“I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.” (Galatians 3:5)
The Galatians knew that they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed, not when they obeyed the law. People still feel insecure in their faith because faith alone seems too easy. People still try to get closer to God by following rules.
While certain disciplines (e.g. Bible study, prayer) and service may help us grow (and these should never be neglected), they must not take the place of the Holy Spirit in us or become ends in themselves. Christ must be the foundation of our faith.
The Holy Spirit gives Christians great power to live for God. Some Christians want more than this. They want to live in a state of perpetual excitement. The tedium of everyday living leads them to conclude that something is wrong spiritually. Often the Holy Spirit’s greatest work is teaching us to persist, to keep on doing what is right even when it no longer seems interesting or exciting. The Galatians quickly turned from Paul’s Good News to the teachings of the newest teachers in town; what they needed was the Holy Spirit’s gift of persistence. If the Christian life seems ordinary, you may need the Spirit to stir you up. Everyday offers a challenge to live for Christ
Because the God who sent the law also sent the Spirit, the by-product of the Spirit-filled life are in perfect harmony with the intent of God’s law. A person who exhibits the fruit of the Spirit fulfills the law far better than a person who observes the rituals but has little love in hrs or her heart.
(LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE, NEW LIVING TRANSLATION)