Galatians 5:16-26

Good morning church! We are resuming our study of the Book of Galatians this morning. For those of you that haven’t heard, Brett and Monica Bradford welcomed another beautiful little girl into their family and into our church family. Aubrey Cheryl was born Friday morning, 21 inches long, and 9 lbs 12 oz. And our dear sister Barbara had her 75th birthday on Thursday, she did not give me her height and weight, but please wish her a happy birthday if you see her. It’s interesting that it is right around birth that we stop being impressed with weight, unless you’re a fan of sumo wrestling.

Galatians chapter 5 this morning…before we get to our text I want to know who I’m talking with this morning, agh, I can’t do this without it being awkward though. What I’m wondering is if in a room full of church people, are there any sinners among us? Don’t raise your hands, our gossiping sinners won’t stop talking about you. I see some wives giving a sideways look at their husbands. OK, scratch that and just do this with me…perhaps one or two of you may be able to relate to this with me.

You are a Christian…but you still struggle with sin. You know how you’re supposed to act, you’ve learned a whole bunch about the things you’re no longer supposed to do, but you have trouble not doing them. Maybe there are some things you’ve learned about that you’re supposed to do. Like, Read your Bible, spend time in prayer, serve others, forgive those who have sinned against you, love those who hate you.

So maybe your struggle is doing the things you want to do, but don’t seem able to do them. Maybe you’ve been a Christian for a few months now and think you should have it all down by now. Or,... you’re someone who has been a Christian for years so it should be second nature to you by now, or first nature…Maybe that is part of the problem.

You who can relate to this I’m talking to you today. I’ve been there…I lived, and have lived in that exhausting, discouraging, defeating place for many, many, too many years of my life... Imagine for a minute not being discouraged, Not feeling defeated!

Imagine looking forward to gathering together with other Christians to worship and to sing with joy, because your heart is so full of gratitude... not guilt, gratitude, not failure. Imagine victory! You who are in the struggle daily…imagine the victory when Jesus has won in your life. Imagine the fight being over, imagine walking in victory. Because you are no longer fighting, He’s fighting for you…that’s not a pep talk, and Old Town Christians Fellowship hasn’t turned into a place where you’re going to get your ears tickled by hearing what you want to hear rather than preaching the truth.

But Paul in our text today, says this is truth! Again, the first couple of chapters in this book, he talks about how the gospel came to Him and the freedom that is in Jesus. Chapter’s 3 and 4 he lays out the doctrine, that Salvation is by grace through faith not the law, and that that theme runs from cover to cover in this book.

Then there were Those that would come along and say Jesus yes, salvation yes, but you also need to come under the law, you need to get circumcised, you need to follow the customs and rituals of Judaism, you need to... become religious, and Paul says, no! Jesus fulfilled all that. And this passage, I think is the crescendo or the mountain top that Paul has been building to. Let’s read through it.

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.

Let’s pray! Lord thank you for the gift of your Word. Thank you Lord that you’ve given us not just salvation, but freedom and victory over the grip of sin in our lives, because of Jesus. Speak Lord and let us hear what you have for us. In Jesus Name, Amen.

What I want you to see in our text today is that what we have in Jesus through the Spirit is more than just forgiveness. Forgiveness is awesome, and if we really understood both what we have escaped from with forgiveness and what we have received with forgiveness, our praise would never end, OUR rejoicing would never cease. But there is more to this life than just forgiveness. Jesus came to give us life, and life more abundantly. Sin brings death, the wages of sin is death, but through Jesus in the Spirit we have life. Paul writes in Romans 8:1-6

Romans 8:1–4 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 8:5–6 ESV

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

Jesus came to give us life. I made the comment last week that liberty is not being able to do whatever I want, when ever I want, however I want because then I become a slave to my flesh that I can’t say no to, that’s not liberty, it’s bondage. Paul is sharing with us this morning the victory that is available if we walk by the Spirit in the freedom we have already been given. The theme to this passage is probably a verse that is in the next chapter and we won’t make it there this morning, but in Gal 6:15

Galatians 6:15 (NKJV)

