06AM November 26 Galatians 5 16_25
November 26, 2006—Morning Worship
Growing More Godly Every Day – Part 8
The Guaranteed, Foolproof Plan for Spiritual Growth
Words of Wisdom for Walking with God
Galatians 5:16-25
Intro: G-o-o-d M-o-r-n-i-n-g B-r-o-o-k-l-e-i-g-h!! Do we have any morning people among us? If you’re a morning person; someone who just can’t wait to get out of bed & hit the floor running; would you raise your hand?
Some people are morning people. & since that is true—that means that there are also those who are not morning people. But have you ever noticed that those who are morning people think that everybody else should be? & if you’re not a morning person, doesn’t that bother you?
It’s like being around someone who is always happy; who always has a big smile on their face. They’re overjoyed w/life & think you should be too. & there are those people who are just so much in love w/Jesus that they go around singing, “Every day w/Jesus is sweeter than the day before. Every day w/Jesus I love Him more & more. Jesus saves & keeps me, & He’s the one I’m living for. Every day w/Jesus is sweeter than the day before.” Have you ever run into someone like that? Someone who is just in love w/Jesus & doesn’t care who knows it?
Well, in reality, that’s how a Christian is supposed to act. We should all be overjoyed w/life & we should all share our excitement w/the lost people around us. So if that’s how believers are supposed to be, how are we supposed to get that way?
Well, I’m glad you asked that question, b/c what I have to share w/you today is the guaranteed, foolproof plan for spiritual growth. I’m sure you’ve tried other plans & somehow they have failed. I know you want to grow spiritually & yet you always seem to be right where you are now.
But don’t worry, w/this plan you’re about to hear about today, you can grow spiritually – guaranteed! But it’s not me who guarantees your growth—it’s God!
So, in the conclusion of this series of messages, let’s look into the Scriptures & find words of wisdom for walking w/God from…(READ) Galatians 5:16-25.
& there you have it—spiritual growth—guaranteed & foolproof—Notice in v. 16…
1. The Command to Walk in godliness. (v. 16)
In this v. the apostle Paul shares the command that reveals…
A. God’s Purpose for you (v. 16a “Walk in the Spirit”).
1. Of course this v. was originally written to the believers in the region of Galatia
2. But in all actuality, this v. was written to every believer in every age & region
3. The subject of the sentence is understood—the subject is the pronoun “you”
4. Paul commands you through the power of the Holy Spirit to “walk in the Spirit”
5. This is God’s purpose for you—to demonstrate Christ-likeness & godliness
6. But what does the Bible mean by telling us to “walk in the Spirit”?
7. To get the context of this phrase, let’s back up & READ vv. 13-14
8. IOW the Christian walk is to be a walk of service motivated by love
9. But notice that the Holy Spirit’s work is emphasized here, not ours
10. READ John 15:4-5
11. IOW “walk in the Spirit” means to “abide in the vine”
12 & that’s God’s purpose for you—to remain in Him & walk w/Him constantly
& I want you to notice IF you do that…
B. God’s Promise to you (v. 16b “& you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh”).
1. This v. not only contains a command w/an understood subject, but it also contains an understood conditional “if-then” statement
2. If you walk in the Spirit; abiding in the vine; through the word of God—His promise to you is that then you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh
3. Now we must understand Paul’s use of the word “flesh”
4. Almost every time he uses that word Paul means the human ego
5. IOW it’s not the physical body but the untouchable, intangible you—your ego
6. This is the part of you that feels a void & tries everything but God to fill it
7. But God says that IF you walk in the Spirit THEN you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh
8. So here is God’s promise to you for living the victorious Christian life
9. IF you do this – THEN you will not do that
But Paul is quick to point out…
2. The Contrast of Warring affections. (vv. 17-18)
Notice in v. 17…
A. The Conflict we face (READ v. 17).
1. So Paul describes our war—not w/the world or the devil or ourselves, but God
2. Our flesh; our ego desires ungodly, inappropriate experiences
3. The Spirit desires God’s best for us & so we literally pit our wills against God’s
4. & far, far too often we give into our fleshly desires for momentary pleasures
5. But God’s best for us is eternal blessing
[So we’re like the man who had 2 dogs he fought & bet on—& he always won. Someone asked him how he always knew which dog would win the fight & he said, “it’s simple—the one I feed always wins.]
6. If you feed the flesh the flesh grow stronger—if you feed the spirit the spirit grows stronger
7. You can know which one you feed by simply looking at which one wins more
8. So our conflict is the warring of the Spirit of God w/in us & our old egotistical selves—the classical fight between evil & good
But notice in v. 18…
B. The Confidence we find (READ v. 18).
1. Here is the key to understanding this passage—mark it down & learn it well
2. v. 18 does not say, “If you follow the Spirit you are not under the law.”
