How?

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness ? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed. So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:1-9 ESV)

What did you ever do to gain God’s favor?

Are we justified by works? Do we get into God’s good graces by doing anything?

The truth of the matter is there is nothing we can do to make ourselves right with God. We are only made right with God by the infusion of His spirit. And according to Martin Luther you can only come to believe in God because the Spirit moved in you and brought you to believe.

There is nothing we can do to get on the right side of God, but since the Spirit lives in you, you should live out the love He has given you. Live by faith and lavish in the gift God gave to you and show it to the world, so they might come to see the gift they have been given.