Psalm 14:1: “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God…” Man acknowledges that there is a designer in man’s handiwork, but he foolishly does not acknowledge that there is a Creator.

1. Foolishness in terms of no salvation (Gal 3:1): In terms of the things of nature or physical things, foolishness means no intelligence (IQ). But in Galatians 3:1, it refers to foolishness in the spiritual realm. The Greek word for “bewitched” (used once only in the New Testament) means charmed. A charmer is someone who can sway you with his feigning praise. Just as the false teachers who duped or seduced the Galatians into thinking that there is no salvation, when the Apostle Paul had already presented the gospel of salvation clearly. These Galatians were not born again. The born-again Galatian believers imitated Apostle Paul and Silas because they had experienced the power of salvation. Even though they suffered persecutions, they continued to share the gospel.

Jesus gave us the honour to share the gospel. The foolishness is about the understanding of the gospel. The power of the gospel has been presented over and over again. All the hearer needs to do is to believe. When we share the gospel, we are bringing the hearers to the entrance of heaven. These foolish Galatians had heard the gospel but when the false teachers came, they were bewitched by them.

2. Foolishness in terms of doubtful salvation (Gal 3:2): Paul wanted to ask the Galatians: when a person becomes a spiritual person, how does the Spirit of God come to dwell in him? Getting baptized or doing Christian works/activities do not save us. If so, our faith would no longer be by grace but by one’s own work; and Jesus would not need to come to earth. It is by the grace of God that we are saved. Not by the works of the law, but by the hearing of faith, and simply believing and identifying ourselves with the Holy Spirit. We cannot fake it or falsify it. We are to be the children of faith, not cynical adults, and believe with the simplicity of a child.

3. Foolishness in terms of mixing salvation (Gal 3:3-4): We are not to mix salvation with the works of the law. Paul pleaded with the Galatians who once suffered persecutions. Why would they want to give Christ up (“in vain”)? When Jesus breathed His last words, “It is finished,” at the cross, He has secured our salvation. We can be saved! But we are not to mix our salvation with our works of the law.