3. If it did that would mean it would be up to us to fall in line w/the Spirit
4. But the Bible does not emphasize our work here but the work of the Spirit
5. The Spirit of God is NOT like the pace car at the beginning of a NASCAR race
6. All the drivers in that race follow the pace car under their own power
7. But v. 18 says we are led by the Spirit like a locomotive pulling box cars
8. The box cars don’t do anything under their own power—they are pulled
9. IOW if we are led; pulled by the Spirit THEN our lives will be bearing law fulfilling fruit to the glory of God
10. We are to be coupled to the locomotive; we are to abide in the vine
11. READ Galatians 2:20
12. I said earlier that the word “flesh” refers to our ego almost at every use
13. But here “flesh” refers to the body—it’s the word “I” that is the ego here
14. READ Galatians 2:20 & that’s the confidence we find in God for victory
So Paul gives a test so that we might examine…
3. The Consequences of Willful behavior. (vv. 19-23)
Notice 1st of all, the test that reveals…
A. The Vices of the flesh (READ vv. 19-21)
1. These vices of the flesh Paul calls the works of the flesh & says they’re evident
2. So we can examine our lives & see if any of these vices exist in us
3. Paul calls them works b/c they give evidence of how the unregenerate nature “works” or “behaves”
4. The flesh or ego perceives unmet expectations & therefore, feeling unpaid or unrecognized, the ego “takes” what it thinks it deserves
5. v. 19 lists sensual sins; v. 20a lists superstitious sins; vv. 20b-21 lists social sin
6. This is an incomplete list – it’s just a representative list shown by “& the like”
7. & Paul says, “I tell you now, before it’s too late, just like I told you in the past, anyone who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
8. & the word “practice” is in the present tense & means continuous, repeated action
9. IOW if you practice such sins in an ongoing, continuous manner you will not by any means enter the kingdom of God
10. Now a Dr. practices medicine IOW he continues to work at his profession
11. The same is true of a lawyer that practices law—he continues to work at it
12. & if you practice ongoing, repeated, continuous, unrepented sin—you have not passed from death unto life & if you die in that condition you will spend eternity in hell & that’s the consequence of willfully sinning
But there are also consequences for…
B. The Virtues of the Spirit (READ vv. 22-23)
1. Paul calls these virtues the “fruit of the Spirit” again emphasizing the Spirit’s work & not our work
2. It’s the Spirit’s fruit so He produces it—our only responsibility is to bear the fruit
3. So being led by the Spirit, coupled to the locomotive, we move along the tracks of heavenly love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control
4. Since these tracks are the fruit of the Spirit – there can be no law against them
5. The Spirit does His work to produce in us the evidence of true Bible conversion
6. This is the ongoing evidence that you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior
7. It’s not that you do anything perfectly, but that you do it consistently for the glory of God
& all this makes us ask the question, “How do I do that?” & Paul answers in vv. 24-25 with…
4. The Conditions for Winning results. (vv. 24-25)
We must examine these vv. very carefully b/c they tell us that the #1 condition for winning results is…
A. Complete Surrender (READ v. 24)
1. READ it again
2. This v. does NOT teach that Christians are perfect
3. But it does teach us that every true Christian constantly pursues perfection
4. The words “have crucified” in this v. could be confusing
5. It would appear that every true believer has already crucified & killed the ego
6. But if that’s true, why do we still sin?
7. Well b/c of the finer points of Greek exegesis, which we don’t have time to explain, this phrase literally means that true believers are in a constant state of crucifying the flesh, the old ego
8. It’s true, Romans 6 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified w/Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
9. Our flesh was crucified & we are no longer slaves of sin but we can choose to sin by feeding the flesh; the ego
10. So how do we win? By starving the flesh & we do that by complete surrender
11. We turn our backs on our desires & passions & we embrace the desires & passions of God
12. We willingly forfeit our claim to ourselves & gladly lay our lives down unto God
13. BTW that’s exactly what Jesus did at the Cross—willingly forfeited His claim to life & gladly laid His life down unto God
14. We can’t do that alone—it must be done as we are led by the Spirit to a complete surrender of self to God
& notice the 2nd condition for winning results is…
B. Perfect Submission (READ v. 25)
1. Fanny Crosby wrote in the 3rd verse of Blessed Assurance
Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy & blest.
Watching & waiting, looking above, filled w/His goodness, lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song praising my Savior all the day long (repeat)
2. Paul’s point is if we are true Christians – let’s live like true Christians
3. If we’ve been made alive by the Spirit – let’s walk in the power of the Spirit
4. Our conduct should match our name
5. If we are Christians we are to live like Christ; as His representatives on earth
6. But how do we do that? How can we live the Christian life?
7. The simple answer is we can’t do it—God must live His life through us
8. IOW there must be a perfect submission of our wills to the will of God
9. We must be coupled to the locomotive & be led along the tracks
10. We can’t navigate the tracks alone—we can’t even do it together
11. Our only hope is to lay down our lives; dying to ourselves & allow the Lord to live through us
12. Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God…
Conclusion: So the secret to avoiding temptation & living a fruitful life in the will of God is simple: count yourself dead to sin & alive in Christ; but don't simply imitate Jesus—die to yourself & allow Him to live through you!
Invitation: As you look over your life this morning, do you find that you practice habitual sin – or do you find that you bear fruit produced by the Spirit of God? One or the other is the case w/every one who hears my voice. You are either practicing sin or bearing fruit. So which is the case w/you?
I beg you today to surrender your all to the Lord Jesus Christ. I urge you today to make sure you are led by the Spirit; that you walk in the Spirit; that you live in the Spirit
Prayer: Father I pray that anyone here today w/o faith in Jesus would come in repentance & seek Your forgiveness & that You would graciously save them b/c only You can.
I pray that You would grant believers who have strayed away from living for You the grace to return to follow You.
Lord I pray that You would send Your Spirit to revive & renew us to the very core of our being & that Your word to us today would change us for Your glory.
God I pray that every believer here would ask You to begin w/me & change me & challenge me & revive me.
& God I pray that we could all—openly & honestly say to You today, “All to Jesus I surrender; all to Him I freely give. I will ever love & trust Him in His presence daily live.” Lord break us & lead us & help us live for You every day -- & I pray it all in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, AMEN.
Hymn 275 I Surrender All