By works or by the Spirit?
“I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?”
Galatians 3:2
How often do we condition our relationship with God on earthly circumstances? We say we seek Him first, but deep down, we live as if we need certain achievements to truly draw near to Him. Galatians 3:2 confronts us with a crucial question: did we receive the Spirit through works or through faith? Every moment is the right moment to reevaluate where our heart truly is.
Beyond the Conditions
“But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
We often say God is our priority, but in practice, we wait to seek Him “once life is in order”—when we have a more comfortable home, a better job, or a calmer routine. We condition our relationship with the Father on earthly stability, as if He needed those things to draw near to us.
As if everything rested on the foundation of God, but He were the foundation of nothing.
The Kingdom of God is not limited by circumstances. God doesn’t only show up in luxurious temples or peaceful, well-structured homes. He is with us in simplicity, in struggle, in chaos, and in silence. The faith that pleases God is the kind that seeks Him in every season of life.
It takes courage to seek God without excuses. When we prioritize the Kingdom over “ideal conditions,” we discover He’s already there—ready to transform us regardless of the setting. In doing so, we burn the wagons of vanity, comfort, and procrastination, and surrender to what is eternal.
Burning Self-Sufficiency
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
Proverbs 19:21
When God’s people crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, they were instructed to leave certain things behind—their wagons and human strategies. God wanted them to trust Him entirely. In the same way, today we are invited to burn the wagons that represent our own methods, controls, and desires.
It’s not our lifestyle that moves heaven—but genuine faith does. When we turn our spirituality into a trade-off, promising ourselves we’ll seek God after we’ve achieved something, we drift from our true purpose. God is not a bargaining chip for our dreams—He must be the first and most important step. Everything else comes after.
To burn the wagons is to acknowledge that control is in His hands. It is to let go of emotional, material, and social crutches that we use as excuses not to go deeper. Only then can we walk freely in the fullness of God’s purpose.
Receive by the Spirit and Live by Faith
“The righteous will live by faith.”
Romans 1:17
We received the Spirit by faith, not by merit. And if we began by faith, why do we insist on continuing by works, comparisons, or human accomplishments? The Christian life is a process of continual surrender, where we trade what is temporary for what is eternal.
God calls us to live supernaturally, trusting not in structures, but in His promises. Faith doesn’t depend on circumstances—it depends on trust. And that trust leads us to worship Him not for what we have, but for Who He is. Our blessings are not a reward for good behavior but an expression of the Father’s infinite grace.
The same God who began the good work in us will complete it. And that work did not begin when we achieved something external, but when we believed. He has already given us everything—His presence, His Spirit, and His salvation. And that is more than enough.
by
Rapha Abreu
Rapha Abreu é Jornalista e Produtora cultural, e faz parte da equipe de marketing, redação e produção de conteúdo da Mr. Rocco.
