Growing-in-Grace

So as a teenager, I thought my parents' role in life was to spoil my fun and restrict my freedom.

Seriously, that's what I thought.

When I went to university, I discovered a form of freedom, the freedom I had longed for,

and I quickly realised it wasn't what it promised to be.

It wasn't even what I wanted.

And I realised then how much my parents had just poured love into my rebellious, foolish life.

And from that point on, I've been really intentional in being a better son,

in loving and honouring my parents in the way that they properly deserved.

And I think it's like that, isn't it, for most things we value in life,

things that are really at the heart of who we are.

Whether it's relationships and roles, like husband or wife, or being a child, or being a parent, or a grandparent,

being a father, being a mother, being a friend.

All those relationships, or whether it's wider than that, whether it's a work situation,

or a hobby, or music, or a career, or sport.

Whatever it is that we value in life, whatever is at the heart of things for us,

then it's natural that we want to get better at doing those things, at being those things.

We want to grow.

We want to mature.

We want to thrive.

We want to excel in the things that we do.

And to get there, we then are quite intentional.

We're quite passionate.

Sometimes even a bit obsessive.

Because these things are so important to us.

So we train endlessly.

We read widely.

We learn as much as we can.

We hang out with others who are ahead of us in skills and maturity,

so we might learn from their wisdom and pick up their model.

But I need to confess something to you this morning, as I stand here before you.

that while I'm passionate to get better,

to grow in almost every relationship I'm in,

and every role I have in life,

there have been too many times in my life

when my passion and intentionality for growing in Christ

has been dwarfed or eclipsed by other passions in my life.

Too many times.

This morning I want to challenge you,

as I've been challenged this week in preparing for this morning,

I want to challenge you to think about how passionate you are

in growing in Christ.

Because the Bible tells us very clearly,

God tells us in his word very clearly,

that you have been saved from sin

to holiness.

But are you passionate in nurturing the mind of Christ

and demonstrating the mind of Christ

in your actions,

in whatever role or position you have in life,

whatever relationship you're engaged in?

Are you passionate so that practically

you actually are getting better at serving Christ

in a world that's hostile to him?

Are you passionate in your determination to become like Christ

in your attitudes and in your speech

and in your actions?

In confronting this reality,

you may, in thinking about this,

you may have to confront the reality

that as we think through this series of God's words,

you actually might have to realize

that yes, well, I'm actually quite passionate about God

and learning about God

and I'm quite passionate about the Bible

and using it and learning it.

I'm quite passionate about the idea of salvation

and being saved.

I'm even quite passionate about being part of this local church.

But here's the catch, you see,

we can be passionate about all those things

and not actually passionate about growing in Christ.

Passionate about the peripheral things.

That peripheral doesn't mean unimportant,

but they're not central.

And yet not passionate about the central thing

of becoming like Christ.

Growing up into Christ

as a saved or died for person

in the context of this church community

and with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Bible.

So again, you see,

this is one of these words

that God has spoken clearly about.

Growing in Christ

is not an optional extra

for us Christians.

even though it appears

that that's what many Christians

seem to think.

Galatians 5, 13 to 26

is built around a huge contrast.

On the one hand,

we have the flesh

or what that means is

it's not the physical flesh,

it's the spiritual flesh.

That is,

the old, distorted,

rebellious expression of self.

And on the other hand,

it's contrasted with

the renewed,

spirit-driven

expression of self.

And this contrast,

it's a huge contrast,

happens in the context

of a key word here

which is called freedom.

Look at verse 15,

13 rather.

For you were called

to freedom, brothers.

Called to freedom.

And we need to understand freedom

if we're to understand

the contrast.

So,

the fact that freedom

is a calling

suggests

it's a basic characteristic

of being a Christian.

Of being gospel-shaped people

as we respond

to God's grace

in our lives.

The same idea

begins chapter 1.

So look back to

chapter 5.

Look back to verse 1

of chapter 5.

It says there,

for freedom,

Christ has set us free.

Freedom is the consequence

or the natural outworking

of being in Christ.

A fundamental aspect

of being a Christian.

And the fact that

there's repetition

in that sentence

for freedom,

Christ has set us free,

suggests

and emphasizes

that

Christ has liberated

us into freedom

with the intention

that we would experience

and grow

and enjoy

the life of freedom.

It doesn't just

make us free.

The intention is

that we have a life

of freedom.

That we grow into that.

