Walk in the Spirit

Opening Comments

Please go ahead and make your way to Galatians 5:16-26. Where we will examine together this morning a passage of scripture that while often referenced and taught upon is often done so in a manner that is devoid of context to the rest of the book of Galatians as a whole. To do so is a travesty upon the Word of God and actually strips this passage of not only its meaning but it’s power to work in our lives. Remember this, every text of scripture that is devoid of it’s proper context becomes nothing more than a pretext. So, this morning, with the Lord’s help, we will endeavor to preach it properly.

Galatians 5:16–26 NKJV

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Introduction:

In order to rightly interpret what we have just read, we need to step back and look at the context so far in Galatians 5 and then put it in context with the entire book. This is a very familiar passage of scripture, and as I mentioned at the outset, for us to truly have a grasp of what Paul is saying we cannot isolate it from the rest of Galatians. This passage is too often preached as some sort of guide to what a Christian looks like compared to a non christian and it is done so buy placing the fruits of the spirit vs. the works of the flesh in a modern context.

You're a christian if you live a life that exhibits the fruits of the spirit but you’re not a Christian if you live a life that exhibits the works of the flesh.

This is not the proper contextual view of the passage. While vs.16 does start a new section in Galatians it is not disconnected to the previous section but is a continuation of Paul’s thought process.

Galatians 5 began with an exhortation from Paul to stand firm in the liberty (freedom) Christ has given us and not to allow ourselves to be brought back into the bondage religious law keeping. This call to action is based on the fact that Christ has set us free for the sake of living in freedom and that freedom from the curse of the law must never be relinquished (5:1) or used as an opportunity for the flesh (5:13). In 5:15 Paul demonstrated a specific opportunity that we often give our flesh which is destructive infighting in interpersonal relationships with other believers.

Now here, at the outset of vs.16 comes another exhortation from Paul that sort of gives us the antidote for the flesh driven behavior that is often exhibited by christians: walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh. This exhortation makes this new section cohesive with the previous section while also introducing a new thought.

Paul sets up for us here in v.16 two paths that the believer can walk. One path “Walking in the Spirit” should be followed and the other “walking in the desires of the flesh” should be avoided.

So, here is sort of the frame work for this section. V.16 opens with an exhortation. v.17-24 offer expository thoughts about both paths set before the believer to walk. Then, v.25-26 are the bookend to v.16 where Paul reiterates, in a less forceful tone his exhortation for the believer to walk in the Spirit.

With all of that background and frame work in mind, lets dive into the text before us this morning.

1.) Two paths presented. (v.16-17)

In the first half of Galatians Paul established firmly that Justification is only found by faith in Christ alone. Conversely, the Holy Spirit is the primary force behind our sanctification (becoming more like Christ.) Rule keeping or living by man made standards of behavior or any effort on our part can’t make us like Christ. In fact, that only leads us to self righteous behavior. We can’t live the christian life in our own power no more than we can save ourselves by our own power. We can only live out the christian life faithfully if we are doing so under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

The overarching theme of Galatians is the presentation of law vs. grace both for salvation and sanctification. A person cannot be saved through the keeping of the law nor can he sustain living for Christ through the keeping of the law.

As Paul presents this two paths in which the christian can “walk” the theme of law vs.grace are still wholly in view.

The two paths presented for the believer to walk in are the paths of “Living by the guidance of the Spirit” or “living under the influence of the flesh.” These two paths are mutually exclusive. At all times of the Christian life we are either walking by the Spirit or we are living by the desires of the flesh.

A.) It is a constant war within us as to which path we will walk down each day and each moment of our lives.

To rely on the flesh for righteous living will only lead to devastation. The flesh is incapable of keeping the law and can only produce corruption. The behaviors produced by the flesh are the very opposite of the law it proposes to keep.

To walk in the leading of the Spirit of God is the only way to have the ability to live according to what the law is meant to produce in the life of the believer. The life waked by the Spirit is the life that is Christlike. It is the life that is lived in continual consciousness of his presence and will.

Philippians 3:9–10 NKJV

9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,

Understand, a believer can choose to walk either path but one will turn out far better than the other.

The flesh and the spirit are at constant war with each other. The flesh stands in opposition to the Spirit and is very strong.

Lust- yearning or a passion for.

There is not a single person who doesn't know what it is to have their flesh lust after something. To have it yearning to lay hold something. It is strong and very hard to control.

Paul said in Romans:

Romans 7:23 NKJV

23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

B.) The flesh and the Spirit are contrary to each other.

The flesh is full of unregulated passions.It desires to only do whatever it wants to do. It desires to live unrestrained to follow its passions, emotions and desires.

The believer who walks in the Spirit. feels the constraint between the flesh and Spirit but has the power to overcome the flesh through the Spirit. The power comes through the constraint. The Christian who listens to the constraint and calls upon God to deliver him from the temptation is given the power to walk away. The only hope of ever controlling the flesh is to walk in the presence and power of the Spirit.

