Check Out Your Experience

Galatians 3:2–5 (NIV),

² 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? ³ Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? ⁴ Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? ⁵ 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?

Paul asks several questions here, all intended to show the foolishness of these people in seeking to revert back to the Law.  Whereas Paul rests his case upon doctrinal matters, in this part of his argument he causes them to look to their experience.

1. When you were saved (when you received the Spirit) was it because of adherence to the Law or by faith in Christ?  

2. Do you think that you start your Christian journey by faith in Christ but perfect it by obedience, making it certain?

3. Having believed the Gospel and already experiencing suffering because of that, will you count that as nothing and now reject it?

4. When you see the people changed, transformed and healed, is that because they obey the Law or believe in Christ?

Luther allows no middle ground on salvation.  "If by the law, then not by the preaching of faith; if by the preaching of faith, then not by the law. There is no mean betwixt these two. For all that is not the Holy Ghost or the preaching of faith, is the law . . . For they which are ignorant of the righteousness of God, and go about to establish their own righteousness (as Paul saith in another place) do not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God (Rom. x. 3)." [1]  In his commentary, Luther walks the reader through the Book of Acts and even into the Old Testament account of Gentiles that were saved -- all by looking to Christ and not to the Law.

"For as God gave the Holy Ghost to the Gentiles which lived without the law, by the preaching of the Gospel, so did he give the same to the Jews; yet not by the law, nor by the ceremonies and sacrifices commanded in the law, but by the only preaching of faith." [1] 

This matter of how the Old Testament saints were saved is important.  In summary we find that they too were saved by faith in the promised Messiah.  Click HERE to read more.

When Paul uses the word flesh here to suggest that these Christians thought they could be perfected by the flesh.  "Flesh therefore is here taken for the very righteousness and wisdom of the flesh, and the judgment of reason, which seeketh to be justified by the law. Whatsoever then is most excellent in man, the same here Paul calleth flesh, to wit, the highest wisdom of reason, and the righteousness of the law itself." [1]   There is nothing I can do so perfectly to complete my salvation apart from faith in the righteousness of Christ imputed to me by grace.  Every good and worthy deed is still riddled by sin and cannot save.  Only Christ's perfect merit can save.

As to the suffering, how silly to suffer for a Gospel that can't save. "Now, what a miserable thing is it, so suddenly to lose such inestimable glory and assurance of conscience towards God? Also to endure so many grievous afflictions and perils of goods, wife, children, body and life, and yet notwithstanding to sustain all these things in vain?" [1]

Paul was aware of the miracles that had been accomplished by the Spirit among these believers -- none of which could have happened by law-keeping. "Ye have not only received the Spirit by the hearing of faith, but whatsoever ye have either known or done, it came by the hearing of faith. As though he would say: It was not enough that God gave you once the Spirit; but the same God hath also enriched you with the gifts of the Spirit, and increased the same in you, to the end that when ye have once received the Spirit, it might always grow and be more and more effectual in you." [1]

"Therefore (saith the Apostle) your experience, O ye Galatians, ought to teach you, that these excellent virtues proceeded not of the works of the law: for as ye had them not before the hearing of faith, so ye have them not now, when the false apostles reign in the midst of you." [1]

Father I am amazed at how Your Word helps shape our thinking.  Many of us have been told that our experience is of little value.  I know that experience doesn't replace faith.  I know that experience doesn't usurp faith.  But I learn in this passage that there is an appropriate time to look to our experience.  Of all the times I tried to change and become better, I could accomplish nothing until You saved me and gave me Your Spirit.  Even today we who are Christians know that we can do nothing apart from Your grace.  Yes we are called to obey having received the Good News, but even our obedience cannot take place apart from You in us granting us the desire and the ability.  It is You alone, Father, that makes New Creations of sinners.  The part that is so easy yet so hard to believe is that it all happens by faith -- by faith alone in Christ alone -- but that faith doesn't stand alone.  There is evidence of justification that accompanies salvation.  There is an experience to look too.  Father, by Your Spirit, and through Your Son, may my experience give credence to the Gospel, today.  May my experience give glory to You through Your Son; and may my experience bring everlasting joy to Your redeemed.  Amen!

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1. Luther, M. (1997). Commentary on Galatians (Ga 3:2). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.