WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.719 Galatians chapter five, starting in verse sixteen. 00:00:05.280 --> 00:00:11.519 I say then, walk by the spirit, and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:17.359 For the flesh desires what is against the spirit, and the spirit desires what is against the flesh. 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:21.839 These are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want. 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:25.679 But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:47.280 Now the works of the flesh are obvious sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:56.079 I'm warning you about these things as I warned you before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:08.959 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:12.640 The law is not against such things. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:19.359 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:24.719 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:30.000 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:31.439 Let's pray. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:35.680 Lord, as we do every week, we thank you for your word. 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:42.879 We thank you that we have this substance here within your word that we get to go over here this morning. 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:51.280 So Lord, I pray that you would help each one of us to approach you, to approach your word with all humility. 00:01:51.519 --> 00:02:02.000 Lord, recognizing that we fail in so many ways, but we have your spirit within us as our helper, as our counselor, as our guide. 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:15.280 So Lord, I pray that you would teach us, that you would help this truth of your word to permeate each one of us, and that you would have your way in our hearts individually, but Lord, collectively as a church as well, we pray. 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:16.560 In Jesus' name. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:17.280 Amen. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:18.879 You may be seated. 00:02:19.759 --> 00:02:25.840 So chapter five is really the climax, I think, of Galatians. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:34.719 You know, Paul uses the first four chapters of Galatians, developing this message of salvation by grace and not by works. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:39.599 And you get to chapter five, and then he starts speaking more practically. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:45.520 Um really he starts to get to the point of what those first four chapters were for. 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:54.000 You know, last week we ended with talking about not abusing our freedom by using it as an opportunity for the flesh. 00:02:54.240 --> 00:03:02.719 As he said, as um it said directly, as an opportunity of the flesh, but as an opportunity to serve one another through love. 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:06.080 And then he said, to love your neighbor as yourself. 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:11.520 And love is gonna be a big theme of all that we're talking about in these verses here today as well. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.159 It's gonna continue on in that theme. 00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:20.800 Now, also in verse 16, he's gonna begin, as we've seen, so much contrast in this book of Galatians. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:26.560 He's gonna begin to contrast walking by the spirit and walking by the flesh. 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:33.520 And I think we should probably define some terms before we jump in here this morning because we're gonna be talking so much about them. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:42.319 So the first term I want to look at is the small s spirit, the little s spirit that we see through scripture. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:45.919 And that's the part of us that is eternal. 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:51.439 You know, whether in heaven or hell, it's the eternal part of us that's going to last forever. 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:59.439 In Scripture, you know, it has to do with our mind, it has to do with our heart, our spiritual heart, that is, our soul, so to speak. 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:04.560 And then the second term that we're going to be talking a lot about is the capital S spirit. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:11.039 And when we're talking about the capital S spirit, we're talking about the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. 00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:15.280 You know, if you've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, he lives inside you. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:18.319 He is a seal, Scripture tells us. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:25.439 And he's the down payment for our eternal life through Jesus Christ. 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:31.360 And as we'll see, he's also going to be referred to as the Spirit of Christ. 00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:35.360 Now, the third term we're going to be talking about is the word flesh. 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:49.600 You know, the Greek dictionary refers to flesh when it's used in this way, as the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God. 00:04:49.759 --> 00:04:53.040 That's the definition as we're talking about flesh here this morning. 00:04:53.199 --> 00:04:58.399 It's the part of us where human nature and where sin nature still exists. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:02.959 And it's the part of us that's constantly crying out, gimme, gimme, gimme. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:04.879 Have you ever heard that voice inside of you? 00:05:04.959 --> 00:05:06.879 It's always looking out for number one. 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:13.519 You know, it's almost like this toddler that lives inside of us that has no problem being selfish whatsoever. 