Walk By the Spirit

Gal 5:16-26 walk by the spirit

Today we will be in Galatians 5. Feel free to turn there and mark your spot. Before we go there, we will actually be in 2 Cor 3.

Before we get into the text this morning, I’d like to state up front the basic message of this morning’s sermon. In the same way that Paul promotes a God-centered theology he also promotes God-centered behavior. In the same way that our theology should not be self centered, but God-centered, our actions, our behavior should not be self-centered, but God-centered. That, I believe is the point that Paul seeks to convey. And I don’t want that to get lost along the way. Our theology should be God-centered and our actions should be God-centered.

In the Scriptures, we have a contrast between 2 realms, 2 modes of existence, 2 ways of life. One is the flesh and the other is the spirit. It’s important for us to understand these terms in order to understand Paul’s argument in Galatians. So let’s unpack them.

FLESH refers to that which is done by human effort. Flesh refers to that which is natural. That which is done apart from God. The flesh is focused on man, on self and glorifying and gratifying self. It has to do with man’s natural inclination toward sin. So in short, the FLESH is a mode of existence focused on self.

SPIRIT on the other hand, refers to that which is done by God, supernaturally. The Spirit is focused on God, bringing glory to Him. In short, the SPIRIT is a mode of existence focused on God.

We have been studying the book of Galatians for the past 3 months and we have traced Paul’s argument against the Old Covenant in favor of the New Covenant. These 2 covenants also fit within these 2 categories of FLESH and SPIRIT. Paul has shown that the Old Covenant belongs to the flesh as it is focused on the works that man can do in order to be declared righteous. The implication is that the NC belongs to the Spirit. While Paul explicitly shows that the Law belongs to the FLESH category, he doesn’t make this explicit connection between the NC and the SPIRIT category in Galatians, so let’s see where he does elsewhere.

Look with me at 2 Cor 3.

2 Cor 3:1-11 ¹ Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. ³ You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Here, Paul is defending his apostleship and in the midst of that defense shows that he and the others do not need some kind of letter of recommendation written by human hands, but that the Corinthians themselves serve as such a letter because of their hearts that have been changed within them. God, Himself, has written upon their hearts by His Spirit. So Paul contrasts a physical letter written according to the flesh, natural means with a letter written according to the Spirit by supernatural means by God himself.

He then transitions into a comparison of the Old and New covenants using similar terminology.

 ⁴ Such confidence we have through Christ before God. ⁵ Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. ⁶ He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; (NC is of the Spirit) for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

So the contrast is between the OC, the covenant that was written on stone tablets and the new covenant that is written on human hearts by God’s Spirit.

 ⁷ Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹ If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹⁰ For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹ And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

¹² Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. ¹³ We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. ¹⁴ But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. ¹⁶ But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

So all of that to show that Paul not only says that the OC belongs to the realm of the FLESH, but that the NC belongs to the realm of the SPIRIT.

The OC was a system in which God’s law was written on tablets of stone, people went to those tablets and read it and tried to live it out according to their works (aka the FLESH), but they had a hard time doing that because their hearts were bent on the desires of the FLESH, pleasing self, not pleasing God. But in the NC, God’s Spirit puts His desires upon mens’ hearts and their inward focus changes from pleasing self to pleasing God.

So again, Paul has been arguing against the OC as a covenant belonging to the FLESH in favor of the NC as a covenant belonging to the SPIRIT.

Paul has developed a theology in favor of the SPIRIT, not the FLESH. Now remember how we defined those terms. SPIRIT is focused on God, FLESH is focused on self. SPIRIT is focused on the supernatural work of God, FLESH is focused on the natural works of man. In other words, our theology should be my righteousness is not based on my works in the FLESH, but my righteousness is based on the supernatural work that God did in sacrificing His son Jesus on the cross to make atonement for my sins. My righteousness is not of me and my works, but of Jesus and His works. Focus is on God, not me.

That is the theological foundation Paul has laid. Paul’s letters flow from theology to application. They flow from belief to behavior. Galatians is no different. For the first 4 chapters, Paul laid this theological foundation of the SPIRIT focused on God, not the FLESH, focused on man.

