Freedom: Walking by the Spirit
Galatians: Justified by Faith • Sermon • Submitted
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· 15 viewsBe led by the Spirit and fullfil the law of love in Christ
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Another Freedom
Another Freedom
We live in a Country where we are called free, but what about if we need more?
(Insert picture of Franklin D Roosevelt here)
ON Jan 6, 1941 at the end of a speech to Congress FDR shared his vision of the kind of country, kind of world he wanted to see after the war was over. He elaborated on 4 freedoms
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Worship
Freedom from Want
And Freedom from fear
Man needs another freedom, one they cannot get themselves. Freedom from himself and the tyranny of our sinful nature.
Legalists believe more rules, regulations, legislation will solve the problem, but in reality no legislation can change man’s sinful nature. It’s not the law on the outside that changes things
it’s the love on the inside that changes things.
It’s not the power of the people that changes things it is the power of God, the Holy Spirit that changes things.
Galatians is filled with the Spirit and we need to remember we are too when we received the Spirit when we received Christ and our sins were forgiven.
This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
We are born after the Spirit
But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.
Gal4:29
It is the Spirit that assures us of our salvation
Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
It is the Holy Spirit that empowers and enables us to live for Christ. He is the divine Person God gives to us.
Think of it this way
“What God the Father planned for you, and God the Son purchased for you on the cross, God the Spirit personalizes for you an and applies to your life as you yield to Him.” - W. Wiersbe
Before we were born again of water and Spirit (Jn3:5) we were ruled by sin, even if we don’t want to admit it. Sin ruins relationships. Sin kills joy. sin wipes out and destroy’s families.
Praise be to God we were called from that and that is not who we are anymore when we surrender
This liberty, this freedom we are called from is not liberty to sin, but liberty from sin.
Our liberty, just as there is a cost for it in our country by the blood and death of many who sacrificed for us to have it. Our liberty in Christ has a cost, it was the cost of Christ on the Cross and the cost of your surrender to Him for salvation and daily for sanctification. Remember Paul is writing to Christians and the words through this section maybe hard to hear they are necessary for the Christian to know and to know they are not alone for We have Freedom: To walk in the Spirit.
I. Our Christian Freedom
I. Our Christian Freedom
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
We can be people of extremes can’t we.
Liberty, freedom = Licence to do whatever
Liberty, freedom = Legalism, rules, regulations for everything
True Christian liberty is not licence or legalism it is love!
True Christian freedom
Free man, no longer slave to sin - (Rom6:6 paraphrase) - the body of sin has been done away with and we are no longer slaves to sin.
Free man, free from the guilt of sin - expand on this, Sins forgiven, no more guilt
Free man, free from penalty of sin - expand on this, Jesus took on the penalty for us on the Cross
Free man, free from penalty of sin
And because of the Spirit, free from the power of sin!
Jesus purchased our freedom on the Cross, we received our freedom when were buried in Christ in baptism.
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
The truth has made us free! This verse here today before is important we don’t want the freedom He purchased to become licence for the flesh since the flesh was done away with. Not only do we need to lay claim of our freedom and walk in our freedom, we need to walk responsibly.
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
We are called by the grace, called into liberty, called for a purpose and we cannot lose focus of our purpose or we could loose our purpose and our liberty
4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
So how do we do it, we look at the verse again and it tells us
13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
LOVE , SERVE ONE ANOTHER
Something to think about forms for government
Monarch - governed by one
Oligarchy - governed by a few
Aristocracy - governed by the elite
Plutocracy - governed by the wealthy
Democracy - governed by the people
Christianity is the only true democracy because a Christian living as a Christian would think of his neighbor just as much as he does himself. So how about we promote Christianity?
Not losing the focus of love here, when we take grasp of the freedom we have, having been set free from the bondage of sin and the flesh, we know that our faith speaks of our love.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
Faith working in love. Let me expand on our freedom just a bit.
We are set free from the law (1:1-5, 12)
We are free so not to turn back to flesh, but free from the flesh (5:14-21)
Freedom will result in change in your life when applied (5:22-6:18)
When we focus on the “thou shall” and not the “shall not’s” Then we will see the love that set’s man free and keeps man free in the grace of God.
Where the law builds fences, love builds bridges! - new ways for us to serve an love one another because we do not want to devour one another (v.15)
Devouring was a problem that was going on with the Galatians, one was for grace and the law, others for grace alone and they were devouring one another instead of coming together in love.
Legalism today can tear down vs. build up.
So how do we avoid legalism today?
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.
love
5:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
love, but more will follow on this verse next week. but the point is love. The Holy Spirit works in the people of God through the Word of God to accomplish the will of God for the glory of God. But Paul challenges us to walk by the Spirit.
II. Walking by the Spirit, overcomes the flesh
II. Walking by the Spirit, overcomes the flesh
First let’s look at the conflict.
Gal5:16-
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
The Spirit and the flesh do not get along, maybe like you and a sibling when you were growing up; or maybe like Isaac and Ismael.
If the Holy Spirit controls the body, then we walk in the Spirit, but if the flesh controls the body then we walk in the lusts (desires) for the flesh. They have different appetites, so what are you going to feed?