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:19.360 It has no problem crying and throwing a fit because our sibling got a bigger cupcake than we did. 00:05:19.439 --> 00:05:22.480 You know, it's kind of that voice that we hear inside of us. 00:05:22.720 --> 00:05:33.680 It's where our sinful urges and our sinful appetites originate and then try to convince us to actually act on and fulfill those urges and those appetites. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:38.879 So I think the question becomes so how how do all of those fit together? 00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:44.639 And I think it's good for us to understand this before we jump into this conversation of flesh versus spirit. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:55.600 Well, Paul wrote in Romans 8 9, he said, You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, the capital S spirit. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:59.439 If indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:16.879 You see, when we come to a trusting faith in Jesus, our little S spirit really, so to speak, it switches allegiance from being best buds with our flesh to being one with the Holy Spirit that now lives inside of us. 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:22.639 And now our little S spirit has to learn how to say no to our flesh. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:24.959 That old friend of ours that we have. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:30.240 And we have to actually be willing to wage war against our flesh. 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:36.240 You know, our spirit, along with the Holy Spirit, are now at war with our flesh. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:37.040 Got it? 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:39.519 That kind of makes sense, hopefully, to everybody. 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:42.160 It's really going to help us as we we continue on here. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:44.560 So let's jump in to verse 16. 00:06:44.879 --> 00:06:54.480 He says, I say then, walk by the Spirit, and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 00:06:54.800 --> 00:07:04.399 So tying this in a little bit to last week, because it's just a continuation of that, this is the answer to not abusing our freedom that we were talking about. 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:10.240 You know, it's the freedom Paul told us to stand firm in, but also to not abuse. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:17.360 You know, he's really answering the question: what's the solution to not abusing grace? 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:23.120 And his answer, walk by the spirit, the capital S spirit. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:34.240 This is for every legalistic person that's in Galatia that is concerned that if we walk by the spirit and not by the law, that surely we're gonna fall into sin. 00:07:34.800 --> 00:07:45.680 You know, that have that attitude of if we don't have these rules, you know, then Christians can't possibly stay holy, but are going to abuse those freedoms in Christ Jesus. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:07:56.959 But what Paul is saying to them here in verse 16 is that if we are walking by the Spirit, that we can't possibly carry out the desire of the flesh. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:02.000 And Paul has used this term walk a lot as we've been going through the New Testament. 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:13.360 We've seen it a lot, and he uses it symbolically and in a lot of different capacities as a metaphor of how we are to live our life, or at least how we're supposed to live our life. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:17.199 You know, he tells the Romans to walk in newness of life. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:22.000 And he tells the Corinthians to walk by faith and not by sight. 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:28.000 He tells the Ephesians that we were created for good works and should walk in them. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:34.960 He urged the Ephesians to also walk worthy of the calling that they had received. 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:44.000 He encouraged the Colossians, he said, so then just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in him. 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:50.399 So walking by the Spirit means allowing him to live through us. 00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:56.320 Where everything that we do is in submission to him as we follow him. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:04.639 You know, we learn that the role of the Holy Spirit from Scripture is that one, he's the Spirit of Christ. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:08.320 But he also convicts us of sin. 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:11.600 We learn that he's the revealer of truth. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:17.360 Jesus said, when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you in all the truth. 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:19.600 He's also our helper. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:28.080 We see that he's our comforter, our counselor, that he takes residence in our heart, and that he is the seal of our salvation. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:32.639 He's the down payment to God's promise of eternal life. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:36.720 We learn that he bears witness of who Jesus is. 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:40.960 We learn that he's a gift giver, he gives spiritual gifts. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:46.879 But then today we're also going to learn that he's a fruit farmer, which we're going to get into here in a little bit. 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:50.720 So, how do we walk in the spirit? 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:54.000 How do we live our life in the spirit? 00:09:54.159 --> 00:09:56.080 I think is the question that we need to answer. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:02.559 And I think the answer is by allowing him to do all of these things in and through us. 