I. THE APOSTLE IN THE CONGREGATION PERFORMING MIRCALES (V. 5) AND DISTRIBUTING GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ( V.5, 4:6) PROVED THEY WERE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH APART FROM THE LAW, 3: 1-5.
A. Christ crucified was preached as the ground of their justification, 3:1. This entire section is sandwiched between two statements of Christ's cross (3:1 and 3:13-14) as the grounds for justification by faith. Paul preached this to the Galatians from the beginning thus they had no reason to be duped by false teachers.
B. Four Questions related to their experience with faith and the Holy Spirit, 3: 2-5.
1. The answer from history: “Received you the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing of faith?” Since the gospel was preached by the Apostles using the Empowering of the Holy Spirit to perform miracles as a means to confirm the Word of God, (Heb. 2:3-4, II Cor. 12:12) v. 5 informs us that the congregations of Galatia were no different. Of course, this empowering of the Holy Spirit cannot be associated with the Law of Moses since it was a promise from Christ to the Apostles (Mk. 16:19-20; and only the Apostles could transfer this miraculous power (Acts 8: 14-15; 19: 6).
2. The answer from sinful flesh: “ Are you so foolish” Having begun in the Spirit, are you now perfected in the flesh?” The people have witnessed the miraculous powers of the Holy Spirit (v. 5) and now they have rejected miracles performed by the Spirit to accept doctrines taught by human false teachers.
3. The answer from suffering: “Did you suffer so many things in vain? They knew the truth of the gospel from the beginning and stood up for it. Why did they change? Would they suffer for nought? Why did they suffer? Because of what they knew.
4. The answer from Miracles: “He who supplies you the Spirit and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of law, or by hearing of faith?” Whether miracles were worked at Galatia by Paul or by someone Paul empowered, the jest of the argument is that all of this was done before the false teachers arrived! Since the Galatians were empowered by the Holy Spirit before the law binders arrived, it was proof positive that they were justified by faith in Christ and not by works of law.
II. JUSTIFIED BY FAITH EVEN AS ABRAHAM, 3: 6-9
A. Abraham's justification was by faith before the law was given, 6-7 Notice, “Even as ...know therefore...”
B. The Old Testament scripture (Gen. 22:18) preached justification by faith, v. 8.
C. Therefore we who are “faith” are blessed with justification. Notice “of faith” in verses 2, 5,7,9,11, and “through faith” in verse 4.
III. LAW CANNOT JUSTIFY, Gal. 3: 10:12.
The scripture says so in Deut. 27:26; Hab. 2:4; Jer. 18:5. The law demanded perfection (Lev. 18:5) and cursed the law breaker (Deut. 27:26). And the law itself said that justification was by faith (Hab. 2:4). Since the law of Moses was not a system of justification by faith, it could not justify us (see Acts 13:38-39).
IV. CHRIST PROVIDED JUSTIFICATION AT CALVARY, Gal. 3: 13-14. Christ's threefold work at the cross obtained for us what under the law we cannot obtain for ourselves.
A. Redemption from the curse of the law. He accomplished this by “having become a curse for us.” When Jesus went to the cross he died the death of a sinner and was separated from God (Isa. 59:2; 53: 5-6; 2 Cor. 5:21). He was “cursed” forsaken by God (Matt. 27: 46) which is the price of sin. He has paid the price of our sin for us and so redeemed us from the law's curse of death. The legal requirement of the law for sinners has been paid by another whose death was substituted for our. While we deserved the stroke of death he suffered it for us (Isa. 53:8; Gal. 2:20, “gave himself up for me”).
B. Gentiles have a right to the promised blessing of Abraham. The “blessing” is justification from sin (Gal. 3:8). We are redeemed from sin when justified by faith in Christ.
C. Gentiles can receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith. The Holy Spirit had also been promised for all. Moses' desire that the Spirit of God would be on all (Numbers 11:29); Joel's prophecy that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28-29). The “all flesh” is Jew and Gentile (Acts 2: 14-39; 10: 44-48; Gal. 3:14).
CONCLUSION: The fact that the Galatians had received the Holy Spirit and was confirmed by miracles was proof that they like Abraham had been justified by faith in Christ apart from the works of the law of Moses.
QUESTION? Is that which we experience today any different from what the Galatians experienced in order to receive the Holy Spirit? Do we receive the Holy Spirit by the hearing of faith or by the working of miracles” In a non-miraculous age, can we prove we receive the Holy Spirit by faith? How, if not by an appeal to the historical record of the New Testament.