To Paul there was only one thing to know; “For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians2:2 AMP)
So, when he was informed of how the Galatians were turning from the wondrous message of the cross to elements of the Law, he could only reply in total shock:
“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” (Galatians 3:1)
In Paul’s mind, for someone to look away from the message of the cross to turn to the Law in any form, would require someone to be under the power of an evil spell. (Of course, Paul is speaking for effect because no power can overcome the power of God to take control of a believer! See John 10:27-30) When Jesus has been portrayed or shown as accomplishing everything before God for us, why should there be any other thought? How could there be any other thought? From the Law and the Prophets, to the very words of Christ Himself, there is only one truth and that truth is Christ!
John 5:(36-47) 39-40 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (See also 2 Timothy 3:15)
When we truly see Christ crucified for us, how can we turn to anything less than Him? (See Isaiah 53) Jesus alone brings us to the Father and all the Father asks of us is to believe in Christ.
John 6:28-29 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
The entire Gospel message is shown in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8! Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Or it can be told as such;
Colossians 1:21-23 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
To believe that there is a need for any other work is to not believe the Good News of Jesus! When we factually present the work of Christ and clearly portray the effect of His work so that people understand Christ alone has brought us peace with God and brought us to Father God and that in Christ we are totally accepted by God, why would we look anywhere else for what we already have in Christ? To do so would be to say the least, quite foolish. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17-19, Ephesians 1:3-14, and Hebrews 10:1-18)
Ephesians 1:6 To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. (NKJV)
Chapter 3 – The Proof of Faith
Galatians 3:(1) 2-5 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing-if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
It does not matter what we may feel or how others may present a message to us, what matters is the truth. It is the truth that sets us free. (John 8:31-32) The truth, simply put, is Jesus.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Because we think and feel we tend to evaluate and to decide how the work of God takes place. Yet if we took the Word of God as unalterable fact and left off human reasoning and argument, then we would live by faith in God without reservation because there is only one way, one truth, and one life. (See Ephesians 4:4-6) If we hear or “feel” something different we have not changed the reality of the truth of Christ in any way, we have only changed our religion. The Galatians had heard a different message. If God expects man to be holy, then they should do what it took to be holy. It made sense to them because they forgot Christ in their evaluation. They overlooked the evidence of what faith in Christ had brought to their lives, namely the indwelling of the Holy Spirit – God Himself, and the workings of miracles through the Holy Spirit. As they did not feel or seem holy enough, they chose a path of introspection and self-judgment. In so doing they decided they had to do what they thought God could not do. Yet when we believe in Christ, God declares us holy enough that His Spirit may now live within us! How much more can we do than that?
Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy. (AMP) [See also Acts 10(:44-48)]
We also have a great teaching here on miracles. Not only do we receive the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ, but God only works miracles through faith in Christ! God answers us on the basis of faith, not through the keeping of the Law or any teachings or working of man! In fact, if there is anything that we must do to receive from God but believe on Christ, we have believed on Christ in vain! Christ is either everything or He is nothing. Christ and Christ alone is the way to the Father and there is nothing that anyone can add to His glory!
Galatians 2:20-21 “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
There is power for our lives. There are answers for our prayers. There are miracles to be had! (See Mark 9:23 and 11:22-24)These are in no way dependent on what we have done to “serve” God or to be “pleasing” to God, in fact, our works only weaken our faith and prevent what God would gladly and freely do for us! (See Romans 1:17 and 8:32 and Hebrews 11:6) Everything that we would receive from God and that God would do for us is dependent and by our faith in what God has done in Christ Jesus!
