Galatians again

Galatians 3:1-5
”You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 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? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain?  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?”

I was so convicted when I read this in my Bible study for this week.  This is far too often not just a Galatians problem, but a personal problem in my life.  Not that I mean to, not that I believe intellectually that I can do anything to save myself… But functionally I start acting like my hope for salvation depends on me.  I have a mental checklist for all the “things I need to do” and I feel guilty if they don’t get done.  I start thinking that God expects me to do something for Him, as if I can earn more of His approval.  I’m so thankful that this is not the case and that the Lord’s love for me depends on His faithfulness to me and not my faithfulness or perfect obedience.

“A conscience which is not fully enlightened both to the seriousness of its condition before God, and to the grandeur of God’s merciful provision of redemption, will inevitably fall prey to anxiety, pride, sensuality and all the other expressions of that unconscious despair which Kierkegaard called “the sickness unto death.” [So] we start
each day with our personal security resting not on…the sacrifice of Christ but on our present feelings or recent achievements… Since these arguments will not quiet the human conscience, we are inevitably moved either to discouragement and apathy or to a self-righteousness which falsifies the record to achieve a sense of peace.” – Tim Keller

One thing that I have been encouraged by is reading Genesis 15 where God makes a covenant with Abraham.  In this type of covenant, both parties should have had to make a promise with the consequence of breaking the promise being death.  And yet the Lord, knowing that Abraham was unable to keep his side of the deal, caused him to fall asleep while the Lord sealed the covenant Himself… knowing that to keep His promise would mean the sacrifice of His Son.  We get the reward of the promise without the cost.  That is grace.