Galatians 5 v13-25

Open your Bibles to Galatians chapter 5, Galatians chapter 5 verses 13 to 25.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention Galatians 5:13–25

! I want to begin this morning by telling you what a Christian is not. It's really important

! It's really important in life to know what something is not as well as what something is.

And I think in Galatians we have learned what a Christian is not. And so a Christian is not

someone who turns over a new leaf. A Christian is not someone who kind of develops a new philosophy

of life. A Christian is not someone who develops a kind of special interest in going to church

and feels that they should get a bit more religious. A Christian is not someone who's just trying

hard to do better. In fact, a Christian is not really someone who does anything at all.

That at its root, a Christian is someone who has a growing realization of what God has done for them

in Jesus Christ. As you come to the Lord's Table later this morning, as believers, isn't it, we come to the

Lord's Table with nothing to give, no rewards to claim, no gifts that we can offer. We come to receive,

don't we? We take the bread, we drink the wine. Because a Christian is someone who has a growing

relationship of what God has done for them in Jesus Christ. That in the death and the resurrection

of Jesus, God has completely, utterly, absolutely and eternally accepted us. And that there's nothing,

nothing that we can do to make God love us more. And there's nothing, nothing that we can do to make

God love us less. It has all been done. It has been done. That's when Jesus cries on the cross,

tatalestai, it is finished. It's done. It has all been done in the death of Jesus Christ. And that is

the great freedom which the Apostle Paul has. And the great freedom that the Apostle Paul has been

brought to. And if you have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ and have received from Christ and are

relying on him, you are free as well, you are free from having to justify yourself, from defend yourself

before God. And I am free and you are free from having to justify myself before you and you before me.

God has come to dwell in our lives, in our hearts by faith. And so we live by faith and not by sight.

And we live by the Holy Spirit. But there's only one problem with that. Here's the problem. I'm

going to call it the university entrance exam problem. And you often hear this from people who've come

close to Christianity and they've got some kind of understanding of what the Christian gospel

teaches, but they haven't really fully understood it. So here's the problem, the university entrance exam.

Let's say you have a 16 year old son and you say to them, don't worry, you've already been accepted into

university. And so it doesn't matter what you do with your schooling. It doesn't matter what grades you

get in your A levels. It doesn't matter how good they are or how bad they are. It's okay, you have entrance

into university already. What will happen? That's how the argument goes.

So the 16 year old begins to think I've been accepted into university and they will not be motivated to

work, will they? Are they going to become addicted to their phone or clash of clans or computer games or parties

or YouTube shorts or whatever else it is that teenagers do this day? They're not going to work.

And that's exactly the problem for the new Christians in Galatia. And they put their faith in Jesus Christ.

The transformation has come, but they've also got troubles. And look at verse 15 of Galatians 5.

And then look at Galatians 5 verse 26. And this church was having trouble. And the biting there is backbiting.

Galatians 5:26

And they were backbiting and gossiping and speaking about one another behind each other's backs. They were struggling

with jealousy and arrogance. Things that you find in every Christian group. And so there's a group of new teachers

that come into Galatians 5. And they use the university entrance exam argument. And they offer an illustration.

And they say the problem with this message is that it leads to people just kind of living whatever they want.

And so if you want to get serious, if you want to get ahead, you need to go to God's law.

And you need to put yourself and come under God's law.

They said there's only two ways to live. You're either a pagan and you're living for yourself.

And you're gratifying the desires of your flesh. Or you're under the law and you're trying to obey God.

And the Apostle Paul says, no, there's not just two options. There is a third way.

And it's not the way of self-gratification.

And it's not the way of moral reformation trying your hardest.

But it is the way of keeping in step with the Spirit.

And so the key verse for the section today is verse 25.

If we live by the Spirit,

let us also keep in step

with the Spirit.

Let us walk by the Spirit.

If the Holy Spirit has come into your heart, into your life, and made you alive to God,

says the Apostle, you will begin to be transformed from the inside.

