Lenten Midweek 5 (2023)

Galatians 5.2-6.5

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ we come to the end of our series as we meditate finally upon Paul’s encouragement towards good works, and sanctification. Throughout the Epistle he has been urging them with great passion that it is not by works of the Law that they are saved, but rather by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and what He has done for our sake.

He is bold here at the start of our lesson, and when he speaks of Circumcision he uses that to symbolize the entire Law. Now the translators were playing on words a bit here, saying that circumcision severs you from christ, but the greek means that you have been been released, and that you have nothing more to do with. So when it says severed, it means you have no part with Jesus, that is why he says you have fallen from grace.

The good works that we are called to do aren’t circumcision, rather the works we do receive their strength from the faith that has been created in our hearts by the Word and the love that God has poured into our hearts. It is out of that love that was received by faith that we do good works. Now if we have faith we are already saved, and the love that we show our neighbor wouldn’t save us because we have already been saved.

Rather we are called to walk by the Spirit of sonship that we have received from Christ and the Father. That spirit by which we cry Abba, Father. So we do not wish to gratify the desires of the flesh, which wants to lead us back into sin. For while we belonged to the world we lacked the Spirit of God, and so we only had the voice of the flesh that led us from sin to sin, but now that we have the Spirit of the God dwelling in our hearts, we are lead away from those things.

That we ought to use our freedom to serve our neighbor, and to help them out. For our freedom is that we have been set free from the powers of sin, death, and the devil, not that we have been set free from service to our neighbor, but Christ has freed us from the punishment that we deserved and bore it for us that we might live.

Having been set free from those chains of sin, the oppression of the Law that always said do, but never said done. We want to walk by that Spirit that has been given us. For while we cannot save ourselves, by our sins we can end the new life that Christ has given to us. Reason doesn’t like this, if we can be damned by our works, then why can’t we be saved by them? But think of this in terms of life and death, can a dead person will themselves to life? No. But Christ gave us that Spirit of Sonship that we might live and breathe again. Can a living person by negligence or foolishness end the life they have been given? Yes. So you can lay back down in the grave.

The works of the flesh are what bring an end to this life we have been given in Christ. That is why we are encouraged to walk by the spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh.

The first three can be linked together, Sexual immorality, which is to say anything that is not one husband and one wife, and so if it is outside of that it is not permitted. If it is impurity means being and doing that which ought not to be done. Sensuality means a lack of self-control and licentiousness, but all of these are common problems for Christians still today.

Then he includes the next two idolatry and sorcery, this is related to the worship of false gods and the demonic. Both of which are on the rise again as people have begun to explore old religions looking for something new. We see hinduism spreading under the guise of Yoga and astronomy is on the rise, relying on the stars/universe for energy or guidance.

Then he begins with enmity which is hatred and look there at everything that is connected with it, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, and divisions, and envy. It is easy to hate, but that is not what Christ has poured into our hearts, rather the Love of God has been given to us, and we ought to allow it to grow greatly. But all of these turn against our fellow man and bring about our own destruction.

Finally Drunkenness, orgies and things like these, which include losing oneself in the pleasures of this world, we can add to this drug abuse, and other addictions. The world seeks to escape, and hide from their problems and to find fleeting joy in the pleasures of the flesh.

Rather we ought to nurture the fruits that the Spirit has planted in our hearts, here he gives a short list and one that is worth memorizing and keeping with us. Tending to it as we would a garden not that we grow these on our own, but rather with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that comes from the Father and the Son that these might fruits be cultivated in you. Look at the with me, Love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

These things are fruits and they take time to grow, some fruits bear quickly in our life, and in the soil of our hearts, but others take time, but that doesn’t mean we just give up on them. Rather we patiently nurture them that they might grow. You might wonder why do I need these fruits? What am I to do with them once they are grown. These fruits aren’t grown for you, but for your neighbor, that you might share with them what Christ has shared with you.

For look at those fruits and consider how Christ shared these same fruits with you, that He showed you love, gave to you joy in your salvation, that He stilled our hearts with peace, showed you great patience despite your sins, and the kindness he showed to us while we were yet still sinners. The list goes on.

The works of the flesh are done for yourself and for your own pleasures, which is why it must be crucified that is put to death for those dedicated to the flesh care only about what they want, and do not look at their neighbor, but rather seek their own good. Whereas these fruits are shared and the world needs them. Consider a person who has the fruit of kindness in abundance and how they are a joy to be around? These are meant to benefit others for that is how we live by the Spirit keeping in step with the spirit of sonship that has been given to us.

Now this is a difficult calling and one that all of us will confess we have failed at, how many times has Christ planted the seeds for these fruits in our heart only for us to trample them underfoot, forget to water them, or nurture them by forgetting to be in the Word and in Prayer. This is why Christ has called us to be part of a church, so that if anyone is caught in any transgression that those who are spiritual might restore them in a spirit of gentleness.

Now gentleness does not mean weak that allows the person who is caught to do whatever they want. There is strength, but strength that is under control that seeks to restore them, that is to bring them away from their sins and back to the flock. It is a difficult task and one that Christ calls us to do as well. Indeed Christ speaks about this in his sermon on the mount, and that before we go to our neighbor that first we remove the log from our own eye before we remove the speck in our own.

So we approach our brother or sister in Christ as fellow sinners who know these struggles against sin, and that is not easy to crucify the flesh and its desires, but we know that we can lose salvation if we allow sin to reign in our lives. So we come alongside them, not joining them, but pointing to them the cost and danger of their path, and then pointing them again to the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for us, and that he will take them back. For it is not the Law that changes hearts, and frees us from sin as Paul has made clear it is the Gospel that frees us from the works of the flesh, and they need to hear it again.

MY brothers and Sisters in Christ, There is still a bit more in this epistle, and I would encourage you to read it at home, for this letter is needed in the Church for we are continually tempted to rely on works of the Law, but it is faith alone that saves. That faith bears fruit that blesses our neighbor for we have everything we need in Christ Jesus our Lord. So let us rejoice this coming week in the work that Jesus has done for us as He goes to the Cross, so that we might be children of God, and heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Jesus name. Amen.