Galatians 3:11

11 We know that no one is made right with God by keeping the law. Scripture says, "Those who are right with God will live by faith."(Habakkuk 2:4)

Galatians 3:11 Meaning and Commentary

Galatians 3:11

But that no man is justified
There are some that are justified, as all God's elect are, in his own mind and will from eternity; which will of his to justify them, upon the righteousness of his Son, undertook by him to bring in, is their justification in the court of heaven; and all that believe in Christ are openly and manifestly justified in the court of conscience, under the testimony of the Spirit of God: but no one is justified

by the law;
it is in the Greek text, "in the law"; there were many justified before the law was given, as Noah, Job, Abraham, and all the Ante-Mosaic believers; and there were many justified "in", or under the legal dispensation; but none of them were justified by their obedience to the law, but by the righteousness they believed they had in the Lord: especially no man is justified

in the sight of God;
who sees the heart, knows the spring of actions, and whose judgment is according to truth; that is, by the law and the deeds of it, however they may before men:

it is evident;
it is a clear case, out of all dispute, as appears from ( Habakkuk 2:4 )

for the just shall live by faith;
which may be read either, "the just by faith, shall live": that is, the man who is just by faith, or justified by faith, not by it as a principle or act, or as the cause or matter of his justification, but by the object of his faith, Christ and his righteousness apprehended by faith, and so not just or justified by works; he shall live a life of justification, through that righteousness his faith receives; he shall live comfortably, with much peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, as the result of his being justified by faith; and shall live eternally, and never die the second death: or the "just shall live by faith"; he that is righteous, not by his own works, but by the obedience of Christ, shall live not upon faith, but by it on Christ, and his righteousness, which is revealed from faith to faith; and this makes it a clear point, that he is not justified by the law, for if he was, he would not live by faith on Christ, but in and by the deeds of the law.

Galatians 3:11 In-Context

9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham. He was the man of faith.

10 All who depend on obeying the law are under a curse. It is written, "May everyone who doesn't continue to do everything that is written in the Book of the Law be under God's curse."(Deuteronomy 27:26)

11 We know that no one is made right with God by keeping the law. Scripture says, "Those who are right with God will live by faith."(Habakkuk 2:4)

12 The law is not based on faith. In fact, it is just the opposite. It teaches that "the one who does those things will live by them."(Leviticus 18:5)

13 Christ set us free from the curse of the law. He did it by becoming a curse for us. It is written, "Everyone who is hung on a pole is under God's curse."(Deuteronomy 21:23)