“INTRODUCING GAL. 5:19-23”

1. There are many opposites in our world

a. Day and night

b. Love and hate, freedom and bondage, rich and poor

c. Schooled and unschooled, smart and dumb, popular and unpopular

2. In the Bible we find similar contrasts

3. In fact, many of the contrasts in scripture are opposites

4. One of the places where some contrasts are found is in Gal. 5

I. IN THIS CHAPTER PAUL LISTS BOTH THE WORKS OF THE FLESH AND THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. IT IS MY PLAN TO EXAMINE EACH WORK AND EACH FRUIT OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL SUNDAY EVENINGS

a. Before we touch the fruit or explore the works of the flesh,

b. We need to lay a foundation

c. In vs 16-17 of Gal. 5 Paul said, READ

d. Verse 17 teaches that a war is currently being fought

e. Gal. 5 teaches that inside each Christian there is tension

f. On one hand we know what is right and want to do that

g. We want to live like God’s word says

h. We want to have the fruit of the Spirit in our life

i. On the other hand, the works of the flesh are attractive

j. There are plenty of times when those works beckon to us

k. They call us to come and fellowship them

l. The world might say that this is a struggle between “good” & “evil”

m. Many want to be good, but being evil has some appeal

n. Scripture teaches some things about the tug of war which goes on in the mind

o. Here is the first point:

p. Verse 17 says that the flesh and the Spirit are “contrary” to each other

q. This statement occurs in an interesting place

r. In the previous chapter of this book, there is a story

s. This story is bout two women, Sarah and Hagar

t. This story goes back to Gen. 16:1f

u. This story does a pretty good job of illustrating the flesh fighting

v. I’ll read Gen. 16:1-4 READ

i. When this account is examined,

ii. One wonders if Abraham was not pulled into this because of the flesh

iii. Sarah’s suggestion certainly appears to have been related to the flesh

iv. If we were to look at the chapters prior to Gen. 16…

v. We would find that God had promised a child to Abraham and Sarah

vi. Had these two “lived by the Spirit”, they would have waited.

vii. They would have taken God at His word.

viii. Gen. 16 shows that the flesh was warring with the Spirit.

ix. This seems to have been true for both Abraham and Sarah

x. Because they both participated in Abraham’s & Hagar’s coming together

xi. The flesh and the spirit did battle, and the flesh won.

w. The battle of flesh & spirit occurs early in the Bible.

x. Throughout the sacred volume this struggle is found.

y. Even today the struggle continues.

i. Our young people wrestle with the flesh & spirit

ii. Should I remain pure, or should I become sexually active.

iii. Both desires pull at young adults.

iv. In school the flesh wars against the Spirit.

v. “Should I cheat and get the A I need on the test?”

vi. Or should I be honest when I take the test, do badly, and fail

z. When others are mean to us we are tempted to fight back.

aa. We want to retaliate (that’s the flesh).

bb. The Spirit teaches to forgive and love.

II. THE LIVES THAT WE LIVE ARE A CONSTANT BATTLE BETWEEN THE WILL OF GOD AND THE WILL OF SATAN.

a. Because this battle is on-going.

b. And because it affects all people—especially Christians,

c. Paul issued a warning to the Galations (v. 16) READ

d. Paul said, “Walk by the Spirit.”

a. Here is one of the times that we can really appreciate the Greek

b. The word “walk” is in the present tense.

c. We can compare v16 to a man who has a goal.

d. A man starts walking towards this goal & does not stop but keeps walking.

e. We need to be walking towards our goal (heaven).

f. As we walk, offers are going to be made.

g. We might think of this as driving down the interstate.

h. As we zoom down the highway we see billboards.

i. Fancy signs encourage us to stop and see some attraction.

j. Paul said that if we are a Christian,

k. We need to be walking & keep walking the road to heaven.

l. As we make this journey, there are going to be some signs.

m. These signs will be listed later in this chapter.

e. One sign will say, “Come on in and dance.”

f. Another will offer alcohol.

g. Another of the offers will be for sexual pleasure.

h. Alternative worship will be another choice.

i. Witchcraft will be another attraction that is available.

j. Though we will see these signs Paul warns: keep walking.

k. No matter what is offered;

l. No matter how good the flesh looks;

m. No matter how much you may think you would enjoy something, keep walking.

n. Why is it so important to keep walking?

o. 16B says that this will allow us to avoid fulfilling the lust of the flesh

p. I recently spoke with a young lady who is in college.

q. This individual is a member of the church.

r. I knew based upon her background that fornication would be a serious potential problem

s. This Christian is at a secular school.

t. It appears that virginity on this campus is a rare thing.

