(Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law) … or by believing what you heard?
Summary: This mediation takes us on an wonderful journey. Putting the pieces of this verse/puzzle together, we see how God uses the law to bring us into his fold.
Our last meditation concluded that the “works of the law” were not the pathway to receiving God’s Spirit. If we could comply with God’s Law, we would not need his Spirit because we would already be doing what the Spirit wants us to do.
The Spirit of God is, of course, part of God himself. If I could put my spirit in you, you would suddenly find yourself annoying people with puns and bad “dad jokes.” Fortunately for you, I can’t share that part of me. But God can. He can put himself in us and, through his Spirit, lead us to be more like children of God should be.
The question, then, is how do we get God’s Spirit? If it is not through obeying God’s law (which we can’t do), then how do we get it?
Paul tells us that Jesus Christ was “clearly portrayed as crucified” (Gal 3:1). In another letter, Paul explains it this way: Jesus was sacrificed for our sins, died, was buried, and raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15: 3-7).
What happens when we hear this word and believe it?
“Believing” is a word that describes something that happens in the Invisible Realm. We can’t see or touch what happens in this realm. We can only sense it with our inner spiritual being.
When we believe in Jesus and accept the truth of his death and resurrection, we open the door of our inner being (our heart or spirit) to him. Jesus responds to this by entering in (Revelation 3:20).
Using words and actions in the physical world fail to describe what is really going on. “Entering in” is a way of describing what we can’t see. We can only feel it in the spiritual realm.
Then, after all this happens, Jesus promises to send us the “Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father” (John 15:26). This happens in the Invisible Realm and is only known by God and the person receiving the Spirit. We see the evidence of this in the other people by the changes God’s Spirit makes in a person. Paul calls these changes the “fruits of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).
If the law is a fence that divides the ungodly from the godly, believing in Jesus is the gate that gets us through the fence (John 10:9). Only when we get to the other side of the fence are we able to receive God’s Spirit.
Application: Look inside yourself to find the answer to Paul’s question.
Food for Thought: When we go through the “gate,” what do we find on the other side?
God’s word refers to Jesus as the gate and when we go through Him we find salvation. He is the Shepherd and leads us to find “pasture.” So the gate is Jesus, leads to Jesus and is full of every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1: 3 – 14).
John 10: 1 – 10: 1“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. a They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Rich,
The word “pasture” is a great answer to today’s question. Pasture provides so many things that we “sheep” need. It is a place to be that is safe and it provides food for grazing. With our Shepherd there to watch over us we have everything we need or want.
03-09-2024, When we go through the “gate,” what do we find on the other side?
We become a new person, a child of God as we die to self and receive true life in Jesus. As new person we begin the transforming process of turning from giving priority to matters of this world and to life in Jesus who becomes our power to choose and live in obedience to God in us.
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
John 1:12, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
Ron,
Interesting answer! Finding “transformation” is to find change. How many of us are searching for change when we find Jesus? We have been enslaved by the cravings of the flesh on the ungodly side of the fence. Going through the gate of Jesus Christ does change us. It changes us in a very good way. 🙂
Thank you!
I believe our transformation is “spiritual growth.” When I first went through the gate, received Christ, I could not understand most of the Bible, and questioned much of what I thought I understood. I was a baby lamb of God. 47 years have past, today I understand and agree with a great deal of the Bible ( enough to teach Adult Sunday School, and online BSF ) , but I am still learning, still growing as I give more of myself to Jesus each day. And I plan to continue this process of maturing, transforming, being sanctified until the day I am separated from this body and experience full transformation, sanctification from God.
May not be speaking good Christianese here, but becoming complete in the eyes of God is what I shoot for. I will be satisfied just as He is.
I am right there with you, Ron. 🙂
As I meditated on the comments here today, I found myself thinking about freedom. Going through the “gate” of Jesus Christ has freed me from being a slave to many things. I am no longer a slave to “getting even” or “getting mine.” Like you, serving the risen Lord requires that I focus on loving God and others (agapé). In my world, that has been a BIG transformation!