Chico Alliance Church
“Bewitched or Blessed”
Review
Paul wrote this brief letter to believers in the area of Southern Galatia who he himself had introduced to the Good News of freedom in Christ. Shortly after some false teachers called Judaizers began their destructive and disruptive teaching. They cast doubt upon Paul’s authority as an apostle as well as his teaching concerning salvation. Paul wrote this little letter to assert his authority to speak for Christ, clarify the basis of their salvation and the application of their salvation in every day life. Paul emphasizes in this short letter the truth that true freedom comes by grace through faith in Christ The essential points to remember so far in our study of this letter are not too complicated.
I. Paul held the correct credentials
Paul preached only what He received directly from Christ.
II. Paul proclaimed the Correct Concept of the Gospel of Grace 2:15-4:31
Right standing before God comes only through faith in Christ apart from works.
A. The Gospel of Grace Introduced 2:15-21
1. The gospel Stated emphatically 15-16
2. The gospel Argued Strongly 17-20
Paul affirms that this new freedom from law is based on a radical life change. It is not just a cold, lifeless creed. This truth of justification by faith in Christ is a way of life. The law could only condemn and destroy. Christ died so that not only might I live without condemnation as a lawbreaker, but that He Christ Himself comes to live IN me. Being a Christian is more than embracing a particular creed or teaching. It is the indwelling Christ that makes us Christian. Christ resolutely affirmed this truth over and over.
Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. "For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. John 6:55-56 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5
John also asserted…
He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 1 John 5:12
Paul taught clearly in his letter to the Romans…
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Romans 8:9-10
I have been crucified (perfect) with Christ. Nevertheless I really am alive “I live” Yet I now live by a new principle. Christ in me the hope of Glory Not the law of sin and death.
The law of life by the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Real life comes not by law keeping but by continued faith in the indwelling Christ. The Christ who continually lives in me loved me perfectly and even gave his life for me.
3. The Gospel Held strenuously 21
Since no flesh achieves right standing before God through the works of the law because no one can fully keep the law, only faith in the perfect work of the sinless Son of God will restore right standing with God. That is the core of the Gospel message. Right standing before God comes only on the basis of grace received by faith in Christ apart from efforts to keep the law.
B. The Gospel of Grace Argued and Illustrated 3:1-4:31
Having clarified the core concept of the gospel of grace, Paul attempts to enlighten the Galatians as to the personal impact of this truth to their lives. Just as faith brings new life and a right standing with God apart from any of my effort, so faith in Christ must continue to be the way of life.
1. Argued by clarifying interrogation 3:1-6
2. Illustrated in Abraham 3:7-29
a. Abraham and blessing 3:7-14
b. Abraham and Law 3:15-29
3. Illustrated through Sonship 4:1-20
4. Illustrated in Abraham’s sons 4:21-31
Today we want to look at these five basic questions in hopes that any foggy thinking regarding the gospel of grace might virtually vanish from the mind. Paul continually worked at building up those he considered his responsibility under Christ. His passion in this letter is so great that he graphically grabs their attention by focusing on the absolute foolishness of their thinking.
“you foolish Galatians”
The root of the word here for “foolish” (noia) has to do with thinking, the mind, perception, thought, understanding, even a kind of heart attitude toward something. Repentance is the translations of the word meta-noia -- To change one’s thinking.
JB Phillips translation; “O you dear idiots of Galatia… surely you can’t be so idiotic.”
Paul calls these Galatians “foolish” or “anoia” -- those without thinking or understanding.
These false teachers accomplished their objective. They succeeded in thoroughly confusing the believers as to the truth of the gospel. Paul addressed these believers as those without understanding or proper perceptions. May we ourselves gain understanding from this passage so as not to be foolish.
QUESTION ONE
Who has bewitched you before whose eyes Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
This is the only place in the New Testament this word “bewitched” is used.
It means “To hurt by words, cast a spell, charm” by the “evil eye.” The noun was used to refer to the practice of witchcraft.
We grew up with the teaching that “sticks and stones will hurt may break my bones but names or words will never hurt me.” This simply is not true at almost any level; including the arena of the spirit world.
Paul recognizes that the ignorance and foolishness exhibited by the Galatians was due to a deluding outside influence whether directly related to demonic delusion or through some human instrument – namely the false teachers. Perhaps by the use of the singular pronoun “who” Paul intends to draw our attention to the source of all doctrinal error the devil who blinds to the truth, distorts the truth and seeks to cause imbalance of a truth to the point of error. Regardless, the result was devastating and he used pointed questions and clear declaration of the truth to break this devastating spell cast upon them by the lies of the enemy. These believers who once enjoyed their new-found freedom in Christ now suffered delusion, discouragement. Paul said they were deeply disturbed by the influence of these false teachers. Not uncommon today whenever we add any kind of works system to the completed work of Jesus Christ.
John MacArthur identifies several possible deviations.
Throughout the history of the church some believers have begun well but later have been pulled away from the truths they first believed and followed. They receive the gospel of salvation by grace and live for the Lord in humble faith, but then fall prey to some system of legalism and works righteousness that promises more but produces much less. Some fall into formalism, substituting external ceremonies and rites for the internal reality of personal growth in the Lord. Others fall into legalistic systems of do’s and don’ts, proudly hoping to improve their standing before God by doing or not doing certain things. Still others look for a second blessing-a spiritual secret to unlock some higher plane of spirituality, an additional experience of grace-hoping to receive more of God than they imagine was granted to them at conversion.
We must not ever depreciate the value of Christ’s complete work! False teaching in any form is like a spell cast upon the understanding of those who accept it. It dulls the senses. That is why it is essential that we continually study the word as a good soldier who does not need to be ashamed having rightly understood the word of truth. When Paul asks “who bewitched you”, he is calling attention to the seriousness of their ignorance and failure to discern truth from error. He calls them to see these false teachers in a critical light. What they are doing is “witchcraft!” An evil fogs their minds. A spell clouds their eyes and understanding.
These are the same eyes that have been keenly aware of Christ’s work on the Cross. A work historically accomplished in their own lifetime. A work whose effects would touch lives to eternity. (crucified – perfect tense). Paul draws their focus back to the foundation of their justification, the crucifixion, the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. The cross was a stumbling block to the Jews who were so focused on keeping the law. The cross was foolishness to the Gentiles who focused so much on self-effort. Christ determined not to know anything but Christ and Him crucified. The cross must be the touch point of any discussion regarding salvation.
QUESTION ONE – “Who bewitched you?”
that you should so quickly loose the focus of the one who was crucified.
Answer – the false teachers! Perhaps even better, the Father of lies!
QUESTION TWO
Did you receive the Spirit (of Christ) by the works of the law or By hearing with faith?
Paul is talking about their initial salvation experience. His question deals not with IF they received but the basis of their receiving the Spirit. Remember we said earlier that becoming a Christian is about the indwelling presence of Christ through His Spirit. Notice, Paul equates justification here with “receiving the Spirit.” The word means “to take, to take to oneself, to receive, to collect, to seize.” It carries the idea of an eager embracing of what has been offered. Paul asks the Galatians if God offered and they received the Spirit on the basis of knowing and keeping the laws demands or on the basis of hearing and believing the promise of God. These are the only two alternatives to receiving the Spirit necessary for eternal life. Keeping the laws demands or Hearing with faith.
Are they secure in the presence of the Spirit of Christ on the basis of keeping laws or belief in the finished work of Christ? What gives you more assurance of the presence of Christ in your life? The works YOU do? The work CHRIST did? The answer to this question should be obvious – hearing with faith!
Paul just finished clearly stating the core of the gospel in the previous section. Hopefully this is an undisputed fact that even the Judaizers would render lip service. Since no flesh can be justified by works of the law, everyone must come humbly before Christ without merit of their own to receive mercy and find grace for our desperate condition. Christ offers to live in us and we receive His Spirit solely on the basis of faith in Him to accomplish in us what we couldn’t and wouldn’t be able to do. Hendrickson in his commentary states so well, “A Christ supplemented is a Christ supplanted.”
QUESTION THREE
Are you so foolish having begun by the Spirit, you are now being perfected by the flesh?