True spiritual transformation cannot, does not come from the outside.

It does not come from obeying laws,

or any external observance, or ceremony, or liturgy, or anything.

But it comes from keeping in step with the Holy Spirit.

And this passage is one of the deepest, and the clearest, and most practical sections

I can think of in all the Bible on how to live the Christian life.

I'm sorry we haven't got long to talk about it this morning, but I want to give you two

coat hangers to hang your thinking. And you can go and think through these verses.

Let me commend this book to you, God's Spirit.

It's a book on the fruit of the Spirit. It is written by our own Reuben Hunter.

He's one of our own. And it's written on these verses.

It's a brilliant little book, short little chapters,

looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

If you need to think more, and we all do, get hold of this.

I think it's about 6.50 on the bookstall. But do pick that up.

So, two coat hangers to hang our thinking this morning.

What does this transformation look like? What it looks like, first of all?

What does keeping in step with the Spirit look like? And then secondly, how does it happen?

So, first of all, what does it look like? I'm going back to verse 13.

You were called to freedom, brothers and sisters.

But do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another.

The whole law, Paul says, is fulfilled in this one word.

You should love your neighbour as yourself.

It's one thing to say that Christ has set us free.

It's one thing to say, I'm completely accepted and I stand loved by God.

It's an entirely different thing to live out that freedom.

And so, until now, Paul in Galatians has been demonstrating what it means to be free.

And now he starts to talk to us about how do I use this freedom.

And this is what it looks like.

God has made you free so that you and I will serve other people.

It's very, very simple. Incredibly simple.

Faith in Jesus Christ does not just bring us into connection with God,

but it brings us into a particular relationship with God's people.

And so, here's the truth, which is shocking in many ways.

You cannot walk with God unless you walk with God's people.

You cannot. If you do not walk in love with God's people,

you cannot say that you're walking in love with God.

And so, the primary way that we express the gospel of freedom and forgiveness is

serving other people in love.

This is the mark of freedom, brothers and sisters.

This is the mark of the reality that the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our hearts,

that we use our lives, that we make our decisions,

very practical day-to-day decisions as to what will serve other people.

Not in some grand gesture of self-sacrifice,

that everyone will look on and say, well, aren't they fantastic that they're so giving to others?

No, in the slow, invisible, quiet, daily death of small inconveniences.

Paul says that is how you show that God is real in your life.

And it's doing the opposite of what comes naturally.

That's what Paul's point is in verses 16 to 17. Let's read those.

Where he says, but I say, walk by the Spirit,

and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit,

and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh.

For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things that you want to do.

In the King James Version, it says,

the flesh lusteth against the flesh.

The flesh lusteth against the Spirit.

It's a great translation.

Except, whenever I say lust,

and whenever we use the word desires, we immediately think of sex.

And that's not what it's about here, actually.

It's speaking about the deep, inner motivation of desire and longing that we all have.

And the word flesh also makes us think of sex or the body,

but that isn't what it means here either.

Every time Paul uses the word flesh, he's speaking about our human nature.

And here's what the Bible is saying to us.

That our human nature, naturally, you left to yourself and me left to myself, is hostile to God.

That is intrinsically, radically, permanently, defiantly, pervasively hostile to God.

That's who you are. That's who I am.

The Apostle says in Romans chapter 8,

Romans 8 · chapter mention

for the mind that is set on the flesh or on the human nature is hostile to God.

It does not submit to God's law.

It cannot.

Our human nature is, when it's acting true to form,

is self-seeking, disobedient, and defiant towards God.

And here's the truth.

Every part of our human nature is touched with this.

And there's no part of us that is not affected by it.

And you might say, well, that's really strong, Paul.

Really, really strong.

But remember what Jesus said.

Jesus said in Mark chapter 7,

Mark 7 · chapter mention

for within, from out of the heart,

of man and woman,

come evil thoughts, fornication,

theft, murder, adultery,

coveting, wickedness, deceit,

licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.

