Fresh Wind - Week 2 (Research)

Spirit Led

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

Galatians 5:13-26 (NIV)

13 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. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 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. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 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. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NIV)

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt

Observations:

God calls us to live free not chained. An assumption when surrendering to God is that its a life of lack and slavery when in reality it’s a life of freedom. **Assumption

In our freedom given by God we have the potential to stray and indulge the flesh… ** Problem

The encouragement is to “serve one another in love”. It seems that when we are in the flesh, we are selfish. Avoiding the service of others in love and focused on self and self alone. **Problem

You can’t live in the Spirit and not love. If you are not loving you are not in the spirit. **What God has to say

bickering and disunity has an end and the end is destruction. The cost is not worth it.

When we are in the Spirit, we avoid arbitrary "biting” and “devouring”

The flesh always desires opposite of the spirit. The flesh is carnal, evil, and will betray you. Do not put your hope and faith in the flesh. **What God has to say

When we accept Christ we are not to do whatever we want because we are now called away from sin, death, and the grave. Why go back to what Christ saved us from? Therefore we live with the conflict of the Spirit and the flesh. Learn to indulge the Spirit. **Assumption

Reality, if you are led by the Spirit then you are not under the law. In other words my freedom is no longer attached to what I do, but who I belong too. **Assumption

Living by the flesh is obvious through actions. Paul list these in verse 19.

Verse 21 is very strong, choosing to live under the yoke of sin willingly is choosing hell.

Living in the Spirit produces fruit. Like living in the flesh living in the Spirit also produces action

Crucifying the flesh in line with denying self like Jesus taught.

“let us keep in step with the Spirit” meaning this is daily activity. In other word we may be provoked, tested, challenged, however just because we are doesn’t mean it gives us permission to no keep in step with the Spirit. It should empower us to lean more into the Spirit. **Solution

Our freedom is not meant to indulge the flesh. Don’t take advantage of God’s mercy and grace. True freedom is not a license to sin but to serve God. **Assumption and problem

Verse 16 “walk” is present tense. The use and meaning of this word is for “habitual conduct”.

Verse 18 - you don’t have to live a life trying to please God by religious observances.

Verse 22-23 True Christian character is produced by the Holy Spirit, not by mere moral disciplines.

Singular fruit with plural acts. In other words you will lack no fruit when you have the Holy Spirit they all go hand and hand.

The fruit of the spirit are what shape us into God’s own character.

Freedom becomes abused when it is used as an excuse to indulge sin

Context:

Paul is arguing and correcting the influence of Jewish Christian missionaries who insist the gentiles must follow the law and be circumcised

agitators infiltrated the church and questioned Paul’s gospel and apostleship

Because the Galatians are at risk of legalism they are at risk of nullifying the freedom work of the gospel. They are not understanding they are free and are falling for the idea of merit.

Paul is addressing a major theological issue. The agitators themselves where Christians however their theology and identity was marked circumcision, food laws, scared calendar, and keeping the Sabbath. Paul saw clearly the narrative of grace + works of law = favor with God

The problem is when you add a + to grace it nullifies grace. Therefore Paul argues grace + nothing = God’s favor

Believing gentiles do not need to become first Jews to be saved Christians

To the Jews circumcision was a very deeply symbol representing adoption as God’s people.

To “walk” in verse 16 would be to behave in a way of which we are called to by God. We can now achieve this because God’s Spirit lives in us. When Paul writes this the reader would have understood this truth. That we are not absent of God’s Spirit and because of this we are enabled to walk in the Spirit (behave in accordance to God’s commands).

Verse 17 we are either walking in step with God’s Spirit or our Flesh. We cannot have both. To step with God’s Spirit does not mean perfection. The use of language is in principal rather than perfection.

Because we have God’s Spirit living on the inside of us we have new moral ability and are able to reflect God’s own character.

Paul contrast fruit with works

Fruit is simply produced by the nature of the tree, and for Paul, believers nature has been made new in Christ.

Problems

They put their faith in deeds the flesh. We are good at this because it is natural.

They walk in the Spirit on Sunday and Wednesday, but not the other days. (Verse 25)

What questions are we asking?

Why can’t I do right?

Why do I feel like a failure?

Challenge the assumption?

A life fully surrendered is not a free life.

We are free in Christ so we can do whatever we want

My freedom in God is attached to how good I am and live

What is God saying?

If you are not loving your neighbor than you are not living in the Spirit.

Don’t put your faith in your own flesh because it always wants what is contrary to the Spirit.

What will we do about it?

Keep in step with the Spirit - Surrender to God (Environment)