Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity (2023)

Galatians 5:16-24

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, when Jesus freed us from the power of sin, death, and the devil. It was so that we might flee from that land of darkness where we were oppressed by satan, and leave behind the works of the flesh and instead dwell with Christ and bear fruit for the benefit of our neighbor. In our Epistle lesson today, St. Paul speaks about the desires of the flesh and the desires of the spirit, that now at war within the Christians, there are two separate wills that seek dominion and power over us. Let us learn what the fruits of each of them are, for there is a way that leads to death and we ought to flee from it.

Works of the Flesh

The first three deal with unchastity.

From the beginning God had designed Adam and Eve for each other, and gave them the command to be fruitful and multiply to fill the earth, but with the fall into sin, this has become corrupted and is not as it should be.

Technology is not the cause, but it is an aid.

These sins have become much easier with the advances in technology, but this struggle is one that has plagued mankind for thousands of years, but it is a way that leads to death. This is why the Scriptures encourage us, that if we burn with passion, we ought to get married, and then honor the marriage bed.

The next two reject God.

You cannot both serve idols or practice sorcery and claim to love God. The Scriptures are quite clear there is no other God, than the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and whatever tries to worm its way in must be resisted.

The heart is an idol factory.

For even though we don’t see many idols around us today, they are in our hearts. Consulting the stars to determine what our day will be like instead of the one who made the stars, or trusting that things will be ok if we have money, family, friends, etc.

Sorcery is working with demons.

You might think why on earth would anyone be tempted by working with demons, well its because life has not gone the way they want it to, so if God isn’t giving them what they want, when they want it, they reject his plan and want to do their own thing.

The next group deal with anger.

Enmity is deep hatred, which leads into strife, and jealousy, and when we are jealous we tend to throw fits at how unfair the world is, this then creates rivalries. It leads to discord, and the Scriptures are clear, that the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. It is of the flesh, not the spirit.

Our culture tends to bless these sins.

Thinking that if a person was really angry that must mean the other person deserved it. Therefore they must be in the right, no it means they lack self-control. What about when I am wronged? Take it to the authorities who will achieve justice as God’s servants, for that is why God appointed them.

The final two deal with indulgence.

Drunkenness and orgies, but the primary meaning of the Greek word here is carousing and revelry which then lead to other things at night. It’s because the word comes from the name of the Greek God Comus.

These could be summed up as gluttony.

The Scriptures do not forbid us from drinking alcohol, but they forbid drunkenness. In like manner, we also are not to overindulge in eating. It means that you aren’t being a good steward of what God has given you. Don’t get me wrong its tempting, especially with all the tasty stuff we have.

What is the End of these things?

Those who indulge in these sins have no place in the Kingdom.

That’s what the text says, That they will not inherit the kingdom of God. That’s a sobering statement. For we treat some of these sins as casual or acceptable in God’s sight, but when we hear how God sees them its shocking.

God is holy and that means He is against sin.

It is utterly opposed to who He is, for there is no darkness in Him. That’s why on the one hand we fear him, for his Holiness is against the sin that dwells inside of our hearts, and we know that being just God must punish sin.

Why doesn’t God punish them immediately?

It is because of God’s steadfast love and mercy. His patience isn’t permission, but His fervent hope and desire that repent of our sins, and instead find shelter in Jesus.

New Life From Christ

Jesus took our sins upon Himself to the Cross.

We are to remain in the shadow of the Cross, where Jesus has taken upon himself all of these sins, all the guilt, and all the shame that comes from our failings that we can see clearly in the light of God’s holiness, and then

Jesus buried and left them in His tomb

He took them down into the grave on Good Friday and left them behind on easter morning. That death was not going to be our end, for He suffered the punishment for our sins, and brought them down into hell that they might remain there. Then

Jesus gave you the Spirit that you might have life.

That you might no longer be dominated by the sins that enslaved you any longer, but instead that in christ you might find peace and hope in him. This is the fruit of Christ’s cross that Jesus has given to you and nourished you with that you in turn may also bear fruit.

Fruits of the Spirit

These fruits grow from faith which the Holy Spirit creates.

These are not naturally characteristics that you have on your own, but these were given that you might be strengthened in your faith and grow by His grace.

What was sown that these might grow?

It was the fruits of Christ’s cross the benefits that Jesus won for you.

Jesus, who was full of the Spirit, planted these seeds in you.

He did so through the Word, the promise of God that He has and will forgive your sins for the sake of Jesus.

Consider how He bore each fruit for you?

Jesus shows His love, by his willingness to lay down his life for you, the great joy He has that he found you, Jesus brings peace to anxious hearts who look at a world filled with trouble, but He says take heart for I have overcome the world. Jesus is patient with us even when we are weak in the faith, this shows His kindness for us, for He shared in our flesh and understands our weaknesses. Jesus is good and just and does what's right even when it’s hard, painful or has great cost. Jesus is faithful and keeps his promises to us, He is gentle with us when we fall restoring penitent sinners like even peter who even denied him. Jesus was not ruled by his fears, but entrusted himself to His Father’s will. Jesus bore all of these fruits for you.

Walking by the Spirit

The life of a Christian is one of struggle.

This is the 3rd use of the Law, there will be days that everything seems to go well, and then temptations will strike and overpower you quickly. It hurts to fall especially when we thought we were so strong.

Every time you fail, confess and entrust your sins to Jesus.

In confession, Christ takes in his hands all of your guilt, all of your shame, and all of your sins, takes them down into the grave, and then you hear the joyfully proclamation, I forgive you.

Some fruit will bear quickly, others will take time.

We might think of each person as types of soil with different nutrients, it might be that joy is easy for you, it might be self-control, but also be aware that this means there some weeds will grow easier than others.

It is important that we be good stewards of what Christ has given us.

For we do not want the fruits that has given and planted in our hearts to wither away, or be choked out by the sins of the flesh. For if we are to live by the Spirit, then we must be where the Spirit is active. In the Word and Sacraments which means at church.

So My brothers and sisters in Christ, we dare not gratify the desires of the flesh and bring ourselves back down into death after Christ has raised us to life. Rather see what Jesus has given you. Forgiveness, life, and salvation and the Spirit, that you might be the children of God and heirs of heaven. May these fruits grow in our hearts, and when the desires of the flesh come, resist, and fight back. You will not be free of this struggle so long as you live in this world, and that is why week in and week out, we come before Christ to receive His gifts again, and again. In Jesus name. Amen.