Class: Galatians 5.16–26
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Purpose: To help us walk by the Spirit, and not by the flesh
Galatians 5.16–26
Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • January 3, In the year of our Lord, 2016
Prelude:
- Galatians 5.16–26 – The Culmination of Paul’s Argument
- Paul argued for the superiority of Christianity over Judaism.
- Note especially 3.2–5; 4.1–6; 5.5.
- We do not conquer the flesh
- by circumcision and Judaism, but
- by the Spirit in the faith of Christ.
- Then in our text, Paul gives a standard
- to see whether a person is walking by the Spirit in truth.
Persuasion:
- Galatians 5.16–18 – Walk by the Spirit
- This contrasts with verse 15.
- What it means to walk by the Spirit:
- Doing what the Spirit wants you to do.
- Compare Romans 8.4.
- He who walks after the flesh
- lets his flesh dictate what he does.
- Similarly, he who walks after the Spirit
- lets the Spirit dictate.
- Compare
- Galatians 6.16
- Philippians 3.16
- Romans 4.12 — rule of action
- Compare Romans 8.4.
- Following His leadership.
- Galatians 5.18
- Romans 8.14
- Minding the things of the Spirit.
- Romans 8.5 is an explanation of verse 4.
- Minding the things of the Spirit:
- Life
- Peace
- Subjection to the law of God
- Heeding what the Holy Spirit has told us is right.
- Instructed through His Word.
- Ephesians 3.1–5
- First Peter 1.10–12
- Second Peter 1.20–21
- James 4.17
- Our conscience tells us whether
- we are violating or
- heeding that Spirit-instructed knowledge.
- Romans 2.15
- Instructed through His Word.
- Doing what the Spirit wants you to do.
- Walking by the Spirit prevents fulfilling the lust of the flesh.
- Verse 17 explains verse 16.
- He directs us away from fleshly desires.
- Romans 8.4–9, 12–13
- As we fill our minds with the things of the Spirit,
- it crowds out the things of the flesh.
- Thinking after the Spirit
- helps to keep one away from things that feed fleshly lusts.
- Spiritual desires cause a disgust of fleshly lusts.
- it crowds out the things of the flesh.
- Walking by the Spirit gives us a new mind-set.
- Walking after the Spirit we dwell on spiritual things,
- leading to fulfillment of that desire.
- The Spirit mind-set looks for ways to fulfill the spirit.
- The more we do this, the more we put away fleshly lusts.
- Second Corinthians 7.1
- Ephesians 4.17–32
- Colossians 3.5–17
- Walking by the Spirit replaces walking after the flesh.
- The Bible does not simply forbid lust of the flesh,
- which would be inadequate.
- Luke 11.24–26
- Walking by the Spirit imparts power to win over the flesh.
- This is the very point of Galatians 5.16.
- Romans 8.10, 13
- The Spirit and the flesh are contrary to one another.
- Trying to live by both causes conflict and misery.
- James 4.1–4
- Some would pray,
- which is a thing in the Spirit (Eph 6.18; Jude 20), but
- the flesh led them to pray for selfish pleasures.
- They attempted friendship with the world.
- Consequently,
- they fought with one another and
- were at enmity with God.
- The Spirit and the flesh are contrary to one another, causing irritation.
- He who lives by the flesh, is irritated by the things of the Spirit.
- He who lives by the Spirit, is irritated by things of the flesh.
- Trying to live by both causes conflict and misery.
- The battle between the Spirit and the flesh
- keeps us from doing the things we ought to do.
- Note Romans 7.7ff and its proximity to Romans 8!
- We spend time trying to conquer the flesh:
- Instead of growing spiritually and
- instead of doing good works.
- Conquering the flesh is a tremendous task.
- It takes time, energy, and concentration that could be used for good.
- Matthew 26.41
- If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
- The difference between “led” and “under.”
- The emphasis is that the Spirit is not a taskmaster, hence he leads.
- The Spirit does not oppress with an unbearable yoke as the law did (Acts 15.10).
- Why Paul brings up the law in verse 18.
- Subjection to law of Moses is the issue of the Book of Galatians.
- But to remain under the law
- is to go back to that which gave no power over the flesh.
- Romans 6.14
- Romans 7.7–13
- First Corinthians 15.56
- The difference between “led” and “under.”
