"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?" (Galatians 3:1).
When Paul preached to them, Jesus was set forth before the Galatians as openly crucified before their eyes. So vivid was the presentation that they could actually see Him crucified. It was not only skillful word painting on the part of Paul and imagination on the part of the Galatians. Through Paul the Holy Spirit enabled them to see Him crucified.
This experience of the Galatians cannot be peculiar to them. The cross of Christ is a present thing. The expression, "Come to the cross," is not an empty form of words, but an invitation that can be literally complied with.
Not until one has seen Christ crucified before his eyes, and can see the cross of Christ at every turn, does one know the reality of the gospel. Many there are who can testify that it is something more than a figure of speech when the apostle says that Christ was crucified before the eyes of the Galatians. They too have had the experience.
The question, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3:2) admits of but one answer. It was by hearing with faith. The Spirit is given to those who believe (John 7:38, 39; Eph. 1:13). The question also shows that the Galatians had received the Holy Spirit. There is no other way of beginning the Christian life. "No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit" (l Cor. 12:3).
No works that one can do can bring Him into the soul, any more than a dead man can manufacture the breath by which he can be made to live and move. Those to whom Paul addressed this letter had seen Christ crucified before their eyes and had accepted Him through the Spirit. Have you also seen and accepted Him? [1]
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