“Life in the Spirit”
Part Four
REVIEW
The fifth chapter of Galatians details what a life directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit looks like.
I. Life in the Spirit
Many Christians have little knowledge or experience with the Holy Spirit. Relationship with the unseen Spirit of God sent to reside in the core of our being appears all through the New Testament. That relationship is the key to life and growth. His ministry is key to regeneration, renewing, filling, placement into the body of Christ, prayer, worship, spiritual gifting.
Paul focused on the work of the Holy Spirit related to everyday living the resurrected life.
A. It is a life of true freedom in the Spirit.
B. It is a life of competing passions. Spirit vs. Flesh
For the Christian, life is all about living by the power of the Spirit. Only through surrender to the Spirit do we have the ability to live above the desires of flesh life and successfully resist the attacks of the Devil and consistently live a fruitful life.
C. It is a life of godly behavior.
Just as we are able to discern when the flesh is in control by our behavior and attitudes, we can discern when we are living by the direction and enabling of the Spirit by our behavior.
Paul identifies Spirit led attitudes and behavior.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Paul uses a singular not plural noun. Someone suggest that this Spirit generated fruit is like an orange with the individual sections. Remember, all these Christ-like characteristics come about first by reason of conversion and second by reason of a continuing sanctification by the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus exhibited all of these characteristics throughout His ministry on earth.
Jesus is the supreme example of all of these traits.
1. Love vs. indifference
Love really regulates all behavior.
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8
God requires us to love Him and people. God enables us to love Him and people with His Spirit-inspired love.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:7-8
Scripture never put a limit on love. In fact, God continually encourages us to love more and more.
2. Joy vs. gloom, negativity
Joy is that internal elation inspired by a healthy perception and realization of God’s past, present and future working of all things together for our good and His glory. God works the horrific things that from life in a fallen as well as the delightful and weaves them into a mysterious but magnificent tapestry that bring about our growth and His glory.
Joy requires a critical perception adjustment. It is like adjusting the lens to make a fussy picture clear. We need to learn to experience joy. It takes a new perspective on life. We need to learn to see things from God’s perspective. Sometimes we can see it on the other side of the difficulty. Rarely do we experience it during the difficulty. We must first trust God. We must then accept the fact that difficult trials are necessary to produce fruitful lives. We must be more focuses on the result than the process. Only then can we experience joy or consider it all joy.
3. Peace vs. anxiety, worry, chaos
God’s peace has to do with a calm contentment in spite of challenging circumstances. It referred to a sense of wellbeing, being blessed due to our relationship with God. It is the contentment that comes from the realization that God is in control and powerfully orchestrates everything for my good and His glory. It seems the same perception that inspires joy also inspires peace.
4. Long-suffering vs. short fuse
Love can be an emotion or an action. Joy and peace fall into the emotion category. The next three characteristics relate to our interaction with people. Out of all the things that challenge our walk with God, dealing with people is the most difficult. One book written for pastors was entitled “Well-intentioned Dragons”. The great philosopher “Lucy” from peanuts said, “I love the world, its people I can’t stand.” Given the number of admonitions in the New Testament to get along, it was obviously an issue for the early followers of Jesus. Paul included a whole section of indicators of a flesh-driven life.
hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy... Galatians 5:20-21
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32
But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:15
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Galatians 5:26
The Holy Spirit directs us and enables us to respond to difficult people and situations. Paul used the term “longsuffering”. The Greek term appears 14 times in the New Testament. It comes from the marriage of the word “makro” and “thumos”. Makro means long. Thumos is one of the Biblical terms for “anger”. You end up with the concept of taking a long time to become angry. It is often translated by the English word “patience.
Longsuffering is a better translation. We often suffer at the hands of insensitive fleshly people.
God calls for a short fuse. The Spirit enables us to withhold thoughtless reaction to allow us to consider an appropriate godly response. James reminded us…
Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20
That is how God deals with us.
Do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect long-suffering as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. 1 Timothy 1:15-16
who once were disobedient, when the long-suffering of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 1 Peter 3:20
Some feel that Methuselah became the signal for the destruction. At his death, the judgment would come. One of the reasons he lived so long was because of the long-suffering of God.
Regard the long-suffering of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 2 Peter 3:15
It is the long-suffering of God that will provide opportunity for others to some to Jesus before the next catastrophic demonstration of the wrath of God. Were it not for the long-suffering of God, none of us would survive. It follows then that as we follow the direction of God the Holy Spirit, long-suffering would be a characteristic of ours as well. We live in a culture that has little tolerance for suffering not matter its source. We too quickly react to any inconvenience.