- Being led of the Spirit does not exclude Christ’s law (cf. 6.2), but
- excludes the law of Moses (or any other religious law).
- The Holy Spirit does not resist law.
- He gave us the entire contents of the Bible.
- If you follow the Spirit, you follow the law of God in Christ.
- Romans 8.6–8
- Romans 8.2
- Consider the context of the Book of Galatians,
- which does not exclude all law, but
- the law of Moses.
- Galatians 2.16–21
- 3.10–14
- 3.17–19
- 3.24
- 4.21–31
- 5.2–6
- 5.14
- Galatians 5.19–23 – The Works of the Flesh and the Fruit of the Spirit
- The works of the flesh
- People work for these things.
- “Evident”
- It is obvious that such activities are not of the Spirit.
- Those in the flesh freely acknowledge fleshly origin of these works.
- The works of the flesh are:
- Sexual sins:
- [Adultery, KJV & NKJV only]
- Fornication
- Uncleanness
- Licentiousness
- Paganism:
- Idolatry
- Sorcery
- Relationship problems:
- Hatred
- Contentions
- Jealousies
- Outbursts of wrath
- Selfish ambitions
- Dissensions
- Heresies
- Envy
- [Murder, KJV & NKJV only]
- Debauchery
- Drunkenness
- Revelries
- Similar activities:
- Does the Bible have to list every possible work of the flesh?
- The Scriptures give us discernment.
- Sexual sins:
- Forewarning:
- We cannot claim ignorance.
- Nor will God change His mind or be merciful toward the practitioners.
- Practitioners shall be barred from the Kingdom of God.
- “Those who practice”
- Not addressing our moments of weakness.
- The Spirit Himself in the Bible itself emphasizes that we do sin.
- First Kings 8.46
- Ecclesiastes 7.20
- First John 1.8, 10
- This does not justify moments of weakness, nor
- give excuse to engage in once in awhile, nor
- implying that our moments of sin are insignificant as long as we do not make a habit out of it.
- Not addressing our moments of weakness.
- Hell, not heaven, is their final destiny.
- Revelation 21.8, 27
- First Corinthians 6.9–10
- “Those who practice”
- The fruit of the Spirit:
- It is fruit.
- Works of flesh are not fruit (Romans 6.21).
- Fruit pictures good.
- It is of the Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit produces this fruit through a Christian.
- This is how we know if we are being led of the Spirit.
- Matthew 7.15–20
- It is fruit.
- The fruit of the Spirit is:
- Toward God (it is humble)
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Toward men (it is thoughtful).
- Longsuffering
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Toward handling self (it is interested in building).
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
- Toward God (it is humble)
- No law of God exists that prohibits the fruit of the Spirit
- The works of the flesh
- Galatians 5.24–26 – Crucify the Flesh
- Being of Christ,
- the flesh, with its passions and lusts,
- we must crucify.
- If we have life by the Spirit,
- we ought to also walk by the Spirit.
- We live by the Spirit in that
- we have been born again, but
- being born again is not enough.
- Speaking physically there is more to life than mere existence.
- Spiritually there is more to Christianity than just existing.
- Not only do we have a spiritual existence, but
- we are enlivened to produce good,
- namely, the fruit of the Spirit.
- The Spirit excludes: (the Galatians’ attempt to keep circumcision had caused frustration for them and they became aggravated with one another, cf. v. 15, of which v. 16ff is a contrast).
- Conceit
- Walking by the Spirit
- we fill our livers with love, joy, and peace and
- we exclude conceit.
- Love eliminates boasting — 1Co 13.4–5
- Joy has no reason for arrogance.
- Peace does not do things to offend others, but maintains peace — Rom 12.18; 14.19.
- Walking by the Spirit
- Provoking one another
- Longsuffering does not provoke others.
- Kindness leads to edification — Rom 13.8–10; Eph 4.31–32.
- Goodness avoids causing trouble, knowing it will lead to evil.
- Envying one another
- Faithfulness builds relationships, and does not tear them down.
- Meekness shows gentleness to all people.
- Self-control keeps a saint from letting another person run the saint’s life indirectly through envy.
- Conceit
- Being of Christ,
Exhortation:
- We conquer the flesh:
- Not through philosophies invented by fleshly men, but
- through the Holy Spirit who created us in Christ.
- The Holy Spirit produces in us His fruit,
- provided we follow his leadership
- as revealed in the Scriptures.
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