Life in the Spirit

Series on Galatians

III The Apostolic Applications

D The Yen of the Spirit

Text: 5:16-26

Introduction

For some people life in the Spirit means entering a spirit world that exists in a higher rate of vibration than does our three-dimensional Earth plane. Allegedly mediums have trained themselves to catch glimpses of this amazing world, somewhat at will. They believe an out of body experience happens when the spirit or consciousness separates itself from the confines of the body and becomes free to experience other worlds. In the “New Age” environment of the 21st century this is quite common, but we should be aware that God condemns this practice and identifies it as satanic in Deuteronomy 18:10 and 11, Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. It is selfish and self-centered, as people seek for what they can get out of it, rather than serving or giving to others. One commentator described Spiritualism as attempting to obtain a heavenly pension on easy terms. Ironically the Judaizers were attempting to purchase their heavenly reward through keeping Jewish ordinances. Other aberrant views of life in the Spirit can be found in Christendom. One would be Pentecostalism where the central belief is a direct personal experience of God through baptism in the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals tend to see their movement as reflecting the same kind of spiritual power and teachings that were found in the early church. This baptismal infilling with the Spirit is usually thought to bring with it extraordinary gifts such as healing, prophesying and speaking in unknown tongues. These people often believe that if you have not experienced these signs, then you are not living in the Spirit. Another manifestation of a false view of life in the Spirit would be perfectionism. Some people actually claim that they have reached a state in the Christian life where they just don’t sin anymore. Many have imbibed the opinion that even the corruption of nature is no longer exists in those who believe in Christ. So life in the spirit means “not sinning.” There is a legalistic version of this, in which a person loses salvation each time they sin. They must be repeatedly saved, so practicing that ritual makes them the same as the legalists in the New Testament, like the Judaizers. In this case you have to be “saved” again in order to have life in the Spirit. Absolutely none of this is what Paul is talking about. There are four important truths set before us in this text that help us to understand what living in the Spirit is. it is being earnest in compliance, engaging in conflict, eschewing corruption, and engaging in commitment.

I Earnest in Compliance

Paul begins our text with a command in verse 16, So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. The Apostle is not talking about an extraordinary or unusual experience. He is talking about day to day living. We are to live by the Spirit. That means eating, sleeping, studying, working, and recreation are all by the Spirit. We should clarify that some translations speak of the desires of the flesh. In the New Testament the Greek word translated flesh in the older versions is actually designating fallen human nature, so it includes sins of the mind and spirit as well as those of the body. In this first verse of our text Paul has already set the scene for his discussion of the war between sin and righteousness, between flesh and Spirit, between good and evil that is waged in the life of every true believer. If you follow God’s directions and the Spirit’s promptings you will not be dominated by indwelling sin. Hendriksen remarks, “It takes the tender leaves of early springtime to rid the oak tree of the remnants of last autumn’s withered foliage. It is only the living that can expel the dead. It is only the good that can push out the bad.”

II Engaged in Conflict

Paul further explains this conflict between flesh and the Spirit in verses 17 and 18, For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. There are two truths here that are often ignored or misunderstood. The first truth in verse 17 is that the Christian life is a desperate struggle. This certainly puts the lie to much modern evangelism. It means far more than coming forward to register your decision at a great revival meeting, after listening to a powerful, evangelical, and heart-warming message, and while one is under the influence of the singing of old familiar hymns by a massive choir. Of course there may be an immediate change in perspective and in our standing with God, but it is the beginning of a great struggle and one does not instantly achieve perfection. it does not make you a superman, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, or, in other words, to take one flying leap into heaven. As Paul describes it in Romans 7 it is a battle in which you do not do the things you should and also do the things which you should not. This very conflict, then, is a charter of our salvation because only the truly converted can say as Paul does in Romans 7:24 and 25, What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Consequently we must do away with all ideas of the Christian life as a bed of roses, and we must recognize the cost of discipleship. But the other truth here is that the leading of the Spirit of which the Apostle speaks in verse 18 is not the privilege of a few. In other words when your Pastor stands in the pulpit on Sunday and says I felt led to preach on this passage or subject, realize that he does not have a corner on being led because he is a “man of God.” Being led is for everybody and as Paul uses it here it has nothing to do with decisions such as whom to marry, or what to eat for supper, or what to preach on. The leading of the Spirit may be defined as that constant, effective, and beneficent influence which the Holy Spirit exercises within the hearts of God’s children whereby they are being directed and enabled more and more to crush the power of indwelling sin and to walk in the way of God’s commandments, freely and cheerfully. The Holy Spirit enables you to understand the Scripture and thereby to know God’s commandments and to apply this knowledge to situations in your life. This is the wisdom of which James speaks when he says, if any of you lacks wisdom let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and does not reproach; and it shall be given to him. In a nutshell it is growth in grace, or sanctification.

