Galatians 3:1-6; 5:17-23: The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life

The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life, Galatians 3:1-6; 5:17-23

A. The Holy Spirit produces faith (Galatians 3:1-9)

1. The Christian life begins with faith.

v. 11, “The just shall live by faith.”

a. Paul had preached the gospel. He preached Christ and Him crucified to them.

b. Many in Galatia and many had believed. They heard this truth, believed, obeyed, and they were born into the family of God.

c. There had been evidence of their new life.

2. The Holy Spirit will draw you to faith in Christ.

3. Now these converts had reverted keeping the law.

a. The mistake of many cults.

b. The law was fulfilled in Christ.

4. The Holy Spirit comes in response to faith, and He matures our faith.

a. He increases our faith through the written Word.

1. He was at work in revelation (2 Peter 1:21).

2. He was at work in inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16).

3. He is at work in illumination (John 14:26).

b. He increases our faith by revealing Christ, the living Word.

1. This is the promise of our Lord (John 16:13-14).

2. The more we know of Jesus, the stronger our faith.

B. The Holy Spirit produces a fight (Galatians 5:17)

1. Peace at the moment of conversion.

2. But soon we learn we are in a war (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7).

a. War with the devil (Ephesians 6:11-12).

b. War with the flesh (1 Corinthians 9:27).

3. What is the point of conflict?

a. The Holy Spirit vs. the sin nature (Galatians 5:17-21).

Warren Wiersbe writes that the Spirit and the flesh (the old nature) are at war with each other. By “the flesh,” of course, Paul does not mean “the body.” The human body is not sinful; it is neutral. 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) of the flesh. The Spirit and the flesh have different appetites, and this is what creates the conflict. . .

Consider Paul (Romans 7:15-25):

(1) The flesh keeps you from doing the good you desire, the righteousness you desire to carry out.

(2) The Spirit keeps you from doing the evil you desire to do.

(3) The conflicting natures (flesh or Spirit)--each hinders the desires of the other so that you are unable to do them.

William MacDonald has an interesting thought on this conflict between the Spirit and the flesh noting that . . . God could have removed the fleshly nature from believers at the time of their conversion, but He did not choose to do so. Why? He wanted to keep them continually reminded of their own weakness; to keep them continually dependent on Christ, their Priest and Advocate; and to cause them to praise unceasingly the One who saved such worms. Instead of removing the old nature, God gave us His own Holy Spirit to indwell us. God’s Spirit and our flesh are perpetually at war, and will continue to be at war until we are taken home to heaven. The believer’s part in the conflict is to yield to the Spirit. (MacDonald, W. & Farstad, A., Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson).

b. How do we stay victorious in this battle? (v. 16).

C. The Holy Spirit produces fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).