Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing-- if it really was for nothing? Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard? Consider Abraham: he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. (Galatians 3:3-6)
In Galatians chapter 3, the apostle Paul takes time to reflect on the faith-journey of Abraham. Abraham is a profound example of a man who lived as the recipient of God's grace. It was God who sought out Abraham and sent him away from his homeland. It was God who blessed Abraham with wealth. It was God who promised Abraham and Sarah a miracle: a son in their old age.
What did Abraham have to do? Galatians 3:6 gives a succinct, profound insight: Abraham believed God. This man Abraham, who lived and died long before the advent of Mosaic law, lived by faith. We are called to do the same. However, in order to exercise our faith, we need to hear what God has said (see Romans 10:17).
God spoke to Abraham way back then. God still speaks today: through His word; through the preaching of faithful ministers; and through the Spirit that God has given to work in, with, and through us.
Are you hearing Him?
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