Sometimes we say things, don't we?

And we think to ourselves,

I don't know where that came from.

Well, the Bible tells us exactly where it comes from.

It comes from our nature.

All of those evil things come from within ourselves.

And Jesus says they make us impure.

If you're anything like me,

you have a terribly flattering, optimistic,

sentimental, and superficial view of yourself.

We all want to think of ourselves, don't we,

as basically innocent.

But the proof of that hostility,

between our nature and God,

is that when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives,

when we place our faith,

and our trust,

and reliance on Jesus,

and God takes resident by his Spirit,

your life becomes a struggle.

It's wonderful.

I mean, Paul is writing to Christians here.

And when somebody becomes a Christian,

they say,

before I started to follow Jesus Christ,

I never struggled with temptation,

I just gave into it.

But now I've become a Christian.

Now I'm seeking to live for the Lord Jesus,

and God the Holy Spirit has taken residence in my heart.

I find it's a real struggle.

It's a real battle.

And so when the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts,

he brings with him affections for God.

And so you now begin to desire the things of God.

And that comes into direct conflict with our flesh,

with our own sinful desires.

So for the Christian here this morning,

we find that there's a battle within us.

Because my nature battles against the Holy Spirit.

Verse 19,

what does it look like?

Well, the works of the flesh are plain, aren't they?

Here's another list.

What a list this is.

Verse 19,

Now the works of the flesh are evident.

Sexual immorality,

impurity,

sensuality,

idolatry,

sorcery,

enmity,

anger,

strife,

jealousy,

fits of anger,

rivalries,

dissensions,

divisions,

envy,

drunkenness,

orgies,

and things like these.

And I warned you, Paul says,

as I warned you when I was with you,

that those who practice these things,

those who keep going with these things,

shall not definitively inherit the kingdom of God.

Now I think that that list in verses 19 and 20

cover just about all of us.

Can I ask for a show of hands,

is there anyone this morning who is not covered by this list?

I shouldn't do that.

It's a great list, isn't it?

Look at the sins here.

Look what it talks about.

Some of the sins there are,

sins of religious people.

Some of them are the sins of irreligious people.

If you look at the first two,

the first couple are to do with sexuality.

Some of them are to do with substance abuse.

And then there's,

and the killers aren't there,

there's the killers of selfishness,

jealousy,

anger,

fits of anger.

The point is this,

if you are led by the spirit,

you are not under the law.

That is the law of God.

You shall not, you shall not, you shall not.

It can't do anything to transform us.

It can't transform this,

these inner issues.

That only happens through the leading of the spirit.

And so let me just pause here

and look with you at verse 18.

Because that phrase there,

led by the spirit,

should get an award for one of the most abused phrases

in all of the Bible.

And so people use it today, don't they?

You often hear it, isn't it?

I'm being led by the spirit

as if it's a kind of internet connection with God.

Where I download fresh information from God

and he gives me guidance today.

And it usually comes,

when you talk to people like that,

it usually comes in the thoughts,

in the case of,

I had this feeling,

or I felt this nudge,

or I had this thought.

And when that happens,

we say,

I was led by the spirit.

But actually,

the phrase led by the spirit

only comes up twice in the New Testament.

And when we read this phrase,

led by the spirit,

it has got nothing to do with guidance at all,

but it's got everything to do with godliness.

And so being led by the spirit

is not having a hotline to heaven,

but it is God's spirit

in our hearts

resisting our fallen nature.

And so to be led by the spirit

means actually to be in battle.

It means to go to war.

Here's the point.

And the works of the human nature,

the works of the flesh,

they're not all sexual by any means,

but they are all self-centered.

Because sin is self-love to the core.

My nature, my flesh,

whispers to me all the time,

and it says,

you're free.

You're free.

Sounds terrific.

Don't put yourself out for others.

Think very carefully.

What is in this for yourself?