We have fast food, instant coffee, microwave dinners, faster internet, convenience stores, and instant service. We certainly don’t tolerate difficult people or situations. The very word longsuffering indicates that there is suffering and inconvenience involved. As we live by the direction of the Holy Spirit our comfort or convenient is not the primary goal. Ministry and service to others for the sake of Jesus is the primary objective.
If that requires personal sacrifice we are to respond with joy.
Remember Paul’s response last week?
But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me. Philippians 2:17-18
Listen to Paul’s testimony in regard to the Corinthians.
In everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
He commended Timothy for having learned godly behavior from Paul
Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:10-12
Paul prayed that the Colossians would demonstrate long-suffering
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and long-suffering; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Colossians 1:9-12
The power for long-suffering comes from the power of God working in our life. It is long-suffering accompanied with joyous thanksgiving for His continued work in our life. Paul instructed them to cooperate and wear this characteristic.
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Colossians 3:12-13
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2-3
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:12-14
How quickly do we react to people and life? We are to consider it all joy when we encounter life’s difficulties. We are to respond to difficult people with long-suffering and forbearance.
The purpose is preserving unity and demonstrating God’s love.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. Ephesians 5:1-2
Our response to people graphically indicates whether we are living by the flesh or the Spirit.
5. Kindness vs. apathy
6. Goodness vs. selfishness
Both kindness and goodness are major attributes of God. Scripture references them both extensively. Each one deserves its own series. Both terms refer to unselfish and unconditional loving actions that aim to meet needs and relive misery. Scripture reveals God as both GOOD and KIND. Luke summed up the ministry of Jesus like this.
"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5
You are good and do good; teach me Your statutes. Psalm 119:68
O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8
Goodness is difficult to define. We apply the English word to a multitude of application. Good meal, good health, good day, good game, good behavior or deeds. I suppose the common denominator in all our uses of the term has to do with something we view as beneficial to us or others. God is righteous and does good to us as we in turn are to live righteously and do good for others. God is also kind. Sometimes the idea of love and kindness is combined referring to God’s lovingkindness. Kindness flows out of a heart of love and compassion to reflect love and relieve misery.
Rom 2:3-4 speaks of the “kindness” of God that leads to repentance.
Eph 2 speaks of God making us alive together with Christ so that in the ages to come he might continually demonstrate to us for eternity the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Titus 3 speaks of the kindness of God and love for mankind appearing resulting in salvation on the basis of mercy not personal works so that we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
“Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:35-36
This includes unconditional acts of kindness apart from personal merit. These acts of kindness include ungrateful and evil people. Since God is with us and the Holy Spirit lives within us, kindness and goodness should naturally flow from our lives to others. We become like a stream of refreshment to thirsty souls in a dry land. In fact, that is what Jesus said would happen after the Holy Spirit came to indwell believers.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39
Jesus indicated that we would become a conduit for thirst-quenching living water. As the character of the Holy Spirit fills our life, we become like salt, light and water. The Bible clearly instructs us to both be good and kind to those around us. Our demonstration of goodness and kindness to others brings refreshment.
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. Gal 6:9
Do not grow weary of doing good. 2 Thes. 3:13
Do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, longsuffering when wronged, 2 Tim 2:24
God doesn’t say that such behavior would be easy. The flesh continually clamors for a self-centered focus. It’s all about me and mine. It’s all about my good and my feelings. Much of our benevolence hopes for some sort of personal payoff.
If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. Luke 6:32-34
Love is longsuffering, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 1 Corinthians 13:4-6
Notice the similar concepts that are found in the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy (rejoicing), longsuffering, kindness, gentleness, not easily provoked, not selfish. Our goal ought to be a consistent demonstration of this kind of character. This is the result of the Holy Spirit’s influence in our life.
Where does it come from?
It will only be evident when we live by the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
It we are not demonstrate such characteristics, the stark reality is that we are not living by the Holy Spirit’s influence but the influence of our contaminated flesh. How do we live by the Spirit? There are six Biblical practices.
II. Living Life in the Spirit
A. Live by submitting to the direction and enabling of the Holy Spirit.
B. Deny the flesh.
C. Renew our thinking
D. Focus on Jesus.
E. Make no provision for the flesh (don’t feed the flesh)
I found another important practice contained in the very same area as the discussion concerning living by the Spirit in Galatians.
F. Encourage one another
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1-2
The concept of encouragement related to avoiding sin is prevalent in the New Testament.
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But encourage one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:12-13
Would those closest to you describe you as a loving, joyful, calm, longsuffering, good and kind person? If we were listening to the Holy Spirit they would. Please don’t try to be more loving, joyful, calm, longsuffering, good and kind. This will become just another set of humanly impossible rules to follow. Focus on who is in charge of your life; the flesh or the Spirit. Use your failure to live up to this list simply as an indication that you are listening to the wrong influence.
