Galatians 3, Part 1: The Gift of the Spirit
GAL 3:1-9
Application: The gift of God's indwelling Holy Spirit is received by faith at the time of salvation, not earned by works afterward. Walk by faith and serve in the Spirit of Christ.
PAUL IS OPENING THE DOOR TO THE REAL TRUTH OF THE BOOK OF GALATIANS IN THESE VERSES.
HIS MAIN TEACHING IS OF THE JUSTIFICATION OF SINNERS INTO SALVATION BY GRACE ALONE THROUGH FAITH.
GRACE AND THE LAW (MEANING WORKS OF MAN) ARE CONTRARY TO ONE ANOTHER. THESE TWO CANNOT EXIST TOGETHER IN THE HEART OF A BELIEVER. IT IS ONE OR THE OTHER AND CAN NEVER BE BOTH.
HE KNOWS NOW THAT HE IS WRITING TO THOSE WHO HAVE COME TO THE LORD UNDER HIS MINISTRY AND THAT THEY ARE UNDER THE DECEPTION OF THE FALSE TEACHERS.
HE KNOWS THAT DECEPTION LEADS TO DISOBEDIENCE.
WHEN WE SPEAK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER WHY THE SPIRIT IS GIVEN AND WHY IT LIVES IN US WHEN WE ARE SAVED.
ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT MATTERS THAT FACED THE ORIGINAL APOSTLES (AND THE FEW FOLLOWERS REMAINING AT THE DEATH OF JESUS) WAS THAT JESUS HAD LEFT THEM.
BUT HE DID NOT LEAVE THEM NOR DID HE FORSAKE THEM.
HE TOLD THEM IN JOHN 16:7 THAT IT WAS EXPEDIENT FOR THEM THAT HE LEAVE AND SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM.
(EXPEDIENT IN THIS USE MEANS A BETTER WAY TO ACCOMPLISH THE PURPOSE DESIRED).
FROM PENTECOST ONWARD HE WAS ALWAYS WITH THEM AND IS ALSO ALWAYS WITH US, JUST SIMPLY CHANGED IN FORM.
HE TRANSFORMED HIS PRESENCE FROM PHYSICAL TO SPIRITUAL.
AT THE END TIMES HE WILL REVERSE THIS CHANGE AND RETURN AND REVEAL HIMSELF AGAIN IN HIS PHYSICAL FORM, WITH ONLY
ONE DIFFERENCE OF HIS RETURN WILL BE IN HIS GLORIFIED BODY.
IN THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS OF GALATIANS, PAUL HAD ADDRESSED THE PROBLEMS OF THE CHURCH BY REMINDING THEM OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE ONE TRUE GOSPEL.
HE HAD ALSO ONCE AGAIN IDENTIFIED HIS OWN AUTHORITY AS COMING DIRECTLY FROM BOTH THE SON & THE FATHER.
NOW THAT THESE SAVED SOULS ARE UNDER DECEPTION HE BRINGS TO THEM A MESSAGE OF REMINDING THEM OF THEIR OWN HISTORY AND THE HISTORY HE HAD TAUGHT THEM BEFORE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT AND FATHER ABRAHAM.
HE ASKS THEM VERY DIRECTLY HOW DID THEY RECEIVE THE SPIRIT?
HE SHOWS THEM THAT EVEN THE MOST HOLY PATRIARCH ABRAHAM HAD RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THEY THEMSELVES HAD GAINED IT, BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH.
HIS OPENING WORDS MAKE IT APPEAR THESE PEOPLE ARE IN THE HANDS OF A MAGICIAN OR THOSE WHO CAN CONJURE UP EVIL SPIRITS AS HE SAYS THEY ARE NOW BEWITCHED.
HAVE THEY SO SOON FORGOTTEN HOW SALVATION HAD COME UPON THEM?
PAUL USES THE TERM “SPIRIT” FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THIS BOOK.
HE BEGINS TO REVEAL HIS DEFENSE OF THE ORIGINAL TEACHING HE HAD GIVEN BY REMINDING THEM OF SEVERAL THINGS:
1- THE SPIRIT COMES BY THE PREACHING OF THE CRUCIFIED CHRIST.