My friends,

this concept

of freedom,

this concept

of growing in Christ

is more than just

a theory.

it's even more

than an expectation.

It's a command.

Like so many other commands

in the scriptures,

grow in Christ.

But what does this

freedom look like

in the life

of a Christian?

Well you see,

we think freedom,

as I mentioned

in my introduction,

we think of freedom

as having,

as being free

from restraint

so that I'm

able to do

what I want to do

when I want to do it.

Freedom from restraint

in how I express myself.

But when you dig down

into that notion,

of freedom,

it actually isn't possible

because constantly

we're bashing into

things that restrict

our freedom.

I'm restricted

constantly

by my gender.

To the extreme,

I can't get pregnant

and deliver a baby.

I can't create

another human being

because I'm a bloke.

I can't fly

through the sky

unassisted.

I can't live

under the sea

unassisted.

I'm constantly

coming against

restraints

by gender

and my humanness.

So the idea

of freedom

that our society

bandies around

just doesn't work

in practice.

The Bible,

on the other hand,

is much more realistic.

So true freedom

as defined by God

is the ability

and desire

to be

what I was created

to be.

God tells us

that humans

were created

to enjoy

relationship

with him,

to enjoy

relationship

with one another

as image bearers

under God,

to creatively

enjoy this

physical world

full of all

good things

that he's made

for us.

But this freedom,

we're also told

in the scripture,

was lost as a result,

a consequence

of rebellion.

And then as the passage

of Bible follows through,

the story of the Bible,

we're told then

that the gospel

restores true freedom

again as a consequence,

this time a consequence

of Christ's rescue mission

which undid

the effects

of rebellion

and restored

full relationship

between God

and his people.

God's purpose

is not just

to make us free

in the storyline

of the Bible,

his purpose

for the world.

God's purpose

is not just

to make us free

but that we enjoy

the life of freedom

that we were created for,

available to us now

in Christ.

And in the context

of the letter

to the Galatians,

practically that meant

freedom from slavery,

the slavery of trying

to earn acceptance

with God

through their own

religious efforts

and any notion

of somehow or other

having some sort

of intrinsic goodness

to bring to the table

as we negotiate

relationship with God.

That's what we're

set free from

ultimately.

The freedom

we have in Christ

is in being

made acceptable

to God

and actually

coming into

what the Bible

calls forever

relationship

with God

by grace,

by God's initiative

alone.

Not our performance,

being good,

keeping God's rules,

doing religious things,

but Jesus' performance

on our behalf.

And added to this

idea of freedom

is the reality

of renewal

by God's spirit.

Verse 5,

we won't stop

for through the spirit

by faith

we ourselves

eagerly wait

for the hope

of righteousness.

The spirit

is working

daily within us

to produce

new gospel

attitudes,

new gospel

desires,

new gospel

thinking,

new gospel

orientation

towards heaven

and being with Christ

and being like Christ

so that

practically

we grow

in our reliance

on what God

does for us.

in Jesus.

And that

is expressed

then in radically

different lifestyle

and radically

different actions

and thinking

and speaking

on the outside.

Growing in Christ

is the freedom

we were given.

The command

we were given.

that also means

then as we look

further into this

passage here

that growing in Christ

is more than a command.

It's also a promise.

Being called,

verse 13 again,

being called

to freedom,

to live the truly

free life

in Christ

carries with it

the promise

that genuine

commitment

and struggle

to express

daily who we now

are in Christ

will actually

result in

growing

Christ-likeness

in holiness.

Why?

Because

we have the

spirit working

for that same

end within us.

The renewing

work of God's

spirit within

believers

creates

and actually

helps or

assists us

grow

in holiness,

in Christ-likeness,

in the mind

of Christ,

whichever term

you want to

use there.

The desire

and ability

to be loving,

obedient,

worshipping

servants of God

as we were

created to be.

And that

is true freedom

in the Holy

Spirit,

in Christ.

Christ.

And what's

the evidence

of growing

in freedom,

of growing

in Christ,

growing into

Christ-likeness?

What's the

evidence?

We'll look at

verse 13,

14,

15.

The short

answer,

says Paul,

one word,

love.

More

extended answer,

generous,

purposeful,

other person

centred

commitment

to serving,

building up

one another

in a

Christian

community,

this church

family.

Love

your neighbour

as yourself.

So familiar

that old

verse,

isn't it?

That little

statement.

That's so

hard to do.

So foreign.

