Sep 27

Galatians 3 begins by chiding those who think that obeying the law is what gave them the new life they now have in Christ. No, they have new life because of the work of the Holy Spirit in them. The Spirit is the one who brought them to faith in Christ, not anything they had done.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8, 9).

No one can come to faith in Christ except through the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3). And what began with the Holy Spirit -- coming to Christ -- must be maintained by the Spirit. Just as wecannot come to faith in Christ without the Holy Spirit making faith come to life in us, neither can we continue to walk in that faith without the same Holy Spirit. Yet that is the constant temptation, for us to finish by our own efforts that which God himself began in us through his Holy Spirit.

"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Gal. 3:3).

Are you? Are you trying to live the life of Christ by your own power and efforts? Many do -- and burn out in the process, because it is an impossible task; it cannot be done. Only the One who brought us to Christ, the Holy Spirit, can enable us to put into practice the things he taught, so that his life lives in us.

Scripture for today: Galatians 3
Thought for today: The Holy Spirit makes the life of Christ alive in me.
Prayer for today: Holy Spirit, I rejoice in you, that you make Christ alive to me and alive to others as they see Him in and you in me.

SEP 27