Life In The Spirit

Life in the Spirit

Galatians, Part 11

Galatians 5:13-26

Introduction

- Lots of scripture this week; almost an old fashioned bible drill for us

-- RE: Scripture testifies to scripture, and so I want us to clearly see that today

- Recap:

- It’s because of freedom that Christ set us free

-- IMP: Standing firm is not a suggestion; it is a command of how we should live

- Starting from the very beginning of the Law we are told to stand firm

-- Exodus 20:3, “You shall have no other gods before me.”

-- We shall live with God at the forefront of our lives; and stand firm always

- But when we live a life based on our righteousness; we are away from Grace

-- When we decide to take upon ourselves that we know best; we alienate God

- Jesus doesn’t persuade us to live outside of God’s glory; we need Him

- (v9) we also receive a warning: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

-- RE: It only takes a little bit of leaven to ruin the entire batch, or sin to person

- Read Galatians 5:13-26

- Pray

∆ Point 1 – Freedom isn’t Free

- (v13) Paul gives some very clear guidance that the freedom in Christ isn’t free

- It has come at a price to even be called free; a price that you or I couldn’t pay

- 1 Cor 6:20, “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

- Paul’s tone here is a reminder that what we have isn’t ours

-- There is a price to be paid for sin; and because of it we are in a state of debt

- IMP: It is a debt that we can never repay through our own works

-- This is why the application of Ephesians 2:8-9 is so important to us all …

- Eph 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.”

- Paul’s instruction to the Galatians is to remember who they are (v13-15)

-- Remember who they have been instructed to live like; remember the price paid

- APP: Do not think that because you are now free, we can live like we want

-- Why? Because we cannot go on living in sin and ignoring what God has done

- Romans 6:1, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?”

- Romans 6:2, “By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

- It is a direct violation of scripture to think that we can go on living in sin

- This is the importance that Paul places on GRACE; but it’s GRACE from Christ

-- We cannot live our lives seeking to devour and tear down one another (v15)

- Churches experience this all time; let a little scandal happen and watch the buffet

-- It is like a feeding frenzy in Jurassic Park and you and I are the main course

- The focus is not only one of GRACE, but one of LOVE (agape: without limits)

-- Jesus also taught this as well to show us how we should be living

- John 15:12-13, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

- But, why would we live this way?

- John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

- Paul’s reminder to the church in v15 is that the loss will be on both ends

-- APP: If we wage war against one another … someone ALWAYS loses

- Sometimes, you actually have to walk away from the noise and not feed into it

-- If not, we will destroy one another if we continue the fight and back-biting

- TRANS: So, if Paul gives all these “do nots”, what does he say that we can do?

-- The answer is … PLENTY! Check it out …

∆ Point 2 – Acts vs. Fruits

- (v16) To walk in the Spirit is to breathe life; to walk with the Lord before you

-- It is not a matter of personal “want to”; but an instruction to strive for; desire

- (v17) The flesh will never equal the spirit’s desire. But what does this mean?

-- What you want to do should never replace what the Spirit says for you to do

-- APP: This is where the whole understanding of obedience comes into play

- It is NOT about what our desires are (never was); but about what God says