Reflection on Gal 3:6-7
Verse 5, preceding verses 6 and 7, reads: “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?” Once again, the Apostle emphasizes here that God works miracles not because we keep the law but because we have believed and stand in the faith. The Scripture clearly emphasizes that we must not suppose that God justifies us through our own effort to keep the law. We would be mistaken just as if we thought that God gives us His Spirit through our own effort.
The Apostle continues in verse 6: “Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” The Apostle points to Abraham again and sets him as an example of faith. He believed God, believed in God’s almightiness, and he stood in this faith even in the face of hard trials. Faith was accounted to him for righteousness; in other words, he was justified of his sins by faith. The Apostle continues in verse 7: “Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” The faith in one God the Creator is the foundation for justification of sins. Today we hear about interreligious dialogue with pagans, and we even hear the heresy that they have their own way to salvation and that we all have the same god, which is a lie! We all were created by the same God, but pagans deny this one and supreme God the Creator and worship their own gods who are in fact demons. Only those pagans are like Abraham who follow their conscience, which is the voice of God. When they see around them the immense universe and the wisdom of the mystery of life, they refuse to worship demons and believe in the Supreme God. Then they try to live according to their conscience, avoid evil and do good. Even though these people have never heard about the Lord Jesus, they actually do receive Him inwardly and through Him they attain salvation. However, it is only in exceptional cases that pagans follow this path, because they are exposed to strong pressure, even terror, from sorcerers, shamans and pagan cults. It is not easy to be set free from such bondage. Therefore Christians are obliged to preach to them the fundamental truths of faith, so that they may believe and be saved. If instead of carrying out true mission they just proclaim a kind of interreligious dialogue and in the name of a false tolerance are silent on Christ and salvation, they are to blame for the damnation of souls. Today we hear a false opinion that mission is not necessary, that it is proselytism, and that pagans have their own way to salvation. This is a big lie and deceit!
Verse 8 reads: “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith…” So it is our duty to proclaim the true faith in Jesus Christ!
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