In Step with the Spirit

Introduction

A. Paul wrote Galatians to deal with false teachers. False teachers persuaded the Galatian believers to trust in the law of Moses and in particular to trust in the ability to keep the law as the means to prove that one was spiritually connected to God. In other words, instead of trusting God these believers had been encouraged to trust themselves. Instead of grace and freedom; they relied on themselves and their efforts. Attempting to prove that their relationship with God was based on how well they kept all the rules, they had fallen from grace and freedom. Paul writes this letter to remind his readers of some fundamental truths:

1. They have been crucified with Christ. It isn’t about how well they do but how Christ lives through them.

2. The Spirit’s presence is proof that they trust God rather than themselves and their own effort to prove they are spiritual.

3. Their baptism demonstrates that they belong to God and that they are no longer under the harsh supervision of the law.

4. Because they belong to God they have a special closeness with God.

5. Trying to have a relationship with God through keeping all the rules only proves that grace has no effect. It is through the Spirit that one is able to have a right standing with God.

B. At the end of the letter, Paul answers the unstated questions which inevitably comes when one begins to speak of grace, freedom, and not being under rules.

1. Do you mean I can live any way I want and be okay with God?

2. Is there no law at all?

3. How does trusting God look when I am living in this world?

C. Paul answers these questions in chapters 5 & 6. Make no mistake --- living with freedom and grace means that one can live confidently before God. One isn’t trying to keep the rules in order to prove their spiritual value. To live by faith is to live under the direction of the Spirit. It is to live relying on God rather than relying on yourself. Paul will write that we are to live by the Spirit. Let us be reminded that living by the Spirit is freedom to love.

Walk by the Spirit

A. Paul writes that we have a choice to make. We can choose to walk by the Spirit or we can choose to point to our own effort as proof that we belong to God. To choose to walk by the Spirit means to be under the guidance and control of the Spirit. To choose to live by one’s own effort means to live by the flesh. Flesh has to do with rebellion against God. Paul uses the word to create an image of spiritual warfare that is continually going on. There is the conflict between the Spirit and human effort. And that conflict is within us.

B. This conflict means we must choose to give ourselves over to the flesh or to the Spirit. We choose to rebel against God or we choose to walk with him through following the Spirit. Paul says in verse 18 that a person who is led by the Spirit isn’t being led by the law. Being led by the Spirit means that we choose to listen to God not rebel against him.

C. In verses 19-21, Paul gives a list of obvious flesh choices. Sexual sins --- sex with someone who isn’t your spouse; sexual behaviors outside the will of God such as pornography; putting anything before God; witchcraft literally means the misuse of drugs. Paul also includes things like jealousy, anger, and selfishness. The day to day living choices of the flesh. These are obvious. The person who pursues their own selfish desires is living by the flesh.

D. In verses 22-23, Paul writes that the one who chooses to follow the Spirit has a different outcome. The “harvest” of following the Spirit are seen in ways that only God can produce. We choose to follow the Spirit but it is only the Spirit who can produce within us the very heart that we want. A heart that is set on love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. No law needed for this harvest. The one guided by the Spirit demonstrates these characteristics.

Questions

A. Do you mean I can live any way I want to and be okay with God? Yes and no. Remember what Paul wrote in 2:20? “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me.” Paul says in verse 24 that if you belong to Christ then you have crucified the flesh. You have stopped your rebellion against God. You have stopped trying to do get what you want. But when you live by the Spirit and walk by the Spirit then we don’t need a bunch of rules to live by. Choosing the Spirit means that we are free to love others in ways that draws them to Christ (5:14).

B. Is there no law at all? There will always be law. God gave a law to his people when Moses was their leader. But in time people used the law as proof that they were okay with God when in fact their hearts were selfish. Some do this today. I don’t drink, smoke, or cuss….much. I don’t run around on my spouse; I don’t try to hurt anyone. I don’t steal. I mind my own business. I give stuff to Goodwill and throw a little money into those red buckets at this time of the year. I even bought toys for some children I don’t know. I’m not a bad person.

1. That sounds external. Jeremiah, the prophet of God, spoke of a day when the law would not be external but internal. It would be a day when God would live in a person’s heart and instead of pointing to what a person had done for others; they would point to God’s goodness.

2. Paul writes about that day in this letter. We trust God and what he has done for us through Jesus and God gives us his Spirit and we choose to walk with him.

C. How does trusting God look when I am living in this world? Good question.

1. What does confidence look like?

2. What does it look like when you are not trying to prove yourself to others or to God?

3. What does it look like when you are expressing love, joy, and peace.

4. What does it look like to be filled with grace and mercy toward others as well as toward others?

5. What does it look like to love others without worrying about how they will respond or if they will respond favorably to you?

6. Answer those questions and you have your answer. Remember we died with Christ. Remember we have the Spirit of God living within us. This Spirit allows us to have an intimate and confident relationship with Father.

7. One last question. Do you choose to be guided by the Spirit or do you choose to be guided by pursuing your own desires? Most choose the latter. Few live by the Spirit. Invitation.

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