Galatians 3:2-3 - Are you trying to go it alone?

Last time we looked at Galatians 3:1 and Paul asked the question who has bewitched you? Who has confused you with lies. The Galatians had heard and seen the truth of Jesus Christ, but had started believing a lie. What was the lie. Well people had come in after Paul left, and said these people needed to get circumcised in order to be a real Christian. Of course that isn’t true.

Paul continues the defense against this false teaching. Let’s read Galatians 3:2

2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Paul asks a simple question. He said this is the only thing I need to know about you. Did you receive the Holy Spirit by doing good works or by hearing the Gospel and trusting Jesus as savior?

In other words before I came to town, before you heard the Gospel, before you trusted Jesus, did you know the Holy Spirit? Did He live within you? Did you experience His power? Did you experience His leading? Did you experience His peace? Did any of this happen to you before you heard the Gospel? Surely you had done something good in your life before I told you the Gospel, but had you ever experienced the Holy Spirit before?

Of course the answer is no. Just because they had done good works didn’t mean that the Holy Spirit lived within them. Just because a man is circumcised and observes certain rituals doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit lives within them.

So how did they experience the Holy Spirit?

By hearing the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and trusting Christ as saviour.

When we trust Christ we are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ. Permanently. There is no going back. Once you are in the family of God you are in.

1 Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Notice the reference to Jews or Gentiles. It didn’t matter who you were when you got saved. The real question is who are you now, and why wouldn’t you want to go forward with what Christ has for you vs. what man has for you.

Men were trying to convince these people that what Christ had done for them wasn’t enough. They needed to do something else. The truth is what Jesus did for us on the cross is enough. When you trust Him for your salvation you are in the family and the Holy Spirit made sure of that.

Ask yourself the question.

Did you receive the Holy Spirit by doing good works, by observing some laws, by going to church, by being a good person.

OR…

Did you receive the Holy Spirit because you have trusted Jesus as saviour?

Paul now asks a follow up question.

3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Remember in verse one, Paul called the Galatians foolish. Now he asks the question ….

“Are you so foolish?”

· You got saved by faith

· You received the Holy Spirit (God himself)

· Now you want to live and grow on your own

· You want to ignore the blessing

· You want to go it alone

· You want to give up the power that God gives you

· You want to put yourself back in bondage by putting yourself back under the law

Instead of letting God mature, perfect or complete you, you want to do it on your own.

Are you crazy?

We are foolish if we try to go it alone.

The truth is Satan wants us to be foolish.

If he can’t stop you from being saved, he wants you to be foolish and

· ignore the help that God wants to give us

· ignore the blessings

· ignore the teaching

· and ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit