Let me begin this devotion by referring to (changing a few details) a section from Major Ian Thomas’ book, The Indwelling Life of Christ: Let’s say you have a brand new Corvette, and you were taking it for a ride with one of your friends on Hwy. 90. You were going 70, 80, 90 mph, and all of sudden your friend says “man that is some clutch.” Your friend would not say that! Your friend would say – man that is some engine! The clutch just enables the driver to engage the power under the hood and apply it to the wheels on the road. The real power is in the engine. Our real power is not our faith. Our real power is God. Our faith just releases God’s power in us. When we are controlled by God’s Spirit through faith, Christ’s life begins to work through us. This is what Galatians will teach us from here on out. Let’s read Galatians 3:1-5:
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.
Paul calls it like he sees it. The Galatians were acting foolish! He asks them a simple question: “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?” The answer to that question, as we learned last week and in the previous 41 devotions :), was by believing! Remember, Paul already explained multiple times in our previous section that observing the Law doesn’t justify (declare righteous) the sinner “since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified!”
Paul continues in the above passage with a couple more questions “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?” Paul moves his line of questioning to sanctification (living from your new position in Christ). I believe this is where most people struggle in their Christian walk. A person comes to faith in Jesus Christ. At the moment of conversion when the sinner turned from his old ways and believed in Jesus Christ and what He has done for him on the cross, he was sealed with the Spirit of Christ (Christ in you the hope of glory). God is now living in the new child of God! God can begin to change him from the inside out. However, the person starts making his Christian life about following a set of rules. I can do this…I can’t do this. However, apart from Jesus Christ working in and through us, we can do nothing! I will ask you the same question Paul asked to the Galatians: “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” That question is crucial! You may ask the question “How do I know if I am working by the Spirit of by my flesh?” Paul will tell us later in Galatians it is evident! We have died to the Law. As I said in the introduction, the real power is not our faith. Our real power is God. Our faith just releases God’s power in us. When we are controlled by God’s Spirit through faith, Christ’s life begins to work through us. Our Christian walk needs to be moment by moment. See you next week!