Galatians 3:1-5 KJVR 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? (2) This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (3) Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? (4) Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. (5) He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Galatians 3:1-5 MSG You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it's obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the Cross was certainly set before you clearly enough. (2) Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? (3) Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? (4) Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up! (5) Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you?
This is such an AWESOME portion of scripture – Paul in his love for Gods people and His Zeal for service, seems to be getting right in the face of the people in the church of Galatia, who were FACING MANY of the same things that we see church folk struggle with today.
From the time recorded in the book of Acts to the present day… church folk have always tried to turn serving God into religious rule keeping.
It truly is amazing how well intentioned people can regress from Grace to rule keeping.
Why is that? ... ? is it for fear? is it peer pressure? is it control?
perhaps... laziness? i donno... but really... why do we do this?
I LOVE Acts 15 when the Old school people where insisting that (my paraphrase)immediately after receiving the Holy Ghost every man had to go to some lil' shed in the back lift up their skirt… (this is back in the day when men wore robes and or “skirts”) and have a lil’ surgery in order to be part of their “new religion.” ...
i donno… ???... does that ring any bells???
I wonder how much time they gave them to conform?
I wonder how they checked to make sure they were "measuring up"?
the AMAZING THING IS… apparently, they were STILL HAVING REVIVAL… which, really... REALLY... takes away any excuse you might try to propagate…
People DO WANT life change – then & now… & they will go through just about anything to get it… even to the point of a late life circumcision…
Hey, c'mon over to elim - where we don't even look up guys skirts...
still going with the whole "come as you are" deal...
we don't even ask whether you've been circumsized or not.. HA!
really-I really don't wanna know...
So Paul asks … “are you NUTS” do you think you can perfect what God has started in Jesus…
Titus 3:5 reminds us … (KJVR) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
… we were not/are not saved by our own brilliance or strength – we are dependant on the everlasting well of Gods great mercy –
So, c’mon… take a load off – quit beating yourself up and relax in the wonder of Gods great love – his bias… his affection for his kids…
He is Crazy about you… and is looking for an excuse to save you…