July 31, 2025

THE GRACE OF JESUS IS ENOUGH

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.”

Galatians 3:1-5 NLT

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TODAY’S THOUGHT

Paul is fired up in this passage—and for good reason. The Galatian believers had been clearly taught the gospel of grace, and they had embraced it. But now, they were turning away from that truth, falling under the influence of false teachers (the Judaizers) who insisted that faith in Christ wasn’t enough—that obedience to the Law of Moses was still required.

Twice Paul calls them “foolish”—from the Greek word anoetos, meaning “mindless,” “unwise,” or “spiritually dull.” But this wasn’t ignorance from lack of knowledge. They knew the truth. They had seen the message of Jesus “as clear as if painted before their eyes,” yet they were now drifting back into legalism.

Paul asks a few hard-hitting questions:

• Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law?

• Does God work miracles among you because you follow the rules?

His point is unmistakable: It is not the law, but faith in Jesus, that saves, empowers, and transforms us. The Spirit came not because they performed well, but because they believed well.

Religious rules never brought about real spiritual life. The law could point out sin but could never cleanse it. Only grace, through faith in Christ, does that.

Trusting Jesus isn’t like getting a spiritual jumpstart. It’s like receiving a brand-new heart. It’s not a defibrillator—it’s a transplant.

When we believe in Jesus, God doesn’t just patch us up—He makes us new. We are born again. A new heart beats in us. New desires emerge. New direction forms. Why? Because the Holy Spirit has moved in—not because of our efforts, but because of His grace.

This grace is a gift, not a paycheck. We could never earn it. And we should never try to add anything to it. Jesus is enough.

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TODAY’S PRAYER

Holy Spirit, open my eyes to the richness of Your grace. Remind me that I can’t earn Your favor—I can only receive it through faith. Help me live fully in Your grace and be a vessel of that grace to others. Amen.

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