Sola Gratia

Galatians 3:3, 18
³Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? ¹⁸For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.


// THOUGHTS:

.. Paul was basically reminding (and better yet, rebuking) the people in Galatia of how they went back to exerting human effort to gain salvation - legalistically obeying the law in order to validate their salvation.
.. We know that our salvation and the manifestation of the inheritance (the Seed, Jesus Christ) was received not through our human effort or by obedience to the law (prior to believing) but by faith in Christ - believing that He is the Son of God, made sin for us in order to redeem us.
.. The Seed (Christ) that was promised to Abraham as not by obeying the law that he would inherit the Seed, but rather through a promise.
.. When God says He would (or would promise), He will do it. He will give it not based on our perfection by obeying the law (which is impossible to happen) but only through His grace alone!

.. Let us remember that we have received the inheritance by the grace of God. We cannot pay Him back for what great Gift He has given us - Jesus Christ. However, the least we can do is to BELIEVE and LIVE our lives for His glory.
.. Attaining our goal - in this context, salvation - must solely be by believing in faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ. Hence, our lives must show that we are grateful of this amazing Gift of salvation. Praise God, it is not through the law that I am saved, but through the saving grace of God!

// BELLE:

.. On the practical side, isn't is always that we try to attain our goal by human effort in the perspective of a limited mindset? Salvation, being our greatest "attainment", even cannot be gained by human effort. How much more the little things that go under that? I must continue to believe in the grace that God gives (and has already given) for (1) the greatest inheritance, Christ; and (2) the smaller inheritance that go along with it, daily provision and needs.
.. It is not through my efforts that I can see and enjoy the manifestation of the inheritance (the Greatest and the "go alongs") It is solely by the grace of God. I must trust. No human effort.

// LORD, how I trust Thee! Help me to just enjoy the grace that You have already bestowed upon in my life. You said so, You promised so, I will BELIEVE! Thank You for Your Word is true. In Jesus' name, amen.