III Eschewing Corruption

In verses 19-21 Paul catalogs some of the acts or works of the sinful nature. These are things that are natural to us as fallen sinners, but these particular ones were probably notable in the case of the Galatians. The list could be endless. Paul even tells us that the acts include other things “like” the ones mentioned. If you look at the Westminster Larger Catechism’s exposition of the Ten Commandments you will get some idea of the possibilities. But here the Apostle says, The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. The list begins with the word “acts” this is to be distinguished from the “fruit” of the Spirit. Though these sins are in effect the fruit of our sinful nature, because if the tree is evil the fruit is bad, and if the tree is holy, the fruit is good, Paul chooses a different word “acts or works” because the fruit is a product of the Spirit, pleasing, a harvest to be gathered. We cannot in a single sermon deal with all of these works of the flesh. Each one could, in itself, take up a whole message, so we content ourselves today with an overall view. There are fifteen items in the list with overlapping. The first three vices are in the realm of sex: immorality, impurity, indecency. The next two pertain to false gods: idolatry and sorcery. The following eight that have to do with strife: quarrels, wrangling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, party intrigues, and envy. The last two indicate abuses in the sphere of drink: drunkenness and orgies. So we have a pretty complete picture of the works of the flesh, sexual immorality, idolatry, strife, and substance abuse. All of these sins were common in the first century culture, and therefore common in the congregations to which Paul wrote. People are not sanctified suddenly: there are no “sudden saints.” These same sins can be read about in the Old Testament as sins of both other cultures and the people of God. What is vitally important is that we understand that although one cannot gain entrance to the kingdom of God by means of what were deemed to be good practices, it is definitely possible to shut oneself out by evil practices. A person must avoid the works of darkness lest he prove that he is not as yet walking in the light, as we read in I Corinthians 6:9-11, Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

IV Engaging in Commitment

Thus we come to the climax of our text the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-26, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. The fruit of the Spirit is nine character qualities developed by the power of the Spirit. Taken together they describe a perfectly formed Christlike character. It is important to note that these character qualities are not a new list of laws that must be kept; they are the result of living and being led by the Spirit. This is the blessing of Christ’s coming that was described in the prophets of the Old Testament like Isaiah 32:14-17, The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and watchtower will become a wasteland forever, the delight of donkeys, a pasture for flocks, till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. Justice will dwell in the desert and righteousness live in the fertile field. The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. If one develops these qualities he is fulfilling the law and consequently there is no law against this as the Apostle says. Love is the fulfilling of the law. Earlier in Galatians 2:20 Paul spoke of crucifixion with Christ, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. There is a crucifixion that occurs through faith in Christ when we become identified with him in His death and resurrection as symbolized in Christian baptism. For centuries Christians have been asked at their baptism if they turned to Christ, repented of sin, and renounced evil. This is not something that you can do and then forget it. Renunciation of evil is a practical everyday discipline. When my sinful nature subtly suggests paging through a filthy magazine, I must say no to my sinful nature. When I hear a juicy bit of gossip and I am tempted to repeat it, I must shut my mouth and deny my sinful desire. When another Christian criticizes me unfairly and my flesh screams for revenge, I must say “absolutely not” to my sinful passion. This is daily hourly minute by minute crucifixion; it is following Jesus by denying self and taking up our cross. If there is no death to self there can be no live from the Spirit and therefore no living by the Spirit.