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:07.279 By allowing him to live, literally live through us. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:14.320 You see, the new life that we have in Christ, it's one of dying to self. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:19.919 It's one of denying our flesh and surrendering fully to God. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:23.759 Which, if we're honest, I think we stink at, don't we? 00:10:24.960 --> 00:10:34.240 But through the power of the Holy Spirit, living in and through us, it is possible to win the battle against our flesh. 00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:40.480 But only if, and this is so important, only if we are truly walking by the Spirit. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:44.879 Now, he's going to continue on in verse 17, contrasting flesh and spirit. 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:53.600 He says, For the flesh desires what is against the spirit, and the spirit desires what is against the flesh. 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:59.919 These are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want. 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:17.679 You know, just like Paul already told him that the law and grace can't live in harmony under the same roof, just like Hagar and Sarah couldn't live in harmony under the same roof, here he's telling them that the flesh and spirit cannot live in harmony under the same roof. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:26.159 But for now, they are stuck under that same roof within us and are waging war against each other. 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:35.440 You know, these bodies that we live in have our flesh and our spirit living in the same place, under the same roof. 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:40.320 So, how is that going? 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:44.559 Having those two at war within. 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:51.519 You know, can you relate to the end of verse 17 that says, so that you don't do what you want? 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:53.600 Isn't that relatable? 00:11:54.000 --> 00:12:01.440 You know, Paul wrote to the Romans regarding this, saying, For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:07.440 For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 00:12:07.679 --> 00:12:13.039 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:21.039 Now, if I do what I do not want, I'm no longer the one that does it, but it is the sin that lives in me. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:26.080 We are engaged in a war within ourselves. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:28.960 It's the flesh versus the spirit. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:38.960 So, for example, have you ever told yourself when you go to bed, I'm gonna get up extra early tomorrow morning and read my Bible? 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:43.360 And then your alarm goes off. 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:53.840 And you're in your warm, comfortable bed, and you're convinced that just 10 more minutes is all that you need of sleep, and then you're gonna be just fine. 00:12:54.159 --> 00:13:00.720 What happens is the night before the spirit was telling you, this is what your soul needs. 00:13:00.879 --> 00:13:04.320 This is what you really need on a spiritual level. 00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:15.679 But then your flesh the next morning told you, I just need more comfort, I just need a little more sleep, I just need a little more warmth. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:20.320 Really, I just need a little more me time, is what the flesh is telling us, right? 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:28.879 Our flesh is always seeking comfort, it's always seeking ease and pleasure and instant gratification. 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:36.559 You know, it only cares about the moment and really has no regard for the future, has no regard for consequences. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:49.679 The Holy Spirit, influencing our spirit, wants what's good for the long term, considers the long-term consequences, and doesn't really regard comfort. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:14:00.879 That's why things like reading our Bible and praying and fasting and serving and giving and the things like that, they're considered spiritual disciplines. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:05.200 Because our flesh hates to do those things on its own. 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:11.039 But the Holy Spirit is constantly encouraging us to be disciplined. 00:14:11.279 --> 00:14:23.120 And if you think of the most disciplined person that you know, take a moment, think of who that might be, they don't usually have a high regard for their own comfort, do they? 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:26.480 I mean, look at the life of Jesus. 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:30.240 How much time did he spend seeking his own comfort? 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:34.320 You know, I don't see a single instance of that in the gospel. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:39.759 Jesus sure wasn't seeking comfort when he came down onto this earth to live among us. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:46.480 He sure wasn't seeking his own comfort when he died in our place on the cross and was being crucified. 00:14:47.120 --> 00:14:54.960 Spiritual discipline serve to tamp down our flesh. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:59.440 And I want to use an example that my disciple in college used to use. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:11.360 He said, if you have two puppies and pretend that they are identical twins, one's name is flesh and one's name is spirit, which one of those dogs will grow the fastest? 00:15:12.799 --> 00:15:14.720 The one you feed the most, right? 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:19.519 Now, I want to end that analogy there so you don't accuse me of animal cruelty. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:26.240 But if we want flesh to die, we have to stop feeding it, right? 