Did pretty

well all of us

here.

many plants

are propagated

by taking

a really

healthy,

vigorous root

stock

and grafting

onto that

root stock

a cutting

from some

other species

or plant

that you

want to

grow.

And the

evidence of

the success

of that

graft

is that

the cutting

starts to

grow.

and ultimately

produces fruit.

Well,

the evidence

of being

successfully

grafted

into Christ,

and that's the

language of

John chapter

John 15 · chapter mention

15,

grafted into

the vine,

the Lord

Jesus.

The evidence

of being

successfully

grafted into

freedom in

Christ

is growth.

in displaying

practically

the mind

of Christ.

In other

words,

we're getting

our life

and direction

from the

rootstock,

which is

Christ.

a desire

and commitment

to modelling

the love

and grace

of God

and Jesus,

which we

ourselves

have received.

We then

want to

pass it

on.

That's

the evidence

of that

graft,

being

successful

and being

real.

My friends,

the authentic

Christian life,

the authentic

Christian life

is seen

in the

lifelong

obsession

and struggle

to express

and demonstrate

who we

are in

Christ.

Use a

different

picture.

We're under

new

management.

The Holy

Spirit,

according to

Galatians,

here we'll

move into

the next

verses in

a few

seconds,

the Holy

Spirit is

now our

controlling

passion.

And daily

our struggle

is to

overflow

in that

which reflects

the mind

of Christ

mediated to

us through

the Holy

Spirit.

That is,

to overflow

in a desire

to say

yes to

righteousness,

to choose

righteousness

and to

say no

to that

which reflects

our old

sinful,

distorted

self-expression.

To say

yes to

righteousness

because that

reflects our

new master,

our new

manager,

our new

owner,

as it

were.

It

reflects

his

character,

it

reflects

his

wishes.

And so

we want

to say

no to

anything

that's in

competition

with that.

So the

question then

is,

what will

you cultivate

and what

will you

kill off?

In order

to produce

good fruit

and heaps

of it,

a plant

requires

cultivation,

purposeful

cultivation.

It needs

to be

fed,

it needs

to be

watered,

and it

needs to

have around

about it

anything that

will compete,

weeds,

any other

thing,

plant around

it needs

to be

removed so

that plant

will thrive

and produce

fruit.

Paul's

saying here

for us as

Christians as

we think

about growing

in Christ,

there can

only be

one

controlling

passion.

either it

will be

the flesh,

says Paul,

our old

distorted

self-seeking,

self-governed

attitudes,

desires,

and thinking,

either that

will shape

our pattern

of living

or

our new

spirit-driven,

spirit-enabled

attitudes,

desires,

and thinking

and actions

will drive

us.

they can't

both be

operating

at the same

time,

says Paul,

because they're

totally opposed

to one

another.

They're

pulling us

in different

directions.

That's why

Paul uses

towards verse

23,

24,

25 there,

Paul uses

the language

of crucifixion.

Crucify your

flesh,

says Paul.

Now,

that's a very

violent word,

and Paul

uses it,

I take it,

because it

demonstrates

the ruthlessness

with which we

have to deal

with ourselves

in killing

off anything

that competes

for our

loyalty

or threatens

to shape

us contrary

to how Christ

wants us

shaped by

spirit.

That language

doesn't resonate

with us

in 2019,

does it?

Who,

for goodness

sake,

who crucifies

themselves?

We don't

mind praising

ourselves,

but the

language of

crucifixion is

not easily

applied.

We won't

allow others

to apply it

to us,

and we

certainly

don't want

to apply it

to ourselves.

But here's

the point,

you see.

Paul's issue

here is if

we're not

growing in

Christ,

then we're

allowing that

space to be

filled and

shaped by

attitudes,

thinking,

or actions

which are

opposed to

living under

Christ's rule

by Christ's

spirit.

That's

verse 17.

So Paul's

point is

this,

that our

outward

actions,

our outward

words,

are an

indicator

of our

inward

character

and actions,

an indicator

of our

real

controlling

passion.

See,

we can

say we're

controlled

by the

spirit,

but the

acid test

is,

what do

our words

say?

What do

our actions

say?

What do

our attitudes

say?

And it's

not just

about

books

ticking when

we go to

talk about

growing in

Christ.

It's not as

if we're

just here,

we've got a

list of

things,

and these

are all

bad things,

and these

are all

good things.

So it's

not as if

we're just

trying to

tick all

the boxes

and change

our behaviour

so we've

got all the

right things

in place.

