GALATIANS: How are We Saved? "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?"

You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. (Galatians 3:1)

Well, we know who bewitched the church in the region of Galatia from our first study. Judaizers, teachers from Palestine had come after Paul left and started teaching the church that they had to become circumcised and perform various other Jewish rituals in order to be saved.  Paul had responded, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7)

Paul went on to ask them a very important question, that all of us who profess to be Christians need to make sure we know the answer to.  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? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” [Genesis 15:6] (Galatians 3:2-6)

This is very important, and Paul very wisely uses the example of Abraham to make his point.  Over 400 years before God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.  Abraham was not saved because he obeyed the law, there was no law.  Abraham was saved because he believed God!  That's what salvation means, that we believe God, the Word of God; And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

In order to be saved, we have to believe God, we have to believe in Christ Jesus, because In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4) 

Before there were laws and commandments and statutes, there was the Word of God. Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” [Genesis 12:3] So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. (Galatians 3:7-9)

Paul was reminding the church in the region of Galatia that when they, and all Gentiles who were saved, including us today, accepted salvation, they were saved by believing what you heard.  For example, when Peter went to Cornelius house, While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. (Acts 10:44-45)

From the beginning, the Gentiles were not instructed to observe any of the Jewish laws or rituals or traditions.  The only thing they and we are instructed to "do" is ...abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. (Acts 15:29) For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” [Deuteronomy 27:26] Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” [Habakkuk 2:4] The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” [Leviticus 18:5] (Galatians 3:10-12) 

We have to keep in mind that the Jewish people are unique and special people to God. “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. ... Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them.(Deuteronomy 7:6, 11)  Jesus confirmed that when He ...spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; (Matthew 23:1-3)

But even the Jews are free from the curse of relying on the works of the law. Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law),...  my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. ...we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:1-6)

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” [Deuteronomy 21:23] He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. (Galatians 3:13-14)  Thanks be to God that in His omniscience, He knew relying on the works of the law couldn't save the Jews and wouldn't save the Gentiles, so He sent His Only Begotten Son, that through the body of Christ, becoming a curse for us, crucified, dying on the cross for our sins, ALL who believe what you heard, and are filled with the Holy Spirit are saved!

...not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:9) Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. (Romans 3:7) What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:1-3) AMEN!