As we pick up where Gavin left off last week in Galatians 5 today, I want to make sure we understand what the term legalism means, because it will help as we walk through the passage today – Legalism is strict adherence to the law, regardless of faith, and using that adherence as a sense of righteousness – in fact, as a recovering legalist, I decide who is worthy and unworthy based on my understanding of their adherence to the law – so, legalism is self-righteousness at its finest.

 

This is important today, because the passage outlines two ways of thinking, two schools of thought, or two roads to walk – Jesus talked about two roads in Matthew 7:13-14 – did you see what he said about the narrow road? FEW FIND IT, meaning it is less obvious, counter-intuitive – in fact, he says a few verses later that many think they’re on the right road but aren’t – so, what are the two roads?

 

Paul will lay out two ideas today: walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh – these are opposing forces in the life of every follower of Jesus – As we think about these two opposing ideas of Spirit vs flesh, think the way of Jesus vs. the way of the Judaizers – Paul has been talking about this since the beginning of the book – Last week, Gal. 5:6: “Circumcision doesn’t matter, only faith expressing itself in love.” It is the difference between an external force driving you vs an internal force transforming you – these two roads may look similar, but are leading in two completely different directions – let’s dig into the passage.  Galatians 5:13-26

 

V13 – As a follower of Jesus, you are called to be free – he is restating 5:1, Christ came to SET CAPTIVES FREE! Luke 4:18-19 - The question becomes, what does freedom look like? Common idea in the church that freedom looks like praying a prayer to secure heaven when you die, and then doing whatever you want until then – Paul is clear here: don’t use your freedom to indulge the flesh, but to humbly serve one another in love – So, your freedom is NOT ABOUT YOU! You are SET FREE from SELF-MOTIVATION - Remember, Gal. 2:20 true freedom is Christ living IN YOU – So, freedom in Christ is not a license to sin, but freedom to no longer desire sin – AND it is the FREEDOM to serve one another in LOVE – What does it look like to LOVE? 1 Cor 13:4-7 – LOVE is the greatest force on the planet, and without Jesus, you will never LOVE others the way they need to be loved – So, Paul says here that FREEDOM in CHRIST is not self-indulgence, but selfless LOVE in action.

 

V14 – Entire law is fulfilled in Lev.19:18 – “Love your neighbor as you love yourself” – Part B of the greatest commandment – What does this mean? Well, first, must be self-aware enough to realize how much you love you some you – Paul is speaking of self-sacrificial love, the kind of love that lays down your life, your agenda, your hopes and dreams for someone else – Again, COUNTER-INTUITIVE, and completely impossible without Jesus – as we will see as we move through the passage is that the gravitational pull is not toward self-sacrifice, but toward self-indulgence, self-protection, self-preservation, self, self, self, self self – Paul is saying, “It’s not how you LOOK, but how you LOVE.

 

V15 – The enemy’s plan is often to destroy from within – this is what was happening in Galatian churches – Paul had founded these churches on the way of Jesus, but the Judaizers had come behind him and convinced them that he left some stuff out – so now, there were two opposing forces INSIDE THE CHURCH – nothing has changed – in fact, it’s why denominations and church splits exist – the biggest threat to the church is not the external forces, but being cannibalized from the inside.

 

One of the reasons we pray for a different church every week is because we want to send the message that we are focusing on commonality vs differences – we want to move toward the beauty and diversity of the body of Christ, not live in fear or self-righteousness as segregationists – When we begin weaponizing theology and doctrine as the determining factor in who we associate with and who we don’t, we are living from the enemy’s playbook – Now, clearly, we believe and worship the way we do for a reason, but too often we draw lines in the sand that are destroying opportunities for collaboration, and at its heart is self-righteousness in action, and is a destructive force in the KINGDOM of GOD – If the Kingdom wins, WE ALL WIN.

 

Now Paul is going to get really practical in describing HOW to walk in the Way of JESUS.