2- THE SPIRIT IS IN RADICAL OPPOSITION TO THE FLESH.
3- THE SPIRIT IS THE MIGHTY POWER OF THE NEW AGE.
4- THE SPIRIT COMES BY GRACE ONLY AND ONLY TO ALL WHO REPENT & BELIEVE.
5- THE SAVING SPIRIT IS UNEARNED AND IS NOT CONDITIONAL UPON ANY WORKS.
THIS TROUBLE IN THE CHURCHES PAUL HAD PLANTED WAS DEEPLY MOVING PAUL TO ACTION BY HIS LETTER TO THEM.
THESE PEOPLE HAD WARMLY RECEIVED PAUL, ACCEPTED HIS TEACHING, LOVED HIS PREACHING, AND HAD BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD AS HE MINISTERED TO THEM.
LISTEN TO HOW PAUL DESCRIBES THE DEEP AND LOVING AFFECTION THESE BELIEVERS HAD FOR HIM IN CHAPTER 4:15 :
“... I BEAR YOU RECORD THAT IF IT HAD BEEN POSSIBLE, YE WOULD HAVE PLUCKED OUT YOUR OWN EYES, AND HAVE GIVEN THEM TO ME.”
HE WAS SO HAPPY AT THE WARM, OPENHEARTED, RECEPTION THE GALATIANS HAD GIVEN HIM AND THEIR WARM RECEPTION OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
BUT NOW HE IS JUST AS AMAZED AT HOW SOON THEY HAD DECIDED TO ACCEPT OTHER TEACHINGS WHICH WERE FALSE AND CORRUPT.
THESE BELIEVERS HAD TURNED AWAY FROM THE GOSPEL TRUTH TOWARD THE UNTRUTH OF THOSE WHO WANTED TO MAKE THEM JEWS AS A REQUIREMENT OF SALVATION.
THESE CHURCH MEMBERS HAD :
TRADED CALVARY FOR SINAI
TRADED JESUS CHRIST FOR MOSES
TRADED SONSHIP FOR SLAVERY TO LAW
TRADED LIBERTY FOR BONDAGE
TRADED FAITH FOR WORKS.
TRADED TRUTH FOR ERROR
HOW VERY FOOLISH THEY SEEMED TO PAUL.
PAUL HAD TAUGHT THEM THAT THEY WERE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN WHAT JESUS HAD ACCOMPLISHED AT CALVARY, APART FROM ANY SINGLE THING THEY HAD DONE THEMSELVES.
THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS AND SOULS HAD BEEN RECONCILED TO GOD BY THEIR ACCEPTANCE OF THE FINISHED WORK OF JESUS.
NOW, HAVING SENT THE THOUGHT OF THEIR OWN JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH, PAUL NOW IMPRESSES UPON THEM THE MANNER IN WHICH ABRAHAM CAME TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
PAUL WAS NOT SPEAKING TO THEM IN HARSH LANGUAGE.
HE SPOKE OUT OF TENDERNESS AS A PASTOR SHOULD.
BUT HE CERTAINLY REBUKED THEIR UNBELIEF.
THEY HAD BEEN CHARMED AWAY BY TEACHINGS THAT FLATTERED THE FLESH, NOT THE SPIRIT.
THIS DANGER IS AS COMMON AMONG US TODAY AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF THE GALATIANS. SATAN STILL IS AT WORK.
PAUL HAD TAUGHT THEM THAT ONLY THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION WERE TRUTH.
NOW THEY WERE EMBRACING THE JEWISH UNTRUTH THAT ONE HAD TO BE CIRCUMCIZED TO BE SAVED. IN OTHER WORDS, GENTILES CAN ONLY GAIN SALVATION BY FIRST BECOMING JEWS.
PAUL HAD CLEARLY TAUGHT THEM THAT CHRIST IS ALL IN ALL, AND NOTHING MAY BE ADDED OR TAKEN AWAY FROM THE GOSPEL OF GRACE.
THIS WAS HOW THEY HAD COME TO BE SAVED.
