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
- There is a conflict in how we choose to live over what God’s commands say
-- This is most evident in the revelation of the Law to us (cannot keep the law)
- v18, if you are under grace, Spirit led, then the Law does not rule over you
-- Because in Grace, God’s will for your life is clear: To Live Like Christ
∆ Point 3 – How shall we live?
- So, considering the laundry list of things in v19-21 one thing is pretty clear …
-- All of these items are from the flesh; they represent the sin and wickedness
-- These things represent what is most needed to be removed in the life of man
- (KJV) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
- APP: We ought to be on the lookout for these; and put to death in our lives
- When you have the do not’s – it always helps to have the “DO’s” as well
-- Thankfully Paul doesn’t leave this list out there with nothing to follow
- Here is what God says to be involved in (v22-23); “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
- There is nothing that prevents us from living this way; we are encouraged here
-- We are encouraged to live with these things in our lives as banners before us
-- To walk in love, in peace, in kindness, in faithfulness, in self-control
- TRANS: So, if we know the dos and don’ts … what is our take away?
-- Re-read verses 24-26
∆ Big Idea
- MAIN APP: Those who belong to Christ are identified with Him; live like Him
- (v24) it is a desire we have of surrender and offering ourselves as His servant
-- To exclaim that HE is all that we will ever need; it is HIM that gets the glory
- This is where we get into trouble … when we do things in our name
-- Or, we do them in His name expecting Him to bless our own greedy desires
- APP: If we are truly followers of His; our will is surrendered to His control
-- If we live by the Spirit, keeping in step with Him will produce spiritual things
- Question: “I want to know God more” Answer: “How are you living today?”
- Caution: Do we have big heads and segregate ourselves? (v26) “Let us not”
- Pray