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:29.200 We have to starve it. 00:15:30.720 --> 00:15:40.720 And if we want our spirit to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus and walk closer with the Holy Spirit, we need to feed the spirit. 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:45.039 Because whichever one we feed is the one that's gonna grow. 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:50.559 You know, we've talked about the idea of self-love before, but it's been a while. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:56.480 You know, this idea of self-love really started gaining traction in our culture during the hippie movement. 00:15:56.720 --> 00:16:01.120 And then it seemed like Oprah picked up that mantle and carried it, you know, for a while. 00:16:01.279 --> 00:16:10.799 And now it seems like it's this widely accepted thing in our culture that people just accept as the truth, that you have to love yourself before you can love others. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:15.759 And it's even crept into Christianity, but it's anti-biblical. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:20.320 The problem with our flesh is that it loves itself too much. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:23.279 We have no problem loving ourselves. 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:32.799 Our flesh is always looking out for number one, you know, and Jesus taught us to deny ourselves and to take up our cross. 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:46.480 Scripture encourages us to be disciplined and to walk by the Spirit and to love our neighbor as ourselves, as we were looking at last week, and to sacrifice for and to serve others. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:48.480 That's what the Bible teaches us. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:54.399 But there is this aspect of Scripture that does tell us that we should take care of ourselves. 00:16:54.639 --> 00:17:03.039 You know, that we should have a good diet and we should rest and we should take care of our bodies as they are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:10.400 So I think it was around the early 2000s, if I remember right, the term self-care started to become more popular. 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:19.599 And it was a word I think that Christians started to adopt because it originally meant, you know, taking care of yourself with diet and rest and taking care of your body. 00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:25.839 But now it is so often used to just justify doing whatever feels good. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:30.000 You know, binging on Netflix and eating a whole bag of potato chips. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:31.440 Hashtag self-care. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.680 You know, see that stuff all the time. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:38.400 Staying home instead of fulfilling my commitments, you know, self-care. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:44.720 You know, staying home from church because my PJs were so warm and I just wanted one more cup of coffee. 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:47.759 Congratulations, you guys didn't succumb to that this morning. 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:53.839 But, you know, I've had that temptation, but then I remember I have to teach, and then so here I am. 00:17:55.200 --> 00:18:00.240 But these are real things that our flesh is just like, oh, I just want some more comfort, you know. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:03.519 And we try to justify it with these words. 00:18:03.920 --> 00:18:11.440 You know, self-care has become an excuse to do to not do what we should because we don't feel like it. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.759 You know, it's become an excuse to feed our flesh and act like it's biblical. 00:18:16.079 --> 00:18:24.319 I mean, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with self-care as long as it's caring for your spirit and it's not feeding your flesh. 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:30.559 You know, it's good to take good care of ourselves for the purposes of God's kingdom. 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:32.720 Paul goes on in verse 18. 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:38.799 He says, but if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:39.759 Why? 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:47.279 Because the Spirit will never ask you to do something against God and for your flesh. 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:58.079 So then I think the question naturally becomes you know, how can we tell if it's the spirit or the flesh that is urging us to do something? 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:01.200 How do we tell the difference between those two? 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:06.400 Well, the spirit will never ask us to do something that is unbiblical. 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:12.240 And the flesh will constantly urge us to do things that are unbiblical. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:19.839 So if you know God's word, it's the easiest way to discern between the spirit and the flesh. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:24.160 It's why we teach the Bible the way that we do on Sunday mornings. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:30.960 It's why we encourage you to daily be in your Bibles on your own, to know the word for yourself. 00:19:31.599 --> 00:19:40.319 And not to just know the word for the sake of knowing the word, but reading it and trying to understand the heart of God in each passage. 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:45.359 You know, that's the question that I honestly try to answer every Sunday that I'm up here teaching. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:50.559 God, what is your heart for your people in this passage? 00:19:50.960 --> 00:20:05.839 Because once we know God's word, and once we know his heart towards us, it makes it way easier to distinguish and discern between the competing voices that are inside us of the Holy Spirit and our flesh. 