Faith and Works Part 1
Life here on earth is too short and we can’t change the past no matter how we try, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can create the future God has destined for us to have. Our scriptural focus for today states – Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. {Gal 3:2 NLT}.
In the face of the unexpected happening’s in the Galatian church, it became necessary for Apostle Paul to challenge their minds and this new gospel that they have come to accept. The mixture of the gospel that some Jewish Christians introduced to the Galatians runs on the basis of works[that is human effort], while the gospel of grace that Apostle Paul was preaching runs on the principle of faith. It became necessary for Apostle Paul to ask them how they received the Holy Spirit? – was it by obeying the law or was it by the hearing of faith.
The Galatian church was not a baby church, it is obvious that they had grown to some levels of spiritual maturity, going by the question Apostle Paul asked them about the Holy Spirit, yet they became victims of deception. Their case was bad because they still claimed to have the Holy Spirit while living their daily Christian life on the principles of the law as a way to be made right with God.
There is a departure from the true gospel of grace in our generation like what was seen in the Galatian church, were Christians who have gained some level of spiritual maturity still go on to practice the principles of the law as a means of bringing God into their situation especially when things are not going as they planned it. The Holy Spirit can only be received and kept functional in the life of a Christian only on the basis of faith.
How did you receive the Holy Spirit.
Have a Grace filled day – Good News awaits you.
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Last modified: August 10, 2016
