Life In the Spirit

When I think about the days that we are currently living in, I cant help but ask myself—what is the biggest threat to my faith? My church and my family.

Because if we are honest, I think we could all agree that there is plenty of things that we could point to that genuinely are threats to our faith and our church, could we not?

Cancel culture is a threat.

The Sexual Revolution is a threat...

The redefinition of gender roles and marriage is a threat.

The deconstruction of the nuclear family is a major threat.

The politicization of Jesus by the radical right and left is a threat.

Identity politics is a threat...

My kids being more manipulated by their favorite social media influencer is a threat...

Big Tech sensorship over free speech...

On and on the list goes…we live in a threatening and disorienting time and place.

And these controversial times that we live in arent just “out there” in the cultural mil-new of the world…they are in here too.

Just this past week the Southern Baptist Convention met, and with it came all sorts of controversial issues (From sexual abuse cover-up allegations, to a phantom-fear of Marxist ideology invading the church…to discussions over the role of women in church leadership)

All of these things are threats…and we need to deal with all of them in time…none of them should be avoided...

But when i think about what the GREATEST threat to my own devotion to Jesus, the greatest threat to my church, and the greatest threat to my family…Big tech isnt at the top of the list, neither is identity politics, or the sexual revolution, or the redefinition of marriage, nor is the discussion over gender and sexuality…

Rather, if I want to find the greatest threat to my family, my faith, and my church…I dont need to look any further than the man in the mirror.

I am the greatest threat. My ongoing struggle with myself, and my sin, and my flesh. That is the greatest threat…my temptations and my trials.

And the same is true for you...

Think about it...

Big tech has never lashed out at your kids in anger…but I bet you have.

Political pundits have never hurt your wife or husband with a harsh word…but i bet you have.

Paul understood this...

Paul actually book ends this whole passage we are going to examine this morning with this theme:

Galatians 5:15 CSB

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:26 CSB

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Here’s the point: We have been saved by grace through faith, we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, through Christ we have been adopted as God’s children…AND ultimately we have been freed.

This is why Paul writes in Galatians 5:13-14

Galatians 5:13–14 CSB

13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.

But even in our freedom, we have this mysterious connection to this animalistic and natural desire to bite and devour each other because we can become conceited and envious, and provoke one another…and as Paul says…we have to watch out…because if we bite and devour one another…we will be consumed…the word that Paul literally uses is ana-loth-ete—it’s where we get the word “annihilated”

THIS IS WHY THIS MORNINGS PASSAGE IS SO IMPORTANT

Because in this passage Paul tells us how we can live out the gospel in real life. He tells us how we can walk in a way that nullifies the threat of our sin to ourselves and to those around us.

And it’s the Title of my message this morning…What we need is Life in the Spirit…we need the Spirit filled Life...

So how do we do this?

How do we experience life in the Spirit?

Paul tells us...

We Must Cultivate the Spirit Filled Life

Galatians 5:16 CSB

16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.

What Paul says here is that if we want to live a life that is pleasing to God. A life that fulfills the whole law of God. A life that doesnt consist of biting and devouring others…they you must walk by the Spirit.

The word that Paul uses here is very intentional.

In fact…all throughout the passage Paul’s language is clear:

v.16—Walk by the Spirit...

v. 18—Be led by the Spirit...

v. 25—If we live by the Spirit…let us “Keep in step with the Spirit...”

Walk by the Spirit…keep in step with the spirit…be led by the Spirit...

Why dont you think Paul uses the word “Sprint…or run...”

Sprints are intervals…you cant keep up a spirit pace very long.

You cant consistently run…but a walk…that’s a pace I can get behind...

Walks are slow and consistent…they take time…they arent in a hurry…they are pleasant...

And if I could go ahead and do some application real quick…I think this is where we go wrong most of the time.

We dont like walks generally…we like to run…we like sprints in our culture.

We are addicted to hurry…busyness…and accomplishment...

Could it be that the reason we dont walk by the Spirit is due to the fact that we arent willing to slow down to His pace?

The Spirit’s pace is a walk…but we are always running around from one thing to the next…and all for what?

“A successful life has become a violent enterprise. We make war on our bodies, pushing them beyond their limits; war on our children, because we cannot find enough time to be with them when they are hurt and afraid, and need our company. We make war on our spirit, because we are too preoccupied to listen to the quiet voice that seeks to nourish and refresh us. War on our communities, because we are fearfully protecting what we have, and do not feel safe enough to be kind and generous...”

Maybe what we need to hear today is this...

To walk in the Spirit…means that we have to unhurry our lives enough to spend time with God. We have to learn the PACE of God’s Spirit.

To Walk in the Spirit is the same thing that Jesus called us to in John 15

John 15:1–8 (CSB)

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.

When we hear those words…Abide in me…and I in you...

Here’s what you should hear… “But I say to you…walk by the spirit”

Cultivation takes time…its slow…its consistent…its unhurried.

we must cultivate the spirit filled life by walking in the spirit...

We Must Continually Crucify Our Natural Desires

Not only do we need to cultivate the seeds of the Spirit…we must also learn to uproot the weeds of our flesh that still linger in our souls.

Galatians 5:24 CSB

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Notice what Paul says in this passage.

First, he says that those who belong to Christ Jesus....

So this isnt everyone. If you dont belong to Jesus yet, this isnt true for you yet…but it can be right now if you will turn to him.

Then he says…Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh...

Meaning…when you placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ…you were crucified with him.

Galatians 2:20 CSB

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.

You and I live in the Already-Not-Yet

We are already crucified with Christ…but because the flesh still seeks to steal our affection for God…we must continually make war. We must continually fight to live in the freedom of Christ that we have been given.

How?

Romans 8:12–13 CSB

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

The flesh brings death...

Paul says the same thing here in Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19–21 CSB

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

So As Paul says in Romans 8:13—since the flesh brings death…we must put to death the deeds of the flesh...

We must understand this mysterious truth…that while we have already died to sin through faith in Jesus…we must still be about the buisness of making war against our sin.

It’s wartime…

Be killing sin…or it will be killing you...

John Owen.

And many for many of us…the reason why we arent living life in the Spirit is because we havent put to death the deeds of the flesh.

We are choosing Sin over Life in the Spirit.

We Must Examine Our Fruit

There are Two Ways types of People:

Those who live according to the Flesh

Those who live according to the Spirit

How can you know which one you are right now?

Those Who Live According The Flesh:

Galatians 5:19–21 CSB

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

4 Themes:

Sexual Sin

Idolatry

Social Sins that Disrupt Relationships

Uncontrolled Appetites

Those who live according to the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–26 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Which are you?

What more accurately describes your life

today I want you to hear this invitation:

God has more for you.

You can live a life full of:

LOVE

JOY

PEACE

PATIENCE

GOODNESS

KINDNESS

GENTLESNESS

FAITHFULNESS

AND SELF CONTROL

but it is only possible through a life that is lived through the Person and Work on the Holy Spirit

You can do this Christian walk without Him

Here’show you can respond:

receive the spirit (through believing in Christ)

Accept the invitation the spirit is offering you today...

Walk in him…be led by him…keep in step with him…and live in him.

and if you do that…god will do some things you never thought he would do.