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:17.519 You know, and to make it a bit easier here, Paul's going to help us to know which voice is which by listing out here things that our flesh will cry out for. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:20.640 So that we just know if it's one of these, it's our flesh. 00:20:20.720 --> 00:20:23.920 And we have a slide here to help us keep track of these as we go through. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:25.519 So look at verse 19. 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:34.240 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impure impurity, promiscuity. 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:37.920 So these are all sexual or sensual sins. 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:51.359 These can be summed up by saying, it kind of encompasses all of these, any sexual act outside of marriage of one man and one woman is of the flesh and is of sin. 00:20:51.519 --> 00:20:57.200 You know, and this includes thought life, this includes pornography or whatever it might be. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:00.319 Those are all works of the flesh. 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:10.720 If you are practicing these things, meaning if you're living in these sins, the spirit is not in you, and the spirit is not leading you. 00:21:11.039 --> 00:21:12.960 He goes on in verse 20. 00:21:13.279 --> 00:21:15.519 Idolatry, sorcery. 00:21:15.680 --> 00:21:17.759 So these are religious sins. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:21.839 You know, God said you um you shall have no other gods before me. 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:25.200 And if you do, that's idolatry. 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:28.000 It's placing something else above God. 00:21:28.400 --> 00:21:34.720 And then the second word there is sorcery, and that implies both witchcraft and drugs. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:40.640 The original Greek that this was written in, um, it's the word pharmacia, if you've heard that before. 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:42.960 It's where we get our word pharmacy from. 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:54.640 You know, if you talk to Christians that used to be on hallucinogenic drugs, they'll tell you that it opened up a spiritual realm to them and not in a good way. 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:57.440 What they saw is pure evil. 00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:59.599 And I've had multiple Christians tell me over. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.720 And over. 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:05.519 And I want you to know this isn't speaking against antibiotics and anvil and you know stuff like this. 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:08.720 This is talking about mind-altering drugs. 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.039 This is talking about getting stoned, really. 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:14.799 Drugs that take you into another state of mind. 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:20.480 So he says, idolatry, witchcraft, and drugs are the result of the flesh. 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:22.319 Look at the second part of verse 20. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:22.799 He goes on. 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:34.240 He says, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy. 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:37.279 These are all sins against other people. 00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:41.839 People that are living in the flesh, this is how they act. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:43.119 This is who they are. 00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:45.119 This is what they're known for. 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:46.880 For their hatreds. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:48.799 You know, notice that's plural. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.720 You know, it's that person that just hates everything. 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:56.240 I hate that and I hate that and that person and this thing, you know, and they just go around, and that's that's who they are. 00:22:56.640 --> 00:23:01.839 He goes on saying strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger. 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:04.960 You know, this is who they are and what they're known for. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:09.920 Selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy. 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:14.079 Do you see how all of these are so self-focused? 00:23:16.240 --> 00:23:19.759 Because the flesh is self-focused. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:22.799 It's always saying, me, me, me, more, more, more. 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:24.400 Gimme, gimme, gimme, right? 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:26.400 He goes on in verse 21. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:31.599 Drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:35.039 You know, these are often classified as social sins. 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:37.039 Things that are done in public. 00:23:37.359 --> 00:23:44.559 And that word drunkenness, you know, though getting drunk is a sin, this is really speaking of being an alcoholic. 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:46.880 Living in that sin. 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:58.319 And carousing, that means really late-night wild parties that usually take to the streets with half-drunk people making bad choices and disturbing the peace. 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:07.599 So you may not be a drunk, an alcoholic, but you get drunk and you're reckless and disturb the peace when you're doing it. 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:19.519 These are all signs of people who live by their flesh, who are living in these sins and do not have the Holy Spirit living inside of them. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:21.359 Look at the end of verse 21. 