Galatians 5 - How Do You Know If You are Walking With the Spirit?
Freedom in Christ
5 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
This is an important verse. Jesus Christ set us free from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Why would we return to it. The scripture says it is like "As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly.". Proverbs 26:11
A graphic illustration but it gets the point across. Though it is so foolish to do, we often return to our sinful ways without thinking or the consequences. When we do so we are trading our precious freedom in Christ for being in bondage to sin.
2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Specifically Paul calls out the practice being taught in the Galatian church that adult, male Gentiles be circumcised. Circumcision was a practice commanded in the Old Testament Law. Since Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law it no longer applied. It was replaced by the New Testament Sacrament of Baptism. Basically these Jews were returning the Law having just experienced grace. Paul says if you are going to return to the Law, you can't just pick and choose which parts to obey. If you want to be justified by keeping the Law, you must be perfect in every way.
Paul then says something very important. He says, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
This verse also tells us what does matter in this place: faith working through love. You have faith? Wonderful; but it must be faith working through love. If your faith doesn’t work, it isn’t real faith. If it doesn’t work through love, it isn’t real faith. But your love alone isn’t enough; your love must also have faith: an abiding trust in Jesus and what He did for us.
Paul also says something similar in 1 Corinthians 13:13, "Now these three remain faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love." James also says in "Faith without works is dead." - James 2:26
7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
Paul sees this whole issue of the Galatians requiring circumcision as a major red flag. It has taken them off the path of being saved by grace alone through faith alone. It has corrupted the very nature of the gospel. Paul then argues logically that his message is not about circumcision. If it was, then he would not be being persecuted.
Once again if righteousness could be earned through the Law (i.e. being circumcised) then Christ died for nothing. If circumcision saved a man, then why did Jesus have to die. Circumcision or even baptism doesn't save us, it is believing in what Jesus did on the cross to forgive you of your sins.
Legalism can’t handle the offense of the cross. The whole point of Jesus dying on the cross was to say, “You can’t save yourself. I must die in your place or you have absolutely no hope at all.” When we trust in legalism, we believe that we can, at least in part, save ourselves. This takes away the offense of the cross, which should always offend the nature of fallen man. In this sense, the offense of the cross is really the glory of the cross, and legalism takes this glory away. - Guzik
Life by the Spirit
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
These verses are huge for me in terms of what it means to live the Christian life. And the key to truly living this life is the Holy Spirit. Paul uses the term freedom. Freedom from what? Sin, death, and the power of the devil. But once we are free from these three things, what are we going to do with this new freedom? Return to our sins, thinking we are forgiven so what does it matter anyways?
Or, realize that in our freedom, we are set free to serve others. Notice is says to "serve one another humbly in love." Humility is a choice. We can choose to be proud or humble. Serving someone else instead of just focusing on our own needs is humility. It says that you are more important than me.
The Jewish rabbi's had turned the 10 Commandments into over 400 laws. Jesus says that really all of the Law is summed by a simple principle, "Love neighbor as yourself."
If you are loving your neighbor as you would love yourself, you can never get it wrong. Now Paul will tell us how this can be possible.
Paul has made the point over and over again – the Christian life is a life of liberty. Jesus came to set the captives free, not to keep them in bondage or put them in bondage all over again. It is worth asking if people see us as people of freedom and liberty. Often, Christians are seen as people more bound up and hung up than anyone else is. - Guzik
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Fortunately God has given us an incredible gift to give us the power and the will and to live the Christian life. The Holy Spirit. Hear the promise Paul gives here,
"If you walk by the Spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (flesh).
As a Christian, we have received the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of us. But we still live in a mortal body. We still live with a sinful nature. If we don't walk with the Spirit, we can't help but gratify the desires of the flesh.
How do I live by the Spirit? Sometimes it is hard to grasp how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. It is helpful to remember that it is the Spirit of Jesus who lives within us. So living by the Spirit is doing the things Jesus would do if he were you. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit when he was baptized, and it was the power of the Holy Spirit that enabled him to be fully obedient to the Father and ultimately to choose to go to the cross.
Also, the bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, who used human authors to write the 66 books of the Old and New Testament. Therefore, as we are living our lives in alignment with God's Word, we are living by the Spirit. As we pray the Holy Spirit prays with and through us. Prayer helps us to walk with the Spirit.
Finally, if the Holy Spirit is a person, we can talk to Him and invite him into our lives. One of the greatest things we can say to the Holy Spirit in prayer is, "Come Holy Spirit fill me. Come Holy Spirit and fill your church. Come Holy Spirit and help me to live a life that honors and glorifies the Father and the Son today!"
Paul says to, "Keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit", suggesting it is an ongoing relationship! Ephesians 5:18
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 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.
Paul then gives a list of the acts of the sinful nature. This is what a life devoid of the Spirit looks like. All of these things are possible in our lives if we were to give full reign to our sinful nature. Paul says that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
What does this mean? Does this mean if we live in the flesh, we will not go to heaven? Or does it mean we will miss out on what we will receive in heaven, which is given to those who are faithful?
Here is what Martin Luther says,
“Christians also fall and perform the lusts of the flesh. David fell horribly into adultery. Peter also fell grievously when he denied Christ. However great as these sins were, they were not committed to spite God, but from weakness. When their sins were brought to their attention these men did not obstinately continue in their sin, but repented. Those who sin through weakness are not denied pardon as long as they rise again and cease to sin. There is nothing worse than to continue in sin. If they do not repent, but obstinately continue to fulfill the desires of the flesh, it is a sure sign that they are not sincere.” (Luther)
So how do you know if you are walking in the Spirit? Paul gives us the answer.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
The fruit, result, and the evidence of walking in Spirit are these nine qualities. Notice "fruit" is singular. Most people say the "fruits" of the Spirit.
Why is this even important? Because when we are walking with the Spirit we receive ALL of the Fruit of the Spirit. We don't just get a little joy, or a little patience. When we are walking with the Spirit these qualities will be characteristic in our lives.
I.e. If I never have any joy, I am probably not walking in the Spirit. If I am angry all the time, I am probably not walking in the Spirit. If I never exhibit self-control with my desires in areas like eating, drinking, lust, and greed, I am probably not walking in the Spirit.
Though we all have bad days where our life looks nothing like this, if we don't on a consistent basis show forth these qualities, we need to learn how to walk with the Spirit and have others speak into our lives if we are or not.
As you look at the fruit of the Spirit, would you say it matches up to the way you look and act each day? Do you have joy in your life? Do you have peace in your life. Are you always anxious? Are you a kind person? These are just some of the things we should ask ourselves.
Many people shy away from the Christian faith because they see people who call themselves a Christian, but their life is not in any way characterized by the Fruit of the Spirit.
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