² 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? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?- Galatians 3:2-3 

“Just tell me this,” Paul said, “Did you receive the Spirit through the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Obviously, the Galatians received the Holy Spirit through simple faith. The Holy Spirit is not a prize earned through the works of the law. It worked like this: A Gentile was told he must come under the Law of Moses or God would not bless him. This meant he must be circumcised according to the Law of Moses. So he has the operation and as soon as the cut is made, the Holy Spirit is poured out upon him. Of course, this is not how it works. We receive the Holy Spirit by faith and not by coming under the works of the law.

The Galatians were deceived into thinking that spiritual growth or maturity could be achieved through the works of the flesh, instead of a continued simple faith and abiding in Jesus. This lays out one of the fundamental differences between the principle of law and the principle of grace. Under law, we are blessed and grow spiritually by earning and deserving. Under grace, we are blessed and grow spiritually by believing and receiving. God deals with you under the covenant of grace; we should not respond on the principle of law.

This was indeed foolishness. This deception was cultivated by Satan to set our Christian life off-track. If he cannot stop us from being saved by faith, then he will attempt to hinder our blessing and growth and maturity in faith.

This begs a very important question. What distracts us from our Christian life? In our bible study this week, we discussed our “screens.” Most of us agreed that screens are not always a good thing. Often times the lead us away from God instead of to God. This seems like a trick doesn’t it? We spend so much time with technology. But, for each of us the answer is different. In either case, today’s two verses reminds us to BE AWARE! We must be aware of our shortfalls. We must be aware of what distracts us from God.

CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEKEND:

Here is a challenge for the weekend. When you find yourself being tempted away from God, try praying for 30 seconds. This sounds so simple, but it is not as easy to do. It may be easy the first time or second, but that temptation looks better and better the more you deny it. As Paul has reiterated in his letter to Galatia, we must not be foolish! Let us turn to God when our we are tempted by our foolish instincts.