By the Hearing of Faith

"I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? 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? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or BY THE HEARING OF FAITH?---just as Abraham 'believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, 'In you all the nations shall be blessed.' So then those who of faith are blessed with believing Abraham."

(Galatians 2:20,21-3:1-9)

The Old Testament is loaded with testimony of God's working of miracles for Abraham and the children of Israel. When Jesus Christ came, he preached the word of His Father AND He healed, delivered and produced provision: manifesting God's will to Israel (and others who pressed in to Him) supernaturally. He supplied the Spirit and worked miracles.

Paul writes the Galatians not to be deceived, but to understand that the Spirit of God in manifestation comes now through faith in Christ, and no other way. If you listen to the crowd of lawyers, who will be glad to say that God doesn't do that any more, you will have no manifestation of God's presence. They don't have it, have explained that absence away, and would be glad for you to join them--excluding you from God's complete, or perfect plan of salvation. Paul writes that 'the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God'-portraying Jesus Christ as crucified!

"By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh if of God" (1 John 4:2) You see that it is commanded that we confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh!