The Apostle Paul (speaking for God, of course) did not spare the churches of Galatia.

Despite the evidence set before them and previously accepted by them, they had strayed from obedience to the truth.

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth…?” (Galatians 3:1).

I wonder what he would write to Christians of my region. Or even more specifically, the Christians of my congregation.

If it hasn’t happened yet, what or whom could entice me away from obedience to Jesus?

I know, I know — the issue at hand for Paul and the Galatians had to do with justification. Is it by faith or by works? The Galatians had slipped into an imbalanced emphasis on works.

Paul is correcting their error, urging them back to the foundation of salvation through faith.

But he did not cast aside or even minimize the importance of obedient faithfulness (works!).

“So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” (Galatians 3:9).

We laud (correctly and Biblically) the faith of Abraham.

Let’s not forget he was also faithful; that is, given to obedient works as an irresistible outworking of his faith.

God puts it this way in the Epistle of James:

“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (2:17,18).

So I land on this question: What does my life (ie, works) reveal about my faith?

And this one: How alive (is, works) is my faith?