Have you ever been in a battle with someone over an issue that you were very passionate about? I’ve had a few, but nothing that was as serious as the one Paul had with the Galatians. The strongest letter Paul wrote was to the Galatians. The Judaizers were using every means possible to try to capture the churches of Galatia. Paul had made up his mind he was not going to go down without a fight. The reason for this attitude – the cost was too great if he lost. Their eternal soul would be lost. His sole purpose was to prove that salvation was through grace alone.
He starts chapter 3 by calling them foolish. It means they were very unwise in their thinking. He uses the word bewitched which means to slander, envy, or cast a spell on someone. Paul is asking rhetorical questions, but he is trying to get them to think.
Galatians 3:1 “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?”
He reminded them that the crucifixion of Jesus was payment for their sins. If they were to change their belief they would be trampling on the sacrifice of Christ.
Galatians 3:2 “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
As he tries to get them to think, he asked the question, “was your salvation by the Spirit or by the works of the law?” He wants them to realize that if they went through with what they were thinking there would be no more hope for them.
Hebrews 10:29 “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
He again scolds them with the reprimand, “are you so foolish?” In other words, have you become so full of yourself that you think you can earn your way to Heaven? A man was never saved by keeping the law. The law was a way to show us that we needed grace. If you look at the Ten Commandments there is no one who could say you have never broken any of them. If you did say that the Bible says you are a liar! From the Old Testament through the New, it was always by placing faith in God. The Old Testament saints were looking forward and we are looking back, but we are all looking at the same thing: Jesus!
Genesis 15:6 “And he believed in the LORD, and he counted it to him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:3 “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Galatians 3:6 “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
What if you decide, from this day forward you will keep the law perfectly! That would be nice, but still, not enough. Remember you have a past too!
I John 1:8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
Galatians 3:3 “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
Think about it. If we could earn our way to Heaven by our good works, who would determine how much was enough? What would the standard be? How would we know when we had measured up? Here lies the problem. God is the creator and he makes the rules. Revelation 21:27 tells us that no sin will enter Heaven, no liar, nor anything that defiles. Well, all sin defiles! Therefore, there must be another way if anyone is going to inherit eternal life! God made that plan when he gave his Son to sacrifice for our sin. Jesus is the standard! Jesus took our place, and all we need to do is accept what he did as payment for our sin, turn away from our sin, and turn to Him. If we accept His shed blood as our payment, God will not see our sin when he looks at us, but our sins will be covered by the blood of His dear Son.
Revelation 21:27 “And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Don’t be foolish, believe the plan of redemption that God put in place. Salvation is Jesus plus nothing! If someone tells you there is anything you need to do to inherit heaven besides believe, repent, and follow, run as fast as you can.
Make no mistake, once we are saved we should be doing things for the kingdom, but we do good works because we are grateful, not to earn our entrance into Heaven. Aren’t you glad God made another way? I know I am. My works would never measure up to the holiness of God.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Excellent