Relying on the Spirit: The Path to Maturity"

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The Book of Galatians, written by the Apostle Paul, addresses the churches in Galatia to counter false teachings and reaffirm the truth of the gospel. Paul emphasizes that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of the law or adherence to Jewish customs like circumcision. He passionately defends the doctrine of justification by faith alone, arguing that believers are set free from the law’s burden and are called to live in the liberty of God’s grace. The letter also highlights the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, who enables believers to live a life marked by love, righteousness, and the fruit of the Spirit. Paul warns against legalism and self-reliance, urging the Galatians to remain faithful to the true gospel and to walk in the Spirit, not the flesh. Ultimately, Galatians is a powerful declaration of the freedom and grace found in Christ.

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Relying on the Spirit: The Path to Maturity"

Galatians 3:3 ESV
Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?
के तिमीहरू यति मूर्ख छौ, कि आत्‍मामा सुरु गरेर शरीरमा शेष गर्दैछौ?

Spiritual Beginnings Require Spiritual Growth

The Role of the Holy Spirit at the Beginning: When the Galatians accepted Christ, they received the Holy Spirit as a seal of their salvation (Galatians 3:2).
This marks the start of every believer’s spiritual life.
Just as human life begins with physical birth and requires nourishment to grow,
spiritual life begins with the new birth through the Spirit (John 3:5-6).
Paul reminds them that just as they could not earn salvation through human efforts,
they cannot grow spiritually apart from the Spirit’s power.
Spiritual Growth as an Ongoing Process:
Spiritual growth involves moving from immaturity to maturity in faith from milk to solid food (Hebrews 5:12-14).
This process is not about abandoning grace and the Spirit to rely on human effort
but about walking daily in the Spirit’s power (Galatians 5:16-18).
Philippians 1:6 assures believers that "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ," emphasizing that growth is God’s work from start to finish.
The Danger of Relying on the Flesh: Paul addresses the Galatians' error of trying to perfect themselves through human strength and legalism.
He highlights that the flesh—symbolizing human weakness, self-effort, and sin—cannot produce spiritual fruit.
Romans 8:6 explains, "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."
किनभने, पापमय स्‍वभावमा मन लगाउनुचाहिँ मृत्‍यु हो, तर पवित्र आत्‍मामा मन लगाउनु जीवन र शान्‍ति हो।
True growth happens as believers remain connected to the Spirit, not by reverting to old ways of self-reliance.
Growth Requires Continual Dependence on God:
Spiritual growth is not automatic.
It requires an ongoing relationship with God, grounded in faith, prayer, study of the Word, and obedience to the Spirit.
Jesus’ metaphor of the vine and branches in John 15:4-5 illustrates this dependence: "Apart from me, you can do nothing."
'ममा रहो, र म तिमीहरूमा रहन्‍छु। जसरी हाँगा दाखको बोटमा रहेन भने त्‍यो आफैले फल फलाउन सक्‍दैन, त्‍यसरी तिमीहरू ममा रहेनौ भने तिमीहरूले पनि सक्‍दैनौ। “दाखको बोट म हुँ, तिमीहरूचाहिँ हाँगाहरू हौ। यदि कोही ममा रह्यो भने, र म त्‍यसमा रहें भने, त्‍यसले धेरै फल फलाउँछ, किनकि मबाट अलग रहेर तिमीहरू केही गर्न सक्‍दैनौ। '
Believers grow as they abide in Christ and rely on His Spirit for strength and direction.
From Justification to Sanctification: Justification (being declared righteous) is an act of God’s grace at the beginning of salvation, while sanctification (becoming more like Christ) is the continual work of the Holy Spirit.
The two are inseparable, and both require God’s power.
Galatians 5:22-23 shows that spiritual fruit—love, joy, peace, and others—comes from the Spirit, not human striving.

