Have you ever felt like you needed to measure up? Like God’s love or approval was something you had to work for, a reward for being good enough? It’s a feeling I’ve struggled with myself, and I know I’m not alone. This deep-seated human tendency to earn our way can creep into our faith, pulling us away from the incredible freedom that Jesus offers. It reminds me of the questions the Apostle Paul asked the believers in Galatia, questions that cut right to the heart of what it means to be Living by Faith.

In Galatians chapter 3, verses 1 through 6, Paul confronts the Galatians directly. He’s baffled because, after starting their walk with Christ in the Spirit, they were turning back to trying to follow the law to be made right with God. It’s a powerful passage that challenges us to examine where we are placing our trust – in our own efforts or in the finished work of Christ received by faith.

Let’s look at the questions Paul asks, because they’re designed to make us think deeply about our own walk with God:

The Question of Bewitchment: Stealing Our Ability to Think

Paul starts with a shocking question: “Oh foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?”. The word “bewitched” here is interesting. It means to cast a spell on and gain control over someone. Paul isn’t just being dramatic; he’s highlighting how deceptive influences, particularly false teaching, can literally capture our minds and steal our devotion away from Christ and the sufficiency of His work.

It’s like someone has come in and invaded their hearts, stealing their ability to think clearly. And Paul suggests there’s a singular force behind this deception. As Christians, we know our struggle isn’t primarily against people, but against spiritual forces of evil. Our adversary, the devil, prowls, seeking to devour, and what better way than to steal our faith in what Jesus did on the cross? It happened to the Galatians when legalists told them Jesus wasn’t enough – they needed to keep the law too. And believe me, this kind of spiritual stealing happens today.

It’s easy for us, even born-again believers, to have our hearts drawn away to a “different gospel”. Sometimes, it’s subtle, just a whisper that maybe God isn’t really happy with us unless we do more, try harder, perform better. This can be a truly deceptive force working against our ability to simply trust and be Living by Faith.

Did You Receive the Spirit by Living by Faith?

Paul’s second question is simple yet profound: “Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?”. He’s reminding them how their Christian journey actually began. Did God give them His Holy Spirit because they followed a set of rules perfectly? No. They received the Spirit when they heard the gospel message about Jesus and put their faith in Him.

This is a fundamental truth often overlooked. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the very power of God in our lives, is a gift received through faith, not earned by performance. I remember the relief I felt when I truly grasped this – that the presence of God in me wasn’t dependent on my flawless behavior, but on my simple belief in Jesus. It was a freeing moment, a shift from trying to earn belonging to receiving it completely by grace.

Why We Struggle to Receive Something for Free

This question speaks to something deep in human nature. We tend to value things more when we feel like we’ve earned them. Things that are given freely can sometimes be perceived as less valuable or less important. It’s strange, but it’s true. We see this even in practical ways, like how people might be more committed to attending a class or event if they’ve paid for it, compared to one that’s free. The “investment” creates a sense of obligation and perceived value.

This human tendency plays directly into the appeal of legalism and the struggle of Living by Faith. When someone tells you salvation is free, it’s amazing news. But when false teachers come along and say, “Jesus is okay, but you also have to keep the law,” suddenly there’s something for our flesh to do, something to invest in, something to earn. It appeals to that part of us that wants to say, “I earned this!”.

This is why churches that add requirements beyond faith can be very popular – they tap into our desire to contribute, to measure up, to do something. But our salvation runs contrary to this human nature; it’s something we can only receive. It requires us to lay down our pride and admit we can’t earn it.

Perfected by the Flesh or Living by Faith?

Paul’s frustration is palpable in his next question: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”. He’s asking, are you really so unreasonable that you think you can improve on the work that God started in you by His Spirit, using your own weak, fleshly abilities?.

Paul was thoroughly convinced that nothing good dwelt in his flesh; he had the desire to do right but lacked the ability to carry it out. Paul knew his flesh couldn’t measure up. He put no confidence in the flesh. The Galatians, however, were being convinced that their flesh could measure up, that their own efforts could somehow complete or perfect what God had begun. This is a dangerous trap: believing that our willpower, discipline, or rule-following can somehow finish the spiritual work that only the Spirit can do. Trying to be “perfected by the flesh” is the opposite of Living by Faith; it’s relying on our own inadequate strength instead of God’s perfect power.

