I learned from my reading Chapter 14 in the Life-Study of Galatians that covers chapter 3 of this Epistle. In verses 2 and 5 Paul is contrasting these two dispensations: This only I wish to learn from you, Did you receive the Spirit by works of law or by the hearing of faith? And then a few verses later Paul says: He therefore Who is supplying to you the Spirit and doing works of power among you, is it by the works of law or by the hearing of faith? Witness Lee points out on page 119 that in these two verses you can also see the two sides of God’s New Testament economy:God’s New Testament economy is a matter of supplying the Spirit and receiving the Spirit. On God’s side, He supplies the Spirit; on our side, we receive the Spirit. The supplying of the Spirit and the receiving of the Spirit do not take place once and for all. On the contrary, they are continual. According to 3:2 we have already received the Spirit. But according to 3:5, God continues to supply the Spirit to us. Day by day God supplies the Spirit, and day by day we receive this supply of the Spirit” (Lee, Witness. Life-Study of Galatians. Anaheim: Living Stream Ministry, 1979, Print).
I really like that it is a continual receiving, it is not a once for all event. As I was thinking about this, I realized God's always supplying, but am I receiving? In both of these verses I'm seeing that both my initial receiving of the Lord and my daily receiving a supply of grace hinge on my hearing of faith. From my experience I know that when I read the word or hear a word of ministry, I come under a hearing of faith. Something sparks in my heart. In this message Witness Lee shares that when we hear the word of God, faith is infused into our heart and we spontaneously believe it. This word showed me how critical our hearing God's word and ministry are!!
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