Paul chastises the Galatians again, using a different word for “foolish.” One lexicon defines the underlying word here as  “pertaining to an unwillingness to use one’s mental faculties in order to understand.” There is a fundamental inconsistency in their behavior as compared to their salvation. God does not save a person by the working of His Spirit, and then expect that person to finish the work of sanctification through his own efforts.

The great anomaly of this is that there is an inner compulsion in the “old man,” the flesh, to perform and to work. Paul is not talking about spiritual passivity, for he says in other places “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). We are to “walk by the Spirit” (Gal 6:25). Or as the NIV puts it, “keep in step with the Spirit.” We must learn what God is accomplishing in us and cooperate with Him, for He will complete what He began in us (Phil 1:6).

The perfecting of the Christian is accomplished by the work of the Spirit in us by faith. It is not something we merit or earn through our righteous deeds, whether it be circumcision, keeping the law of Moses or our own rules and regulations. Many today have overlooked the teachings of grace and Spirit in the New Testament and create “Christian laws,” thereby forfeiting the freedom they have in Christ (see Col 2:20-23). This is not of the Spirit.

To be sure, the Spirit does not lead us into lawlessness. Outward fleshly desires lead us to sin that imprisons us in guilt and spiritual uselessness. Inward fleshly desires attempt to overcome the outward fleshly desires with rules and conformity. So both the inward and the outward fleshly desires work together to hinder the Spirit’s work in our life. That’s why it is so foolish to attempt perfection by the flesh—it simply won’t work. The Spirit has a better way.

A further appeal is made to their experience of suffering, which was in large part due to Jewish persecution for embracing faith as opposed to the Law of Moses. This harassment went back to Paul’s first visits when the Jews stoned him and left him for dead (Acts 14:19). The Galatians were willing to suffer for their new-found faith. However, if it turns out that the Law of Moses was required, then all that suffering would have been for nothing.

We must resist all efforts at legalism, that is, living by a set of Christian laws. Yes, we discipline ourselves for maximum spiritual effectiveness, but we dare not confuse this with sanctification, which is a work of the Spirit.