Living by Faith Galatians 3
Have you ever gotten everything right, everything perfect down to the last detail, but all your efforts have ultimately achieved nothing…and then a breakthrough happens and gives life to the project or the thing you have been working on? That old ute out there has given me no end of opportunity for personal sanctification. I can’t tell you how many times I have been frustrated, disappointed or in an utter state of despair simply because that thing has refused to start. I think on some occasions it has also affected my wife and therefore my marriage, just quietly, but we’ll leave that.
Without the very thing that makes the whole assembly come to life and move, I effectively had a fully restored, boat anchor. How could I have been so dopey? What a fool!
Paul used similar logic here with respect to how we live the life of faith in Christ. He said in the first verse, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” I.E Who has played a trick on your mind and heart. He said you saw with your own eyes “that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” (verse 1)
What was Paul saying? They were being told by some Jewish believers that you have to keep the Law – but the Law just gives a framework for faith. Without faith, the Law is useless. Just like a new motor, everything in it looks and is perfect, but without fuel it’s useless.
Paul said, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” You think you can be right before God, that you can motor to heaven under your own steam, through works of the flesh? Keep the Law perfectly, then you’ll be all good. Paul just said that’s vain. Your suffering as Christians is in vain. (verse 4)
Paul said the miracles that you have seen happen in the church, how do think they happen? (verse 5) Are they done by obeying the Law or by the Holy Spirit through faith?
Paul said how Abraham was made right with God. (verse 6) He believed God, he had “faith” and it was accounted to him as righteousness. This was 430 years before the Law was given. (verse 17) How on earth did poor Abraham survive without the Law? He had been blessed with faith; even being called “the friend of God.”
You see, what had happened is that Paul had taught them about Christ. He told them that the Law had confirmed that they were broken; but, praise God, the solution had been given. Jesus Christ had paid for the brokenness: their sin. After 3 days he rose, confirming that he had defeated sin and death. The Law had been satisfied; now they were right with God. This was/is the gospel: the good news.
Why would you go back to the Law? Paul said that’s foolish.
It would be like you have finished your car, done the motor, remembered to put fuel in this time; after having driven it around for a few months, then deciding, actually, fuel is expensive. I’m going to try and start this thing without fuel again and see how I go.
Actually, Paul said it’s more than foolish. Look at the words he went on to use. He said, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." (verse 10) To use the Law, to do life without faith actually brings a curse upon you.
Let me clarify. It doesn’t mean that we don’t strive to honour God by being holy, by showing love and grace; but to think that we can actually achieve perfection, righteousness, by keeping God’s law; that’s actually insanity.
God has done it all folks. The curse has been dealt with. Look at verse 13. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us---for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"--- so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles.”
We have the Spirit “so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (verse 14) We have the fuel, better than Premium 98. The only fuel that powers our faith is the Holy Spirit.
So, the question is obvious. How are your fuel levels. How is your faith?
How do we get the fuel? Simply ask and you shall receive. (Luke 11:13) “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
How Can I Seek the Spirit?
1. Meditate on what God has said in the Spirit-inspired Scriptures.
2. Believe what you hear and see in the Word. We just read it. (Galatians 3:5) “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?” The Holy Spirit is supplied to us and works powerfully in us as we hear the word with faith, as we believe it.
3. Hold fast in obedience to what you have heard and believed. “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23)
4. Desire the Spirit. ““‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. . . .’ Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive” (John 7:37, 39).
Let’s do that now 😊