I need to be indulged.

And if you indulge me,

my flesh says,

I will be good to you.

I will be good so long

as it doesn't cost me very much.

And we need to hear this this morning

because we're so devious naturally,

and we're so slippery

in our sinful nature.

And we know that

our sinful nature is so slippery

it will try and counterfeit

the fruit of the spirit.

So long as we remain in control.

That's the issue.

Who is in control?

You see,

if I remain in control,

I may not be sexually promiscuous,

but I can be filled with pride,

can't I?

Or I may not appear proud,

but I'm going to harbor

all sorts of deep envies

and jealousies towards you.

But if we keep in step

with the spirit,

we are not controlled

by our sinful desires.

We're not controlled

by an external institution.

We're not controlled

by what other Christians think,

but we're controlled

by the spirit.

And that is why religion

is so, so powerless here.

It cannot help you.

Religion cannot help your heart.

It cannot change your heart.

All the law keeping,

all the ceremonies,

all the attendance

in all the world

cannot change

by fundamental egocentricity.

Only God's spirit can do that.

And so you see,

when you want to serve God

on your own terms,

you're not keeping in step

with the spirit,

but you're giving expression

to your sinful nature.

When you make decisions

based on your own convenience,

or when you expect the church

or the group of Christians

around you

to accommodate to your wishes,

you're giving expression

to your sinful nature.

This is what it looks like.

The sign,

the real sign

of transformation

by the spirit

is serving others in love.

Using the freedom

that you and I have in Christ

not to get what we want,

but to do what we know

will help others.

And so I'm afraid

that many people think today

that belonging to church

is like joining a club

or becoming a member

of something.

Last night,

I took the dramatic snap

of becoming a member

of the co-op.

I've been going

to the co-op

for 18 years.

It's been a kind

of casual relationship.

I've been more

of an adherent.

But last night,

me and the co-op

got committed.

I went to the self-service

checkout,

and for the first time

I noticed that

I could become a member

just by scanning

on my phone.

I was given the option

to scan as a member.

I took my phone

out of my pocket nervously.

I went onto the camera.

I clicked on the link,

and I slowly entered

my details.

There was no emotion.

There was no crisis experience.

I was sent an email

which said this.

Thanks for becoming

a co-op member, Paul.

At co-op,

you're not just a member.

You're an owner.

We don't have shareholders.

The people who use us

own us,

like you.

I've got no clue

what that means.

Absolutely no clue.

I don't know what difference

becoming a member

of the co-op

is going to make

to my life.

It saved me 20 pence

on last night's shopping.

But I've got no real

expectations of the co-op,

and they've got no real

expectations of me.

When people say,

you know,

the kind of interview

before you're preaching

is that,

Paul, tell us a little bit

about yourself.

Well, my name's Paul.

I've got a wife called Claire.

I've got three children.

I'm Welsh

and I'm a member

of the co-op.

No one's going to say that,

are they?

I'm not going to be

deeply involved

in the co-op.

I'm not going to be

engaged with the people there.

I'm not going to start

going in and giving

pep talks to the staff.

And there are many people

that think that

Christianity is like that.

They think coming

to church is like that.

And Paul says,

no, no,

let us keep in step

with the Spirit.

And I've been really

struck this week

that Galatians 5,

there's not a singular command.

It's a plural command.

And so to keep in step

with the Spirit,

here's what you really,

I want you to grasp

this this morning,

that this is not something

that you can do

on your own.

And it's not something

I can do on my own.

You are not a special case

that can do it on your own.

No one can do it

on their own.

Because we can only do this

with one another.

So in Greek,

it is literally

keep in row together

with the Holy Spirit.

Keep in row together

with the Holy Spirit.

So it's through

our mutual fellowship.

It's through how

we are different members

in the Christian community,

bearing with one another,

loving one another,

serving one another,

that we keep in step

with the Spirit.

And the only way

that we can do this

is by holding on

to each other

and serving one another.