THEIR FORGIVENESS WAS GAINED BY CHRIST CRUCIFIED.
THEIR FAITH WAS FOUNDED IN HIS SUBSTITUTE OF HIMSELF FOR THEM IN SACRIFICE FOR SIN.
JESUS HAD BEEN THEIR ONLY HOPE.
HE HAD TAUGHT THEM THE TWO PART TRUTH THAT IS AS TRUE TODAY AS IT WAS THEN:
CHRIST FULFILLED THE LAW FOR US
CHRIST'S BLOOD ATONED FOR ALL SIN OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE.
PAUL WAS THE FIRST BRINGER OF THIS IMPORTANT HOLY GOSPEL MESSAGE TO GENTILES IN THE AREA OF THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA.
HE WAS SO SUCCESSFUL IN SHOWING THESE PAGANS THAT JUSTIFICATION IS BY FAITH ALONE BECAUSE THE SPIRIT IS RECEIVED ONLY BY FAITH.
CHRIST TAUGHT IN JOHN 3:8 THAT THE SPIRIT COMING TO ANY MAN IS THE SOVEREIGN CHOICE OF GOD, AS IT COMES AND GOES WHERE IT WISHES, JUST LIKE THE WIND.
THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT COME THROUGH THE PREACHING OF FAITH, NOT OF LAW OR WORKS.
SANCTIFICATION COMES NOT BY THE LAW BUT BY THE SPIRIT IN GRACE THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST ONLY.
HE TEACHES THAT JUSTIFICATION MUST BE BY FAITH ONLY BECAUSE ABRAHAM, THE FATHER OF ALL BELIEVERS, WAS JUSTIFIED AND FOUND RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH, HAVING HIMSELF BEING CALLED OUT OF A FAMILY & LAND OF IDOL WORSHIPPING PAGANS.
HE WAS NOT MADE HOLY OR FOUND TO BE RIGHTEOUS BY BEING CIRCUMCISED.
HE WAS NOT JUSTIFIED BY OBEDIENCE IN OFFERING UP ISAAC AS HE HAD ALREADY BEEN FOUND TO BE RIGHTEOUS BY FAITH ALONE,
430 YEARS BEFORE THE LAW WAS GIVEN.
SINCE MAN WAS UNABLE TO OBEY THE LAW, HE WAS THEREFORE CONDEMNED BY THE LAW AS UNWORTHY.
THE LIFE OF FAITH IS ABOVE THE LAW, FOR IT HAS A SUPERIOR PRINCIPLE WHICH IS LOVE, AND A SUPERIOR POWER WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST, AND CARRIES A SUPERIOR PROMISE, WHICH IS ETERNAL LIFE, BEGUN AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION.
WE SHOULD BE SURE TO RECALL THAT THE EARLY CHURCH BEGAN AS A GROUP CARVED OUT OF THE JEWISH FAITH.
JESUS WAS A JEW.
MOST ALL OF THE MAIN LEADERS IN THE EARLY CHURCH BEGAN AS JEWS.
PAUL HIMSELF WAS A PHARISEE AMONG PHARISEES.
PAUL WENT ALMOST ALWAYS FIRST IN A NEW CITY TO THE JEWISH SYNAGOGUE AND HE SAID IN ROMANS 11:1, IN CASE ANYONE HAD FORGOTTEN, “... I MYSELF AN AN ISRAELITE...”.
THE ENTRANCE OF THE GENTILES INTO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH FORCED AN ENORMOUS CHANGE.
PAUL SAW THE BIG PICTURE OF THIS CHANGE.
HE SAW THAT IT WAS A TWO FOLD CHANGE.
JESUS OF NAZARETH WAS THE LONG AWAITED MESSIAH FOR THE JEWS AND PAUL WAS CHOSEN TO BRING THAT SAME MESSIAH TO THE NON JEWS OF THE WORLD.
SO SINCE THIS TWO FOLD CHANGE HAD ARRIVED, WHO WERE TRULY THE DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM?
WHEN ONE TRIES TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, ANOTHER QUESTION QUICKLY ARISES.