It's not

just about

that.

It is about

that, but

it's not

just about

that.

It's not

just about

trying to

get the

bounds right

so we

do more

good things

in life

than bad

things.

It's about

a process,

it's about

a pattern

of living,

it's about

a habit

of life,

which is

characterised

by inward

controlling

passion.

And there

are only

two possibilities.

Let's have

a look at

them in

verses 19

through to

21,

and we're

just going

to take

a walk

through

them.

It's

interesting

that when

we read

through

these

passages,

and I

make no

comment here

to Catherine,

but we

actually tend

to read

the works

of the

flesh

quicker,

and then we

slow down

when it

comes to

reading

the fruits

of the

Spirit.

I'm

going to

reverse it

this morning.

Verses

19,

3 to

21 is

the

expression

of a

life

dominated

by the

old

nature.

And I

want you

to notice

several

things as

we walk

into this

slowly.

That the

whole thing,

all of it,

I say,

is marked

by self-centeredness,

by divisiveness,

by aggressiveness,

by the

consumerist

relationships that

Paul mentions

in verse 15.

But if you

bite and

devour one

another,

watch out that

you're not

consumed by

one another.

So the

works of the

flesh are,

as it were,

a living,

breathing

demonstration

of that

very thing.

And as we

slow down

and dig

into this,

man,

it's

nasty.

The second

thing I want you

notice about

this list

before we

move into it

is not just

a remote,

random list

of characteristics

that sort of

bad people

somewhere out

there might

do.

Paul's

writing this

to the

Christians

in the

churches

in Galatia.

We can't

hold it

at arm's

length.

We've got to

engage with

it personally

and individually.

Is this

me?

Well,

let's have a

look at

verse 19.

The works

of the

flesh,

they're

evidence,

says Paul.

Sexual

immorality,

impurity,

sensuality.

There's the

first group,

verse 19.

A whole

range of

what?

Self-gratifying,

exploitative,

sexual expression.

And who's

at the

center of

that?

Me,

me,

me,

my needs,

my desires.

So

contrary

to the

way we

were created

to be

in our

expression

of self.

But it

gets worse,

gets more

personal,

verse 20.

Look at

that long

list going

through there.

And every

one of those

things describes

in part

something of

the endless

pain and

mess we

cause in

relationships

when we

make ourselves

the center

of life

rather than

God.

Idolatry

is acting

like I

am God.

Me,

me is

everything

and demands

that others

fall into

line with

me.

me and

if you

don't fall

into line

with me

then you

can expect

me to

do my

best to

take you

down.

Sorcery.

Well,

we might

think,

well,

that's

something

relegated

to the

olden

days as

well,

or pagan

societies.

Well,

sorcery,

when you

dig down

into it,

is people

trying to

manipulate the

lives of

others.

people

in

animistic

societies

they do

that with

special words

and special

potions and

special

incantations.

And personally,

I think we

Christians have

a very

sophisticated way

of doing the

same thing

in the context

of quasi

Christian

language.

So we have

special words

sharing and

fellowship.

The means by

which we

communicate

mistruths,

misrepresentations

of others

around us,

untruths about

others around

us.

Why?

Because we're

trying to

manipulate

relationships

and outcomes.

Enmity.

You might

disagree with

the sorcery

one.

That's fine.

I don't care.

But enmity.

You can come

with me on

this one.

Enmity is,

you can check

these words out

for yourself,

it's an

attitude that

assumes the

worst about

others and

is happily

content to

push people

into opposing

divided hostile

camps.

Strife.

A preparedness

to go to

war with

people,

with those

with whom

you disagree

because you're

so convinced

of your own

right and

your own

rights.

Jealousy.

Wondering what

God has given

to others and

been dissatisfied

with what God

has given to

us.

Fits of

anger or

rage.

Well,

that's really

just unleashing

ruthless

strategies to

try and

overpower or

blaster our way

through and get

what we want.

rivalries.

They come out

of continual

self-promotion,

continually

pushing my

profile at

the expense

of others.

Dissensions

and divisions,

acting to

get what you

want regardless

of the impact

on unity

and community.

Envy.

A bit like

jealousy.

It's the

attitude that

can't stand

by and let

others have

success that

you believe is

yours to

have.

Drunkenness

and orgies.

Well,

most commentators

think that's a

separate category.

I'm just lumping

it in here.

You can,

again,

do what you

like with what

you think I've

done.