That's how we keep

in step with the Spirit.

And so that puts

a nail in the coffin,

doesn't it,

of me and my Christianity,

of kind of living

an isolated Christian life.

It's impossible.

You cannot do it.

That's the first thing.

That's what it looks like.

Secondly,

how does it work?

How does it work practically?

Look at verse 22, please.

These are wonderful verses.

In fact,

let's read verses 22 and 23 together.

All right?

Verse 22 after me.

But the fruit of the Spirit

is love,

joy,

peace,

patience,

kindness,

goodness,

faithfulness,

gentleness,

self-control.

Against such things

there is no law.

They're wonderful things,

aren't they?

Paul calls them what?

He calls them the fruit

singular of the Holy Spirit.

And these characteristics

have not come about

by years of earnest

moral effort

and hard work

and self-improvement.

These characteristics

of love, joy,

peace, patience,

kindness, goodness,

faithfulness,

gentleness,

self-control,

they've not come about

through religious observance

or ceremonies.

They've come from God

and they come,

don't they,

in the arena of the heart

and they are entirely supernatural.

If you want to see

what the works of the flesh

look like,

if you want to see

what the works of the flesh

look like,

do what comes naturally.

But Christian growth

and transformation

is fruit.

It's fruit.

It's organic.

It's like what happens

on a tree.

Do you remember

in John's Gospel

when Jesus says

to his disciples

in the upper room,

he says,

I am the vine,

you are the branches.

He who abides in me,

he it is

that bears much fruit.

Because apart from me,

you can do nothing.

And so how do we bear fruit?

The way that we bear fruit

is by holding on

to the Lord Jesus

and he lives his life

through us.

And these nine fruits

that Paul mentions here,

they all belong together.

Love, joy, peace.

Love is basically

opening ourselves

to each other

and treating

that other person

with the love

of Jesus Christ.

Not because of

what it will bring you,

but because of

the intrinsic value

of that person.

It's choosing

to do what will be

for the spiritual benefit

of that person

or that group.

Sometimes they will like it,

sometimes they will hate it.

It doesn't really matter.

Joy is taking

an intrinsic delight

in God.

It's joy

in knowing

that God has

loved me

in Jesus Christ

and there is nothing

in all the universe

that can separate me

from the love of God.

Peace is simply

knowing

that God is wise.

He is the wise one.

And God is in control,

isn't he,

of all the circumstances

of my life this morning.

These are all ways

of serving one another.

Look at patience.

Patience comes

from the knowledge

that everything

that happens to me,

both good and evil,

comes to me

from the hand of God,

of a God

who loves me.

and that waiting

is a very important

instrument

in the hand of God

to make me

like the Lord Jesus Christ.

Naturally,

I don't want to wait.

Naturally,

I'm impatient.

But God uses

the circumstances

of my life

to make me wait,

to make me like Jesus.

And we have to be patient,

don't we,

because the fruit

of the Spirit,

sometimes it feels

like there's nothing happening.

And there is a slowness

of growth in grace.

And it's totally frustrating.

And it's given to me

by the Holy Spirit

to help me depend on God.

And I found this

really encouraging,

the thing that we live

in the church

in a real program age.

So you do this

and it will result in that.

You hold this course

and it will result in that.

You do this,

you do that,

you do it.

It ain't like that,

is it?

It's really not like that.

It's organic,

it's sometimes slow

and imperceptible

and yet,

the fruit appears.

Kindness and generosity,

they've got nothing

to do with our abilities

or our gifts

or our IQ

and success.

You can give all your money

you want to charity,

you can preach

a thousand sermons,

you can have thousands

of people come to faith

through you,

you can invent

a cure for disease

and you can be

completely barren

of the fruit of the Spirit.

But here you've got

this communal reality

that God sows

the seed of His Word

in our hearts

and it takes root

and it bears fruit.

And if you live

by the Spirit

and you keep in step

with the Spirit,

this change,

this fruitfulness

is inevitable.