00:24:21.519 --> 00:24:32.160 He says, I'm warning you about these things, as I warned you before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:24:33.359 --> 00:24:38.240 So notice right here, if you're a highlighter or underliner in your Bible, that word practice. 00:24:38.319 --> 00:24:40.480 He says, those who practice. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:49.680 This isn't saying that if you lose a battle with your flesh and you cave to one of the above-mentioned things, that you're heading to hell automatically. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:25:02.799 You know, Jesus came to forgive us of those sins when we reluctantly fail in those areas and then repent because our flesh is so weak and we lost that battle. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:09.920 So Paul makes it clear those that practice, that do these things habitually all the time. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:16.799 He says, those who practice such things, these acts of the flesh, will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:23.440 Remember who Paul said would inherit the kingdom of God in chapter 4, verses 6 and 7? 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:32.640 He said, And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba Father. 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:38.799 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:49.440 And if you're walking by the Spirit, and you are an heir, you won't be practicing the works of the flesh that he just listed. 00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.720 Now we get to see the list for the fruit of the Spirit. 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.279 Look at verse 22 with me. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:10.000 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:12.000 So what does a person look like? 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:13.839 What does a person do? 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:18.640 What is a person known for, really, when they're walking by the Spirit? 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:20.799 This list right here. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:27.759 And this is a great time for all of us to really take a little self-assessment and ask, you know, is this who we are? 00:26:27.920 --> 00:26:34.160 Are we known for love, joy, peace, patience? 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:39.680 Are we known for our kindness and our goodness and our faithfulness? 00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:44.480 Are we known for our gentleness and are we known for our self-control? 00:26:45.039 --> 00:26:55.039 And you know, really, I'm glad that Paul listed all these out here, but he could have just said love here, and all of the rest of that list could have just been a subset of love. 00:26:55.839 --> 00:27:00.160 Because the love that we're looking at here, this word is agape love. 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:06.799 This word is mostly translated as love in the New Testament, but it's also translated as charity. 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:10.880 And think about what the word charity means to us. 00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:19.680 This is a mindful, sacrificial love that has to do with our will and not our feelings. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:24.480 You know, look at that list again in that right column that's behind me. 00:27:25.519 --> 00:27:30.160 These are choices we make, not emotions that we feel. 00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:34.240 And you might be looking at a list saying, yeah, but what about joy? 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:36.319 Joy is a choice. 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:44.640 Happiness is an emotion, happiness is a feeling, but biblically speaking, joy is a cho is a choice that we choose. 00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:53.839 And this love that we're talking about is the love that Jesus not only demonstrated to us, but also calls us to. 00:27:54.319 --> 00:28:05.680 It's the same love Paul already told the Galatians to love with earlier in this chapter, when he said, serve one another through love, for the whole law is fulfilled in one statement. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:08.559 Love your neighbor as yourself. 00:28:09.279 --> 00:28:13.920 You know, in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, that's often referred to as the love chapter. 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:16.559 You've probably heard it at every wedding you've ever been to. 00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:20.720 But Paul makes a similar list as he does here. 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:26.640 But before that list, he basically tells them, you know, it doesn't matter if I can speak in tongues. 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:28.799 It doesn't matter if I can prophesy. 00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:35.359 It doesn't matter if I understand all the mysteries and knowledge and my theology and my doctrine is completely pinned down. 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:39.039 Doesn't matter if I have faith that can move mountains. 00:28:39.279 --> 00:28:43.200 If I don't have love, he says, then I am nothing. 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:56.160 You see, this all comes down to if you focus on loving God with all of your heart and loving others as Christ loved, the law is fulfilled. 00:28:56.480 --> 00:29:00.400 You know, that's why our church's motto is love God and love others. 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:03.039 You open up the website, that's the first thing that you see. 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:07.839 Because Jesus said, This is the greatest commandment. 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:09.359 Why? 00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:11.680 Look at the end of verse 23. 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:15.680 The law is not against such things. 00:29:16.079 --> 00:29:25.920 If you're walking by the Spirit and if you're practicing these things by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit, you don't have to worry about breaking the law. 00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:28.400 And I'll ask you this. 00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:33.359 Have you ever broken the law because you were being too loving? 