Bewitched into not obeying the truth

Galatians
{3:1} 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?
{3:2} This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
{3:3} Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
{3:4} Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
{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? {3:6} Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

**

Who has bewitched you?

Bewitched

Dict. bewitch (bî-wîch´) verb, transitive
bewitched, bewitching, bewitches
1. To place under one's power by or as if by magic; cast a spell over.
2. To captivate completely; entrance.

Clearly it would take bewitching to keep these people from obeying the truth.

Jesus Christ was with these people, crucified among them. These people received the Spirit.

Do you see what this is saying?

These people had, they received past tense, the Spirit. These people have been bewitched. These people no longer obey the truth. Having had Jesus Christ crucified before them they were now getting caught up in the works of the law.

Foolish people, people who started out in the Spirit now believe that they can save themselves through works of the flesh.

These people suffered! Suffered for their faith through the Spirit and now it would all be in vain if they turned from the truth.

Those ministering the Spirit to them- working miracles, are they doing it by works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

Abraham believed, Abraham had faith and it was the faith that was counted to him for righteousness, not his works. His faith. His belief.

The truth.

What is the truth?

It is obviously something that we can choose to obey or not obey.

The truth, Christ crucified, Christ our risen Savior, Christ sender of the Comforter, Christ who told us to wait for the Spirit, that He'd send the Spirit to us.

John
{14:15} If ye love me, keep my commandments.
{14:16} And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
{14:17} Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
{14:18} I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John
{14:25} These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
{14:26} But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
{14:27} Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid.

John
{15:26} But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me

John
{16:7} Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
{16:8} And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment
{16:9} Of sin, because they believe not on me;
{16:10} Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
{16:11} Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
{16:12} I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
{16:13} Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
{16:14} He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
{16:15} All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

**
The Spirit of Truth.

Being bewitched not to obey the truth, scary business.

If anyone says to you that you are saved if you do this, or do that, and they don't say that you are saved by the grace of God, by the sacrifice of His One and only Son Jesus Christ, you can't believe them, you just can't. You can't accept that you are saved by the grace of Jesus and then go on to think that your salvation is based on your works, that what you do saves you, that you save yourself by your actions. It's always and only Jesus who saves, by the grace of Jesus we are saved, we live with the Spirit of truth He sends to us and we become followers of Jesus, any good work that follows as a result is only through His grace, by His grace, all glory goes to God for any good that comes from us. We can take no glory to ourselves. We glorify our sweet Savior, all merciful, all loving.

Our faith is counted righteousness, not our works. Our faith is needed. Eph. {2:8}’For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {2:9} Not of works, lest any man should boast.’

The truth is Jesus. The truth is we are saved by grace not of works and we can't ever forget that, not ever.

We can't let ourselves be bewitched into not obeying the truth.

Let us keep the truth ever before us- for by grace we are saved through faith, by the grace of God, by the grace and mercy of our Savior, through faith in Jesus we are saved. Through faith in Jesus we receive the Spirit of truth. Through faith, through Jesus forever and for always.

Amen.