But anyway,

it's sort of

when all that

sometimes fails

and we

sometimes look

for relief

and for

satisfaction and

comfort in

other things,

things other

than God.

And those

things are

often taken

up as an

overflow of

brokenness and

frustration in

relationships and

attempt to fix

them ourselves or

fix them with

something else

rather than

going back to

God and

repentance.

Now,

friends,

the last time I

said this

sentence I got

into a serious

amount of

trouble, so

here goes

again.

these

attitudes and

characteristics are

alive and well in

our church family

and thriving in

some parts.

We so easily

live with them.

We so easily

cultivate them by

actually engaging

with those who

want to give

expression to

these sorts of

things privately.

We have

conversations with

them and

thereby cultivate

them.

We give them

oxygen when we

should be saying

to one another,

no, stop.

We've got to

kill these

things off.

Otherwise,

they're slowly

conversation by

conversation killing

us off as a

church.

in contrast,

verses 22,

23, and

24,

the expression of

a life dominated

by our new

spirit-driven

nature.

That's the

overflow of the

mind of Christ

developing within

us, growing in

the life of

freedom, growing

in Christ,

cultivating the

fruit of the

spirit.

Notice here

there's only one

fruit.

It's not fruits

of the spirit

so that we

can sort of

cherry pick and

take the ones we

want and leave the

other ones and

sort of play them

off and say,

well, I've got

this one, I've got

patience and love,

so therefore I

don't need to worry

about these other

ones.

No, it's one fruit

of the spirit.

Together they

characterize what

we ought to be as

Christians.

Christians.

And notice also

that they're not

just, again in

contrast to the

other ones, they're

not just a warm

fuzzy description of

what Christians will

sort of be

automatically by

virtue of being

Christians.

No, these things

are really hard

work to get a

hold of and to

develop and grow

in.

They're seriously

hard to cultivate

and call for real

radical change.

And generally we

need incentive to

change.

We need to believe

that the gospel

shaped life is

far more attractive

and beautiful than

where we are at

the minute.

That's why we will

be motivated to

change in large

part.

So again, the

question is, as we

see this contrast,

is how attractive

is our current

position as

opposed to how

attractive is this

spirit-driven,

spirit-controlled

place, the fruit of

the spirit.

Love.

Moving towards one

another and serving

people for their own

good without promise

of personal benefit

in return.

Joy.

Finding satisfaction

in God, not in

people's responses

to you.

Peace.

Being committed to

reconciling and

restoring relationships

for Ireland, being

committed to

destroying them.

Patience.

Being generous to

others when they get

it wrong, repeatedly.

Kindness, goodness,

faithfulness.

Demonstrating a steady

display of grace and

commitment to serving

others when you may

well have reason to

withdraw from them

because of their

failures.

Gentleness and

self-control.

Humility towards

others arising from a

very healthy self-awareness.

Ask yourself, my

friends, are you

growing in Christ?

Is growing in Christ a

passion for you?

Do you think you've

arrived at an end

point, the end point

that God has for you

simply because you are

a Christian, you've

been saved, you've

been delivered from

your sin, you're now

secure, you have a

place kept for you in

heaven.

Is that the end point

for you?

And so you live

easily without concern

to showcase the mind

of Christ and grow to

maturity in Christ.

And I ask each of you,

as I've looked at

myself this week, and I

genuinely have looked

at myself this week, as

I do every week in

preparation, I want you

to go back and revisit

the conversations you've

had over the past week,

the past month, the

past year, and ask

yourself which

controlling passion

did you communicate

to the person you

were speaking to in

your conversation?

Was it, did it sit

easily in this context

of the fruit of the

Spirit?

Or would your

conversations be better

fit for verse 26?

Friends, we need to ask

these tough questions

individually and as a

church.

The general health and

well-being of our

church, the authenticity

of gospel renewal, and

ultimately the honour of

God stands or falls in our

answers to these questions.

Let me pray.

Lord, your word bites really

deeply into us.

Forgive us, I pray.

Forgive me, I pray.

For the times, oh so many

times, far too many times,

when I've lost passion to

grow in you, but simply

wallowed in the security I

have in you.

Forgive us, Lord, when we

are better described by verse

15 and verse 26 than we are

by verses 22, 23, and 24,

the fruit of the Spirit.

Forgive us for that, oh Lord.

Give us a heart to repent.

Give us a heart to go back and

revisit those conversations with

the people we've spoken to and

correct them.

In Jesus' name I pray.

Amen.