00:29:35.279 --> 00:29:36.640 Too joyful. 00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:39.920 You broke the law because you were too patient. 00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:46.240 You know, I've never heard somebody say, oh man, I broke the law because I had too much self-control. 00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:50.000 It doesn't work that way. 00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:58.480 You see, the spirit leads us to produce this fruit and never leads us to do anything outside of Scripture. 00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:04.079 He will never lead you to the left column that you see behind me right now. 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:11.440 So Paul says, if we are walking by the Spirit, the law is not against such things. 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:16.319 Basically, walking by the Spirit is not in conflict with the law. 00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:18.480 Look at verse 24 with me. 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:32.240 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified, that's an active voice right now, have with Jesus, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:40.079 Now, in Galatians 2.20, you know, Paul has already told the Galatians that he has been crucified with Christ. 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:46.720 And that in that section of 2.20, he's talking about salvation. 00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:53.279 Jesus paying the debt that we owed by dying the death that we deserved. 00:30:53.599 --> 00:30:57.599 But notice who is doing the crucifying in verse 24. 00:30:58.559 --> 00:30:59.599 It's us. 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:08.160 This tells us that we play an active role in crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires. 00:31:08.480 --> 00:31:17.920 We play a part in the battle of our flesh and our spirit by actively crucifying those sinful passions and desires. 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:20.319 And we can only do that through the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:22.079 It's not through our own strength. 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:30.160 But we play an active part in sending those desires of the flesh to their painful death. 00:31:30.799 --> 00:31:35.759 And we can only do that, not through trying harder, like I was saying. 00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:42.079 We can only do that through the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us and living through us. 00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:49.359 You know, our passions and desires of the flesh are that left column that's up behind me. 00:31:49.519 --> 00:31:52.559 You know, those things have to be put to death. 00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:57.359 And sometimes we need to crucify them on a daily basis, don't we? 00:31:57.680 --> 00:32:01.200 Because they start to show signs of life again. 00:32:03.200 --> 00:32:14.799 I'm sure you've seen this happen with yourself, where maybe you haven't struggled with something and you've experienced freedom from some sort of sin for a long time. 00:32:15.279 --> 00:32:19.519 And then that temptation of the flesh starts to show signs of life again. 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:21.759 And you're like, where did that come from? 00:32:21.920 --> 00:32:23.759 I thought that that was dead. 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:26.799 And then we have to put that temptation to death again. 00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:28.559 We have to deal with it again. 00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:33.759 You know, our flesh can be like those trick birthday candles, you know? 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:37.440 The ones that you blow on and you blow, oh, it's out, it's dead, it's finally out. 00:32:37.599 --> 00:32:42.400 And then that little ember comes back, and then poof, you know, that the flame comes back again. 00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:51.920 You know, we think it's dead, we think the flame's extinguished, and then all of a sudden that flame of temptation pops up once again inside of us. 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:59.440 You know, this side of eternity, that candle can and will start to show signs of life again within us. 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:06.160 And we keep needing to allow the spirit of Jesus inside of us to extinguish that flame. 00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:12.880 You know, sometimes it's gonna be over and over and over again, as I'm sure many of you have experienced. 00:33:13.039 --> 00:33:14.319 Look at 25. 00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:21.680 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 00:33:21.839 --> 00:33:26.720 If you highlight and underline, keep in step with the Spirit. 00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:28.880 And I want to give you one last definition. 00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:33.039 So keep in step is one word in the Greek. 00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:40.400 And it means to proceed in a row as the march of a soldier, go in order. 00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:48.960 It's a metaphor to go on prosperously, to turn out well, to walk, to direct one's life to live. 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:55.519 You know, to keep in step means to allow him to walk before you and show the way. 00:33:55.839 --> 00:34:02.319 And our job is to stay right in step and follow him wherever he goes. 00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:22.719 You know, whenever I think about this, I think about this time where I was in high school, and my family, it was me and my dad and my brother, we were hunting out at Fort Hunter Liggett, we were deer hunting, and we were way up on this ridge, and we're glassing with our binoculars, and we spotted this buck that was way down this ridge and then across this ravine. 