Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

Galatians 5:16-24 ///

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let us look this morning at our Epistle Lesson, where St. Paul goes forth to encourage all Christians to not fall back into the ways of darkness but instead to go forward until we stand before the throne of God in glory power and might, and as he lays before all christians several sins that ensnare and keep us from walking in the Holy Spirit, for any who are born of God do not continue to make room for these in their life, but instead oppose these works of darkness that they might bear fruit in keeping with repentance and glorify their God and Father above.

If you will take out your bulletin insert and look there with me at the very start of this passage, that St. Paul urges all Christians to walk by the Spirit, and that is not any ordinary spirit, but the Holy Spirit which comes to us through the Word, which has regenerated us, and brought us from death in sin to life in Christ. He is speaking here to all of those who have been rescued by Christ from the powers of sin and death.

For the battle that he describes here is one that faces Christians in this life and one that they will struggle with until their dying day for you will find the truth of what is written here, that the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh. This is the struggle that many Christian finds themselves in after being brought to life, at first it is all peace and love and joy, but the devil will attack and seek to rob heaven from you. Even Paul himself recognized this when he laments that the good that he desires to do, he doesn’t end up doing, but the evil that he wants to avoid is what he does. If St. Paul admits this is a struggle for him, one who saw Christ in the flesh, then you should recognize that this will affect you too.

Now Paul provides a list of sins, he does acknowledge that there are more that could be include, but he includes these that we might understand the temptations that we all face and how we might fall. Now the first 3 all tie together can be summed up as fornication. They violate the 6th Commandment and God has forbidden all types of sexual immorality because he wants to protect and bless marriage. That life long union between a man and a woman. So don’t be surprised if these tempt you, if they try to ensnare you and pull you down.

This warning is just as important today as it was 2000 years ago. For our present age and many who claim to be Christians indulge in these sins, thinking that as long as it is done in the name of love it’s ok. But look at the stern warning attached here that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. They are no longer Christians even though they were rescued by Christ, they have now forsaken Christ. They are like David after he stole the wife of Uriah. If David would have died during that year then he would have perished eternally, but thanks be to God that the prophet Uriah preached to him and called him to repentance. What about us? Well we have a society that declares these sins are fine and good, and there is nothing wrong with them. And many Christians are listening to the world and their own flesh, and they no longer walk according to Christ. If this is how you are tempted, hear these words, and see it for the evil it is and repent. Lest you perish.

Paul doesn’t stop there, but goes on to speak of other sins, in terms of idolatry, we don’t see many idols today, but having an idol just means there is something else that you value more, and trust more than you do God. Your friends, family, work, recreation, the list goes on, but whatever gets between you and God and you rely on is your idol. That one will be different for each person. That is why in the ancient world you saw so many idols that were fashioned so that every person on earth might worship their own god instead of the one true God.

But these next ones hit home, enmity, that’s hatred, it doesn’t matter who you hate its wrong includes all people even in politics, strife, means you don’t promote peace, jealousy, do you look at those who rich and have great wealth and find yourself upset that they have so much, and you so little? Fits of anger or rage are you known for losing your temper and even if you don’t raise your hand, or you bite your tongue, what is in your heart that is where sin dwells. The world will try to justify the anger as righteous or deserved, or if hate someone who hurt you, its ok, why should those who have wronged have peace? Your flesh will like that, But the scriptures tell us the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Consider for a moment is that how you want Christ to act towards you? Do you not pray that God will forgive you as you forgive others, when you hate your neighbor, or rage against them, wanting them to have no peace, and you no forgiveness for them in you. Is that how God should forgive you?

This is a short list of the things of the flesh, and even if you look at your neighbor and say, well ya but everyone does this, yes, every one does do it, for the everyone fell into sin, and was on course for hell. Until God made a promise that He would send a savior to set us free from these things, and to rescue you from this darkness and bring you to life in His Son. That is what God has done for you, in His Son Jesus Christ, He rescued you from sin, death, and the power of devil, by the blood of His only-begotten Son, that you might saved from this hellish end.

For God does not want you to perish, or to be separate from Him, so that is why He has cleansed you through the washing of Renewal and Regeneration by the Holy Spirit that you may be his own people, for He wants you. So if you have fallen into these horrible sins, remember what God has done for you, and the promise that he made to you on the day you were baptized, that He saved you. This morning hear again the promise that Christ has given as comes to you in with and under bread and wine to forgive your sins.

See this morning the Love that Christ has for you that he would give up his life for you, the Joy that He has that you have been rescued from death by his sacrifice, the Peace that is found in him as He has overcome the sin, death, and the devil by his resurrection, the patience that He has bearing with your sins that he comes again to you this day, the kindness he showed even when you fell again that he didn’t leave you in your sins, the goodness that all of this flows from, His faithfulness that is present in all his promises, the gentleness with which he restores your heart and your soul, and the self-control that He does not give himself over to the passions of the flesh, but rather gave up all things to save you.

For Christ has born all of these fruits that you might be saved. So my dear friends why would you continue in the ways of sin and death? Why would we hold on to sins which has been crucified with Christ on Golgotha, rather let us be where the Spirit of God works upon us that we might be strengthened in our faith through Word and Sacrament. For that is where the Spirit of God works to transform our hearts and minds.

You may wonder why it is that I push Bible Study so hard, and this is why. My dear saints I want you to pick up your Bibles, and want you to be in the Word of God, for you are the Children of God and should we not only know what God has said, but don’t you want these fruits to mature. If you could do that on your own, then there is no need for the Holy Spirit, it would be something that even atheists could accomplish. But it is only through the Word that our hearts are transformed, for what does Jesus himself say, I am the vine you are the branches, if a man remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing.

You cannot grow these fruits without Christ, it is impossible for you will notice that these fruits are changes of the heart. It is a transformation from the inside out, and this something that we cannot do. This is why we need the Word of God, why we need to be immersed in it, that the Holy Spirit might work through it. I don’t just mean as background noise in our life, but to study and cherish it.

For who amongst us wants to fall back into the ways that lead to death, wouldn’t you like to have these fruits within yourself to share with your neighbor. To be one who can share with others love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. Would your life be worse if you have these? No. But these do not come natural, they are the work of the Holy Spirit, and that is why I continue to encourage all people to come to Bible study, that we might grow in these things.

Now my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I am glad that you are here this morning it is indeed wonderful, and I am especially glad you are here if you have slipped back into sin you have been brought to repentance, that you might find the healing that comes only through Christ. May the Word and Sacraments continue to grant you strength as these blessed fruits of the Holy Spirit mature in you. In Jesus name. Amen.