THE FOOL WHO DIDN’T FINISH WHAT HE STARTED
Galatians 3:3
Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
It is a popular cliché’ to say: “Don’t start what you can’t finish”. But in this context, I would rather say: “Be careful to finish what you have started”.
Paul used a very harsh term but true to its description: foolish. To describe the Galatians who had abandoned what they started because of outside pressure.
This is no news at all to find people who don’t finish what they started because of pressure.
THE GALATIANS
The Galatians who were regarded as gentiles with regards to the Jews being the chosen of God, received the message of the cross through Paul. A message that brought hope and reconciled them back to God through faith and not through the works of the flesh or through the ceremonial cleansing according to the laws of Moses.
Jesus Christ was preached unto them, and at the same time was made manifest to them through signs and wonders and deep convictions of the heart as a result of the Holy Spirit’s work through the preaching of the Word of God.
They got convinced so much that they had to abandon their paganistic ways to embrace hope that has been made tangible by the hearing of the word. They suffered many things because of their conversion. They received the Holy spirit, and they saw and witnessed the evidence of Christ’s crucifixion. I would say, the revolution among them was enormous that at some point it became the rave of the moment to be identified as a Christian.
ENVY STARTS
Then One day, some Jews began to envy them and started sowing seeds of doubt among other Jews that if these gentiles have thoroughly been redeemed then they should be circumcised and also follow through with the ceremonial cleansing as required by the laws of Moses. Surprisingly, many began to fall by this new doctrine.
This was where Paul came in because they have abandoned what they started.
REALITY
They were letting go of Christ for Moses.
They were letting go of faith for the law.
They were letting go of the Spirit for the flesh.
Alarming? But this is where quite a number of us have pitched our tents. We have abandoned what we started to embrace something else without a promise.
You started Spiritually then how ridiculously to think that you will perfect the spirit through the flesh? The flesh cannot support the Spirit in all its purpose. In order to finish what you started; you must abide by the means with which you started.
Hebrews 11:6 but without faith, it is impossible to please God…
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, our journey with Christ started by faith and once we abandon faith then we are no longer walking in pleasing to God. The only thing that impresses God is our faith and not our works. Paul spoke to the Galatians that anything not done by faith is sin.
So back to my opening statement; it is through faith that we can finish what we have started with God. Jesus Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith. In as much as some of us have got airtight plans and goals for the year, faith is still essential to get God involved in them. God cannot be ruled out and we still succeed.
Our plans and goals impress Him when they are rooted and sprinkled with faith.
This week, let faith be foremost in your plans.