Galatians 3

“Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” (v2).  The Galatian believers had already received the Spirit simply by hearing the gospel and responding by faith.  Trying now to go back and be “perfected by the flesh” (v3) – to keep Jewish Law - would invalidate Christ’s work on their behalf.  The Law, said Paul, had been a “tutor to lead us to Christ” (v24).  Now Christ has come.

Our instinct is try to control our salvation by our own efforts, but they are never enough.  Jesus is all-sufficient; we are forgiven by His sacrifice and wrapped in His perfect life (v26-29).