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"Having begun in the Spirit..."

Text: Galatians 3:3b

REMONSTRATING WITH THE GALATIANS

The apostle Paul was obviously upset with the Galatians for their dalliance with the false teachers. They had become unstable in their understanding of faith in Christ. Once again he remonstrates with them in strong language.

Are you so foolish?
Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being
made perfect by the flesh?

Galatians 3:3

1. “Are you so foolish?”

a) Paul struggled with what he termed as “foolishness”.

b) How could the Galatians have become so foolish?

2. The Doctrine of the Spirit of God further explored

a) He is given to all believers by the grace of God.

i) This is prophesied (Isaiah 44:3).

ii) This was explained (John 14-16).

iii) This was demonstrated (Acts 2).

iv) The theological significance of the Holy Spirit is further elucidated (Romans 8).

b) The work of the Holy Spirit

i) The Spirit of God begins His work by giving regeneration and renewal (Titus 3:5).

ii) He indwells believers as the Divine Helper-Teacher (John 14-16).

iii) He continues to lead all who are in Christ (Romans 8:14).

iv) He empowers (Acts 1:8).

v) He fills believers (Acts 4:8).

3. “Are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”

a) The word “flesh” is used as a contrast to the word “Spirit”.

b) The semantic field of the word “flesh”.

i) The works of the flesh is human effort essentially.

ii) The works of the law is also mere human effort. There is no reliance upon the Spirit of God.

iii) The flesh cannot “perfect” (that is “complete”) what the Spirit of God has begun.