Bible Verse of the Day Saturday December 17th, 2022

Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

When Paul referred to the Galatians as foolish, it did not indicate that they were stupid or unknowing, only that they were without perception or awareness. It could further signify that they may have been unwilling to understand the truth of Salvation by grace through faith. They were intelligent people but lacked the heart and soul to accept what they knew was the truth. They were naïve to a certain degree, which caused them to be susceptible to false doctrine and without the wisdom to discard or deny lies from the unknowing followers of Satan.

To be bewitched is to be charmed into something you might otherwise reject. The legalist in Galatia persuaded the members of the new Christian Church into their false teaching that their good works or deeds can only save one. Paul pointed out to the Galatians that the blood of Jesus shed on the Cross of Calvary was the only way to Salvation. He reminded them that he had shown them the truth of Salvation by grace through faith from the writings of the Prophets (2 Corinthians 2:11; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 6:11).

Paul taught the Galatians that Salvation was by grace through faith, but the legalist had clouded their minds to the truth of the Gospel. Many today live with the false notion that keeping God’s Law will somehow rid them of their sins. The Law is good because the Law is perfect, any aspect of God is perfect, and He created the Law and thus adjudicated it perfect. The Law has a purpose, but it was not to be followed to the letter because there has never been or will there ever be a human that can keep the Law in its fullness. The purpose of the Law is to highlight the sin in all of us (Romans 3:23; 3:10), to make sure that we all know that we are a sinner and will be as long as we are in this life.

Satan has a very subtle way of fooling us into thinking that we might have something God needs or desires. God is whole, complete, absolute, and perfect, not in need of anything, worldly or spiritual. The Holy Word of God is, in its fullness is the complete opposite of the works Salvation; God’s love and grace are all that our faith in Christ Jesus needs to fill any wretched sinner with the righteousness of Christ. The blood of Christ Jesus is the only thing that can cleanse us of our sins and clear the pathway to eternal life. As bright and unambiguous as Salvation by grace through faith is portrayed in God’s Holy Word, there are too many Christians worldwide that fall into Satan’s trap of legalism daily. Paul made it truly clear that the true teachings of the Gospel were based solely on the work of Christ Jesus on the Cross of Calvary 

Galatians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works so that no one can boast.