Suffering in Vain: The Cost of Not Living by Faith

“Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”. Paul believed that every bit of suffering believers endure is useful and benefits us when we trust in Christ. When the Galatians suffered for their faith, enduring hardship because they believed the gospel, that suffering wasn’t meaningless. It was a part of their growth and maturity in Christ.

Paul is asking if all the benefits and growth that came through those hard times – times when they presumably relied on God by faith – would now be wasted because they were turning to a different path, a path of works and self-effort. The cost of abandoning Living by Faith isn’t just missing out on future blessings; it might mean rendering the growth gained through past trials useless if we shift our trust from Christ to our own performance.

Works vs. Faith: The Heart of Living by Faith

Paul essentially repeats his second question in verse 5, bringing the focus back to the central issue: “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?”. Again, is God working in your lives because you keep rules, or because you hear and believe His word?. It strikes at the very heart of the gospel: Do you earn it, or do you get it by faith?.

It’s crucial for us, especially new believers, to keep asking ourselves this. It’s easy for that “performance track” mentality to sneak in. I’ve felt it, and I’ve heard it in others: the idea that if I haven’t been “towing the line,” God isn’t going to be happy with me, He won’t listen to my prayers, or His love might waver.

This connects deeply with struggles like shame and self-condemnation that many of us carry, especially those healing from trauma. We might feel unworthy, believing that our mistakes disconnect us from God’s attention or love. It feels like we have no right to come to God when we know we’ve messed up. This is the performance track whispering lies that contradict the truth of grace.

Replacing Lies with Truth

But Paul’s questions, grounded in the example of Abraham who believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness, shout a different truth: God’s love for you does not waver by your inactivity or your mistakes. His desire to be involved in your life, to supply the Spirit, to work miraculously – it’s all based on His character and received through your faith in Christ, not your performance. Coming to God isn’t about proving our worthiness; it’s about acknowledging our need and His unchanging grace. We can come boldly to the throne of grace, not because we’ve earned it, but because Jesus has earned it for us.

The Freedom of Living by Faith

Paul’s series of questions in Galatians 3:1-6 calls us off the exhausting performance track and back to the simplicity and power of Living by Faith. We don’t just get saved by faith; we are kept by faith. The Christian life isn’t about gritting our teeth and trying to be good enough in our own strength. It’s about continuing to put our faith in the One who is able to keep us from falling.

The freedom of Living by Faith means trusting that God loves us based on who He is, not based on who we are or what we’ve done. It means knowing that His character is the anchor, not our fluctuating performance. It means embracing the truth that Jesus did all the work, and our part is simply to receive, to trust, to believe, and to continue to live from that place of faith.

So, let me ask you, as Paul asked the Galatians: Are you trying to earn what can only be received? Are you trying to be perfected by your own efforts instead of Living by Faith in the One who perfects you?

Let’s choose today to step off the performance track and embrace the radical freedom of Living by Faith in Christ alone.

Embracing the Freedom of Living By Faith

Paul’s pointed questions to the Galatians serve as a powerful reminder for us today. They call us off the exhausting treadmill of trying to earn God’s favor and beckon us back to the grace that began our journey. True freedom, true spiritual growth, and the undeniable presence of the Holy Spirit are not products of our striving but gifts received and lived out through Living By Faith. It’s about resting in Christ’s finished work, not relying on our own imperfect efforts to be “good enough.”

If you’ve felt the burden of trying to measure up, know that you are not alone, and the antidote isn’t more effort, but more faith. Embracing God’s love isn’t about proving our worth, but receiving His grace, as you can explore further in Embracing God’s love: from burden to beloved.

Finding strength in your perceived weakness is part of this journey of trust, a theme deeply explored in Broken yet beautiful: God’s power in your weakness. And when trials come, knowing that peace and hope are found not in perfect performance but through Living By Faith is a truth beautifully illustrated in peace that surpasses: how to find hope in trials. Let’s continue to choose faith, receiving all that God freely gives through Christ.

References

• Through the Bible w/ Pastor Paul