(See Romans 9:30-33)
Chapter 3 – The Proof of Faith
Galatians 3:5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Do you need the Holy Spirit? Do you need a miracle? Believe the Gospel! Believe the Good News of Jesus Christ and what God has worked in and by Christ for man.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God worked through Jesus, God in the flesh, to take away everything that separates us from God and all that He is and all that He has for those that love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9-10, Colossians 2:13-15) If the work is already finished in Christ, then what must we do to receive what we need and want from God? We believe that God has worked everything for us in Christ! God gives His Holy Spirit and does miracles because we believe, not because we have met some standard that died with Christ. Faith pleases God. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith brings obedience to God. (Romans 1:5) Faith in God makes us suitable to house His Spirit and to receive the miracles we need and desire! If we believe, we will receive! (Mark 11:23)
What example does Paul give? The example of Abraham. Why Abraham instead of Moses? Abraham lived by faith in God. Jesus came from the seed of Abraham, which was a miracle brought about by faith in God!
John 1:16-17 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Law brings wrath. (Romans 4:15) Wrath is not compatible with blessing. Jesus brought Grace and Truth. Jesus is the Son of God through the Seed of Abraham. (Galatians 3:15-18) You do not want to be of Moses’ seed, you want to be of the Seed of Abraham. You don’t even want to be an angel; you want to be of the Seed of Abraham!
(Hebrews 2:14-18 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death-that is, the devil- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16 For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. 17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.)
Galatians 3:6-9 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Law or faith? Follow the path of blessing. True blessing includes righteousness, joy, and peace. (Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22-23) Faith in Christ brings us righteousness, joy, and peace! That is the Gospel! The Gospel is that all nations will be blessed through Abraham – not Moses! (Galatians 3:8) The Good News is the blessing of God that came upon Abraham because he believed God! We believe the promise of God through believing that Jesus is the way to God. When our faith is in Jesus for our entry to and approval by God, then we can receive miracles just like Abraham received miracles! The believer is the friend of God just like Abraham was (is) the friend of God! (John 15:15, James 2:23) This means that there is nothing hidden from us and that nothing will be kept from us! Faith makes us the children of God and brings us into a friendship with God that is a covenant friendship just like God had (has) with Abraham! And the Good news is that all of the blessing in the covenant comes from God to us through Christ by faith and not by the Law.
Romans 4:13-25 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, 15 because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring-not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed-the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were. 18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead-since he was about a hundred years old-and that Sarah's womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness-for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
A Study of the Gospel Chapter 3 – The Proof of Faith
Galatians 3:10-14 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 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 hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
There is an inability in so many to understand the fullness and completeness of God’s work in Christ. To think that there is some way for us to please God, to reach God, and to be pleasing to God on our own somehow gives people comfort and confidence. Yet, as the Law shows it is not trying that pleases God, but perfection.
(See Leviticus 18:4-5 and Deuteronomy 27:26)
Yet even after keeping the Law, it is still faith that justifies, (Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38), and enables us to stand before God accepted and loved as His own Son. This tells us that faith in Christ gives us access that only the sinless and perfect Son of God, Jesus has! The Law cannot change who we were, what we have done, and that we were born in sin. In Christ we are born again. (John 3:3-7) In being born again by faith in Christ we receive what the Law could never give - a sinless beginning! A life without the taint of inbred sin from Adam. (Romans 5:12) A life as the literal sinless children of God!
1 John 3:1-3 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
Why then do so many try to reach God through trying to keep the Law, (or any form of works for righteousness and acceptance), that He does not want, that is not even the way to God, and that they cannot even keep? Darkness does not understand Christ.
John 1:1-5 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There is a daring in the faith that we have in Christ for this faith is the claiming to be the literal Sons of God with the same standing before God as Christ! And that is so far beyond what the Law and teachings based on the Law can ever do. So our part is to believe the message of faith in Christ. We proclaim the message of Christ and Him crucified, (1 Corinthians 2:2), so that those that hear, (Romans 10:17), may believe and receive the blessing of Abraham and become the Sons of God through the indwelling of His Spirit! This great blessing is only in Christ. The way to this blessing is found only by believing in Christ as all that God wants from man.
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
