Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 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 rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Galatians 3:3-9
This week we see the Apostle Paul again doubling down on an issue that continues to be prominent in areas where there are many Hebrew converts. The feeling of necessity to follow the law remains a prominent issue. It is not a question of whether the law is good, but an issue that extends to the inclusion of the Gentiles who have also converted, and the fact that they are the main focus of Paul’s ministry.
We see in verse 3, “Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” Paul speaks about the separation that exists between the Law and the ultimate saving grace of Jesus. As if the church accepted the gift of salvation, but then immediately turned back to a system that was designed so that only one man could succeed. As we examine several of the letters that Paul wrote, we understand that this is a continual issue, and one that seems to pop up in every church that he has planted.
Are we adamant in our walk, or our ministry, that we communicate that salvation is for everyone? Are we careful to make sure that we witness to all people, not just the ones that look, or act as we do? I always go back to the Great Commission, as we are commanded to preach the Gospel to all nations. Not just the nation that surrounds our neighborhood or workplace. We must be willing and able to witness the grace Christ gave us to all people we encounter.
Have a great week! ~Danny