Paul attempts to get the Galatians to realize the truth that God has not changed the basis of relationship with sinful creatures. God established and continually maintains relationship with His children on the basis of the indwelling Spirit of God received by faith.
QUESTION FOUR
Did you suffer so many things in vain -- if indeed it was in vain?
The word translated “suffer” could also be translated experience. The word in and of itself is neutral although in the NT carries mostly a negative flavor. It was often accompanied by a qualifying word to identify it as a good or bad experience. Paul asks them if their salvation experience and freedom once enjoyed was real of just a figment of their imagination. Was the manifestation of the indwelling Christ in them and among them all for nothing. Paul adds here the thought “and I am confident that it wasn’t in vain.”
It was real. It was radical and revolutionary even though you have forgotten the basis of it. If you realize that your decision to embrace Christ and receive His free gift of salvation was based on the principle of hearing with faith, then on what principle do you continue to relate to him?
QUESTION FIVE
THEN Does he who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you DO IT by the works of law or by hearing with faith?
Hearing with faith! Has God changed his principle of operation? God continually (present tense) provides or supplies us with His Spirit.
“SUPPLY” means to supply abundantly and with great generosity. It was used of patrons of the arts who underwrote productions of Greek plays and of patriotic citizens who gave of their wealth to help support their country’s army or government. It was also used of a groom’s vow to love and care for his bride.
God continually (present tense) energizes (energeo) power (dunamis) among you or within you. Paul draws their attention to the abundant blessing of God both among them an within them. Paul continually praise God for His work among them. He equally illuminates the fact that God’s power mightily works within them. This is the same power demonstrate at the resurrection of Christ. Paul consider everything loss and garbage that he might experience the power of the resurrection. On what basis does God demonstrate these things. Christ came to indwell on the basis of hearing and faith. On what basis does he stay? On what basis does he release His power among us? Paul asserts here that God operates in the present and future by the exact same principle as He initially saved us. HEARING WITH FAITH!
In Philippians Paul declared his desire to be found not having a self-righteousness derived from the law but a righteousness that comes through faith the righteousness wich comes from God on the basis of faith. (Phil 3:9) Were we justified by self-effort or self-righteousness? NO! Are we perfected by self-effort or self-righteousness? NO! We were justified by hearing with faith! We are perfected by hearing with faith!
APPLICATION
What does all this mean to how I live now? We died to law keeping as a means to right standing so that we might live to God. We have been crucified so that we might know what it means to live and Christ may live in us. This new way of life cannot be lived like we did before. We must no longer strive to gain worth though personal effort.
We cannot attempt to be self-righteous. We must now learn to live by faith in the one who loved us and gave himself for us. How does that work practically? How do we live by faith from day to day?
Faith
On what are you depending to become more like Christ?
What will bring victory over that sin that nags at you and grabs you by the throat?
More doctrine
More devotion
More meetings
More seminars
More discipline
More prayer
More Bible Reading
More ministry
More counseling
Is there something more for you to do? OR Is there someone for you to believe and trust?
Paul said in Ephesians, “as you received Christ Jesus, so walk in Him.” We must not turn away from the fountain of living water freely available to all who will receive to dig for ourselves broken cisterns that can’t possibly hold water.
Practical faith
Initial faith is not mere intellectual belief. If you are relying on some action you did, I would be careful. Christianity is Christ in you the hope of glory! No Christ, no life! Come to Christ and believe Him to do what he said he will do.
He came to his own and his own did not receive Him. But to as many as received him to them he gave the permission to become children of God even to those who believe on his name.
Those who have heard and believed and received Christ. The life you live now must be lived by different principles than before and the same principles that brought your new life. Hearing with faith. How do we do it?
• Daily surrender and acknowledge your need.
• Listen to the Word
• Continually come by faith to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace.
Belief God to produce in you what you cannot do yourself.
Believe God to deal with lifelong habits and bondage.
Believe God to manifest His life in you and empower you.
Believe God to life you above your circumstances.
Believe God to deal with attitudes.
Believe God to deal with inconsistencies in your walk and life.
Hebrews 12 calls us to consider those who have gone before leaving us a witness of what it means to walk the walk of faith. (saints listed in Hebrews 11).
let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3