15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

That is what we are in Jesus,…listen... whether it feels like it or not. Paul says so in another place and this is a verse that should be familiar with you guys due to our great friend repetition, 2 Cor 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Do you know what validates this verse? That is was inspired by the Holy Spirit who is (GOD), that the qualifier is that you are in Christ who is the Word, and it is recorded and preserved for us by God. What if it doesn’t feel like it, or if it hasn’t been our personal experience, or our reality? It’s true because God said it’s true. He says through His Apostle, His messenger, Paul in this case, that if you are in Christ, YOU (put your name here) are a new creation, old things…read that as all of your old junk has passed away, is gone, and, and, check it out....all things HAVE, already have become new…we just need to walk in that promise…you might say well it’s easier said than done…

But I want you to see, or what Paul is asking you to hear, is that if there are areas of you life that have not yet changed, they can become brand new. If there are areas in your life that just seems dead, they can come to life. Jesus tells us to ask and to keep on asking! If your marriage is a mess, if you’re a mess, God can make it all new. See guys that is part of the gospel! That is good news. Saved from our sins yes! Jesus came and lived a sinless life, the only one to ever fulfill the law. Then He who was without sin, took on sin, my sin and yours if He is your Savior, and He paid for it with His life, and then defeated death, the penalty of sin, when He rose from the grave. Hallelujah! It’s the greatest news ever, except there's more.

There is newness of life in the Gospel, we are made new, we are born again! Jesus is the one who used that language. I hope you guys know that. Sometimes you hear people that sound embarrassed about that expression or that language. Well I’m a Christian, or I believe and all, but I ain’t one of them “born again’s”. Well ya better be! It’s in John chapter 3, the story of Jesus and Nicodemus.

The Bible tells us that Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a teacher of the Jews, and He came to Jesus at night because he recognized something was very different about Jesus. Nicodemus knew That Jesus couldn’t do the things that He did, or say the things He was saying, unless He came from God. Jesus answers Him directly John 3:3-5

John 3:3–5 NKJV

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus asks him a question from the position of the flesh.

John 3:6–8 NKJV

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Something I found interesting here in verse 8, when you look at the verse in the Greek, the word for wind in the beginning of the verse is pneuma, its actually a word we’ve pulled over into the English language, some of you guys have pneumatic tools, what does that mean? Air, right, so that makes sense, the word that is translated Spirit at the end of the verse is also pneuma. Some places translated wind, some places Spirit. It’s actually the same with the Hebrew word of Spirit Ruah can mean Spirit or wind.

pneuma - wind, and Spirit

Wednesday night one of the guys that showed up early to church asked me if I noticed the wind. I had been inside, and I really hadn’t but then I remembered and said to him well I did see a tree branch next to my truck and I thought that was odd and he said, yeah it really ripping out there, look at the trees. Look at the trees why? Because you can’t see the wind, just the effects of the wind.

Nicole and I went Kayaking with some friends one day this week, another couple. When we got to the stream that we were going to kayak, I asked which direction they wanted to go in. The guy said well, lets head in this direction, up current, then on the way back when we are tired we can just coast it back. Great idea right? Brilliant! Only on the way back guess what happened? The wind that was heading in this direction, changed direction, so we were paddling into it now and we weren’t coasting back. We couldn’t see the wind, we could see the effects of the wind, we could feel it, we could see the ripples on the surface of the water.

Jesus says we must be born again, we must be born of the spirit, so we can be led by the spirit. I’m so glad we have the Spirit leading us in this church and things aren’t done by Shame, guilt, manipulation. Some of you have gone to that church in the past…Being led by the Spirit is frustrating for some of you that want to see our

5 year plan, 10 year plan in writing, I’ll tell you we don’t have one, we’re just trying to follow Jesus, we don’t know what’s ahead five years from now, but we can feel the wind blowing. When we’re planning and plotting It’s really easy to deceive ourselves when we are in the flesh into thinking that we are in the Spirit…think of the guy who is writing this....Saul of Tarsus....do you remember when he met Jesus? He talks about it in the first chapter....on his way to Damascus....

"14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers." - Galatians 1:14 NKJV WHAT WAS SAUL WALKING IN? The flesh! He was being led by his own selfish ambitions to be better than those around him. And He thought he was following God.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads us into areas that are totally out of our comfort zone. Some of you have been lead by the Spirit to do some really, really hard stuff. I know the Lord led some of you to give to this ministry in ways you weren’t comfortable with, or in amounts when we were replacing our roof, that completely messed up your 5 year plans.

