Growing in Christ: The Work of the Spirit, Not the Flesh
📖 Insights from Day by Day by Grace – Bob Hoekstra
📸 Photo Credit: Unsplash
"Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?"
—Galatians 3:2-3
The Christian life begins with the work of the Holy Spirit, and it continues the same way. Paul’s question to the Galatians exposes a common human tendency—to start by trusting God but then attempt to grow by self-effort. We know we could never earn salvation through our own works, yet how often do we drift into striving, as if spiritual maturity depends on our own strength?
From the moment we believed, the Spirit indwelt us. By His presence, we were born again, declared righteous, and made alive in Christ. None of this was achieved by our own efforts; it was entirely the work of God through faith. The same remains true for our growth in Him. It is not a matter of gritting our teeth and trying harder, but of yielding in trust to the One who began this work in us.
Consider a tree planted by a river. It does not struggle to grow, nor does it strain to bear fruit. It simply draws from the life-giving waters at its roots. In the same way, our transformation into the image of Christ happens not by striving in the flesh, but by drawing continuously from His life within us. What was true at our beginning is true now—our life is in the Spirit.
If we find ourselves exhausted from trying to “make ourselves better,” it is time to return to simple faith. The Spirit who made us alive in Christ is fully sufficient to conform us to His likeness. Rest in Him, and let Him accomplish what only He can do.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rejoice that You have given me everything I need for life and godliness in Christ. Just as You saved me by grace through faith, I trust You now to live Your life in and through me. I abandon self-effort and embrace the work of Your Spirit. You are faithful, and I rest in the certainty that You will complete what You have begun. Amen.