00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:24.800 And it was way too far to shoot. 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:31.920 The only way that we could get down there is if we went down the top of this ridge, which had brush as tall as we were. 00:34:32.079 --> 00:34:38.880 It had burned a couple years before, and there's all these black, charred, sharp sticks, you know, that were sticking out with us. 00:34:39.039 --> 00:34:43.599 And if you know my brother, you know he loves to hunt, and he'll do anything to get a big buck. 00:34:43.760 --> 00:34:48.639 And so we decided that we're gonna go after this buck, and the only way was down the top of this ridge. 00:34:48.800 --> 00:35:07.840 And so he went first, and then it was my dad, and then I was behind my dad, and we're just going through, and my brother's in the front, and all this brush had grown together like this, and he's busting through all the brush and everything, and we're getting down there, and we get pretty close to shooting range, and then we hear another hunter beat us through it. 00:35:08.079 --> 00:35:11.679 He missed, so no animals were harmed in the telling of the story. 00:35:11.920 --> 00:35:20.159 But the buck ran off, and we're just sitting there huffing and puffing, it was hot, and we're just dirty and nasty. 00:35:20.239 --> 00:35:29.760 And and I look over at my brother, and his forearms were bleeding, just cuts and scratches, and just absolutely his forearms were a mess. 00:35:29.920 --> 00:35:32.320 And then I looked at mine and nothing. 00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:35.119 I was I was totally, totally fine. 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:39.440 My brother paved the way, and I just stayed instead. 00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:43.920 You know, he broke through the brush, and I just had to walk through it. 00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:49.280 My brother found the best route, and I just needed to stay close behind him in that time. 00:35:49.440 --> 00:35:51.599 And I always think about this in regards to this. 00:35:51.760 --> 00:36:09.280 You know, the Holy Spirit wants to direct our path and go before, and we're simply asked to stay in step with him, to not get ahead of him, and to not fall so far behind that we end up taking a different route than he did. 00:36:09.599 --> 00:36:11.840 Stay in step. 00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:16.639 And now, Paul's gonna give them one more admonishment in verse 26. 00:36:16.719 --> 00:36:23.039 He says, Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. 00:36:23.280 --> 00:36:27.199 You know, at first read this may seem a little out of place, you know, but it's not. 00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:32.800 What's the danger once we start to walk in step with the Holy Spirit? 00:36:33.840 --> 00:36:35.440 Becoming conceited. 00:36:35.840 --> 00:36:40.719 We start to take credit for the things that He's doing in and through us. 00:36:41.440 --> 00:36:43.119 Or provoking one another. 00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:49.679 You know, well, you may think you really heard from the Holy Spirit, but I really heard from the Holy Spirit, and I'm right, so you need to do what I say. 00:36:50.960 --> 00:36:58.800 Or we can go the other way with envy, you know, be envious of others' giftings, of others' fruit. 00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:02.559 We can be envious of other people's relationship with God. 00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:07.920 We could be envious of how the spirit is moving in somebody else's life. 00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:11.440 So Paul warns them don't do that. 00:37:11.840 --> 00:37:14.079 That is not the fruit of the spirit. 00:37:14.159 --> 00:37:18.000 That is the result of the flesh disguised as spirituality. 00:37:18.239 --> 00:37:21.360 And that's really what the Galatians were getting from these Judaizers. 00:37:21.440 --> 00:37:23.440 You know, that's the whole point of all this. 00:37:23.760 --> 00:37:34.800 The Judaizers were conceited, they were provoking and they were envying, and that's why they were doing all the things that they were doing to these Galatians and trying to lead them down the wrong path. 00:37:35.119 --> 00:37:37.920 So the question is: what's our takeaway today? 00:37:38.159 --> 00:37:41.599 Here at Abide, what do we walk away with this morning? 00:37:41.840 --> 00:37:58.159 Well, I think it's an encouragement to walk in the Spirit, to stay in step with the Spirit, to allow Him to direct and guide every aspect of our life. 00:37:58.719 --> 00:38:06.000 And the better you know the word, the easier it's going to be to hear that voice and to discern that voice. 00:38:06.639 --> 00:38:10.960 So we need to invite him into every part of our life. 00:38:11.440 --> 00:38:17.920 To listen for and allow him to guide us in every aspect of our life. 00:38:18.320 --> 00:38:24.880 You know, this life, as Paul has so clearly spoken, it's no longer our own if we're following Christ. 00:38:25.199 --> 00:38:29.519 Because our identity is now found in Christ. 00:38:30.239 --> 00:38:34.480 And we no longer live, but Christ lives in us. 00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:35.840 Let's pray. 00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:49.360 Lord, it's easy to think about and remember how often we fail, how many battles our flesh wins. 00:38:50.079 --> 00:39:05.119 But Lord, I pray that every day that you would help us to walk in a closer, deeper relationship with Jesus and to stay in step with the Holy Spirit. 00:39:05.440 --> 00:39:07.760 Lord, we thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:39:07.840 --> 00:39:17.360 I can't imagine what it would be like to live this life without the Holy Spirit as our guide living in and through us. 00:39:17.599 --> 00:39:29.039 So, Lord, help us to become more obedient, more sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, more obedient to his guidance. 00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:38.639 Lord, where we don't even ask questions, but we when we feel the leading of the Holy Spirit, that we would just act, knowing that you have what's best for us ahead. 00:39:38.800 --> 00:39:44.400 So help us to become more in tune and more sensitive to hear his voice, we pray. 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:50.239