May 8, 2020-Chapter 7: "Having Begun in the Spirit"- Question: 1

QUESTION: 1

In the very first paragraph of this chapter, the author references Galatians 3:2-3: "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? As you read this verse in Galatians, what do you think the Apostle Paul is trying to convey to the Galatians? What should this mean to us as everyday believers? (Page 65 & 66)

ANSWER To Question 1 (As stated by the Author)

Paul reminds them that by the preaching of faith they had received the Holy Spirit. He had preached Christ to them; they had accepted that Christ and had received the Holy Spirit in power. But what happened? Having begun in the Spirit, they tried to perfect the work that the Spirit had begun in the flesh by their own effort. We find the same teaching in the epistle to the Corinthians.

PERSONAL COMMENT:

Basically what the Apostle Paul is trying to convey to the Galatians is that..."Having begun in the Spirit"...meaning having received Jesus by faith, as a gift of God, not by works, (Eph. 2:8-9) are you now going to think you can work out your faith by doing works? By no means can we do this. Ephesians 2:10 follows up after verse 8 and 9 that: "We are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works.".

It took me a long time to fully understand this important point. It is by God's grace that we receive our gift of faith and salvation and we must continue by faith and God grace for the works He produces in us, not us trying to do the works for God.