When Paul preached the gospel in Galatia, some came to know the true and living God.  This happened as they trusted in Jesus alone. Later, these people turned from trusting Christ alone to Christ plus law observance.   

In response, Paul writes, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes, Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” He then asks about their past experience. 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? God’s Spirit came into their lives making everything new.  By the Spirit, they came to know the true and living God as their Father.  By the Spirit, God worked transforming miracles among them.  Truly, they knew God as dynamically present among them. And all this happened simply by trusting in Jesus.  They knew nothing about law observance.   And so, they really must continue trusting in Christ plus nothing. 

Paul’s words to the Galatians point the way forward for us.  We are not to invest everything in Jesus alone and then add our own religious self-efforts to move on deeper and fuller.  We must rather continue investing everything in Christ alone.  Each one of us must say, with Paul, I no longer live but Christ lives in me as the one who loved me and gave himself for me.  And as the one who constantly loves me giving himself to me and for me so, that I can give myself more fully to him.  From beginning to end, we trust in Christ plus nothing.