In this battle, we need the power of the Spirit, not legalism that says deal with the flesh by doing this or that, but by surrender to the Spirit and the power of God to work in and through the battle. So as Paul says, walk in the Spirit.
If sin is preoccupying your thoughts; walk in the Spirit
If the lusts of this world are taking your thoughts; walk in the Spirit
The simplest way to walk in the Spirit is to know and embrace the goodness of God. Let His Spirit lead you if it be in a practical expression of love, or a word of prayer for someone, maybe an encouragement to offer to someone or and act of mercy.
We cannot overcome the flesh by our own power, we need God’s power, God’s Spirit to do it. Oh the spirit maybe willing to fight to overcome, but the flesh is weak (i.e. Mt26:41)
Paul in speaks of this fight too.
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.
19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
He ackowledges the issue
Rom7:
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
Paul knows it is the old nature, the sinful nature, the flesh that is warring
17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
But there was hope for Paul, and there is hope for the Galatians and for us too.
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
The law of God is: LOVE
Love that was poured out
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
There it is again, the Spirit, the heart of God given to us in our hearts so we can walk in the Spirit.
Now the flesh is not opposed to acts of kindness, but when it comes to the lifestyle of God through Christ, we need the Spirit.
So we see the conflict, but now what about the conquest?
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
The solution for the flesh predicament is not to try harder, resist more, but to remember we have been set free
1 Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
and the Spirit will prove Himself in you and produce fruit.
The law could point our flaws, and could condemn our misbehavior's, but is powerless to change them, we need the power of God to do that, we need the Spirit of God.
See if we surrender to the working of the Spirit the Spirit writes the law of God (love) on our hearts
14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them,” He then says, 17 “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
and we will want to walk in the spirit and to do the Lord’s will.
8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”
God wants to work in us, continue to work in us for His good pleasure
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Well Paul is going to list some things that were put to death at the cross when we received Christ. There is no room for these things in the Christian for the Christian replaces these things with fruit.
III. Crucifying the things of flesh
III. Crucifying the things of flesh
19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
Gal5:19-
Gal5:21
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Not an easy list to look at, but still we need to know that the flesh can produce sine but cannot produce righteousness of God, we need the Spirit of God for that. These sins of the flesh can be seen in three categories.
THE SENSUAL SINS (VV.19, 21)
immorality - where many what we consider immoral today was not considered immoral a the time in the culture there, promiscuity was common and as FF Bruce puts it “except when carried to excess it was not regarding as specially reprehensible.”
impurity - this could be impure anything that would keep someone from the temple as the Jews would think as comes out in the LXX (Septuagint) or this can be anything that is repulsive to God. - - - - the scripture below is not on the screen - - - - -
15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.
Tit
sensuality Some versions say debauchery which is a total disregard for decency. This is the person who does not care about public censure or the wrath of God.
sensuality Some versions say debauchery which is a total disregard for decency. This is the person who does not care about public censure or the wrath of God.
Carousing - This goes hand in hand with immorality
THE SUPERSTITIOUS SINS
Idolatry - an idol is anything you put before God. Anything that would keep you from seeking God through His Word and with His people. (Insert story about Monday night football; more important) Idolatry does not have to be a graven image it can be a busyness that keeps you from your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Idolatry, sorcer
Witchcraft (sorcery) - this is the Greek word (pharmakeia) where we get the word pharmacy, which is drugs. This is the mixing of potions and the like that take away the sound mind of man, or try to manipulate dark powers.
Deu
10 “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 “For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.
10 “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, 11 or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. 12 “For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.
Detestable things, detestable to the Lord your God.
SOCIAL SINS
enmities, strife, jealousy - the attitude, the mind that challenges, it leads to strife, divisions, jealousy which are the outworking of enmity.
Outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying - So those things listed above come out often in anger, dispute, dissensions, factions and envy - our self-seeking, self-ambition to have things our way without any concern for others, which means love is missing. Dissensions and factions cause church splits when people start to follow the person not the message and the person is promoting himself and not the Lord. Envy is wanting what someone else has, it is holding a grudge against someone who has something.
30 A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones.
Drunkenness - need I elaborate on this? I think not, I think it is well known, now some versions have added the word murder too, and that was added a a later date and is not found in all of the MSS. But if your’s has it, OK and I don’t think we need to elaborate on that one either.
21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal5:
Look at that last part, those who practice these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. This is not an incident this is a lifestyle. Paul wants the Galatians to be in shock from this list, just as we should be for the grace of God is at risk, their very salvation.
In closing today, can’t end on a down note, to the Christian, to the believer who is not under the law but under grace, justification by faith, there is no free licence to sin, we have been set from from sin.
15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!
The old nature has to be crucified, Paul eloborates more on this in Rom6. We died to self when Christ removes the penalty of sin and we are buried with Him in baptism and raised up with Him! Breaking sins’ power over us and we are able to Walk in the Spirit and enjoy the freedom in which Christ died for us to have.
12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
So walk n the spirit, be led by the Spirit for you are sons of God!
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