MAY 22
HAVING BEGUN IN THE SPIRIT
Galatians 3:1-3
1 Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified? 2 I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh? (WEB)
The Galatians were a group of believers who had an authentic conversion to Christ, but then they entertained a group of leaders who were trying to get them to add a little bit of 'law' to the finished work of Christ. In no uncertain terms, the Apostle Paul gave very clear instructions to this group of believers... Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?
The New Living Translation says Galatians 3:3 this way... How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? It is easy for us to read the book of Galatians and shake our heads in disgust and agree with Paul's admonition to them.
But before we distance ourselves too much from the Galatians, I would encourage all of us to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we have added a bit of 'law' into the gospel of grace. The subtle influences of legalism have infiltrated our Christian lives more than we might think.
I often feel better prepared to enter God's throne room if I have done my devotions or accomplished some spiritual discipline first. Why is that? Is it because my work can add to what Jesus has already done? What about the times when I feel at my lowest point? Am I still welcome to come boldly to the throne room of grace? If not, then I may be looking to my own performance to justify myself in the sight of my Father.
My prayer today is that we would all realize that our justification in the sight of God is not based on what we have done or will ever do. We are justified by faith through the finished work of Jesus Christ alone. Anything else we add to salvation is wood, hay, and stubble. May we all take a deep breath, relax, and praise God for salvation that comes freely as a gift from God and is not of our own making!
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, that no one would boast. (WEB)
1 Foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you not to obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was openly set forth among you as crucified? 2 I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh? (WEB)
The Galatians were a group of believers who had an authentic conversion to Christ, but then they entertained a group of leaders who were trying to get them to add a little bit of 'law' to the finished work of Christ. In no uncertain terms, the Apostle Paul gave very clear instructions to this group of believers... Having begun in the Spirit, are you now completed in the flesh?
The New Living Translation says Galatians 3:3 this way... How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? It is easy for us to read the book of Galatians and shake our heads in disgust and agree with Paul's admonition to them.
But before we distance ourselves too much from the Galatians, I would encourage all of us to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we have added a bit of 'law' into the gospel of grace. The subtle influences of legalism have infiltrated our Christian lives more than we might think.
I often feel better prepared to enter God's throne room if I have done my devotions or accomplished some spiritual discipline first. Why is that? Is it because my work can add to what Jesus has already done? What about the times when I feel at my lowest point? Am I still welcome to come boldly to the throne room of grace? If not, then I may be looking to my own performance to justify myself in the sight of my Father.
My prayer today is that we would all realize that our justification in the sight of God is not based on what we have done or will ever do. We are justified by faith through the finished work of Jesus Christ alone. Anything else we add to salvation is wood, hay, and stubble. May we all take a deep breath, relax, and praise God for salvation that comes freely as a gift from God and is not of our own making!
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, that no one would boast. (WEB)