Galatians 3:1-5 | Bewitched People
1O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
3Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing? 5Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?
-Galatians 3:1-5 BSB
3Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh? 4Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing? 5Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?
-Galatians 3:1-5 BSB
Paul begins this section with some very strong words. I know for many, the strength of Paul's rebuke can come across overly harsh. What I then consider is just how foolish this must have been for the Galatians. I reckon that Paul had clearly drawn the lines that he is reinforcing through this letter.
I remember a moment in my teenage years. I was helping my dad with yard work and I told him that I could take care of trimming the hedges. As he passed me the hedge trimmers, which was plugged into a nearby wall, he gave me two simple instructions, "Do not cut your leg, and please do not cut the cord." I reinforced emphatically, and perhaps with a bit of attitude that I would be careful and it would be fine. I grip the hedge trimmers as my dad walks to our front yard and begin trimming the hedges. My dad barely got to the garage before the power suddenly went out in the whole house. I can only imagine the sigh of disappointment when he heard my voice come from the backyard. "Uhh... Dad?" He comes back around the corner to find the extension cord had become a new fixture of the blades of the hedge trimmer. It took no more than 45 seconds from my dad's instruction to the time I cut the cord. The conversation that followed was NOT a happy one.
Paul had taught the Galatians an important lesson. Jesus is received by faith, not by works. They accepted this teaching, but went on through the deception of evil workers to believe that the reception of the Spirit must then be by works. In short, their way of doing things simply didn't add up. It was, apparently, an obvious deception. In his bewilderment he even begins to question that someone must have cast a spell on them! They had to have been bewitched. This is one of those moments where it may be said that Paul was at a loss for words. On the outside looking in, it can appear so obvious to us as well. But what if I told you that the very same deception reigns in our modern churches as well?
It is common place among believers to have the basic understanding of our salvation being by grace through faith. What is not common place is to believe that our sanctification is also by grace through faith. As we accepted Christ Jesus, we then take upon ourselves the mantle of our own salvation and try to walk out in our flesh what was started in the Spirit. The very bewitching that plagued the Galatians may also be plaguing us.
Consider this question for yourself today: Do I trust the Lord for my sanctification?
I remember a moment in my teenage years. I was helping my dad with yard work and I told him that I could take care of trimming the hedges. As he passed me the hedge trimmers, which was plugged into a nearby wall, he gave me two simple instructions, "Do not cut your leg, and please do not cut the cord." I reinforced emphatically, and perhaps with a bit of attitude that I would be careful and it would be fine. I grip the hedge trimmers as my dad walks to our front yard and begin trimming the hedges. My dad barely got to the garage before the power suddenly went out in the whole house. I can only imagine the sigh of disappointment when he heard my voice come from the backyard. "Uhh... Dad?" He comes back around the corner to find the extension cord had become a new fixture of the blades of the hedge trimmer. It took no more than 45 seconds from my dad's instruction to the time I cut the cord. The conversation that followed was NOT a happy one.
Paul had taught the Galatians an important lesson. Jesus is received by faith, not by works. They accepted this teaching, but went on through the deception of evil workers to believe that the reception of the Spirit must then be by works. In short, their way of doing things simply didn't add up. It was, apparently, an obvious deception. In his bewilderment he even begins to question that someone must have cast a spell on them! They had to have been bewitched. This is one of those moments where it may be said that Paul was at a loss for words. On the outside looking in, it can appear so obvious to us as well. But what if I told you that the very same deception reigns in our modern churches as well?
It is common place among believers to have the basic understanding of our salvation being by grace through faith. What is not common place is to believe that our sanctification is also by grace through faith. As we accepted Christ Jesus, we then take upon ourselves the mantle of our own salvation and try to walk out in our flesh what was started in the Spirit. The very bewitching that plagued the Galatians may also be plaguing us.
Consider this question for yourself today: Do I trust the Lord for my sanctification?
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John 14:22-31 | What's the lesson for me today?John 14:22-31 | What am I going to do about it?John 14:22-31 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:1-11John 15:1-11 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:1-11 | What's the connection?John 15:1-11 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:1-11 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:1-11 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:1-11 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 15:12-27John 15:12-27 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 15:12-27 | What's the connection?John 15:12-27 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 15:12-27 | What's the lesson for me today?John 15:12-27 | What am I going to do about it?John 15:12-27 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:1-15John 16:1-15 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:1-15 | What's the connection?John 16:1-15 | What’s a lesson for the original audience?John 16:1-15 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:1-15 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:1-15 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: John 16:16-33John 16:16-33 | What's happening (and who's involved)?John 16:16-33 | What's the connection?John 16:16-33 | What's a lesson for the original audience?John 16:16-33 | What's the lesson for me today?John 16:16-33 | What am I going to do about it?John 16:16-33 | Prayer Prompts
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Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:1-4 | What am I going to do about it?Hebrews 2:1-4 | Prayer PromptsPassage of the Week: Hebrews 2:5-9Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's happening (and who's involved)?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the connection?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's a lesson for the original audience?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What's the lesson for me today?Hebrews 2:5-9 | What am I going to do about it?
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