DEVOTION - Day 3

Galations 3:3 (New Living Translation)

3 How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?



Chapter 3 of Galatians is Paul’s admonition to the Galatian people about whether or not they should follow the law in order to be in God’s will and ultimately achieve salvation. This was a big question among the Jewish people who had lived their lives being taught that the law was the way to get right with God. For example, they believed that in order to make up for a sin that a person committed, they would have to sacrifice a certain type of animal depending on the type of sin.

However, we see a reversal in this theology here by Paul. He tells them clearly that obeying the law will not get them to heaven. In fact, this seems to be something that they already knew and lived by, which is why the questioning in the beginning of the chapter seems to be from someone (Paul) who is obviously frustrated by the situation.

Similarly, we know that we were not saved by anything that we did. Our actions did not save us. In fact, it was just simply believing that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord that saved us. But how many times do we second guess what we know in life to be true? For some of us, we have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord yet we still try to do things to ‘earn’ our salvation.

The bigger question, in my opinion, is how many of us are trying to live by our own effort rather than completely relying on the Spirit to give us everything we need? If we believe that God is all we need, then why do we do things on our own without even consulting with God first? If we believe that the Spirit is our ‘helper’ as the Scripture says, then why don’t we rely on Him more to give us the strength, courage, guidance, protection that we need?

For me, since a young age, I’ve always had to do things “on my own.” I have always been a loner, not needing anyone to help me do anything. Or so I thought. I have a great confidence in my own abilities. But time and time again, I find myself in moments and situations that I’ve created and they are all messed up. So, rather than living “in the Spirit,” I create even bigger problems in my life by trying to do things on my own. Can you relate?

So, today, pray that God will help you cast off any “I can do it on my own” tendencies. Thank Him for the Holy Spirit and ask Him to fill you with the Spirit all the way to overflowing so that your life may be lived in His perfect will and so that it might be an example to others. Pray that any areas in your life that you are trying to live by your own human effort be brought to light and that, beginning now, you turn those over to Him to assist you with.