So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
Summary: Paul raises an interesting question. Does God work miracles through his law or through his Spirit?
Paul begins this passage by stating that he is restating a question already asked. In verse two, he said:
“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3:2)
Now he asks:
“So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3:5)
Yes, they are the same question, but there is a slight difference. In his restatement of the question, he expands on what he means by God’s “Spirit.” In today’s passage, he refers to miracles done by the Spirit of God.
Have you ever experienced a miracle?
Miracles can be subtle or dramatic. Both are miracles. Sometimes miracles are very personal, unseen by anyone else.
There is a story in Mark, chapter five, about a woman who has suffered from bleeding for twelve years. One day, she finds herself in the vicinity of Jesus and thinks, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” (Mark 5: 28) Hoping to avoid notice, she does just that. She touches Jesus’ robe, and a miracle happens.
There are no fireworks. No one else notices except Jesus. He knew that power had gone out from him. (He probably knew a lot more, but for our sake, he lets the story play out so we can see what is happening.) Jesus calls out to the crowd. He wants to know who touched him. Instead, his disciples think Jesus might be “touched in the head.”
“‘You see the people crowding against you,’ his disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, “Who touched me?”’” (Mark 5:31)
If Jesus had not stopped and pressed the issue, no one but the woman would have known she had been healed. She knew something good had happened. The text says, “she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.” (Mark 5: 29)
Imagine that. A miracle happened in a crowd of people, and nobody noticed until Jesus said something.
I point this out because we live in an age where there are a lot of nay-sayers when it comes to miracles. People pooh-pooh the idea that the Spirit can heal people or make things happen. I am here to testify that God can still do miracles. We may not have enough collective faith to see public miracles, but like the woman in the crowd, I’ve seen personal ones.
If you have ever experienced a miracle from God, perhaps you can answer Paul’s question. Did it happen because you were following some laws or because you believed in God’s Son, Jesus Christ?
Application: Believe!
Food for Thought: How are God’s Law and Spirit the same, and how are they different?
How are God’s Law and Spirit the same, and how are they different?
A really good question that I’m going talk about with my wonderful wife and ponder more throughout the day. I might have a answer by tonight.
Tim,
Good morning! I’m looking forward to hearing the fruit of your conversations. 🙂
One way they are the same is that they are both of God (the Holy Spirit is God and the Law was given by God – it is His Law). We receive both from God. They are thus both good. They both convict us of sin with the hope of leading us to repentance (Romans 3: 19 – 20; John 16: 8 – 11).
But they are certainly different. A couple of examples: One is God Himself. One cannot save (the Law) and the other regenerates us to new life (the Spirit; John 3: 3 – 8; Titus 3: 4 – 7).
I could get into the externality of the law verses the Spirit – but that debate is a hornet’s nest for another time 😊.
*eternality of the law
Well said, Rich!
I especially appreciate the differences you pointed out. Thank you!
In pondering your question I was led to Matthew 12:9-14
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.
Two very interesting things happened there.
The Pharisees tried to use the letter of God’s Law against Jesus.
Jesus responded with the Spirit of God’s Law.
The Sabbath day is a day to honor God. But it does not honor God to not do good on the Sabbath day. It really places honoring God into the heart of the person. If the heart honors Gods, which is where His Spirit lives, then the heart honors God in following the Spirit. God’s Law and Spirit are the same in that God’s Law is like anchor points on a climbing wall. Placed in a way that they are a guide, provide security, and keep us moving in the intended direction. The Spirit also is also a guide, provides security, and keeps us moving in the intended direction. But they are different in that, if one hangs all their weight on one anchor point (the Law), and never moves, then all three of those aspects are lost. The Spirit, tells us to reach out in faith and grab hold of a piece of the wall that may be an anchor point or that may not look like an anchor point. In reality, the whole wall is His, and He knows where our hands and feet should be placed so that we are guided, secure, and moving in the right direction.
One thing I found myself pondering this morning is the man in this passage. He had a withered hand. I am sure he had tried may times to “stretch out his hand.” On that day he found himself caught between the Law and the Spirit. In the passage it says “Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other.” He chose to act in faith. In acting in faith He honored God in both the Law and the Spirit.
Thank you, Chris!
Excellent example! I really appreciate the distinction between the “letter of the law” and the “Spirit of the Law.”
Both are given to all mankind by God. The Law reveals sin, the Spirit overcomes sin.
The Law Is Spiritual:
God’s Law is written by holy men who were empowered by the Holy Spirit. While the Christian is called to walk according to the law of the Spirit, the unbeliever walks according to the spirit of their own law of their flesh.
God’s law reveals His holy nature to all mankind. In Romans 7, Paul teaches us, “the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” For example, we would not have known covetousness, except the law had said, “Thou shalt not covet.” It is the holiness of the Holy Spirit that is revealed in God’s law. To demean or to trash God’s law could very well be the ultimate peak of anti-spirituality.
The Spirit is our power to keep God’s Law:
Romans 8 teaches, There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
In Jeremiah 31:33 we are told, the day is coming when God will write His law in minds and hearts of men. This is accomplished by the Spirit of our living God, who writes God’s law on the tablets of our flesh, even upon our hearts, 2 Corinthians 3:3, tells us this has been fulfilled.
Thanks Ron!
I like your summation: “The Law reveals sin, the Spirit overcomes sin.”
Both work together “hand in glove,” as they say.