Read Introduction to Galatians
“Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—”
Paul’s fourth appeal to the Galatians is about God’s provision of rich resources and wonders among them. This is an argument from God’s point of view.
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you
The word “supplies” means to supply fully, abundantly. Secular Greek literature used this term for a wealthy sponsor who supplied enormous funds to operate Greek plays. The Holy Spirit is a grant from God. God, in His great generosity, gave the Galatians more than they deserved. God is a Provider.
and works miracles among you,
God worked apostolic miracles among the Galatians (Acts 14:3,8-11). Galatians was an early book of the New Testament. God used apostolic miracles to give credibility to the New Testament. His ability to give us whatever we need humbles us.
does He do it by the works of the law,
Christians do not have to earn God’s favour or grace. Legalism implies that God begrudges what He gives us. God is more than willing to give us what we need.
or by the hearing of faith?
God is no miser, as the legalists would have it. We do not have to bribe Him for blessings. We appropriate by faith what He has provided to help us live the Christian life.
Principle:
God is a generous provider.
Application:
The reason we operate by faith is that we believe God is a generous provider. The Christian can confidently appeal to God’s grace to provide what he needs for Christian living. Faith sustains our spirituality. We can forgive others as Christ forgave us. We do not bribe God for blessings; He gives blessings by His free will. By faith we accept what He gives.
Read Introduction to Galatians
“Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”
The third question looks at the persecution the new believers endured in Galatia because of their stand on grace.
Have you suffered so many things in vain—
By regressing to law, Galatian believers stamped their previous position of grace as false. The “many things” are the truths of the grace position. Legalism always persecutes grace (Acts 14:2,5,19,22). There was no need to previously suffer for grace if they reverted to legalism in the beginning but they suffered for holding to the grace position. Suffering for grace is unavoidable because it flies in the face of legalism.
if indeed it was in vain?
Paul refuses to believe that they will continue to turn their backs on grace. This softens his position to some degree leaving open the possibility that they would return to grace.
Principle:
There is a natural tendency to revert to legalism and away from grace.
Application:
Satan loves to get Christians to turn their backs on grace. He draws us into legalism by appealing to our pride.
Do you remember your past victories in grace? There was a time when we recognized that we stood totally depraved in God’s eyes. We threw ourselves on the grace of God. Now that we have been Christians for some time, we forget that it took amazing grace to save us.
Read Introduction to Galatians
“Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
Verse 3 contains the second rhetorical question dealing with faith versus works in the process of maturity.
Are you so foolish?
It is foolish to think that living the Christian life and becoming a Christian operate under different principles. It is incredible to Paul that the Galatians could separate justification by faith and sanctification by works. Works cannot sanctify us any more than they can justify us.
Having begun in the Spirit,
The word “begun” is literally to begin in. This refers to the time of conversion when the Christian received the Spirit. The “in” refers to our operating in the realm of the Spirit.
are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
The words “being made perfect” are an intensive word in the Greek composed of two words: in and to accomplish, fulfil. The idea is to accomplish something fully. The issue here is spiritual maturity. It is not viable to begin the Christian life by faith and move to spiritual maturity by works. The works of the flesh cannot complete the process of maturity. The Greek indicates that the Galatians thought that they were maturing themselves.
The words “the flesh” correspond to “the works of the law.” God does not use the flesh to save a soul or sanctify the saint. God always bypasses the flesh to mature a believer. The flesh is the product of natural generation, not regeneration.
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Romans 7:18).
“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so…” (Philippians 3:3-4).
Principle:
The Bible defines a fool as a person who departs from the principle of grace in seeking spiritual maturity.
Application:
We started the Christian life in the Spirit (Romans 8:9) but maturity in Christ also comes through trust in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If the law cannot justify us, it cannot sanctify us. Grace is above the law for salvation and sanctification. We cannot mature in Christ by the law but only by the Spirit.
Some Christians begin the Christian life well but end poorly. They suffer from the flesh. They try to accomplish by the flesh what they began by the power of the Spirit. Maturity does not come by self-effort.
