GALATIANS 3:1-5 | DON’T BE BEWITCHED

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Paul tells these Christians in Galatia that not only was he saved by Christ, but it was Christ that he was seeking to have continue to live though his life!

It was as if Paul wore a name tag in his life.

And on the name tag was his name, but above his name was the most important part… it was Who he now lived for!

And that was Christ!

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 KJV 1900

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

His life was under new ownership!

ILLUSTRATION: Have you ever been driving down the road and you see a sign that says “New Ownership” on a store.

It’s not that they are trying to throw the old owner under the bus necessarily.

They are trying to communicate that things are different!

Because of who is now in charge, things are changed for the better!

EXPLANATION: This was true in Paul’s life.

He had accepted Christ and his life was under new ownership.

And that new ownership was definitely a change for the better!

But as Paul comes to chapter 3, he turns his attention from himself, to the Galatians that he was writing to.

He had presented his life as an example and now he brings in the Galatians for comparison.

And where Paul starts should have put them on their heels.

Galatians 3:1 KJV 1900

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

When Paul called them foolish, this wasn’t a joking matter.

It didn’t mean that he was saying they were dumb.

No, what Paul was saying was that they were willfully ignoring the truth.

They were choosing not to obey what they had been taught in favor of something else.

They were being hard headed.

ILLUSTRATION: Have you ever known someone that was hard headed?

Stop pointing at your spouse.

EXPLANATION: These Galatian believers were being hard headed.

And it was doing great damage to the cause of Christ, and ultimately to their own testimony for Christ.

APPLICATION: Christian, can I encourage you to approach the Word of God with a willingness to change?

Many Christians approach the preaching of God’s Word with skepticism, and I understand why.

There have been many preachers who have abused their listeners through preaching their philosophies and beliefs.

Friend, may we not just swallow whole cloth what someone tells us

In fact that is part of what we will deal with today.

But if we hear and study the word of God in context, it isn’t up to us to determine if we are going to obey it.

ILLUSTRATION: I heard one preacher that always said, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”

Some years later I heard him preaching and he said, “I used to say that… but I have since realized, God says it. That settles it. And it doesn’t matter if I believe it.”

APPLICATION: Friend, God’s Word is true whether you want to accept it or not.

But can I encourage you to accept it!

You will never go wrong receiving God’s Word.

Paul gives warnings to these believers in Galatia and they are warnings we would do well to listen to as well.

He warned them of…

V.1, THE DANGEROUS MESSENGER

EXPLANATION: Paul asks a question in v.1 that is key that we don’t miss.

He says, “who”

He doesn’t ask “What” but “who”

We can gather from the texts in Galatians that there were false teachers who had come in and preached false messages.

Back in Galatians 1:8-9

Galatians 1:8–9 KJV 1900

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Clearly someone had come into the lives of these Christians and had led them astray in their understanding.

They had allowed the wrong voices, the wrong people, to speak into their lives.

ILLUSTRATION: Last weekend I had the privilege to preach a prophecy conference for a church in southwest MT

People enjoy prophecy because there is so much unknown and uncertainty.

The curiosity is such a draw for so many people.

Because there is an overwhelming curiosity in peoples minds, often they will try to get information about the “last days”

But such is always the case, you have to be careful where you get your information from.

There was a person as this meeting that came to me on a couple different occasions with their theories on end times Bible prophecy.

They were bringing things up that were so off the wall.

At one point I even commented, “I don’t know where that is in the Bible”

That’s because it wasn’t in there!

What had happened? Somewhere along the way they listened to the wrong voices that led them astray!

APPLICATION: Friend, it can be so easy to be led astray in our world today.

With the arise of Artificial Intelligence and platforms where everyone can amplify their voice, false information is rampant!

Christian, you have to be careful who you are allowing to speak into your life!

Is your mind being held captive by those on the news station?

Are you being constantly influenced by someone on a podcast?

Are you allowing your thoughts to be formed by Hollywood?

And by the way, parents, it is your job to help protect your kids!

Do you know what they are watching on their devices?

Are you careful with what they are listening to in their music?

Or are you just allowing Hollywood and this world to form their minds?

Proverbs 22:6 KJV 1900

Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Psalm 127:3 KJV 1900

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: And the fruit of the womb is his reward.

