Don’t Switch Engines

“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” — Galatians 3:3 (KJV)

Paul wrote a frustrated letter to the Christians in Galatia. They had become Christians by trusting Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit. But then they started trying to finish the job by their own effort, keeping rules to prove themselves. Paul asks: “Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

Murray says this is one of the biggest problems among Christians everywhere. Here is how he describes what the Galatians did:

“Having begun in the Spirit, they tried to perfect the work that the Spirit had begun in the flesh by their own effort.”

Think of it like an engine. You started your Christian life running on God’s power: trusting him, receiving his grace, amazed at his love. Then, without noticing, you switched engines. Now you are running on effort: trying hard, doing the right Christian things, keeping it going by willpower. And you wonder why you feel tired and dry.

“Flesh” in the Bible doesn’t just mean bad desires. It also means human effort without God: doing good things in our own strength. You can go to church, read the Bible, serve on the youth team and still be running on the wrong engine.

Murray’s message for every believer is direct: “Nothing will help you unless you come to understand that you must live every day under the power of the Holy Spirit.”

This doesn’t mean doing nothing. The Galatians weren’t wrong to want to grow. They were wrong about where the power came from. The same faith that started your Christian life is the faith that continues it. You came to Jesus by trusting him; you keep going by trusting him.

How do you know which engine you are running on? One sign is how you feel when you fail. If it is all crushing guilt and frantic promises to do better, you may be running on effort. Another sign is pride when things go well. Running on the Spirit looks more like dependence: asking God for help before you start, thanking him when things go well, coming back to him quickly when they don’t.

So check your engine. If you have switched, you can switch back. Tell God, and start trusting him again, today.

One thing to do this week: before each main part of your day this week, school, sport, a job, time with friends, pause for five seconds and pray: “Holy Spirit, I can’t do this well on my own. Help me.” Notice whether it changes how the day feels.