The Law of Christ

We are going to wrap up our study through Galatians chapter 5 today.

I hope it has been helpful for you to understand the difference between the desires we all have to do things we know are not good for us.

VERSUS

The fruit of the spirit that has been given in order to serve others in the love of Christ.

Last time we met, we talked about:

Keeping in step with the Spirit

Keeping in step with my neighbor

We talked about the practical and supernatural nature of this command.

Take your work, your thoughts, your struggles before the LORD with confidence.

Our sin dies at the cross, so you can take your temptations to the cross where they belong.

Think of the cross like a tombstone where sin belongs

Then see yourself as the new, resurrected person, new creation, turn and walk away from what you buried there.

Unlike loved ones, don’t return and put flowers on what you leave at the cross.

There is a supernatural power behind this.

Activated by faith.

Now, Paul is not going to leave us without an example.

WHY?

***** NEXT SLIDE *****

Because two lists were given.

15 Works of the flesh

9 Fruits of the Spirit

Meaning, we will look around and measure ourselves against others.

Those who are better than me

I might want to cut down, find any fault

Those who are worse than me

I might become conceited, thinking more of myself than I ought (Gal 6:3)

And look, we all do this.

But that is not an excuse to intentionally engage in it.

If you find yourself doing this, I suggest you take some time to figure that out, or find someone to talk to who can help you identify the root.

My daughter is going through this, because 7th grade is painful!

What does our Apostle have to say about this?

What example will he use?

Galatians 5:26 BE:NT

We shouldn’t be conceited, vying with one another and jealous of each other.

Example of one who is doing ‘Works of the flesh.’

Okay, imagine this:

A group of people who are coalescing around a new thing, followers of the Way.

In this group, you have a mix of backgrounds.

Romans

Greeks

Jews

Masters

Slaves

Unmarried

Married

Young

Old

Differences in race

Before, if you were a Jew, you were isolated.

Now, you are commanded to take this message to the world

You come with your cultural context

To be effective, you must understand and work with the cultural context of others.

Meaning, some will hang the toilet paper to unfold on the front, others from the back, some just set it on the back of the toilet.

Some squeeze the toothpaste from the back, others the front, still others the middle.

Or less important things like

Traditional roles in the home

Educational precepts

Loyalty to governments

Not to mention, the original mandate to Abraham in Genesis was to be a BLESSING to all nations.

The promise was not to be a BURDEN to all nations.

You can imagine the discord that might erupt between

A devout Jew who sees Jesus as Messiah and understands more than others

VERSUS

A devout Roman who has the gift of healing from the Spirit of God, but limited knowledge

So don’t play this game.

It is damaging to relationships and people

Moreover, it is not approved in scripture

On the other hand…

If someone is really struggling, can we help them?

CERTAINLY!

Galatians 6:1 BE:NT

My dear family, if someone is found out in some trespass, then you—the ‘spiritual’ ones!—should set such a person right, in a spirit of gentleness. Watch out for yourselves: you too may be tested.

Example of one who is living by the ‘fruit of the Spirit.’

That term ‘found out’ is better translated as entangled in as to be seen.

Given the context of the previous chapter, it is one who is intentionally building a chair, everyone can see it, everyone knows what it is, and you have discovered that…

You cannot seem to stop building chairs.

You build them all the time

It is affecting relationships

Hopefully you understand what I am talking about.

Well, not just anyone is to help them.

One who is firm in the fruit of the Spirit (spiritual ones)

Or ones who live in step with the Spirit

Notice how the correction comes:

In gentleness

I have seen the opposite of this in churches.

But, understand, you too will be tempted.

To do what, the same trespass they are caught in?

Maybe

But more likely, conceit, vying with them, and jealousy.

Galatians 6:2 BE:NT

Carry each other’s burdens; that’s the way to fulfil the Messiah’s law.

I want to make a connection to this verse that is not common.

To give you a sense of how important this command is.

You shall place no other gods in my rightful place

You shall not make any image like anything in creation and then bow down and worship it

You shall not bear (lift) the name of the LORD your God as a worthless thing

For the LORD will not hold them guiltless; the one who treats the name of the LORD as a worthless thing

Remember the sabbath day

Honor father and mother

Shall not murder

Shall not commit adultery

Shall not steal

Shall not bear (lift) false witness

Shall not covet your neighbor or his things

That third commandment is what comes to mind when I read this command from Paul.

I have two things that draw my attention:

Carry - something

Law - what is commanded

When we carry the burdens of another, we are:

Taking the Name of the LORD in a worthy manner

CLOSE:

Today’s burdens are new and seem unusual.

Our world is changing so quickly

So quickly, that I am convinced it is spiritual, supernatural.

The work of the enemy of God

When evil is working in our culture, we see it, and we just want to yell at it, tell it to go away, cast it out, so to speak.

But we must be DILIGENT to differentiate between evil and the person

Especially if they are a confessing Christian.

In our desire to chase evil away, we might chase a person away from Christ.

The Law of Christ