Deuteronomy 6:5–9 KJV 1900

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Friend, it isn’t the responsibility of the church or the pastor to raise your kids!

And Lord help us to not let it be the school system with the greatest say in our kids lives!

It is our responsibility mom and dad!

One of the most sobering thoughts is to realize that the young lives God has intrusted to me, I will one day give an account for how I raise them!

Friend, if you think your kids will grow up to love God on accident, you are sadly mistaken!

You must be intentional with your children.

You are not called to be their friend… God has called you to be their parent.

So know what they are watching

Know who their friends are

Know what apps are on their devices

Do your best to guard their hearts from being led astray!

Do your best to intentionally lead them toward Christ.

EXPLANATION: It was a “who” that was leading these Galatian believers astray.

Sometimes the “who” that leads us astray is our own selves.

We spend too much time listening to our own selves.

APPLICATION: Do you realize that your heart rarely tells you the truth about yourself.

Jeremiah 17:9 KJV 1900

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Your heart will excuse sin

Your heart will tell you that you are better than you are.

Sometimes your heart lies to you and tells you that you are worse than you are.

There are times that self reflection can be helpful, but we have to be careful not to live there.

Left to yourself, you will lead yourself astray.

EXPLANATION: Yes, it was a “who” that was leading them astray.

Then Paul addresses what these dangerous messengers were teaching.

It was a message that Paul’s calls “bewitched”

He describes it with a word that is only used once in the Greek NT

There are other words that are translated as “bewitched” but this specific word is used only here in the word of God.

It’s a word that has the idea of “giving the evil eye.”

Some of the teenagers in this room think they can identify this.

I know there are some husbands here that probably think they speak fluently in this word.

But in the Middle East culture this had the idea of casting a magic spell on someone.

To wish evil upon them.

To this day, people from that Middle Eastern culture will some wear charms and jewels in the belief that it will protect them from “the evil eye”

What Paul is alluding here is vital for us to pick up on… he is saying that the message these people are communicating is evil.

It is destructive on a spiritual level.

APPLICATION: Friend, this is the reason you must be careful with the things your allow into your life.

Be careful with the movies you watch.

Be careful with the music you allow to influence you.

Be careful with the voices you allow to speak into your life.

I am convinced that as we grow closer to the return of Christ, the job of the devil just keeps getting easier.

Because we not only don’t take a stand against that which is evil, often we invite it into our homes and our lives!

Ephesians 5:15–16 KJV 1900

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 6:10–13 KJV 1900

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

1 John 2:16 KJV 1900

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Friend, there is a very real evil in this world seeking to destroy your life and the life of your family!

May we not walk obliviously into the lions den because we are willfully ignorant like these Galatians were!

But as John warned in 1 John 4:1

1 John 4:1 KJV 1900

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

There are so few of Christians on the battlefield for Christ because so many have willfully walked into the den of the devil when it comes to the voices they listen to!

Don’t miss the warning… and Don’t fall into the trap of the Dangerous Messengers

V.1b-3, THE DANGEROUS MESSAGE

Galatians 3:1–3 KJV 1900

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

EXPLANATION: After Paul’s emphasis on the dangerous messenger, he then dives into what exactly the dangerous message was that he was dealing with.

He reminds them of the message that he had so clearly preached to them in v.1

It was the message of Christ’s death on the cross for their sins.

And then he asks a rhetorical question in v.2, “Were you saved by your works or by faith?”

You “heard” the message of the Gospel… the message of “faith”

The answer for them would have been obvious… We were saved by faith.

Then Paul gets to the heart of the issue in v.3

Once again he doubles down on their strong-headed willingly disobedient hearts.

And then he points to the dangerous message… “Do you think you are saved by the Spirit, but you are made complete in your flesh and your works?”

They had fallen to the dangerous belief that your spiritual maturity was determined by your outward works.

By the keeping of the law.

ILLUSTRATION: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Luke 18:10–13 KJV 1900

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

The Pharisee looked the part.

He did all the right things

He said all the right words.

He believed that he was spiritual because of the works he did!

While the publican tax collector knew there was no hiding who he was.

He was hated by society

He had lied and cheated to get ahead

He knew that he was a sinner

But on that day, only one of those two men left the temple right with God.

