Galatians 5 The tension

There is a society wide issue… something that affects each and every one of us…. It creeps into our social media feed, and it to the dark of night…

NOT ENOUGH

Sometimes we just don’t feel like we are enough

Sometimes we don’t think we are successful enough

We don’t have ENOUGH time… enough stuff…enough money…

It even finds its way into our spiritual life…. Like we are “ALMOST THERE”…

What if the fundamental tension isn’t your schedule, your stress or your circumstances… what if the tension that each of us face is something far deeper and more profound than any of that…

Galatians 5:16

“16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

The tension between the FLESH and the SPIRIT.

THE FLESH - says you are lacking…. Go do more so you can be more… go have more so you will be more

THE SPIRIT - you are complete… live from WHO you are and WHOSE you are

To be clear… Paul isn’t talking about BEHAVIOR.. he is talking about IDENTITY driven living.

-its not do more, do better

-its two sources of IDENTITY that cannot coexist… the pull in opposite directions

1.) The LIE of LACK

the flesh is driven by what it believes it DOESN’T HAVE…. This is a fundamental understanding of this tension

It started in the garden and still grows in the garden of our minds and souls

Genesis 3:4–5

“4 ‘You will not certainly die,’ the snake said to the woman. 5 ‘For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”

the serpent introduced LACK when there was none

They were already created in the image of God

The LIE… and he is the FATHER OF LIES… is “youre missing something”

Colossians 2:10

“10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.”

The flesh says

You need more approval

you need CONTROL

You need validation

So we gratify… the desires of the flesh… and CHASE success, relationships, even religious performance

running on the lie of NOT ENOUGH

2.) The truth of Identity

If the enemy lies to you with what LACK… THE spirit reminds you of WHO YOU ALREADY ARE!!

Romans 8:15–16

“15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

The spirit doesn’t point to what you are MISSING… it points to what has already been given..

The spirit doesn’t say become… it says remember… it TESTIFIES… this is why you need to allow the spirit to TESTIFY to you… to REMBER who you are and whose you are

The flesh says BECOME

The spirit says… YOU BELONG

Ephesians 1:3

“3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

**You don’t fight FOR identity…. You fight FROM identity**

The spirit leads you FROM fullness not for it

3.) the Tension and The Choice

Each of us will either live our lives based on lack or based on who we are and whose we are…

It’s the spirt and the flesh they are in constant opposition to each other

Galatians 5:17

“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.”

the chase lives

-comparison

-striving

-insecurity

-control

Living from IDENTIY…. From the SPIRIT

-PEACE

-Confidence… NOT PRIDE

-Freedom

-Surrender

We have to be RENEWED by our mind…. If we are going to LIVE by the SPIRIT

Romans 12:2

“2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Your life is moving in the direction of your strongest thought…. Your identity is moving in the direction of your strongest thought about yourself…. Flesh or SPIRIT

4.) Walk it OUT

I think so often we miss what walking by the spirit looks like…. We think it is the big moments.. but it is found in DAILY alignment with TRUTH

Galatians 5:16

“16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

LIVE by… or WALK BY… its ongoing, its daily… it step by step….

It’s not perfection… its not instant transformation

It’s DAILY SURRENDER, DAILY REMEMBERING

Galatians 2:20

“20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

This is the tension…. Spirit or flesh … walk it out daily…

Choose the chase… choose the voice… you don’t have to live by the lie of the lack, you can walk by the spirit….

You do not simply DRIFT into spirit led living.. you choose it

Concl:

from the beginning the enemy has been speaking the same lies…

YOU ARE NOT ENOUGH

That lie has sent all of us in an endless pursuit… of the flesh… and then our goal becomes to out run each other and ourselves….

Jesus ended that chase once and for all when HE CAME FOR US

2 Corinthians 5:21

“21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

SALVATION

Today you can end the chase… you can end the feeling of not enough…. You find a new life in CHRIST