People will always present non-biblical panaceas for the Christian life. There is a danger of latching on doctrines not rooted in the Word — “This new idea will solve all my problems.” Hundreds of Christians have gone through one panacea pipe or another whether it is a type of spiritual life, pleasure, friends or a love affair. None of these can be “the” answer to life for no panacea of sex, career, or politics can meet all your needs. You will never get on your mature spiritual feet with these things.
There is no utopia in this life. As long as we live, there will always be the “same old, same old”. The same old sixes and sevens keep coming up all over again. These panaceas are causes without ultimate hope.
No one should have any doubt we all deserve God’s wrath. None of us deserves God’s grace yet He gives grace out of His matchless mercy. We cannot become Christians by works and we cannot become mature by works. We mature by understanding God’s grace and appropriating that grace to our experience by faith.
Read Introduction to Galatians
“This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
Paul now asks three questions that point to faith as God’s principle for dealing with people. The first question has to do with how we received the Spirit, by works or by faith.
This only I want to learn from you:
Paul concedes only two possibilities whereby the Galatians received the Spirit. He extends to the Galatians the option of teaching him by answering his question. These two options are mutually exclusive. They received the Spirit either by works or by faith. Paul draws a line in the sand. This question in itself is decisive in establishing faith as the way of receiving God’s grace. Paul can rest his case on this point alone.
Did you receive the Spirit
Paul presumes that the Galatians are Christians because at some point they received the Spirit. The argument of the book of Galatians is from the standpoint of the Christian who reverts into legalism. He allows no other option.
“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).
To receive the Spirit is to receive the presence of the living Christ. The word “receive” is a grace word. We cannot earn salvation or sanctification.
“…he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:2).
by the works of the law,
The word “of” in the phrase “of the law” refers to source. “Did you get the Holy Spirit from the works of the law?” The Galatians were Gentiles and did not know the law. They obviously did not become Christians through the law. They heard of the law as a way of sanctification after Paul left the region.
or by the hearing of faith?
The Galatians’ own experience flew in the face of salvation or sanctification by works. Clearly, they received the Spirit by faith. God saves us because of who and what Jesus is and what He did, not who we are and what we’ve done.
“By the hearing” here means the act of hearing or the willingness to listen by faith. We must have a desire to listen to grace. People love to listen to what makes them feel good: a message of salvation by works. Faith is the absence of works. The merit is God’s because God did the work through Christ.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
The answer is patently clear, as we will see in chapters 3 and 4 that they received the Spirit by the “hearing of faith.” The Christian receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation by faith. We cannot separate the indwelling Holy Spirit from our new birth in Christ.
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
The Holy Spirit is the “guarantee” of our salvation. He is our down payment of earnest money to pledge the purchase of our salvation.
The word “of” precedes works and faith and means source in the Greek. Paul’s great concern is the source of salvation and sanctification.
Principle:
We receive the Holy Spirit by faith at the point of salvation.
Application:
There are no special conditions for receiving the Spirit. We receive Him by faith at the moment of salvation. The Holy Spirit is not the end for the Christian life but the source for living that life. We do not receive the Spirit as the result of living the Christian life; we receive Him when we accept the finished work of Christ on the cross by faith. He is not the product of the Christian life but the power behind it. When we yield to Him, we engage supernatural power to walk with God.
There is no split between salvation by faith and sanctification by faith. Some teach that God saves us by faith but sanctifies us by works. The Bible argues that a person becomes a Christian by faith and lives the Christian life by faith. Faith is sufficient to save and sanctify.
There is one condition for receiving the Holy Spirit and one only – faith. Law stipulates that we live by works but grace insists on living by faith.
We do not receive the Spirit on the instalment plan. We received Jesus as Saviour and the Holy Spirit as the one who indwells us at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:21,22; 2 Timothy 1:14). We do not receive the Spirit by tears of repentance, keeping the golden rule or the Mosaic Law but by believing in Jesus Christ. No experience, keeping taboos or crucifying self can help us receive the Spirit.