 

V16-18 – “Walk in the Spirit” – what does Paul mean by this? Walk in step with the SPIRIT, or walk in the WAY of the SPIRIT – He has just been talking about walking in freedom, walking in love, and now he is laying out HOW – True freedom is found in submission to the HOLY SPIRIT – Remember, when you said yes to Jesus, you received HIS SPIRIT inside of you – and the phrase “born again” means you are having to learn to WALK all over again, like a toddler taking his first steps – AND LOOK: Paul says as you learn to WALK in a new way, YOUR DESIRES CHANGE.

 

Lots to say here: The law doesn’t change your desires, it just advocates for behavior modification, which is taught in the church – so, you can look the part of a Christian, but your heart can be dark – why? Because the LAW doesn’t change you – as a follower of Jesus, your FLESH is at war with the SPIRIT, and only THE SPIRIT curbs my appetite for sin – the only way to walk in the SPIRIT is through INTIMACY with the SPIRIT – you can’t walk with him or be led by him if you can’t discern his leading – The Spirit speaks, convicts, prods, prompts, directs, guides, but if you are not close with him, you will miss his subtleties, and will continue to try to force a spiritual looking life, and live in shame when you keep giving yourself over to your fleshly desires.

 

Your flesh was crucified with Christ, but submission to the Spirit is a daily imperative if you want to see real transformation in your life – it is an internal heart change that leads to external actions, not the other way around – now look at what these two ways produce.

 

V19-21 – “acts of the flesh” – not an exhaustive list, but what he mentions are mirrored in current culture – SEX is at the forefront: Sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery – this is rampant inside and outside the church – but again, the culture has crept into the church – anyone who reads the Bible with any common sense can’t say that the culture’s view of sexual identity is ok – homosexuality is sin, and there are only two genders – not even up for real debate according to the Bible – but watching the church give a pass to premarital or extramarital sex is staggering to me – young couples today talk about premarital sex in terms of needing to know if you’re compatible – a simple birds a bees talk says you are – if you both have the complimentary stuff, it will work – second category has to do with worship: idolatry and witchcraft – again, the flesh makes accommodation for the flesh – next is attitudes toward others – Hatred, discord jealousy – followed by the actions they produce: fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension and factions – finally, drunkenness and orgies – these two represent addictions, when you’ve given yourself fully over to a way of life – this is what life in the flesh looks like, and unfortunately it’s the GRAVITATIONAL PULL – you don’t drift toward holiness, but toward self-gratification, and this way of life DOES NOT INHERIT the KINGDOM of GOD.

 

V22-23 – FRUIT – singular – why is this important? Because life in the SPIRIT is HOLISTIC – the life the Spirit produces has these characteristics: LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – This is not a list to work on, but a GIFT you receive in the secret place with Jesus – This is the life he is creating in you – and if you’re like me, it is hard to imagine having all these characteristics, like TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE – yet, it is the life the Spirit is developing in me as I submit myself to the process everyday.

 

 

V24 – If you BELONG to JESUS, you have crucified the flesh – so, as you get closer to Jesus, it becomes unnatural to give in to the flesh – you begin to see the world through the lens of Jesus.

 

V25 – “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” – Paul punctuates the importance of intimacy with the Spirit – he is saying that it’s not a one-time event, but a daily staying IN STEP with him – Sometimes he’s fast, sometimes he’s slow – you have to know his pace, his gait, his leading, his voice, or you will either be running ahead or lagging behind (Yvonne and I walk at two different speeds).

 

V26 – A life in Christ is a life of humility – Legalism leads to conceit – an adherence to religion can lead to provoking others, trying to argue others into submission, or being envious of what someone else is doing or accomplishing.

 

So, Paul lays out a clear distinction on these two roads that Jesus talked about in Matthew 7 – one road feeds the flesh, is externally motivated, and is intensely focused on self-glorification and self-gratification, and will NEVER INHERIT THE KINGDOM of GOD – the other road, the less traveled road is LIFE IN THE SPIRIT – it is INTERNALLY TRANSFORMATIONAL, others-focused, and the LIFE that God blesses.

 

I have walked both roads.