A Vision for the Spirit s Work in Our Lives Galatians 5:16-26 This morning we begin a sermon series on the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22 describes the fruit of the Spirit in this way: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control... I realize that the idea of the fruit of the Spirit is familiar to those of us who ve been in the church a while. You may have even memorized this list of qualities at some point. And so the goal of this sermon series isn t merely informational. Our goal is not merely that we understand these nine character qualities; we re not merely wanting each of us to be able to give a concise definition of love, joy, peace, and patience. So what are we going for in this series? Our goal is that we would (individually and corporately) actively trust the Holy Spirit to produce this fruit in our lives. Paul wanted the Galatians to be able to say, We now get it ; we accept this vision for what the Spirit wants to do and we will actively trust the Spirit to produce these qualities in our lives. Similarly, our goal for this series is that we would own this vision for the spiritual life to the point that we actively trust the Spirit of God Himself to produce these qualities in our lives. This sounds simple enough, but there are several obstacles that keep us from this type of faith. I ll mention two: The first is ignorance. Sometimes we (myself included) are simply ignorant about what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives. Sometimes we honestly don t know that the Spirit wants to do certain things in our lives. For example, you may never have realized that the Holy Spirit wants to give you the capacity to suffer at the hands of the people you live with, work with, and worship with. How do we know that the Spirit wants to do this? Because one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is patience, which can also be translated long-suffering. If you re patient, you suffer a long time before you get angry with someone. Honestly, you may have thought that the Spirit wants to orchestrate your circumstances so that you never have to put up with other people s sins and inconsistencies. But that s not the case. Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit really wants to produce long-suffering in our lives. One of the things we want to do in this series is remove some of the ignorance we have about what the Spirit wants to do in our lives. Once we understand that the Spirit wants to do something in our lives, then we re poised to have faith that He will produce those qualities in our lives. A second thing that keeps us from trusting the Spirit to produce this fruit in our lives is unbelief. I realize that I m making an obvious point here: unbelief keeps us from having faith. My point is that we sometimes need to identify and name the unbelief in our lives so that we can pursue a life of faith. For example, you may have to admit that you
FoS#1 - Galatians 5, 5/19/13" 2 don t believe that you will ever be a person characterized by peace. You might say, Given the way my mind works, given my past, given my circumstances, I don t think I will every have genuine peace. I will always be agitated and on edge. I can t imagine every really having peace in my mind and heart. If you are trapped in unbelief in some area of your life, the first thing you need to do is admit it: God, I have to admit that I don t believe the Holy Spirit can give me peace... or make me a person with self-control or gentleness. As we teach on the fruit of the Spirit, keep your eyes open for pockets of unbelief in your life. A Vision for the Spirit s Work in our Lives. And so, with a view toward actively trusting the Holy Spirit to produce this fruit in our lives, let s consider Galatians 5:16-26. In the first paragraph of this passage Paul makes two main statements about the flesh. The flesh is that part of us that craves sin. The flesh is that part of us that lives independent of God. I liken the flesh to a dirt road with deep ruts. Year after year cars and trucks have established ruts in the road; when you turn onto that road, the easiest thing to do is to let your wheels ride in those ruts. In a similar way, the habits of the flesh get so deeply engrained that when we get in certain situations the easiest thing to do is to follow the flesh - whether it s lustful or angry or anxious thoughts and actions. If we re going to trust God to give us the fruit of the Spirit, we need to understand some foundational things about the flesh. First, Paul says Walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (vv. 16-18) Paul gives a straightforward command in verse 16: 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. We need to be clear about this: the only way to avoid carrying out the desire of the flesh is walking by the Spirit. Avoiding the sins of the flesh isnʼt a function of willpower or how guilty you feel over some sin; it s a matter of walking by the Spirit - consciously allowing the Spirit to do what He wants to do in your life (prompting you and empowering you). Verse 17 stresses how antithetical the flesh and the Spirit are to one another. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. The flesh has certain desires; the flesh wants certain things. And the Spirit has certain desires; the Spirit actually wants to produce certain things in our lives. The flesh and the Spirit are in opposition to one another. There is no compatibility whatsoever between the two. When we indulge the flesh, we are saying, I side with the flesh against the Spirit. I opt for the desires of the flesh instead of the desires of the Spirit. When we walk by the Spirit, we are saying, I side with the Spirit. I want His will to be done in my
