The Holy Spirit

Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. [Galatians 3.1-5]

I want to look at this passage with a different set of eyes today. I don't mean to ignore what Paul is saying directly through this passage, but instead, to observe something that is indirectly said, but has great significance.

Paul asked this question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses?

This question reveals something we often overlook. It reveals the priority of the Holy Spirit. Notice that Paul did not ask, Were you "saved" by obeying the law of Moses?

Where this is obviously going is that the goal is not merely to be saved as some suppose, but to receive the Holy Spirit. I know this ruffles some feathers among some, but Paul's inference here cannot be denied.

I fear that what some mistakenly call "salvation" is instead just the "call" of God. What Paul says to the Galatian Church indicates that the combined "Holy Spirit" and inseparable "working of miracles" actually reveals the fullness of salvation (that does not come by obeying the law, but by believing Christ).

I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. [Galatians 3.5]

It was by the work of the Holy Spirit that Jesus ministered on earth:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,  and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” [Luke 4.8-19]

It is by the same Holy Spirit therefore that we minister on earth:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

No doubt Jesus was thinking along these lines when He told the Parable of the Three Servants: 

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ [Matthew 25.14-30]

Each of the three were given money. It might be seen that each of the three were "called." But the one who did not invest - the one who did nothing with that which he had been entrusted - suffered not only the loss of that which he had been given, but was thrown into torture.

It is the Holy Spirit Who "does the stuff" in and through us. The Holy Spirit was the power behind every teaching and every miracle Jesus performed, and is the power behind every teaching and every miracle we perform!

We DO teach and perform miracles, don't we? While we ponder this question desperately trying to figure out how it somehow does not implicate us as the "one unfaithful servant," let's dig deeper...

Paul also said this: You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.

If the Holy Spirit is not manifesting in our lives, there is but one possible reason: we have not believed the message we heard about Christ. In other words, we have heard about Christ, but we are not interested enough in Him to have a relationship with Him that puts us in resemblance of Him.

Hearing about Christ does not save anyone. Every person must individually believe in Christ. And, in Jesus' own words, anyone who believes in Him will do the same things He did (His words, John 14.12, not mine).

Religion desperately defends salvation without the manifestation of the Holy Spirit (the same works Jesus did), but it does so in utter defiance of what the Bible and Jesus Himself teaches. In fact, the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids immediately preceding the Parable of the Three Servants in Matthew 25.1-13 is even more damning to the idea of salvation without the works of the Holy Spirit.

The foolish Bridesmaids were those who did not tend to the oil in their lamps. The use of "oil" in this parable (and elsewhere in the Bible) represents the Holy Spirit! The burden of this teaching upon us then is to focus on the Holy Spirit Who, was never an abstract religious idea, but instead the unmistakable, powerful, miracle-working extension of God on earth (as real as the light provided by the oil in the Bridesmaids' lamps). Jesus identified with the Holy Spirit and WE ARE TO IDENTIFY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!

As much as we wish to say it isn't so, the Holy Spirit is indeed the evidence of true salvation. Without the Holy Spirit, no person is even capable of the doing the works Jesus did - that He said we would do, if we believe. If we do not do the things Jesus did, the stark reality is that we do not believe. That IS God's Word and it is Truth.

We are left then with only one course of action: we must believe. Without apology, the Bible teaches that our belief is validated by "return on investment" (Parable of the Three Servants) or by obvious "light in our lamp" (Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids). The work of the Holy Spirit is that validation.

Father, my belief system is challenged right now. My powerless life indicts me. Your Word is clear. Religion is a lie, but Jesus is the Way the Truth and the life... May Jesus manifest in me as Your Holy Spirit does His same works through me! So be it.