I know some of you have been led by the Spirit of God to adopt children that you hadn’t planned on. Or the Spirit has blown you in a direction that you have never been comfortable in and the whole time you were thinking, no God, this is going to kill me. And the response you got was no, just a little more, and that will kill what needs to die in you... so that you can have new life in the Spirit. New life in Jesus where old things are gone and there is new life.

For some of you the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do is give up control. You’ve argued with God about living in the Spirit, because you first want to see a schematic, a plan, a budget, a personnel projection, because you’re not doing this alone. And you’ve been terrified when He tells you to keep your hands off and to trust Him where He’s leading you, how He’s leading you. Sometimes He leads us to reach out to one another and encourage and you don’t know why. Sometimes the Spirit might lead you to do what you’ve never done and reach out and ask for help…only to find that the one He led you to was feeling worthless, and that they had nothing to offer, until the Spirit led them to minister to you.

Notice again in verse 8 it doesn’t say that the Spirit is like the wind, getting blown around not being able to tell if its coming or going, it says so are those who are born of the Spirit, that’s us...

so help us Paul…Gal 5:16-17

Galatians 5:16–17 NKJV

Paul is acknowledging the problem that we all have. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you might be all in the flesh, I don’t know. There is a day coming when we will be completely free from this battle, when full victory has come and there is no hindrance or fight left from our flesh, but that won’t be till we are in Heaven.

I don’t need to spend a ton of time of this, you guys know what the lusts of the flesh are, you know what it is to experience the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. You know what it is to walk in the flesh, most of us have that down. Some of you have been in the flesh already today. Maybe somebody didn’t do something they were supposed to do this morning, or somebody didn’t get ready on tim...e and you wanted to be here for the best snacks, or to hear the first song, but you were late, and you thought fleshly thoughts, or used fleshly words in the car loudly, and then you popped the smile on your face, and walked into church.

I’m not saying that to convict or lay a guilt trip on you or get you to cry and come of front and confess and ask for prayer, it’s just the reality of reality. Paul says this happens. Vs 18 Gal 5:18

Galatians 5:18 NKJV

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Paul says the only hope here is being led by the Spirit. There’s no, none, nada victory in the law, or in what we would call legalism. Setting boundaries, rules, conditions, fences, barricades. Those are all just like Escape rooms for your flesh, I will find a way around this. But when we are led by the Spirit, the things the flesh desires are offensive to the Spirit, so He will lead you in a way that maybe in the moment... feels like you’re being blown around with no rhyme or reason.

May send you to a place of deprivation or sacrifice that doesn’t feel good in the moment, but then later you can piece together the road map and see....oh this happened because of this, and this prepared me for that. And it was only because of this that this other door opened and allowed new life in my life. Does that make sense? Does it always make sense when we are in the middle of it? That is one of the valuable things of walking with Jesus over time…the plan often gets revealed.

Paul now describes those works of the flesh for us Gal 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19–21 NKJV

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.

Do you get what Paul is saying...If you are doing these things you are not going to Heaven. Clear enough! Practicing these things, controlled by these things, you are not going to inherit the kingdom of God. That’s sobering. If you are being ruled by the flesh and you’re practicing adultery engaged in an ongoing extramarital affair, or maybe it hasn’t gone that far, but your continuously feeding your lust with fornication and uncleaness, Paul says no joke, you’re not going to Heaven.

But what about the I’m forgiven card? Paul says what he says, if you are making a practice of these things and are ruled by these things, being led by your flesh in bondage to the flesh, Paul says don’t kid yourself. That’s a dangerous place to be. I told a story last week about coming back from basic training at 17 years old to a Camaro. AND I started getting speeding tickets. And I told you after the first couple I learned from my mistakes. I learned to hire a lawyer, because for a little bit of money they could plead it down, reduce the fines and points, and I could keep driving. You know what I didn’t tell you. My flesh still liked to drive fast…so what did I do next? Change my behavior? No way, I got myself a badge!

