Galatians 3:2
2This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Truth to Learn
The Holy Spirit, who is our guarantee that we are eternally saved, is given to us because we believe not because we perform some deed or action.
Behind the Words
The word translated “works” is “ergon,” which is “an action or deed performed.” The word translated “hearing” is “akuon,” which here means “the sense of hearing” not “the act of hearing.”
Meaning Explained
Paul now gets to the heart of the matter with another of his rhetorical questions. He says that there is but one thing that he wants to learn from the Galatians. That is, there is only one question that he wants them to think about. And, though it’s rhetorical it is nonetheless a question which should cause any Christian to carefully think about the true source of their salvation in Christ Jesus. The question is: “Did you receive the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) from the works of the Law, or from of the hearing of faith?” In other words, “Was it by your works that you received the Spirit of God, or was it simply the result of being able to hear and believe the gospel message?”
Remember what Paul told the Ephesian Christians?
Ephesians 1:13, 14 13In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Paul’s point to the Galatian Christians is that if they were saved by faith and sealed with the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation, and if the Holy Spirit is our guarantee (our earnest) that we will receive our inheritance as the children of God, then we have all that we need for salvation. And since that salvation is guaranteed to us no matter what we do (we have the guarantee of the Holy Spirit living in us), then there are no good works of the Law that can add anything to our position in Christ. Incidentally, this also means that there are no bad works that we can do that will cause us to lose this salvation either.
So, Paul’s point in the current verse is, “You did not earn your salvation by works of the Law but by simple faith. Therefore, you are saved by faith without any additional works of the Law.”
Ephesians 2:8 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
And all the praise goes to God!
So What?
Are you listening to God, or are you too busy working to hear Him?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2007 Will Krause. All rights reserved.