Do you want better?
Notes
Transcript
Do you want better?
Do you want better?
We are working through Galatians chapter 5.
Last week we opened up by going through a selection of verses between 1 & 16.
We left off at verse 16 last week.
Let me say this to you: live by the spirit, and you won’t do what the flesh wants you to.
Paul just completed the setup for his opening statement:
It was for FREEDOM that Christ set you FREE. So stand firm.
You were running well, who hindered (bewitched) you from obeying truth
NOTE: It was not God (Gal 5:8)
You are FREE, but don’t abuse that freedom.
Instead love one another
Otherwise, you will bite and devour one another
So, we left with this question:
What does it mean to ‘live by the Spirit?’
I am set free
I can be hindered
Love others instead of abusing and devouring them
**Transition:
Paul is going to setup his argument, and it might not make much sense at first.
For the flesh wants to go against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you can’t do what you want. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law.
Some describe this as a tension.
It is worse than that
Here is the battle that you experience:
You are going through life and you are presented with a choice, a decision.
Do I choose the right, Godly thing? Or...
Do I do what I want to, follow my selfish ambition?
*****DO THIS*****
Take a moment, think of an unwise decision you made. Don’t think about the outcome, just think about a decision you made and you knew better.
Best if the course of action you took was a direct violation of God’s law.
Worship another God, abusing others, lying, dishonoring parents, stealing something that was not yours, envy…you know, the main ones.
Now, listen carefully. I am going to ask you a question, but I don’t want those sitting in front of others to know your answer.
So, keep really still. Don’t move your head, raise your hand, or give anything away.
Let’s practice being still. :-)
When you did that thing you are thinking about, did you know it was wrong?
Breaking an actual law
Breaking a moral law
Breaking God’s law
Did you know when you did it?
Did knowing the law of God prevent you from doing it?
Okay, here is another one.
Have you failed to love your neighbor, or even a family member, by mistreating them?
Did you know that God commanded you to love them, even when you hated them?
Don’t shake your head!
One more...
Have you been able to help someone and you didn’t for whatever reason?
Did you know at the time that scripture says we should help when we can?
Have you needed help and you did not ask?
Did you know that scripture says we should make those needs known?
Have you ever made yourself a reminder to behave better, written on a sticky note?
Question: Did writing down that ‘law’ and posting it prominently cause you to stop doing it?
Maybe for a bit
But did it change your desire?
Question:
Do you want better?
Are you are just stuck in the time warp loop of ‘What was I thinking’ decisions?
NO AMOUNT OF LAW or WRITTEN CODES will CHANGE YOU.
This is why Paul defines the fight between the ‘flesh’ and the ‘spirit.’
There is no conflict between the ‘flesh’ and the ‘law.’
The law is powerless to change you.
And that is what the rest of this verse means...
*****NEXT SLIDE*****
You see, you cannot figure out why you do what you do.
You cannot figure out why you want better, but you just can’t seem to ‘get there.’
Paul would say, you are stuck living under a law. You are an encyclopedia of ‘self regulations and rules’ that have no power to change you.
They do have the power to produce guilt, anger, frustration, powerlessness, hopelessness, etc.
When you add ‘biblical’ laws, the guilt goes to eleven!
You might start to wonder if there is something wrong with you.
You might believe that you don’t have enough faith to change.
You might wonder if you are even lovable.
You could think that God hates you, otherwise this stuff would just work.
Maybe you are the epitome of evil.
Paul is doing something quite striking:
He is looking at his bible (the Hebrew Bible) and he notices something.
All these laws, and Israel is not able to change.
They were LED from slavery in Egypt to freedom only to be enslaved by their passions and desires.
Moses failed to lead them to freedom from their passions and desires.
And who on earth can lead you away from destructive passions and desires?
This is why you buy self-help books. Maybe one of these people can lead you to the promised land of living well, living a better life, health, wealth, and glory.
Psychology can help to some degree, but you must want to be better.
Even then, the desires and passions remain, you just learn tools to manage them
They are still written or unwritten rules.
NOTICE: ‘Since you are led by the Spirit...”
There is no one on earth that can help you.
The one who can help does not live on earth anymore.
He resides in the heavenly places, in the unseen.
How does the Spirit work in your life?
Quiet voice
The nudge
The thought, often in your own voice, ‘You sure you want to do that?’
The thought, ‘You crossed a line, you need to apologize.’
And don’t be deceived:
As long as your body is breathing and your mind is working there will be a conflict with the Spirit.
The moment you think you have it figured out and you have overcome, you are ripe for a fall.
Second, the Spirit of God does not ‘empower’ you to KEEP the law of Moses
No, the Spirit is in the lead, and he functions by TWO principles:
Love God
Love Neighbor
You must appeal to a higher power.
This is not some balance between the ‘law’ and the ‘flesh.’
Paul is speaking of an entirely new way of living, being led by the Spirit.
And if you want to know how humans respond to God’s leading, just take a trip through the Torah (first five books) and you will see how that goes!
I opened this by asking
Do you want better?
Here is how I have to think about this, practically, and this might work for you or not.
I have to ask the question, ‘When do I want better?’
If I want better now, I am subject to some deception
If I want better forever, then my motivation changes
For that to be true, I must believe...
My choices have cosmic consequences
There is a verse that I did not cover because we started towards the end of Galatians, but here is what it says...
Galatians 3:25–29 “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian (law). For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male OR female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
Through faith in Christ you are sons and daughters of the Most High God.
*****NEXT WEEK*****
So why, as though it matters, do you want to fulfill the desires that are in conflict with the Spirit?
In other words, if you are considering or are having an affair, is that something that is preserved in God’s Kingdom forever? Does that add any value to your eternal life?
Then why do it?
If there is no anger in the Kingdom of God, then why have it now?
You cannot store up the treasure of anger in Heaven
Do you realize the power you have to overcome the cosmos when you are led by the Spirit?
When we can get to this point, you will be shocked at what becomes unimportant.
You will see your role in cosmic history and its importance
You will care differently about cultural events
You will care more about people you see who are enslaved to culture and their minds
And you will realize that more laws (liberal or conservative) will not fix the problem
Do you want better?
Do you want better?