This summer, the bible study I’m part of has been reading through Galatians. We’ve been learning about how the Galatians were following some false teachings—believing that somehow their good works were what saved them and not solely the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

I can kind of understand why the Galatians were led to believe they were saved through their works. If it was anything like it is today, it was probably a rewards-based culture. You do good works, you get rewarded for it, plain and simple.

This week, as we were studying Galatians 3, verse 3 really stood out to me: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”

I appreciate Paul’s choice of words here. My flesh is far from perfect. I know more than anyone how prone I am to wander according to the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of possessions (1 John 2:15-17)—and there’s no way I’m being perfected by my flesh.

It’s only by the grace of God that I’ve been saved, and it’s only through the Holy Spirit that I’m being perfected. This doesn’t give me a license to sin and follow the desires of my flesh. I’m going to do my best to respond to God’s love with obedience in order that my light might shine before men.

I’ll do the obeying; only God can do the perfecting.