Dependence on Grace, Not Works

Salvation is by Grace Through Faith: The Galatians had initially received the gospel and the Holy Spirit by believing in Christ (Galatians 3:2).
Paul reminds them that just as they could not earn salvation through works, they also cannot grow spiritually through their own efforts.
This aligns with Ephesians 2:8-9, which emphasizes that salvation is a gift of grace and not a result of works.
'किनभने अनुग्रहबाट विश्‍वासद्वारा तिमीहरूले उद्धार पाएका छौ— र यो तिमीहरू आफैबाट होइन, यो त परमेश्‍वरको वरदान हो— कर्महरूद्वारा होइन, नत्रता मानिसले घमण्‍ड गर्नेछ। '
एफिसी 2:8-9
Human Effort is Insufficient: Paul uses the term "foolish" to highlight the absurdity of starting in the Spirit (grace) and then trying to be "perfected" through the flesh (works).
Human efforts alone, no matter how disciplined or well-intentioned, cannot produce the righteousness or holiness that God desires.
Romans 8:3-4 explains that the law was weakened by the flesh, but God accomplished what the law could not through Jesus Christ.
'पापमय स्‍वभावले दुर्बल पारिएको हुनाले व्‍यवस्‍थाले जे गर्न सकेन परमेश्‍वरले गर्नुभयो, अर्थात्‌ उहाँले आफ्‍ना पुत्रलाई पापमय शरीरको स्‍वरूपमा पापबलिझैँ पठाउनुभयो।
यसरी उहाँले पापलाई शरीरमा नै दण्‍ड दिनुभयो, यस हेतुले कि व्‍यवस्‍थाको उचित आवश्‍यकता हामीमा पूर्ण होस्, हामी जो पापमय स्‍वभावअनुसार होइन, तर पवित्र आत्‍माअनुसार चल्‍दछौं। '
रोमी 8:3-4
Sanctification is a Work of the Spirit: Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Christ, and it is the Holy Spirit who empowers this transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Galatians' reliance on human effort implied a misunderstanding of how God works in the believer's life.
Sanctification is not about striving harder but about yielding to the Spirit's work, living by faith, and depending on God's grace daily (Galatians 5:16-18).

Faith Over Legalism

Faith as the Basis of Salvation:
The Galatians received the Spirit not by works of the law but by hearing and believing the gospel (Galatians 3:2).
Paul emphasizes that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through legalistic practices (Galatians 2:16).
This aligns with the core gospel message: "The righteous shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17, Habakkuk 2:4).
Faith acknowledges that humans are incapable of earning salvation or favor with God through their deeds.
Ephesians 2:8-9 affirms that salvation is a gift of grace through faith, not a result of works, so no one can boast.
Legalism vs. Grace: Legalism—depending on rules, rituals, or personal accomplishments—cannot lead to spiritual growth.
Instead, it fosters pride and frustration.
Grace, however, frees believers to trust in God's power and rest in His sufficiency.
Romans 6:14 states, "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."
किनकि पापले तिमीहरूमाथि राज्‍य गर्नेछैन, किनकि तिमीहरू व्‍यवस्‍थाको अधीनमा छैनौ, तर अनुग्रहको अधीनमा छौ।
Faith Produces True Righteousness:
Faith is not passive; it is a dynamic trust in God that leads to transformation by the Holy Spirit.
Unlike legalism, which focuses on external behavior, faith produces genuine, Spirit-led righteousness.
This is evident in the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and others—which flow naturally from a life rooted in faith (Galatians 5:22-23).
Paul contrasts the works of the law with the freedom that faith brings.
He reminds the Galatians that through faith, they are adopted as children of God and heirs of His promises (Galatians 3:26-29).
This identity cannot be achieved through legalistic striving.
Faith Trusts in the Finished Work of Christ:
Legalism implies that Christ’s sacrifice was insufficient and that believers must contribute to their salvation through works.
Paul refutes this by stating that Christ redeemed believers from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).
Faith rests in His finished work on the cross, recognizing that no further payment or effort is required.Romans 4:5 declares, "And to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." This demonstrates the sufficiency of faith for both justification and sanctification.
Freedom in Faith vs. Bondage of Legalism:
Faith liberates believers to live in freedom, as they are no longer bound by the impossible demands of the law (Galatians 5:1).
This freedom does not lead to sin but empowers believers to live in love and obedience through the Spirit.
Legalism, by contrast, burdens believers with guilt, fear, and a sense of inadequacy because it demands what humans cannot achieve.
Faith shifts the focus from human effort to God's grace, fostering joy and confidence in His provision.
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