WHAT IS NOW THE PLACE FOR THE LAW GIVEN BY GOD TO MOSES?
PAUL IS SO VERY CAREFUL NOW TO BRING THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS TO THESE BELIEVERS (AND TO US).
HE INTRODUCES THE FIGURE OF ABRAHAM BY BRINGING UP TWO VERSE OF SCRIPTURE (GENESIS 15:6 AND 12:3).
WITH ONE HE MAKES THE POINT THAT GOD CONSIDERED ABRAHAM RIGHTEOUS IN LIGHT OF HIS FAITH AND THEREFORE ABRAHAM'S DESCENDANTS MUST ALSO BE ABLE TO RELATE TO GOD IN THE SAME WAY.
WITH THE OTHER VERSE HE RECALLS GOD'S PROMISE WHICH GUARANTEED THAT AT SOME FUTURE TIME GENTILES WOULD BE BLESSED THROUGH ABRAHAM'S LINE.
IN THE SECOND POINT PAUL BRINGS IN ANOTHER PORTION OF THE BOOKS OF MOSES (DEUT 27:26) WHICH SHOWS THAT THOSE WHO RELY ONLY UPON THE LAW PUT THEMSELVES UNDER THE CURSE OF THE LAW THEY DEPENDED ON.
HE SAYS THE LAW CANNOT DO FOR THEM WHAT THEY DESPARATELY NEED.
GOD'S GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE IS RECEIVED ONLY THROUGH FAITH AND AS HAB 2:4 TAUGHT, IT IS A DIFFERENT ORDER OF FAITH AND THEY MUST WALK BY IT.
PAUL TAUGHT THAT JESUS CHRIST REMOVED THE CURSE FROM THE LAW BY TAKING UPON HIMSELF THE CURSE OF SIN ON BEHALF OF ALL BELIEVERS.
HE HAS REPRESENTED THE GUILTY (WHICH IS ALL MEN) BY ACCEPTING THE CURSE ON HIMSELF EVEN THOUGH HE HIMSELF WAS WITHOUT SIN.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ACTION WAS IN PART TO EXTEND TO THE GENTILES THE BLESSING PROMISED TO ABRAHAM, MAKING IT POSSIBLE THAT THEY MAY RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT BY FAITH.
SO NOW ABRAHAM'S LINE IS NOT BY FLESH ANY LONGER, BUT RATHER IS NOW BY FAITH.
SO PAUL CLARIFIES THE FULL MESSAGE OF THE MESSIAH WHO HAD COME BY THESE POINTS:
GOD IS FAITHFUL TO HIS PROMISE
THE LAW CONDEMNS THOSE WHO ONLY BELIEVE IN IT ALONE
CHRIST HAS BROUGHT FREEDOM FROM THE CURSE OF
THE LAW BY TAKING UPON HIMSELF WHAT WE ALL DESERVED.
SO THE STORY PAUL TEACHES IS A REMARKABLE ONE.
THE CURSE RESTING ON MAN FOR SO MANY CENTURIES HAS BEEN LIFTED BY THE ONCE AND FULLY SUFFICIENT SACRIFICE OF THE LORD.
CHRIST ASSUMED IT ALL, FULFILLED IT ALL, AND GAVE NEW FELLOWSHIP TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM AND HIS GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL, WHICH ALLOWS SALVATION FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN GRACE THROUGH FAITH.
FINALLY, WHILE WE MUST BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS WHO ALLOWS US TO COME TO HIM IN FAITH BY HIS GRACE, WE MUST NOT OVERLOOK THAT THERE IS NOTHING WE MAY DO OURSELVES TO BRING OURSELVES TO GOD WITHOUT JESUS.
IT WAS HIS FAITH THAT MADE ALL THIS NEW FELLOWSHIP POSSIBLE.
ROMANS 3:21-22 :
“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith OF Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe...”
LETS CLOSE BY BEING SURE WE REMEMBER IT IS NOT OUR FAITH IN HIM THAT BEGAN THIS NEW TESTAMENT, BUT IT IS THE FAITH OF HIM THAT PREPARES THE WAY FOR US TO COME TO HIM.