HIS SPIRIT … WORKS MIRACLES / GALATIANS 3:5

(KJV) Galatians 3:5

He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

Paul’s various references to the Spirit (Galatians 3:2; Galatians 3:3, 5, 14; 4:6) include 

1. Receiving the inner presence of the Holy Spirit as part of the life transformation that happens when a person accepts Christ’s forgiveness and is spiritually “born again.”
2. Receiving the baptism in the Spirit, which is available to those who have already received a personal relationship with Christ, as an added measure of power to serve Him and communicate His message to others.
3. The Spirit’s subsequent work in Christians’ lives – including special gifts and expressions – to strengthen the church, encourage individual believers and help them develop and mature in their faith. Passages related to these various works of the Holy Spirit include Acts 1:4-5; 2:4; 8:14-17; 10:44-47; 11:16-17; 19:1-6; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

The particular works of the Spirit that Paul refers to in any given passage can be determined by the terms and context surrounding his references to the Spirit. 

1. When Paul links receiving the Holy Spirit to “believing” (Galatians 3:2) and “beginning with the Spirit” (Galatians 3:3), he likely is referring to the Spirit first coming to live within a person at the point of accepting Christ (receiving His forgiveness, spiritual salvation and a personal relationship with God).
2. By using the expression “the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:14), which is nearly identical to Peter’s words in Acts 2:33 (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4), Paul is almost certainly referring to the baptism in the Spirit. The reference in Galatians 4:6 indicates that the believers had already been adopted as God’s children (they were already spiritually saved and in a right relationship with God) and that this was the basis for God sending the Spirit into their hearts. This also would refer to the baptism in the Holy Spirit following their spiritual conversation of faith in Christ.
3. The use of the term “miracles” (Greek dunamis, Galatians 3:5) suggests that Paul is thinking of the supernatural expressions that followed the Spirit’s coming with “power” (Greek dunamis) at Pentecost (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4). It was after this point that the Holy Spirit began to work among Christians by way of His various gifts and empowerments (1 Corinthians 12:1-6).
4. Paul’s use of the present participles (“give” and “work,” Galatians 3:5) relates to the ongoing display and expression of the Spirit’s gifts, works and power.

The ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the Galatian churches involved miracles. For Paul, receiving the Holy Spirit was not just an invisible inward work in individuals’ lives, but an experience that revealed itself through God’s supernatural power working in obvious outward ways among believers. The gifts of the Spirit are normal evidence of the Spirit’s presence and authority (1 Corinthians 12 -14). Spiritual conversion (salvation; being “born again,” John 3:7; entering a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ) and the baptism in the Holy Spirit should continually result in the working of miracles and other supernatural expressions of the Spirit.

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1. DID YOU RECEIVE THE SPIRIT BY BELIEVING / GALATIANS 3:2
2. GRACE / RIGHTEOUSNESS / GALATIANS 2:21
3. I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST / GALATIANS 2:20
4. JUSTIFIED BY … FAITH / GALATIANS 2:15-16
5. AFRAID OF … CIRCUMCISION GROUP / GALATIANS 2:12
6. I OPPOSED HIM TO HIS FACE / GALATIANS 2:11
7. REMEMBER THE POOR / GALATIANS 2:10
8. GOD DOES NOT JUDGE BY EXTERNAL APPEARANCE / GALATIANS 2:6
9. NOT GIVE IN TO THEM FOR A MOMENT / GALATIAN 2:5
10. FALSE BROTHERS / GALATIANS 2:4
11. GOD WHO SET ME APART / GALATIANS 1:15-16
12. OR AM I TRYING TO PLEASE MEN? / GALATIANS 1:10
13. LET HIM BE ETERNALLY CONDEMNED! / GALATIANS 1:9
14. A DIFFERENT GOSPEL / GALATIANS 1:6-7
15. RESCUE US FROM THE PRESENT EVIL AGE / GALATIANS 1:3-5
16. NOT INHERIT THE KINDOM OF GOD /GALATIANS 5:21
17. THE SPIRIT … THE SINFUL NATURE / GALATIANS 5:17
18. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog post! May the words inspire and uplift all who read them. Your support and interest mean the world to me, and I’m grateful for every moment you spend here. Stay tuned for more, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!” Blessings, Margarita & Stace

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Summary

Article Name

HIS SPIRIT ... WORKS MIRACLES / GALATIANS 3:5

Description

Paul’s various references to the Spirit (Galatians 3:2, 3, 5, 14; 4:6) include

Author

Margarita Crews

Publisher Name

Guided By Grace

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