The Spirit Arrives by Faith, Not by Human Effort Galatians 3:1-5

Spiritual drift happens quietly. A believer begins with a heart wide open to God, filled with gratitude, trust, and the joy of knowing salvation is a gift. Over time, pressures and expectations begin to stack up, and faith starts to feel like performance. This is the moment Paul confronts in the lives of the Galatians. They had started their journey with a beautiful dependency on Christ, yet they slowly leaned back toward a system of self-effort. Paul calls them to stop and remember how they started.

This passage speaks to anyone who has ever felt the slow pull of striving. It calls the reader to breathe again, to recall the moment when the Spirit first awakened faith, and to step back into that place of trust. Faith that welcomes the Spirit becomes the anchor of this devotional.

As you walk through this teaching, let each reflection draw you back to the freedom that marked your beginning. God still meets you in the same place today, with the same grace, power, and presence.

O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you. It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this, did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith. Are you so foolish. Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh. Did you suffer so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain. Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith.
Galatians 3:1-5 ESV

The Spirit begins the work of God through faith, and continues it through faith.

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Big Idea 1: Faith opened the way for the Spirit

Paul begins with a strong confrontation, yet his tone carries deep pastoral concern. The Galatians had seen Christ clearly portrayed as crucified. They had clearly witnessed the message of the gospel, and they embraced it with genuine belief. That first moment of faith was not forced or earned. It was received. God moved toward them with grace, and they responded with trust. This is how every genuine work of the Spirit begins.

Paul presses the question because he wants them to recall the joy of their beginning. When the Spirit came, it was not in response to ritual, rule-keeping, or impressive effort. The Spirit came because their hearts opened to the message. Hearing and believing became the doorway to transformation. This same doorway still exists for every believer who finds themselves exhausted by the weight of expectations.

When believers drift into striving, spiritual life starts to feel heavy. The joy that once burned bright begins to flicker. The Galatians needed to return to the memory of faith that welcomed the Spirit freely, and so do we. Faith invites God into the center of our weakness. Faith makes room for the Spirit to heal what effort cannot touch. This remembrance becomes the reset that restores spiritual clarity.

This passage teaches that faith is not sentimental or passive. Faith actively receives what God provides. It draws near, listens closely, and trusts deeply. When believers reclaim this posture, the Spirit revives the places that have grown tired. The heart becomes tender again, and the presence of God fills the space once occupied by strain.

Big Idea 2: Human effort cannot complete what the Spirit begins

Paul moves from memory to reasoning. If the Spirit began the work through faith, why would anyone think the Spirit requires human effort to complete it? This question exposes a common spiritual trap. Believers gratefully accept salvation by grace but then strive for sanctification. Paul’s words correct this pattern and protect the believer from spiritual exhaustion.

Effort has its place, but effort cannot transform the heart. When believers attempt to grow apart from the Spirit, they inevitably fall into discouragement or pride. Discouragement sets in when they fail to meet their own expectations. Pride comes when they succeed and begin to believe they achieved spiritual strength on their own. Neither outcome reflects the life of the Spirit.

Paul reminds the Galatians that the Spirit is active and present. God continually supplies the Spirit, not just at conversion. He is the One who shapes, matures, and strengthens the believer. Growth does not come from self-improvement alone. It comes from staying surrendered to the Spirit’s daily work. Faith does not eliminate effort, but it keeps effort aligned under grace.

The Galatians were slipping into a belief that spiritual maturity depended on personal achievement. Paul calls them to reject that mindset. Real transformation is a work of the Spirit. The believer’s role is to trust, obey, and remain in ongoing surrender. When faith becomes the anchor, the Spirit accomplishes what human strength never could.

Big Idea 3: The Spirit continues His work through ongoing faith

Paul ends this section with a hopeful reminder. God continues to supply the Spirit. God continues to work miracles among His people. The same Spirit who began the work remains committed to completing it. This truth anchors the believer in seasons when progress feels slow, when emotions feel flat, or when circumstances shake confidence.

Faith is not a moment from the past. Faith is a living posture that opens the heart to the Spirit’s present work. Paul calls the Galatians to step back into that posture. God is not asking them to recreate their spiritual beginning through effort. He is inviting them to trust His ongoing presence. Faith becomes the rhythm that welcomes the Spirit again and again.

This encouragement reaches believers who wonder if they have failed too many times or drifted too far. Paul’s words reveal that the Spirit has not withdrawn. God continues to speak, guide, and renew. The call is simple: return to faith. Return to the place where surrender meets grace. Return to the posture where the Spirit is free to move.

The Spirit’s work is not fragile. It does not depend on flawless performance. It depends on a heart that trusts. As believers rekindle their faith, the Spirit awakens fresh vision, restores confidence, and strengthens devotion. God does not abandon His work. He sustains it through faith.

Conclusion

Paul’s message to the Galatians remains clear and timely. They had begun with faith, and the Spirit had moved with power. Yet they drifted into striving. Paul calls them back to the simplicity and strength of trust. The same Spirit who began their journey still desires to shape, guide, and empower them.

This passage reminds us that God has not changed His method. He does not ask believers to complete through effort what He began through grace. He invites them to return to faith that welcomes the Spirit. When believers reclaim that posture, renewal begins—clarity returns. Joy awakens again.

Faith that welcomes the Spirit becomes the steady ground where transformation grows. God meets His people there every time.

Action Step

Set aside ten minutes today to reflect on how your spiritual journey began. Write down what faith looked like in that season and ask the Spirit to restore that posture in your heart.

Reflection Questions

1. Where have I drifted from faith into self-effort?
2. What areas of my life need the Spirit’s help instead of my striving?
3. How is God calling me to trust Him more fully this week?

“The Spirit of God does the work of God through the Word of God in the child of God.” A. W. Tozer

Prayer

Father, thank you for beginning your work in my life through faith. Teach me to trust you again in the places where I have relied on myself. Restore the joy of my first surrender and fill me with your Spirit. Strengthen me to walk in faith today. Amen.

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Blessings,

Chad 

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