Read Introduction to Galatians
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?”
that you should not obey the truth,
This phrase does not occur in older manuscripts.
before whose eyes
Legalism clouded the judgment of the Galatians. Paul presented grace in very clear terms but legalists came along and clouded the issue.
Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
The words “clearly portrayed” literally mean to write before, depict, portray, placard. The idea is to post an important public notice. Paul placarded a painting of God’s grace before the eyes of the Galatians. He put them on public notice of God’s grace. He summoned them by public notice by clearly describe grace in verbal terms.
The cross of Christ is unadulterated grace. We can add nothing to it. The cross is sufficient in itself to gain God’s approval. When we defect from the grace principle, we betray the cross of Christ. It is spiritual adultery to revert to legalism.
To receive the grace of God and return to legalism is to fall prey to self-righteousness. Self-righteousness flies in the face of faith in the cross plus nothing. Man cannot make himself right with God. Only God can declare us as right as He is right through the cross of Christ. Paul made them understand without doubt that the cross was the only access to God. The cross is an affront to the pride of self-righteousness.
Paul placarded a public notice but the legalists subtly and sneakily slipped in their false doctrine. One used forthright presentation and the others used cunning. Paul unmistakably, clearly presented the claims of the cross. Paul designated grace very clearly. The Galatians could read it in big, bold letters as on a billboard.
“Crucified” is the core of grace. Jesus did all the suffering necessary to pay for the penalty of our sins. We do not pay for our sins because He took the full penalty for our sins. The law condemns us.
“…but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness…” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
Principle:
We appropriate grace by faith; we earn merit by work.
Application:
God crucified Jesus for us out of unadulterated grace. This stands permanently as the essence of our relationship to God.
We are asinine if we think otherwise for we operate under the hypnotic spell of our pride. There is something very appealing about my offering God my works. Little do we realize how puny they are in God’s eyes.
The law can never bring us into favour with God. The law makes demands that we can never fulfil. Grace sets aside the law by fulfilling it through Christ. Grace freely gives us what we cannot earn or deserve. Grace gives us a relationship with God in time and in eternity. We appropriate grace by faith, not works. We cannot work for salvation and we cannot work for spirituality. They are both gifts from God received by faith.
Read Introduction to Galatians
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?”
Chapter 3 marks a shift in emphasis in the book of Galatians to the doctrinal section (chapters 3-4). The first two chapters defend Paul’s apostleship and, therefore, his gospel of grace. The last two chapters (5-6) are practical, terse, pithy, pertinent exhortations. The first five verses of chapter 3 prove from the experience of the Galatians themselves that grace is the true doctrine.
Galatians 3 falls into two segments:
1) the curse of the law (3:1-14), and
2) the purpose of the law (3:15-29).
In the first five verses, Paul fires a series of six questions about the personal experience of the Galatians with grace. Verse 1 is the first question.
O foolish Galatians!
The word “foolish” signifies no understanding, senseless. This is someone who does not apply his mind to a situation. It does not imply that they were stupid but that they were unwilling to understand. The Galatians did not use their capacity for understanding when it came to grasping the idea of grace. They had the intelligence but they did not have the heart to appropriate what they knew. They were gullible about false doctrine and did not have the wisdom to reject it.
Paul does not mince any words in his opening salvo against the doctrinal aspects of legalism. His last comment was that to deny grace is to negate the finished work of Christ on the cross (2:21). What the Galatians thought was new enlightenment, Paul calls “foolish.”
Who has bewitched you
“Bewitched” originally meant to slander then it came to mean to bring evil upon someone by feigned praise. The legalists charmed the Galatians into legalism. They deceived the Galatians by devious and crafty religious means. The Judaizers put the Galatians under a spell of hypnotic malignant control. The legalists seduced them because of their fascination with legalism (1:6-8). The legalists could put on the charm.
“…lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices” (2 Corinthians 2:11).
“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians11:3).
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelation 12:9).
The word “you” is emphatic. “You are the very people to whom I clearly presented the grace concept.” We can see Paul’s indignation surging out.
Principle:
If we supplement grace, we supplant it.
