Introduction

Good morning, beloved family of Christ. It's a joy to gather together in His name, as we continue to grow and learn on this road of faith, this path of discipleship to which we have been called.

Today, we have the privilege to open the sacred pages of God's Word, to drink deeply from the wellspring of wisdom and truth found in the book of Galatians. Specifically, we'll be focusing our hearts and minds on Galatians 5:13-25. Let's read it together.

'You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 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. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.'

Freedom Found in the Spirit

When we think about freedom, we often think about it in terms of physical or political freedom. But the freedom that Paul is talking about in Galatians is a spiritual freedom. It's a freedom from the power of sin, a freedom from the law, and a freedom to serve others in love. This freedom is not something we can achieve on our own. It's a freedom that is found in the Spirit.

The Spirit is our guide, leading us away from the desires of the flesh and towards the desires of the Spirit. The desires of the flesh are those things that are contrary to God's will. They are things like sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy. These are the things that lead to death and destruction. But the desires of the Spirit are things like love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the things that lead to life and peace.

When we walk by the Spirit, we are not under the law. This doesn't mean that we are free to do whatever we want. It means that we are free from the condemnation of the law. The law shows us our sin, but it doesn't have the power to save us from our sin. Only the Spirit can do that. The Spirit not only convicts us of our sin, but also empowers us to overcome our sin.

The freedom that we have in the Spirit is not a license to indulge the flesh. It's a call to serve one another humbly in love. This is the fulfillment of the law. The entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' When we love others, we are demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. We are showing the world what it looks like to walk by the Spirit.

Walking by the Spirit is not a one-time event. It's a daily decision. It's a decision to say no to the desires of the flesh and yes to the desires of the Spirit. It's a decision to live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit. This is the path of freedom. This is the path of life. This is the path of discipleship.

Fruitfulness Fostered by the Spirit

As we continue to reflect on the powerful words of Galatians 5:13-25, we find ourselves drawn to the image of fruitfulness ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO