Scripture:
Galatians 5:16-24 ESV
[16] But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. [17] 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 you want to do. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. [19] Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, [20] idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, [21] envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do 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 things, there is no law. [24] And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Observation:
I was talking to a brother of mine yesterday at abbas’s table, and this topic came up so as I was searching through scripture looking for what to write a SOAP on. I came to this and thought… Well, why not. The first statement that Paul makes is pretty clear and really needs no explanation. It’s the beginning of a description of what it looks like to be a Holy Spirit led person and describes the war between the spirit that lives within us and the flesh that it is clothed in. He explains how they work against each other and can keep you from doing what is right or wrong, depending on which one you submit to. I find verse 18 to be a very important pivot point in Paul’s explanation of which one we should be in step with. I believe the reason it’s stated like it is…is because the foundation of the law is love, and there is no law against love. However, I’m kind of getting ahead of myself here. I really like the way Paul gives us a way to identify the difference between which part of ourselves we are walking with. The first list he gives us is not an entire list, but a pretty good start. I could repeat it, but it almost seems redundant to do so. However, one thing I took notice of is that they are all things that might feel good at the time…or for the moment. But they are also all things that are motivated by a desire for not only selfish intentions but self gratification as well. Paul is drawing us a very clear line here. One more important thing I want us to take note of is the end of verse 21 it’s kind of a 2 part verse it brings an end to painting a picture of what the flesh wants. But it also has a warning for those who are living for that kind of gratification. Let me just repeat what the book says so we can get the same picture here…”Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of GOD.” Paul quietly moves on to the fruit of the Spirit. So that the galatians would know how to tell whether or not they were on the right track. Taking notice of what the first thing is on the list. Love because that’s where it all starts. The rest of the fruit comes from the stem or vine of love. We talked yesterday about stealing connected to the vine (Jesus), and we all know that HE showed the greatest love we could ever know. That conversation talked about fruit as well. What I believe we need to take notice of in the list of fruit is that every one of them is outward focused, selfless action. That has to do with an inner connection. All of the fruit are one, even though we see nine listed. If we picture it like a vine. Just like the scripture yesterday. We can see how it all starts with love for others, and as it begins to grow, the other things start to become more evident, ending with a self controlled person.
Application:
I know I kind of got into the application process inside the observation. With this particular scripture, it’s hard not to. So what does it mean to be in instep with the Holy Spirit, and how do we identify the difference. Well, after reading these verses. That should be pretty easy to notice. In other areas of Paul’s writing, we hear things like consider others as more important than yourself. This is a great place to start because that kind of behavior is outward focused and a reflection of what Jesus did. Being around the 12 step programs, most of my life I have heard over and over how it’s a selfish program, and I honestly never agreed with that statement. I believe it’s a selfless program for selfish people. We can only keep what we have by giving it away. Our freedom from the self-induced prison of our flesh and the chains that come from living for that flesh is to become selfless. Loving those whom the world has deemed unlovable, being joyful, peaceful, patient, and kind to those who seem to be forgotten by everyone else. To be honest, it’s not an easy task, and developing the fruit of the Spirit will take some work. Sometimes, it will come easy, and sometimes, it won’t, but if we keep in mind that it all starts with love, then the rest will start to grow. Just like a fruit tree, it doesn’t happen overnight. My encouragement for you this morning is to stay connected to Jesus, the life given source of fruit. The more you develop that relationship with HIM, the easier it will be to see the fruit start to mature and develop. Allowing HIM to prun the fleshly desires away and put them in the burn pile might seem hard at first, but it will quickly become your desire as well. The more I walk with HIM, the less of my flesh I want to gratify. Nurture the tree. Feed it, fertilize it, and let it grow. Practice walking in step with the Holy Spirit. Listen to HIS prompting. You can tell when it’s HIM because you have now been given a list to identify the difference. If it’s selfish, don’t do it, and if it’s selfless, get it done asap. GOD has a beautiful plan for you, and it has nothing to do with you. Just love them all and let GOD sort them out.
Prayer:
Father, this morning, we ask that you would fertilize the fruit tree you planted in us. We want others to know who you are through our selfless action. Help us not only stay connected to your son but produce the fruit you have always intended for us to produce. We want more of your Holy Spirit. We want to remain in step with HIM. Thank you for the list that you have given us to show us the difference difference. We are asking that you put our flesh to death. We don’t want to live according to it and the chains that come with it. As a Gold Smith looks into the Crucible to see his reflection, we want to be a reflection of you. Mold us and shape us and prun us if necessary to be the men and women you have called us to be. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.