It will happen to us.

and you will become

less aggressive,

less touchy,

less self-protective,

less self-focused.

And you will find

as God's Word

and as you live

amongst His people,

you become more joyful,

more self-controlled,

more willing to be engaged

with others

and serve others.

It will happen.

I think it's a real argument

for sticking in a church

for the long haul.

It's one of the frustrations

in London church life

that people come

and they're here

for a short time

and you begin to see change

and then they go off

and it's a blessing

to other churches.

But it is a remarkable thing

that I can look around this room

in the last 23 years

and tell you

of the character change

of God's people.

Maybe a good thing

for you,

if you've been a Christian

for a long time,

to ask,

am I actually less abrasive

than I used to be?

Am I less consumed

with anger?

Am I more forgiving?

Do I hold resentments

for as long as I used to?

Am I increasing in peace?

The other thing is

you can't pick and choose

this fruit.

The fruit in the Greek

is singular.

It's one thing

with nine facets.

Which means

you can't say today,

well I'm alright and ate,

but I'll let myself

lag behind on the one.

If you fall behind

in one,

you fall behind

in them all.

And that is why

the apostle finishes,

and I want us to finish you

as we come to the table

with these words

in verses 24 and 25.

Those who belong

to Christ,

Jesus,

have crucified

the flesh

with its passions

and desires.

If we live by the Spirit,

let us keep in step

with the Spirit.

And so if I'm to be truthful

with you this morning,

I look at my heart

and I see an abundance

of the works of the flesh

and the fruit of the Spirit.

It's there,

but it's very,

very tiny buds.

And so what the apostle does

at the end of this section

is he takes us back

to the cross

of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And he says,

God accepts you

not because of any

legal standard,

but through the death

of Jesus Christ.

And that means this,

that everything I do

is covered

by the righteousness

of Jesus.

But God takes

delight

in any movement

in this direction

to serve other people.

And so it does not matter

this morning

how stumbling,

how inadequate,

how hopeless

it really is.

Every time

you try and

take a step

to keep in step

with the Spirit,

it delights God

because His death

covers me.

The best solution

I can think of

is when you go

to a school concert.

And those of you

who are parents,

you might remember

if your kids

learned instruments,

you might remember

their first musical performances.

they're in an orchestra,

we went to them,

and in many ways

it's utterly unbearable.

Those early days

of the violin,

an orchestra makes

funny squeaks

and squawks,

and very often

you haven't got a clue

what they're playing.

But every parent there

loves every second of it.

It's like when your child

brings to you

a painting

that they've done

or a drawing

and on one level

it's horrific.

It's awful,

isn't it?

And yet you're so proud

of it,

you put it on your fridge.

And that is how

God looks at you

this morning

if you are a believer.

He looks at every step

you've taken

at seeking to

save someone else.

Every step

that you've taken

to strengthen

and to build this church

and no matter how weak

and no matter how mixed

it is,

and he's delighted

by it.

And so as we come

to the Lord's table

this morning

we remember

that the Lord Jesus

he knelt in the garden

to pray

for you.

And he goes

to the cross

of Jesus Christ

for you.

And in the upper room

he gathers his disciples

and he says this,

this is

my commandment

to you

love one another

as I have loved you.

And that's what

he's given us to do.

And that is the work

of the Holy Spirit

in us.

And so if we

live by the Spirit

let us keep in step

with the Spirit.

And can you notice

just again

right at the end

of the chapter

look at the pronouns

verses 25 and 6.

It's corporate.

If we

let us

one another

one another

how do we

keep in step

with the Spirit

when we need

one another?

It's a beautiful thing

isn't it

as we come

to the Lord's table

and that the

Son of God

loved me

and he gave

himself

for me

and yet

I cannot

understand that

without looking

around this room.

And I cannot

live that out

without looking

around this room

and seeing the people

God has called me

to love

and God has

called me to serve.

Thank you.