APPLICATION: Friend, there is incredible danger in the belief that our outward religion makes us spiritual!

It is a statistical fact that the majority of Christians in churches today will dress up for church and maybe even serve in a ministry, but they will not spend individual time with the Lord.

Why? Because we have fallen to the lie of a pharisaical religion.

Matthew 15:8–9 KJV 1900

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

People that do all the right things

They say all the right things

They sing all the right songs

They are involved in various aspects of ministry

And they are exhausted spiritually doing it all!

Why, Because they are a mile wide and an inch deep!

Because they have fallen into the trap of elevating their outward religion to a place God never intended it to be.

They glory in their appearance

They glory in their standards

They glory in their ability to speak the “Christianese” language

But their relationship with God is dead and stale!

And this is the problem of Christianity today!

They are full of their religious traditions and religious appearance but the are empty of the Spirit!

And Paul asks these Galatian believers and us today, “if your works couldn’t get you to Christ for your salvation, you must have lost your mind to think it can make you like Christ after salvation!”

Now Christian, we aren’t saying your outward works and appearance aren’t important.

James said James 2:17

James 2:17 KJV 1900

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Matthew 5:14–16 KJV 1900

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Yes your outward appearance and actions are indeed important.

But Paul says to believe that only focusing on what everyone can see if evil!

And the reason why is because it is rooted in pride.

What will people think of me?

Look at my appearance.

Look at my actions

Look at what I do.

And Proverbs tells us that God hates pride!

We are so good at getting the cart before the horse!

God wants us to have a relationship with Him and the outward stuff will be an outflow of a real relationship with Christ!

You see you can have the appearance of godliness without being Spirit filled.

But if you are Spirit filled you will always pursue godliness!

Don’t forget the goal is not some level of religious appearance you have determined… the goal is Christ!

What out for the Dangerous Messengers, the Dangerous Message

V.4, THE DANGEROUS MEANING

EXPLANATION: Ultimately, Paul emphasizes where these things lead if we give way to the Dangerous Messengers with their Dangerous Message.

Galatians 3:4–5 KJV 1900

Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. 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?

Many of these first century Christians had suffered persecution, often at the hand of the Jewish religious groups.

Don’t forget it was the Jews that called for Jesus’s crucifixion.

They had suffered for the faith that they were now struggling with.

Paul simply asks, “Was that all in vain… was your suffering for nothing?”

Because to turn away from the truth of the Gospel and to act like it was their works that gained God’s favor, was to make all of their suffering a waste!

He reminds them in v.5 of why they took a stand in the first place!

The miracle of salvation came at the hand of God, through faith not works!

And it was because of that stance, many had endured grave persecution for it.

Was it all in vain? Was it all worthless?

ILLUSTRATION: Hebrews 11, is one of those landmark chapters in the word of God.

The writer walks verse by verse through the heroes of the OT who by faith, saw God do great things.

As he reaches the end of the chapter, he says I’m out of time to tell you all the stories.

Hebrews 11:32–35 KJV 1900

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

Man we love those victory stories of those who stood for Christ and won!

But then he takes a turn in his writing in v.35b

Hebrews 11:35–40 KJV 1900

Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

So many died for Christ having stood for the truth of the Gospel

Having taken a stand when the rest of the world stood against them

They knew that to turn back would have made their message they had preached with their life, vain!

With all those in mind, he continues in Hebrews 12:1-3

Hebrews 12:1–3 KJV 1900

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

APPLICATION: Friend, with the multitudes who have gone before us and stayed faithful to the truth of the Gospel

May we keep our eyes on Jesus, and not some man made standard that we think makes us appear a certain way!

Don’t fall to the dangerous messengers with their dangerous message, because if you do it will give the dangerous meaning that what you said you believed wasn’t real!

It’ll destroy our testimony for Christ

It’ll take away from the power of Christ

CONCLUSION

Friend, were you saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves?

If you were, then live like that is how you were saved!

If you live like it wasn’t you that earned it, you’ll stop acting like there was something about you that deserved it!

You’ll stop acting like there is something about your standards or actions that makes you “godly”

And you’ll realize that it is a relationship with Christ that puts you in a right relationship with God!

Christian, have you been bewitched?

It’s a serious matter.

May we decide this morning to be led, not by some standard, but by the Spirit of Christ.