Application:
Many people labour under the delusion that they can keep the law and thereby God will accept them into Heaven. The law cannot justify a sinner or sanctify a saint. That is not the purpose of the law.
God does not save us by faith plus the law. That is error. It is staggering how many people today cannot recognize error. We live in a “foolish” generation. The Scriptures clearly put up a poster announcing that salvation and sanctification are by grace alone, not works, yet Christians buy into legalism on a regular basis.
Once people recognize that the law cannot save a sinner or sanctify a saint, they come to grips with grace. God never designed the law to do these things. The Christian life is not rule or regulations but eternal life provided by God alone. If we adopt any other position, we fall under the bewitching powers of Satan. Does Satan’s charm subtly instill into you the thought that you have something to offer God? Legalism always fascinates our pride.
The principle of faith without works from the very beginning of our salvation goes hand in hand with grace. Legalists love to mesmerize us into believing that we have something to offer God for salvation or sanctification. Many people have become victims of this. Do you try to supplant what Christ did on the cross?
Read Introduction to Galatians
“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain”
for if righteousness comes through the law,
If we say that we should keep the law for salvation or sanctification, then we negate the death of Christ for us.
then Christ died in vain
Christ can save us by Himself. He needs no help. He does not need the “righteousness” that “comes through the law.”
If we can operate by self-righteousness, then Christ died in vain. We say in effect that we have to help ourselves. Legalism and grace are mutually exclusive. Self-righteousness and Christ righteousness cannot coexist. Christ died so that we can have salvation apart from the law, apart from human merit.
The word “vain” means without cause. There is no point or purpose to Christ’s death if we can work for salvation. There is no reason for the death of Christ. Righteousness through faith in Christ’s cross is not one of the reasons but the only reason for salvation. This is exactly what Peter did by entering into legalism. We cannot unite grace and law because they are mutually exclusive ways to please God. If we do, then we imply that Christ died on the cross needlessly. It invalidates grace.
“…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).
Principle:
Human merit invalidates the cross of Christ as a way of salvation or sanctification.
Application:
We do not have to climb any mountains to achieve God’s grace. God gives His grace freely and fully without requiring merit.
If we try to obtain righteousness by the works of the law, then we make the cross a frightful tragedy. If righteousness comes by the law, if we are justified by the law, then Christ died in vain. What point is there of Christ’s death? If we can get to heaven by keeping the 10 commandments, then why did God bother to send Jesus to Calvary?
No one ever goes to heaven by good works. All of us have failed to live up to the law. If we could keep the law for salvation then we would have to live up to the law in its entirety.
“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).
God cannot wink at sin. If you have but one sin, then God must deal with it. Once you commit a sin, there is no way for you to make it up to God except by accepting His forgiveness through Christ’s death on the cross.
You say, “Oh, God is not that strict.” If He were not, then God would not be consistent with Himself. If God gave slack to Himself, the whole idea of an absolute God would crash to the ground. The reason we have the kind of the salvation we do is that we have the kind of God we do. That is why sin always drives us into the outstretched arms of Jesus where we receive salvation free of charge. God cannot see me for Jesus. God cannot see my sin because I have perfect standing before Him. Christ paid for all my sins.
No law can give life. The law can only bring death. Grace brings life. Salvation is free to the admittedly broken sinner (Ephesians 1:6; Romans 3:25). Man always tries to manufacture his own righteousness while God stands tapping His foot ready to donate the perfect righteousness of Christ. A perfectly holy God can find no imperfection in Jesus’ righteousness. This righteousness is free to the sinner. If we trust in the cross for forgiveness of our sins, God reckons to us the wonderful merit and glory of Jesus.
Read Introduction to Galatians
“I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain”
We now conclude Paul’s address to Peter. This verse is the knockout punch of chapter 2. This is Paul’s final stroke to those who claim salvation or sanctification by law.
I do not set aside the grace of God;
The words “set aside” mean make void, cancel God’s grace. If we go back to the law, we cancel out the work of the cross. The grace of God is put as of no value, set aside, nullified, annulled. Self-righteousness declares invalid God’s provision in Christ. We annul God’s grace when we inject our righteousness. If we nullify grace, then Christ died without an adequate cause ["vain"]. Christians must recognize the validity of grace.
We do nothing to attain God’s grace. We do not go through religious motions or righteous works. We do not have to climb any mountain, swim any sea, or cross any deserts. God gave us salvation and the Christian way of life free of charge.
Principle:
Legalism voids God’s grace; grace and law are mutually exclusive.
Application:
If we maintain that we gain God’s approval by works then we abolish grace. Then there is no reason for the death of Christ. His death would be unwarranted and superfluous. It is a serious thing to negate grace.
The essence of God’s grace is to give us something we do not deserve. Salvation is a gift (Romans 4:4). Grace and merit are mutually exclusive. If God gives salvation by grace, then it is not I who do the work. If I do the work, then it is not God who gives salvation. If I do the work, then I get the glory. If God does the work then He gets the glory.
“And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work” (Romans 11:6 ).
When we inject our righteousness into salvation or sanctification, we thwart the efficacy of Christ’s work for us. God’s grace and our work are contradictory. We must choose one or the other. They cannot both be true at the same time.
Read Introduction to Galatians
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”
who loved me
The Lord’s love and sacrifice motivate us to live for Him. They are why we place our faith in Him.
and gave Himself
Jesus’ giving Himself on the cross is the greatest evidence of His love for us. Jesus’ love and sacrifice are a unit. His person and His work unite as one. Who He was prompted what He did. His willingness to die on the cross came from His love for us.
for me
The word “for” means in my place. Jesus substituted Himself for me. He took my Hell that I might have His heaven. He died in my place, instead of me. I should have gone to hell and I should have gone to the cross.
Notice the double “me…me.” Jesus loved me and gave Himself for me. The Christian life is intensely personal.
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35).
Principle:
Our relationship to Christ is very personal.
Application:
Our relationship to Christ is very personal. If we do not accept His substitute for our sins, then we will pay for our sins for all eternity.
Before we embraced Christ as our Saviour, we lived for self. Now that we own Him as Saviour, we have Someone for whom we can live. Life takes on new meaning. We now have purpose and dignity in our lives. Otherwise, this life is a rat race. We work all day, play in the evening and sleep all night. That is all there is to life without Christ.
Read Introduction to Galatians
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me”
I live by faith in the Son of God,
Paul placed his faith in the Son of God, that is, His divine Sonship. Paul’s new life is faith-based, not flesh-based. Faith is the link that binds Paul to Christ. Instead of attempting to measure up to the law, Paul lives his new life in Christ by faith.
Our depraved nature cannot measure up to a holy God. We have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help us live the Christian life. The faithlife is an entirely different life than a life that seeks to please God by works. The soundness of our faith lies in the solidity of the content of what we believe. Our faith comes from trust in the second person of the Trinity.
The word “faith” takes us back to verse 16 [two times]. We live the Christian life by faith in the Son of God. God saves us by faith (Ephesians 2:8). We live day-by-day by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). As we were saved, so we live (Colossians 2:6,7). The principle for salvation and sanctification is the same – we live by faith.
Principle:
Salvation and sanctification rest on the same principle – faith.
Application:
The Christian life always rests on faith in God’s facts. The death of Christ included me. He represented me on the cross. In His death, I died to the requirements of the law and to the penalty of the law. These are the facts; I believe them.
How did we become Christians? We accepted the fact that Jesus died for our sins. We did not plead for forgiveness. We claimed the forgiveness provided in Christ. We came to acknowledge we already had forgiveness by His death on the cross. The same is true in walking with the Lord. We claim the work of Christ to walk with the Lord moment by moment. We do not pray, “Lord, please crucify me.” We pray, “Thank you Lord that Jesus took the penalty for my sin. I thank you that this is an accomplished fact.” There is nothing inherently in us that can gain victory over sin.
Positionally, Jesus has already won the victory. The practical appropriation of our positional privilege comes later. Jesus put in our hands the victory over sin and the sin capacity. Satan will try to convince us that the power lies elsewhere. If we believe that lie, then we will fail to live the Christian life.
