grass of the field with splendor, feeds the birds of the air, and knows every need we have before we even ask. The question posed to us is direct: if God cares for creation in such detail, won't He care even more for us, His children?
The challenge presented is clear: "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." This isn't a suggestion—it's a divine principle. When we prioritize God's kingdom above our anxieties about food, clothing, or tomorrow's troubles, we position ourselves to receive His abundant provision.
Heaven isn't a place of scarcity. There's no shortage in God's kingdom for what we need. The issue has never been God's ability or willingness to provide; it's always been about our faith in His sufficiency.
Faith Over Works
The book of Galatians addresses a critical question that plagued the early church and continues to challenge believers today: Is salvation achieved through our works, or through faith in Christ? The Judaizers of Paul's time insisted that adherence to the law—including circumcision and other rituals—was necessary for salvation. But this teaching contradicted the gospel of grace.
Paul's words cut through the confusion: "Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth?" The enemy's strategy hasn't changed. He still sends deception to pull believers away from the simplicity of faith in Christ alone.
The word "bewitch" carries the meaning of deception and envy. There's something powerful happening when others become jealous of what God is doing in and through His people. That jealousy is actually evidence that God is producing fruit in our lives—fruit so evident that it provokes a response.
Understanding True Faith
Hebrews 11:1 provides the definitive description: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." This isn't about manifesting or creating reality through positive thinking. Rather, it's about trusting that God has already accomplished what He promised, even when we can't yet see it with our physical eyes.
Consider healing. Scripture declares that "by His stripes you have been healed." Notice the past tense. The work was completed on the cross when Jesus declared, "It is finished." Our role isn't to create healing or manifest it into existence—it's to step into the reality that already exists through faith.
This is why people sometimes think faith-filled believers are foolish. We believe in what we cannot see. But that's precisely what faith requires: confidence in God's word over visible circumstances.
The Law and Faith: Not Enemies, But Partners
Jesus made a startling declaration in Matthew 5: "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." He then proceeded to raise the standard even higher than the original law.
Where the law said, "You shall not murder," Jesus said that even anger toward a brother puts us in danger of judgment. The commands became more challenging, not less. How is this possible? How can we be expected to meet an even higher standard than the law when the law itself was impossible to keep perfectly?
The answer lies in the Holy Spirit. We're no longer operating under our own strength, trying to white-knuckle our way to righteousness. Instead, we start with faith in Christ, and the Holy Spirit empowers us to walk in obedience. It's not law OR faith—it's faith LEADING to obedience.
The Journey from Seed to Fruit
The progression of spiritual growth can be understood through the metaphor of a tree:
The Seed Stage: This is where faith begins. Jesus taught in the parable of the sower that the enemy comes immediately to snatch away the seed of God's word before it can take root. Satan's first strategy is to prevent faith from even being planted.
The Tree Stage: Once faith takes root and begins to grow, we enter a season of development. During this time, the enemy shifts tactics. Just as birds build nests in trees, Satan attempts to make a home in our lives, settling in before we can produce fruit. This is why deliverance and discipleship are so critical—we must resist the enemy's attempts to establish strongholds.
The Pruning Stage: As we grow, God prunes us—cutting away dead branches and unfruitful areas of our lives. The enemy tries to take these pruned pieces and either bring them back to us or use them against others. We must allow God to completely remove what He's cutting away, throwing it into the fire where it can't be recycled by the enemy.
The Fruit Stage: Finally, we begin producing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But even here, the enemy doesn't give up. Just as birds eat fruit, Satan attempts to steal our fruitfulness through offense, bitterness, anxiety, busyness, pride, doubt, anger, and unchecked desire.
Our Inheritance as Sons of God
Here's the glorious truth: through faith in Christ Jesus, we are all sons of God. This designation isn't about gender—it's about inheritance. In biblical times, sons were heirs who received the family inheritance. Whether male or female, we are co-heirs with Christ, sons of God who receive the promises made to Abraham.
What is our inheritance? The Holy Spirit Himself, living within us. The fruit He produces. The blessing and fruitfulness promised to Abraham's descendants. All of this becomes ours not through works, but through faith.
Resisting the Enemy at Every Stage
The enemy is persistent, but his schemes are predictable. He attacks us at the seed stage, during our growth, and even when we're bearing fruit. Our defense? Drawing near to God. Scripture promises that when we resist the devil, he will flee from us. The best way to resist is through worship, through faith, and through abiding in God's presence.
We don't fight for victory—we fight from victory. The work is already finished. We simply step into what Christ has already accomplished through faith, believing that even though we can't see it yet, it's already done.
This is the life of faith: resting in God's completed work, allowing the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in us, and resisting the enemy's attempts to steal what God is doing. It's not about striving or working harder—it's about surrendering more fully to the One who has already won every battle.