Receiving the Spirit

Galatians 3:2 says

"This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?"

For most part we quote the verse this way.

"Have we received the Spirit by works of the law or by faith”

But what we quote is wrong. Paul is very clear in his question “Have we received the Spirit by works of the law or by the hearing of faith”

Notice the words “hearing of faith”.

I remember a friend of mine he was desperate to receive the gift of tongues. He saw his friends who believed in Jesus after him receive the gift of tongues. His desparation led to frustration.

Few of my so called intelligent friends took him all places for pastors and leaders to pray for him so he would receive tongues, when he did not it only increased his frustration. He given up all hopes about receiving the gift of tongues. It started to hurt him when he heard “tongues is the basic and also the most powerful of the gifts”

All my friend here was asked to do or made to believe was that it was by faith. But what most of his well wishers forgot was that Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. In Paul's question too he speaks about receiving the Spirit by hearing of faith.

Look at Peter when he was preaching at Cornelius's house. Scripture says in Acts 10:44

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word...”

and it continues in Acts 10:46 that

“They heard then speak with tongues and magnify God”

The same friend of mine was attending a retreat with me. This man of God who was preaching this retreat spoke of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. For him the primary concern was not receiving the gift but hearing the word of God and he encouraged us all in the word of God.

At the end of the retreat when we were praying all of them in that hall spoke in tongues. Yes, even this friend of mine.

He had to wait 6 years to hearing the word and know the truth. I wrote this blog to reach out to people with the truth.

So it is not by faith but by hearing of faith that we receive the Spirit.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.”’

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