Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Galatia, addressed the difficulty some were having with clinging to the Law of Moses. The emphatic nature of Paul’s words to these Christians shows his concern, even his stern exhortation, regarding those who would profess Christ while still adhering to the Old Covenant. When it comes to hope, Paul states clearly that hope is in Christ and not the Law.
In a straightforward way, Paul contrasts himself and other faithful Christians with those who believed they could attain righteousness through the Law. He wrote in Galatians 5:5, “For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.” Essentially, Paul explained that he and other faithful Christians wait eagerly for the righteousness they hope to receive through the Spirit by faith.
It is through faith in God and Christ, not the Law, that we are counted as righteous. We understand that we cannot see the glory that awaits us, but God can. If we put all our trust and hope in Him, even though we cannot physically see it, it is still the end result of our eager expectation. We do not have to wait for hope because we are experiencing hope right now. We have hope in Christ now. But as Paul stated, by faith, we eagerly wait for the righteousness that comes through the Spirit.
