Bewitched and Foolish

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 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? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 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.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 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 pole.” 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. Galatians 3:1-14

What were the Galatians thinking?! Paul had clearly portrayed the meaning of the crucifixion to them. The Holy Spirit was clearly at work in them, giving evidence of salvation, having sealed them for eternity IN CHRIST (Romans 8:9, Ephesians 1:13). Yet, they were allowing themselves to be intimidated by pressure from the legalists to add works of the law to their way of life and worship. Paul’s rhetorical question: how did you receive the Spirit? Huh? Did you do some work to get it? Or did you receive it by believing the gospel you heard? How can you be so stupid? You began your Christian life by the Spirit, so now you want to add a points system which obscures the gospel? Think of your salvation experience. You did nothing to earn eternal life. The Spirit has worked miracles among you; not by anything you have done, but because of your belief in Jesus Christ. Experience does not make the gospel true; the gospel is objective truth. Experience simply confirms the gospel in human witnesses through the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:32). The gospel is sufficient. Experience confirms its sufficiency.

“Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” Genesis 15:6.

Abraham preceded Moses. Faith preceded law. Grace through faith was God's original plan.

The Gentiles (all nations) were always intended to be included in God’s plan of grace. God made that clear to Abraham in the covenant, from the time Abraham believed. There was no law when Abraham believed. Faith, therefore, is the requirement for entering into eternal life.  Plus nothing.

Keeping score is a self-defeating endeavor. We can’t just choose which laws we want to obey and expect God to overlook the ones we don’t like or don’t understand or just are not capable of keeping. It’s all or nothing. We can’t keep it all, so it has to be nothing. Demanding works of righteousness for salvation or to remain saved becomes a curse to those who try to maintain that system. We are condemned by our inborn sin and our weakness of character, therefore cursed by the law. The law could only condemn. Faith justifies.

Habakkuk 2:4: “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”

Since the curse of the law condemns us, Jesus became that curse for us, as He suffered the penalty for our sins on the cross.

“If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree (after stoning him to death, v.21), his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance. Deuteronomy 21:22-23

Our Lord was tortured and hung on a cross; a shameful display of accursedness because of our sin. His agonizing spiritual death on that cross paid our penalty in full. And now, Galatians, you think you can add something to that perfect atonement by your petty works of the flesh?

You must be bewitched.