Having Begun in the Spirit

Galatians 3:1-4

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? 2 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? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4 Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?

The Galatians had abandoned the gospel of grace for a religion of works. That is why Paul called them foolish. The Greek word translated foolish means failing to understand. They failed to understand how turning to a system of justification by works made Christ’s crucifixion ineffective. They had become bewitched—as if a spell had been cast over them causing them to ignore the freedom found in God’s grace. So Paul asked them how they received the Spirit. Was it by works of the law or by faith? Paul knew they had received the Spirit by grace through faith, but somehow they began to think they would grow in their righteousness through their religious deeds. They thought they would draw closer to the Lord by obeying the law and lost sight of Christ’s gift of grace. Paul reminded them how they suffered as Christians for believing in the grace of Jesus (Acts 14:1-22). He concluded, if they no longer believed in grace, then their suffering had been in vain.

Satan doesn’t want people to believe in and accept God’s grace by placing their faith in what Christ has done. When you accepted the gospel, Satan didn’t stop trying to hinder the Spirit’s work in your life. His tactic is to bewitch you into thinking the rest of your spiritual journey is up to you. After all, Christ saved you, and now you need to walk with Him. Satan wants you to feel it is your duty to do religious deeds. If you are distracted by doing certain acts that are perceived as righteous, then he is keeping you busy out of obligation. Performing obligatory deeds causes you to lose sight of God’s grace. Your focus has switched from what God has done and is doing for you, to what you are doing for God. And just like the Galatians, you have quickly turned from the gospel of grace to a religion of do’s and don’ts. Your salvation began as a work of the Holy Spirit. It continues as a work of the Spirit. The outworking of the Spirit in your life will be natural. If you feel obligated to do something rather than being prompted by the Spirit, you are probably performing a religious deed that is not of faith. However, you cannot be made perfect in flesh by obeying religious laws. You grow spiritually by faith. Never forget, Christ has done everything necessary for your salvation and growth. Just as you responded in faith for your justification, to grow spiritually you must continue to respond to Him in faith. Your spiritual journey began when you were justified in the Spirit. It will continue by the Spirit in your sanctification, and it will be completed through the Spirit in your glorification (Phil. 1:6). Having begun your journey of faith in the Spirit, do not seek to be made perfect by the flesh.