u. This young lady said to me this month, “I have decided to stay pure.”

v. She added, “I have been tempted. The pull of the flesh is strong.

w. So far this lady has started walking & she has not stopped.

x. Signs keep calling for her to stop walking & start enjoying the flesh

y. At least for now she is determined to walk by the Spirit.

z. The struggle between the flesh & Spirit comes in different forms.

a. For example, there are addictions that affect people.

b. If we could speak to those who have become addicted to something

c. Many would say, “I want to quit. I want to stop.”

d. Though there is the desire to quit,

e. The flesh (addiction) continues to be a lure.

aa. The struggle that is being described has been compared to 2 angels

a. There is an angel in heaven motioning for us to side with him

b. There is also an angel below us waving for us to follow him.

bb. Gal. 5 will remind some of a statement in Ben. 4:7 –

cc. “Sin croucheth at the door.”

dd. The flesh (sin) is never very far away.

ee. For this reason walking by the Spirit is crucial for a Christian.

III. IF CHRISTIAN FAIL TO “WALK BY THE SPIRIT”, THE ONLY OTHER CHOICE IS TO FULFILL THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH.

a. There are going to be some things which determine what course we take

b. For example, do we have an eternal goal?

c. Is heaven where our hope is anchored?

d. Is being with God the thing we seek most, Mt. 6:33 ?

i. If it is, we can continue to walk by the Spirit.

ii. We can bypass the signs which will take us off the right road

iii. If we do not have heaven as our goal;

iv. If we are not deadly serious about being saved,

v. We have no eternal goal.

vi. Without an eternal goal, we cannot really “walk” as Gal. 5 describes

vii. If we cannot walk as Gal. 5 describes,

viii. We will most likely end up fulfilling the lusts of the flesh

ix. Gal. 5 gives us two choices.

x. If we are not filled with a desire to be with God,

xi. We will find ourselves headed for the world & sin.

e. In looking at the flesh & spirit, the importance of a goal (heaven) is clear.

f. What else helps determine if we walk by Spirit, or turn to flesh

g. A second thing is “effort.”

i. If we put no (little) effort into living by the Spirit,

ii. The flesh is going to win.

iii. We know what happens when 2 teams line up for tug of war.

iv. Each team tries to pull the other team across a line.

v. What happens if one team does not pull?

vi. The opposing team will easily win.

vii. So it is with the works of the flesh & the Spirit.

viii. If we are not putting effort into living as a Christian,

ix. We will fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

x. Living according to the will of God is work.

xi. This is why passages like Acts 2:40 say, “Save yourselves.”

h. To walk by the Spirit we must have a goal. We must put forth effort.

i. What else is needed? Direction.

i. We may have a goal, and we may put fort effort…

ii. Without proper directions we cannot reach our destination.

iii. The Bible says (Rom. 8:14) that Christians are led by the Spirit.

iv. The Spirit does not tell me, you or anyone else,

v. “Take a cold glass of water to the postman.

vi. “Stop beating the dog. Wash the pile of dirty clothes.

vii. “Be kind to the kids today. Listen in Bible class.”

viii. Some have read Rom. 8:14 and concluded that the Holy Spirit is like a computer program

ix. He continually offers “pop-up” messages for us throughout our lives

x. The Holy Spirit helped men write the Bible.

xi. The Spirit produced a book which is a “sword.”

xii. In the OT the Bible is compared to a lamp.

xiii. In the NT this book is referred to as “The Truth”

xiv. The Bible gives us the right directions for our walk.

xv. For this reason it needs to be read, studies, and re-studied.

xvi. This book will remind us of our goal,

xvii. And it will give us the right directions to get to heaven.

j. If you show me some people who fail to study the Bible,

k. I will show you people who are either easily tempted by the flesh

l. Or people who have been overtaken by sins of the flesh.

m. What else determines if we are living in the flesh, or by the Spirit

n. For our final answer we may return to the word “walk”

o. As we noted, the tense of this word is “present.”

p. Each day we must remember to live as a Christian

q. We get up “I am a child of God”

r. Morning punch time clock—“I am a Christian”

s. Lunch punch time clock—“I am a Christian”

t. Clock out & drive home—“I am a Christian”

u. Come home –“I am a Christian”

v. We always walk as a child of God

CONCLUSION:

1. Those in the world are not walking towards God.

2. Though some are close to starting the journey,

3. Only Christians are walking towards their goad of eternal life.

4. Once we start this journey, Satan will always be after us. Works of the flesh.

5. Tonight if you are ready to start this trip, we stand ready to assist you

6. If you have started this trip, but have left the path…