A real one, I earned it. But what happens when a cop pulls over another cop? Slow down brother. I’ll tell you what really made me stop…a week after working a double fatality motorcycle accident. A deputy pulled me over on my motorcycle who was there with me at the scene and then went with me as I told the families the worse news of their life. He pulled me over and said to me, Chaplain Eggert, you’re supposed to set the example. Conviction? Yeah. I had to go back to that officer later and apologize, and thank him again for not giving me the ticket I deserved.

My point is that legalists set up all these rules so we won’t do anything wrong, but there is no salvation in the law because our flesh alway wins when we are walking in the flesh. We can’t just say, I’m a Christian, or I’ve got a Christian badge, so I can mess with this stuff because Jesus is on my side. I used to have that dumb reasoning in my flesh, well if I’m partying with my Christian friends, I’m not keeping someone from coming to Jesus, as if causing them to stumble wasn’t even worse.

If you’re sitting there thinking shut up the the stories, I’ve got some of this in my life what do I do you’re starting to scare me. I’ll tell you what to do and what not to do with that fear… First on the To DO list repent, #2 Stop it. What not to do…don’t stay stuck in your rut consumed with shame, or discouraged by guilt and condemnation, don’t walk out the door without dealing with it.

Confess it to Jesus, saying I need help, I need forgiveness, I know that you died so that I could be free from this, Help me to walk in the Spirit, and you can and will walk out those doors with new life, freely walking in the Spirit, with a testimony to tell others that remain in bondage. You don’t have to come up to me after the service, or go home with your head down thinking you’ve lost your salvation. Just confess it to Jesus, look at this…1 John 1:9

1 John 1:9 NKJV

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Then we can walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit, remember it’s not circumcision or non circumcision that avails anything but new life, ask Him for new life! I know we are running out of time, but there is something here I want you to see, verse Gal 5:22

Galatians 5:22 NKJV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Notice verse 22 says but the fruit of the Spirit is....notice again with me what vs 19 says…Gal 5:19

Galatians 5:19 NKJV

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

Now the works of the flesh....its doesn’t say the works of the fruit right! That’s not a subtle difference, that’s intentional, it’s consistent with everything else that Paul has been saying in this book!…the fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22

Galatians 5:22 NKJV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Its not the result of our efforts, our works, our striving, it is a bi-product of life. I’ve told you guys enough stories about my apple trees, but if you were to come over to the house this afternoon. How could you tell which branches have life in them and which ones don’t? The branches that have the young fruit on them have life. The ones without fruit have no life in them.

So if we have the Spirit in us and we’re walking in the Spirit here’s what we can look for....love, joy...

Galatians 5:23–26 NKJV

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.

The word walk Vs. 16 to tread all around…wander, meander vs. 25 to march, in a line, like a solider. Me at Lowe's or home depot the idea is being purposeful. What is your relationship with Jesus like? Are you purposeful, intentional about it. Do you pray to be led by the Spirit? Are you in regular fellowship, are you in Growth groups, are you putting yourself in a position where you are living in the Spirit, emersing yourself in the Spirit, are you purposeful about your walk in the Spirit. Are you serving one another? Are you around those that you see fruit in? If they have love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, etc. they are pretty easy to find, because the look like Jesus…One last verse I want to share...

In John chapter 6, Jesus is talking to the crowds and He has said some difficult things, He’s rejected by some, some are trying to deal with some hard things, but then walk away, some commented that they were tough things to understand, and Jesus responds and says John 6:63

John 6:63 NKJV

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

Let His word empart His Spirit to you and give you life. I’m going to close in prayer, but don’t leave here with stuff unsettled. Look before I pray. If you’ve just been listening along and God has been dealing with your flesh. Confess it to Him, make it right with Him. God, I’ve been walking in the flesh, I’ve been ruled by the lust of my flesh with contentions, hatred, jealousy, selfishness, fornication. You say its wrong, I know it’s wrong, forgive me, and give me new life so I can walk with purpose in the Spirit and please bring fruit from my life that looks like you, and not like the old me. If you haven’t experienced being led by the Spirit, ask to be led by the Spirit, if you’ve asked in the past, but are still walking in the flesh, let me remind you that Jesus invites us to ask and keep asking....