The Question That Exposes Our Default

Paul, with the precision of a surgeon and the urgency of a preacher, writes to the Galatians who had begun their Christian life by faith but were now being seduced by legalism. He poses this probing question: Does God work among you because you keep the law, or because you believe? The implied answer, obvious yet overlooked, is that the power of God flows not through our performance, but through our faith.

This question still echoes in the corridors of modern Christianity. Are we, too, guilty of trusting in our religious routines more than in Christ Himself?

God's Supply Comes by the Spirit

“He who supplies the Spirit to you…”

Paul draws their attention to the source: God Himself. The Christian life does not begin by human strength, nor is it sustained by it. The Spirit is not earned, it is supplied.

The verb here is in the present tense, meaning God continually gives His Spirit. This is not a one-time installment, but a gracious, ongoing provision. And how does this supply come? Not by our rule-keeping, but by His mercy and our believing response.

God's Power Is Not Earned but Received

“…and works miracles among you…”

The Galatians had seen God move powerfully—healings, deliverances, transformed lives. But Paul is saying, “Did any of that happen because you were good at law-keeping?” Of course not. It was all by grace, through faith.

We too must be careful not to slip into thinking that God’s power in our lives depends on our religious performance. Yes, holiness matters. But God does not bless us because we are worthy, He blesses us because we trust Him. The moment we try to earn His power, we nullify grace.

Faith, Not Law, Is the Channel of Grace

“…by the hearing of faith?”

Paul answers his own question here. Miracles, the Spirit, the Christian life itself all flow through faith. Faith is not passive; it actively clings to the promises of God, hears His Word, and believes it.

It is not the quantity of our faith that matters, but the object of it. A trembling hand that grasps Christ receives more than a clenched fist full of self-effort. 

Stay at the Crossroads of Grace

Paul’s rebuke is a gracious call to recalibrate, stop trusting in what you do, and start resting in what Christ has done. If you began by faith, don’t finish by works. God supplies the Spirit, God works the miracles, and God gets the glory, when we believe.