This month we are developing our devotionals out of the book of Galatians. No amount of self-effort can match the power of the Spirit of God. No amount of rule keeping will bring the Holy Spirit's power into a person's life. Only one thing will do it, and that is the preaching of Christ crucified. When Christ is presented as the crucified one and we place our faith in him, the Holy Spirit comes into our lives not based on the rules we kept or how good we are but based on our act of faith in the Savior. Paul said it bluntly.
You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?—(Gal 3:1-2).
The Bible is not interested in self-effort because that leads to self-deception or self-destruction. The Bible is interested in presenting how the Trinity has rescued us and how the life of the Trinity enters into us by faith. Grace is sufficient to give us a Savior, and faith is sufficient to bring the life-changing character from the Holy Spirit into our lives.
