Galatians 3 - Strange Spells

The question is, ‘What are we depending on to make us right with God?’  And another, ‘to have a genuine relationship with the Creator, with Holy Spirit, do we rely on our own effort to obey the law or do we receive the Holy Spirit and life because, like Abraham, we trust in the message of Jesus Christ?’  I know you know the answer, but I think it is good for us to constantly review our core beliefs.

Paul is hammering home the point that no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.  No one.

Check yourself.  See what you really believe.  Lord God, we know we can’t save ourselves.  We need rescue.  We trust in God’s plan of Salvation, His rescue on the cross.  We believe in what Jesus did for us.

But how do we live our beliefs out daily?  How do we keep from a legalistic mindset?  How do we ensure we are no longer under a spell, a curse?  Only by faith in Christ and living in the Power of the Spirit of Christ.

We see some interesting spiritual truth here.  If you focus on legalism rather than depending on Jesus then, like the Galatians, you are under a curse - trapped by the devil.  The devil wants us trapped by the law - enslaved and ensnared by it.  The law leaves us in sin, not living in redemption.  It shows us our sins as clear as day, but it can’t save us.

Christ died for a reason.  To break the power of the curse.  To break our enslavement and to give us real freedom.  The reality of this life for every man born of a woman is that there is no way to the Father, no way to new life, except through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Does your organization have a culture of new life?  Do we make it clear that we unashamedly boast in the Cross of Jesus Christ?  Or are we just legalists lost in adherence to Jewish laws that were eliminated by God two millennia ago?

Don’t make excuses and claim you are not a sinner.  Life’s too short.  And the stakes are too high.  Have confidence in God today.  Ask yourself after reading this Galatians passage a few questions.  Where does life come from?  Through faith in God, or through obeying the law?

We receive God’s new life blessing through Jesus Christ’s rescue alone.  That’s the only way.  Accept His offer of new life today!  Jesus took the curse of the law for us.  Believers can receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus (3:13-14).

God’s promise of life through faith in God has always been God’s way.  Righteousness through faith precedes the law (3:17).  This is a key point that I often get confused thinking somehow that faith comes after the law, but that's not God's way.  His way has always been faith first.

The law was given to show us our sin, but - and this is an important “but” - “But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised” (v. 19).  That’s the key.  That’s the true celebration of Christmas!  Freedom in Jesus Christ.  Forgiveness of sin, freedom from the curse, and new life.  The Bible says that we are all prisoners of sin.  And that we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ (3:22).  That, is the Good News.

Thank you, Lord God, for rescuing us.  Please guide us today to follow you in freedom.  Amen.

WWI Memorial to Freedom, London, UK