FoS#1 - Galatians 5, 5/19/13" 3 life, not the will of the flesh. Paul is urging us to engage our wills and side with the Spirit against the flesh. Second, Paul says: Understand the type of Life the Flesh Desires (and that the Spirit opposes) (vv. 19-21) I can t tell you how important it is for us to be able to identify and renounce the deeds of the flesh (as Paul calls them). In these verses Paul gives a tangible description of how the flesh commonly shows up in individual lives and in churches. This list could be taken as a check-list of things to avoid. But more importantly, if you are a believer in Jesus this list explains the things that the Spirit of God within you opposes. If you walk by the Spirit, these are the things (and types of things) you will not carry out (v. 16). 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Itʼs no coincidence that Paul speaks of the deeds/works of the flesh; this is the same term Paul has used throughout Galatians when he speaks of the works of the Law (e.g., 2:16, 3:2, 3:10, etc.). Both the works of the Law and the deeds of the flesh belong to the old life for those who are walking by the Spirit. When Paul says that the deeds of the flesh are evident he is saying that it should be obvious that these actions are manifestations of the flesh (and not the Spirit). Paulʼs list can be broken down into four broad categories. This isnʼt an exhaustive list because he ends with and things like these. Sins like theft and covetousness arenʼt mentioned here, but they did make the list when Paul wrote to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 6:10). This is a list that was especially appropriate for the church at Galatia. The first category involves sexual sins: immorality, impurity, sensuality. The second category involves spiritual sins: idolatry, sorcery. The third category involves relational sins: enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying. Paul was especially concerned with this category of sins within the church at Galatia. The final category involves sins of excess: drunkenness and carousing. So thatʼs Paulʼs list of the deeds of the flesh. When you spot those things you ve identified the flesh; you ve also identified the things that the Spirit opposes. A couple decades ago I memorized the fruit of the Spirit ; I thought it would be good to download these qualities that the Spirit wants in my life. But it never occurred to me to memorize the deeds of the flesh. After all, who wants to have rapid recall on a list like immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, etc.? Well, I ve concluded even though I don t really want to memorize this list, I need to memorize this list so that I know when the flesh is having its way in my life, so that I can renounce the deeds of the flesh and trust the Spirit to produce the opposite in my life. So I m in the process of memorizing this list.
FoS#1 - Galatians 5, 5/19/13" 4 In light of the fact that these deeds of the flesh are incompatible with being led by the Spirit, let s consider verses 22 and 23. In these verses Paul wants us to Understand the qualities that the Spirit desires to produce in our lives. (vv. 22-23) We re going to spend a week on each of these nine qualities. But listen in faith to what the Spirit of God wants to produce in your life if you re a follower of Christ. 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. These are the qualities that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in our lives. The qualities flow from the character of God Himself: God is full of love, joy, peace, and patience. All nine are important for every one of us. The gifts of the Spirit vary from person to person; we don t all have every gift. But all nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit should be embodied by every single believer. Of course none of us embody them perfectly. But when we give ourselves a pass and say, I m just not a patient person, there will be consequences. There will be consequences for your own life and for the lives of those around you. Or think about a lack of joy; if you are a person who dwells on what s wrong in your world instead of dwelling on God who is infinitely satisfying, there will be consequences in your own soul; and the people around you will pay a high price. And the church will pay a high price. Remember that the flesh and the Spirit have different desires; they oppose one another. The person without love, joy, peace, and patience will manifest deeds of the flesh such as outburst of anger, dissensions, factions. That person will be poison to the life of the church. I would say that these qualities aren t icing on the cake; these qualities are the cake. In other words, these qualities are our birthright in Christ Jesus. When you trust in Jesus, the Spirit indwells you. As the Spirit indwells you, He actively produces these qualities in your life. Unless you quench the Spirit and grieve the Spirit and live by the flesh, the Spirit will produce these qualities in your life. In other words, these qualities are part and parcel of your salvation. They are the norm, not the exception. We need to think about them in these terms. After listing these nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, Paul says, against such things there is no law. Throughout the book of Galatians Paul has argued against those who said that if you don t live by the law you ll end up in sin (the idea that a little legalism can never hurt ). He seems to be taking another shot at that line of thinking. The law was against things like murder, immorality, idolatry, injustice, stealing, coveting, etc. Such laws are irrelevant for people who are walking by the Spirit because their lives are already characterized by love, joy, peace, and patience. Laws are against vices, not virtues. And so there s no need for law if you re walking by the Spirit. Keep in step with the Spirit as He produces these qualities. (vv. 24-26) In these verses Paul argues that we have the responsibility to participate with the Spirit as He produces these qualities in our lives. In verse 24 Paul reminds them that when they came to Christ they turned their backs on the flesh and its desires.
