Galatians 3:1-2 You Have Received the Spirit, Because You Heard and Believed

Galatians 3:1-2 You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?

The Galatians had been clearly taught that Jesus Christ had been crucified, and surely they had sufficient evidence. If salvation comes by works of the Law rather than the grace of God, then Christ died needlessly. Thus it is an irrational argument that salvation comes through works of the Law. The Galatians were being foolish; they had been utterly deceived in their thinking. They were not foolish, in that they were unable to know the truth. They were foolish in that they were not flexing their mental/spiritual abilities to discern the truth of the gospel; and thus they gave in to teachings that clearly contradict what they already knew to be true.

Many today live this hypocritical life. They know that Christ died for sins and yet they continue seeking to be justified by their deeds. They believe that being a “good person” is enough to merit God’s favor, and so they neglect to trust in Christ and to follow Him. Do not get sucked into this way of thinking, friend. Christ’s death is the only thing sufficient for meriting God’s favor. Trust Him and follow Him and claim Him to be sufficient.

The only way that we receive the Spirit is by “hearing with faith” in Christ. We do not receive the Spirit by performing the works of the Law. Rather, we live in obedience to God’s Law because we are filled with the Holy Spirit through our faith in Christ. We are regenerated by the Spirit unto belief, and we are indwelt by the Spirit to do the works of God, for which we have been saved (Ephesians 2:10). Paul appeals to this fact with the Galatians. Surely they would remember that they received the Spirit not by keeping the Law, but when they believed in Christ.

It is the same way with you, Christian. Be filled with the Holy Spirit that you might do the works of God. If you mix up the order of this you will become a legalist. You must acknowledge your total dependence upon grace and your need to be filled with the Spirit to act in righteousness. God will not share His glory. If you claim to or attempt to perform the deeds of the Law without acknowledging the Spirit’s work, you rob God of the glory that only He deserves, and you are found a sinner. Trust in Christ, be filled with the Spirit, that you may do the righteous deeds of God.