Don’t be a Fool

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Galatians 3:1-4 (NIV), “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”

The Galatians had been let to Jesus by the Spirit of the Living God. They had accepted Jesus as crucified, their penalty paid. They had gloried in their new freedom from sin, begun a Church family, and behaved like all new believers. Then something terrible happened…

They went back to the confines of the law!

Paul calls them fools. Elsewhere in the scripture (Proverbs) it says, “A fool says in their heart that there is no God.” That sounds harsh, but let’s think about this for a minute. After having been set free from the law and sin, why would anyone want to go back? In my own experience it is because we believe the lie that God hasn’t done it, won’t do it, or can’t do it. Or even worse, the lie that says we don’t deserve it. So we try to manipulate, and work our way into His Grace. That is someone who doesn’t know God intimately. I’ve been there! I thought I knew Him, but when hit with something hard, I doubted and believed those lies. Of course He came through like He always did. It took me accepting what He had already done! How did I get to that point of acceptance? I allowed the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me into all truth. I listened to His voice and stop listening to the lie.

God isn’t withholding anything from us! That was the original lie that Satan told Adam and Eve in the Garden. After all this time, shouldn’t we recognize that lie for what it really is? I know God. Personally! I am in relationship with Him. Be guided by the Holy Spirit. Not by your flesh, not by your reasoning or intellect, and certainly not by any lie.

Don’t be a fool!

God loves you and He wants only good for you. He gave Jesus, why would he withhold anything else?