FoS#1 - Galatians 5, 5/19/13" 5 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. By using the imagery of crucifixion, Paul was saying that when they came to Christ they intentionally and decisively died to the flesh. A true believer is someone who says, I am done with my life in the flesh; I will now live in the Spirit. The book of Galatians makes clear that this doesn t mean that the flesh is eradicated; the flesh is very much alive and well and will be until the return of Christ. But in a foundational sense, when we came to Christ we said, My life in the flesh is over. When we drift from that conviction, we need to return to a place of repentance - a place where we re convinced anew that the life of the flesh is not for us. In verse 25 Paul challenges the Galatians to live in a way that s consistent with the way they began the Christian life. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. The first phrase could be translated, Since we live by the Spirit... Paul is reminding the Galatians that the Spirit gave them life in the first place (see 3:3). He s simply arguing for continuity when he says that since we live by the Spirit, we should also walk by the Spirit. Here Paul uses a term found only three times in the New Testament (here, 6:16, and Philippians 3:16) and carries the idea of keeping in step with or conforming yourself to someone. The better we understand what the Spirit is doing in our lives, the better we ll be able to keep in step with Him. That s why we re teaching this series. Verse 26 indicates that Paul still has in mind the conflict in the church at Galatia. Once again he warns them against allowing the flesh to have its way. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. In the church, if we side with the flesh things will get ugly. Paul mentions three aspects of the flesh: becoming boastful (conceited over some perceived superiority), challenging one another (you re agitating other people by what you say and do; that s the opposite of being a peace-maker); envying one another (you aren t glad for what others have; you re upset that you don t have the same thing; it could involve relationships, influence, or resources). If you recognize these things in yourself, you ve just identified how you re giving in to the flesh. As I said earlier, we need to name the flesh and turn from it. These manifestations of the flesh work against healthy relationships in the family, in the workplace, and (perhaps especially) in the church. It is vitally important for the health of the church that each of us keep in step with the Spirit instead of simply following the flesh.
FoS#1 - Galatians 5, 5/19/13" 6 I d like to circle back to the goal of this sermon series. Here s the question: Will I actively trust the Holy Spirit to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in my life? It s one thing to believe in theory that if a person keeps in step with the Spirit that s/he will manifest the fruit of the Spirit. It s quite another to be able to say, I am actively trusting the Holy Spirit will produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. in my life. This isn t a confidence in your ability; it s confidence in the Holy Spirit s commitment and ability to produce this fruit in your life. Some of these will come more naturally for you than others. Some people seem to be naturally patient; they have a long, slow-burning fuse. Others are hot-headed. You may not own this vision for seeing all nine of these qualities in your life. That s why we re going to take our time and spend a week on each quality. Each week we ll challenge and encourage you to trust the Spirit to produce that quality in your life. My main request today is that you would make this issue a focus of prayer over the next nine weeks. Ask God to give you the faith to believe that you can walk by the Spirit and that God the Holy Spirit will produce these qualities in your life.