does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith? [galatians 3:5]
just as christians start their christian life by hearing with faith, their life in Christ is continued by hearing with faith.
this is evidenced here by God’s continued use of the gifts of the Spirit through believers to work miracles in their midst. Even though paul had left them and left no apostle behind, the galatian church is apparently still seeing miraculous work, and the rhetorical question asked by paul here implies that it is obvious to the church in galatia that such miracles are done through faith, not works of the law.
what does this say about God? is He a God that does a miracle in saving us and then leaves us to our devices? by no means! God deeply desires to be with us. He does a miracle in calling us out of death into life, and then supplies His Spirit which gives continued evidence of His redeeming kingdom. without God’s continued work through His Spirit, we’d fall right back into the sin that had us ensnared before our salvation. instead, our God is a God who seals us with His promised Spirit, who will never leave us! i encourage you to hold fast to His promise: “God, who began a good work in you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” [philippians 1:6, nlt]
God, we thank you for Your desire to be with us; we do not deserve it, but we are in desperate need of your presence! teach us to depend more on Your Spirit and Your finished work on the cross, and less on our own efforts. Rather, teach us to count our own efforts as rubbish! convict our hearts of the pride that makes us think our works earn anything.
~ stephen hall