THE CHRISTIAN LIFE BEGINS AND CONTINUES BY FAITH
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth?” (Galatians 3:1).
Paul’s words strike like thunder across a quiet field. The Galatians had begun their journey with Christ in the simplicity of faith, yet false teachers had persuaded them that they needed something more.
They were being told that faith in Christ was not enough.
Human effort, religious performance, and the works of the Law were being added to the finished work of Jesus.
Paul could hardly believe it. Christ had been clearly portrayed among them as crucified (Galatians 3:1), yet they were turning their eyes from the cross to themselves.
The apostle asks a series of questions that cut through confusion. “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:2).
They already knew the answer. The Holy Spirit did not come into their lives because they earned His presence. He came when they heard the gospel and trusted Christ.
The blessings of God were not wages paid to deserving workers. They were gifts given to believing hearts (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Then Paul asks, “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).
What a lesson for every generation. We are not saved by grace only to be sustained by human strength. The same faith that brings us to Christ is the faith that keeps us walking with Him.
The Christian life is not Christ plus self. It is Christ from beginning to end (Romans 1:17; Colossians 2:6; Hebrews 12:2).
Many believers stumble at this very point. They trust Jesus for forgiveness but then try to live the Christian life through sheer determination.
Before long they become discouraged, burdened, and defeated.
God never intended His children to carry such a load.
The branch bears fruit only while abiding in the vine (John 15:4-5). Victory comes not from self-reliance but from dependence upon the Lord.
Paul reminds the Galatians of Abraham. “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).
Long before the Law of Moses was given, Abraham stood justified before God by faith.
He trusted God’s promise when circumstances seemed impossible. His righteousness was not earned. It was credited to him because he believed.
The principle has never changed. God still saves sinners through faith in His Son (Romans 4:3-5).
The message of Galatians 3:1-6 calls us back to the simplicity of the gospel.
We begin by faith. We continue by faith. We grow by faith. We stand by faith.
Let us never trade the freedom of grace for the bondage of self-effort.
The cross is sufficient. Christ is sufficient.
The believer’s confidence rests not in what he has done for God, but in what God has done for him through Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:9).
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Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Guard us from trusting in our own works, wisdom, or strength. Teach us to walk by faith as Abraham did and to depend daily upon Your grace. Keep our eyes fixed on Christ crucified and risen. May we never forget that the life we began through faith must also be lived through faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BDD
