Bible Study Notes for Lord’s Day,
May 31, 2009
Galatians 5:13-26
Faith Affects Life
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use
liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve
one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in
this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed
by one another!
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, patience, 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.
Introduction Two lists - the works of the flesh (v19-21), and the
fruit of the Spirit (v22-23).
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, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such
there is no law.
A no-brainer which way we would like to live. But what makes the
difference? Are we living under our own power, by our own rules,
or trusting in the Lord? Faith affects life - whether we are trusting
ourselves or in a relationship with God.
I. Flesh and Spirit
A. Foundational Use
1. Flesh - thinking you are making yourself acceptable to God by
obeying certain religious rules, regulations and rituals. Judaizers
teaching circumcision - the flesh.
This is blasphemy against the Cross - the only way we can be made
acceptable to God is through faith in His Son.
2. Spirit - Paul has been encouraging the Galatians to be free -
not to be bound by laws, rules, regulations, ritual, religion, but
to come to Christ, receive His heart and mind, be filled with His
Spirit and love, and then go out into the world as free - to think,
speak and act in love - love for God and for other people. If we
do this, we have freely fulfilled every law there is.
We are controlled internally by our agreement with the Holy Spirit,
and don’t need a lot of external control, heavy handed and
oppressive laws.
This is life in the Spirit, contrasted with life according to the
works of the flesh.
B. Projected Use - how it plays out in everyday life
1. Flesh
Notice in v13, Paul changes the connotation of “flesh.”
Until now, he used it in reference to self righteousness, trying
to please God in your flesh, symbolized by circumcision. But now
we notice it in reference to things which may please our physical
bodies and emotions temporarily, but may not be the best thing for
us, or those around us.
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use
liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve
one another.
24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with
its passions and desires.
2. Spirit - is what keeps our wrong desires from running wild, keeps
temptation in check
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.
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.
So we see two kinds of freedom in the Spirit, two kinds of bondage
to the flesh which opposes freedom:
1. Freedom in the Spirit from bondage to the Law
2. Freedom in the Spirit from bondage to the flesh, destructive
desires, the devil, deception, addictions
1. The bondage to the flesh of self righteousness - misses the freedom
of having God work in your life to produce great blessing. Under
bondage to the whole law, no fun.
2. The flesh of giving in to the lust of unrighteous pleasures -
brings us into bondage to addictions, demonic control.
So, if you are not trusting in Christ, you’re in bondage either
way - to the law or to the devil. Many people fall into one of these
two categories. Either super religious and legalistic, or constantly
falling into sin.
In Christ we are called to be free from the law, and from the devil’s
addictions.
II. A Theological Lifestyle Choice - self reliance or reliance upon
Christ? Our theology determines our lifestyle.
A. Self reliance - bondage to the law, to Satan and the lust of
the flesh
1. Refuse to humble yourself at the cross, admit your need for Jesus
2. Miss out on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, fall into
temptation, self destructive behavior
B. Reliance on Christ - freedom from the Law and from the power
of Satan
1. The Cross of Christ fulfills every law for us, free from the
Law
2. The Holy Spirit fills us with His power and His love, gives us
power over the devil, temptation, self destructive behavior.
C. A Mixture of trusting Christ, and trusting ourselves
God lets us choose list 1 or list 2, failure, success or a mixture,
sadness, happiness or a mixture.
How many of our lives are a mixture?
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
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.
God lets us choose list 1, list 2, or a mixture. Faith affects life.
III. The Lifestyle of Faith v13-26
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use
liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve
one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in
this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself..”
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed
by one another!
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, patience, 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..
So how do we avoid the works of the flesh, coming under bondage,
and walk in the freedom and power of the Spirit, producing good
fruit in our lives?
John 15
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and
every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken
to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and
is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire,
and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in
you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you
will be My disciples.
9 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in
My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love,
just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His
love.
11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain
in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has
no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer
do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master
is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard
from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me,
but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father
in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that
you love one another.
Conclusion If you see the first list in your life, and would like
more of the second, the answer is not to try harder, but to get
back into fellowship with God - God be merciful to me, a sinner.
Please fill me with your Spirit and your love. Because your faith
affects your life.
Pastor Steve Boggan
Living Waters Christian Fellowship
Heritage Ranch by Lake Nacimiento, CA
Website - livingwaters.cc
