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"Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law..."

Text: Galatians 3:2

THE DOCTRINE OF SALVATION

The Apostle Paul was a stout defender of the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. In all his epistles and particularly in Galatians, he argued against a mistaken notion that salvation could ever be obtained through works.

“This only I want to learn from you:
Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law,
or by the hearing of faith?
Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit,
are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”

“Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you
and works miracles among you,
does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
Galatians 3:2-3, 5

1. “Receive the Spirit”

a) The Spirit of God is the Seal and the Guarantee of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 1:22).

b) In this text Paul wrote about the receiving of the Spirit.

i) He is not received by the works of the law.

ii) He is received by the hearing of faith.

iii) For by grace we have been saved, through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).

2. “Having begun in the Spirit”

a) Salvation is the beginning of God’s great work of transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18).

b) This work is the special ministry of the Holy Spirit.

c) The work of transformation cannot be perfected by the flesh.

d) Works of the law cannot bring about transformation.

3. “He who supplies the Spirit”

a) This is a reference to the Lord God.

b) He is described as the One who supplies the Spirit.

c) He is also the One who works miracles.

d) But He does it by faith.

i) He requires faith (Hebrews 11:1).

ii) He is pleased when we exercise faith (Hebrews 11:6).

iii) It is through faith we will be able to appreciate all that God does.