C.) The flesh and the Spirits approach to the law.

Remember, the entire argument of Galatians is the idea of law vs. grace. Self sufficiency vs. the sufficiency of Christ.

If your desire to keep the law is powered by your flesh, it will fail every time. In fact, its the sinful flesh that causes us to fail no matter how hard we try.

Only when we are led by the Spirit are we set free from the flesh and the condemnation that comes from our inability to keep the law. He frees us to live as Christ lived. We actually live “in Christ” and he fulfilled the law as the perfect man. Only through Christ can I then live free from the curse of the law.

Romans 8:2–4 NKJV

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Object lesson: Tug of war between one large very strong person and one very small person. Then the very small person getting help from a bigger and stronger person than the last.

2.) The outcome of living under the influence of the flesh. (v.19-21)

It’s ironic that those who desire to approach the Lord either for salvation or sanctification are reliant upon the righteousness of their own flesh.

The old testament prophet Jeremiah said of the human nature:

Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV

9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

Our human nature (flesh) will never be able to produce the righteousness of God.

“The human heart is a factory of idols. Every one of us is, from his mother’s womb, expert in inventing idols.” –John Calvin

Paul then goes on to give us a list of the types of sins that are flesh is capable of producing and it’s not an exhaustive list. Im not going to belabor defining and discussing the meaning for each one as that is counter intuitive to Paul’s point.

They do however break down in to three basic categories:

Sensual (Sexual)- Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, drunkeness, revelries.

Religious (Superstitious)- Idolatry, Sorcery (Pharmakeia- drug use- sorcerers in Paul’s day often used drugs to bring about their evil effects.)

Social (Human relationships)- hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambition, dissensions (Divisions), heresies (party cliques, factions), envy, murder.

Notice he says “…and such the like” or things like this. Meaning there are many other sinful behaviors exhibited by the flesh these are just a representative few.

In v.21 Paul says that those who “practice” these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. This is not that a person commits one of these acts but that he habitually commits these acts. A person who habitually lives a life marked by sin is not a believer.

Here is the meat of what Paul is saying. The Galatians were attracted to law keeping (namely circumcision) as a way to ensure they were genuine believers and would avoid the curse of law. The irony is that the very flesh they were trying to insure God’s favor with was leading them to be doomed by the curse they were trying to avoid.

The very law they were trying to keep in the flesh already condemned the actions committed by their flesh. In a sense he his saying it is impossible to keep the law that you say your are keeping. Only walking in the Spirit can empower you to live in such a way that you are not condemned. The flesh is insufficient to keep the law.

3.) The outcome of living in the Spirit. (v.22-26)

It is the Spirit not the flesh that is sufficient to enable us to avoid the curse that the law places upon us.

Remember in Galatians 5:13-15 Paul said that the entirety of the law can be summed up in one word “love”.

Notice that love is the first of the “fruit” that is produced by the Spirit working in our lives. Not only does that mean it is the primary fruit that the Spirit of God produces in the believer but it is also a summation of all the other fruit that are listed.

Love is the whole of all that God desires and requires from believer. That we love him above all others and love others above ourselves. That why Paul could say “above such there is no law” because the fruit produced by the Spirit working in our lives is the fulfillment of the law and avoids its curse.

When we come to Christ, we now belong to him. We are no longer bound to follow the wicked sins of the flesh. The flesh is dead, it has been crucified with Christ.

We have died to the flesh.

We have died to the passions, lusts and desires of the flesh.

And, have been set free to live in Christ and in the power of His Spirit.

The closer we walk with Jesus, the farther away we will be from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and the more like him we will become. The Spirit is placed in us to guide and direct us therefore we are to walk in the Spirit by living as the Spirit of God directs us to live and not as our flesh directs us to live.

If we do that then we will be filled with love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. If I am lacking in this area it is evidence that I am giving into the lusts of the flesh and not walking in the Spirit. I have veered off course.

Conclusion:

v.26 provides a bookend to Paul's discussion regarding love that he began in v.15 about how to relate to one another in the body of Christ.Remember, there was internal conflict going on in the Galatian churches. They were biting and devouring each other, proclaiming to be holier than others because of their ability to keep the law. By giving them the exhortation not to be conceited (puffed up), not to provoke to anger or envy what another has, he is calling them back to the command to love one another, which they can only do if they are walking in the Spirit. Conceit, provocation and envy are works of the flesh and are evidence that a person is not walking in the Spirit as they should.

I wonder this morning, which path that our church is walking down. Are we filled with people yielding themselves over to the sins of the flesh or are we a church filled with people whose only desire is to walk in the Spirit and be Christ-like in our interactions with each other. I wonder how our fruit is this morning? To love one another rightly, we must remember that as christians we belong to Jesus and that we possess his Holy Spirit within us. We must resolve to live each day yielded to the Spirit so that we do not gratify and fulfill the desires of the flesh.