So now, we find ourselves in the 5^th chapter where Paul focuses on behavior in light of that belief. And his message on behavior is no different from his message on belief. His theological message was in favor of the SPIRIT not FLESH. Now his message on behavior is the very same message: live by the SPIRIT not the FLESH.

So in our section of the text today, we see how Paul shows that a mind focused on and submitted to God pleases God, whereas a mind focused on self and submitted to self, seeks to please self, leading to sin. In other words, don’t live by the FLESH (self-centered), but live by the SPIRIT (God-centered).

Let’s look together at Gal 5:16-26  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 do not do what you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 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.

 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness 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.

We have 3 paragraphs here. In the first, Paul gives his thesis and overview: live by the spirit and you won’t walk in sin (be God-centered, not self-centered). In the second paragraph he shows the fruit of the flesh: sin. In the third paragraph, he shows the fruit of the spirit: moral and virtue. He then concludes by saying live by the Spirit.

 ¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

The desires of the flesh lead to sin and sin is what God’s people want to avoid.

James 1:13-15 ¹³ When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

So again, desires of the flesh produce sin. And the goal is to not sin, to not gratify the desires of the flesh. How do God’s people avoid sin? How do God’s people overcome the desires of the flesh?

The Judaizers were proposing the Law as a means to overcome the desires of the flesh. The flesh produces hatred towards your brother and you want to kill him. The Law takes care of that. It says thou shalt not murder. So in order to overcome the desires of the flesh and not sin, Judaizers point to the Law. But Paul pointed out that the desires of the flesh and the Law belong to the same category: FLESH. That’s like trying to fight fire with gasoline; it only feeds the flame.

Paul says instead that the way to overcome the desires of the FLESH is to walk by the SPIRIT.

Live a God-centered life, not a self-centered life.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Paul makes it very simple. You don’t need 600 + commandments telling you do this, don’t do that, do this, don’t do that. Simply 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 do not do what you want.

The desires of the flesh are in opposition to the desires of the Spirit. The flesh is focused on self, while the spirit is focused on God. So if you walk by the Spirit and your focus is on God, it’s not on self. And YOU do not do what YOU want.

As you walk by the Spirit and your focus is on God you don’t gratify your selfish desires of the FLESH.

¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

If you are governed by the Spirit and operate according to the ways of the NC and the ruling principle in your life is faith expressing itself through love, you’re not under Law.

Living by the Spirit is a life focused on God, not self. That kind of life does not need the law to redirect focus from self which leads to sin back to God which leads to righteousness because the focus is already on God and not self.

Now Paul fleshes this out by contrasting the fruit of the flesh with the fruit of the spirit. These 2 different modes of existence or ways of life produce different results. He starts with the flesh. V19

 ¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality (porneia), impurity and debauchery (excessive indulgence in sensual pleasure); ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions (strong disagreement), factions (cliques) ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

Paul says the acts of the flesh are obvious. The result of living according to the FLESH, the fruit of a self-centered life is sin. This is not an exhaustive list of every kind of sin. Paul’s point wasn’t to do that. His point was to show that a life lived by the FLESH produces sin. So in conjunction with Paul’s argument in favor of faith in Christ, not the Law, His argument is don’t live by the FLESH, live by the SPIRIT. If you live by the FLESH, it produces sin.

I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Those who live like this, those whose lives are characterized by these ways since they live according to the FLESH and not SPIRIT, they do not inherit the kingdom. The kingdom is the inheritance and it belongs to the seed of Abraham, which is Christ. So all in Christ are the seed and inherit the kingdom.

Those of the FLESH do not inherit the kingdom. It is those of the SPIRIT who inherit the kingdom.

So back to Paul’s argument at hand: the fruit of the FLESH is sin,

 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.

Living according to the FLESH produces sin but living according to the SPIRIT produces moral and virtue and against such things, there is no law.

Why would he say against such things there is no law. That’s a weird thing to say.

CONTEXT. THAT’S THE WHOLE POINT of Paul’s letter – to deal with the role of the Law.

You can’t jump into the middle of chapter 5 and try to understand it apart from the first 4 chapters. Chapter 5 is based on the first 4 chapters!!!

So here we are in the climax of the book where the conflict gets resolved. Paul takes us from theology to application. But the application is not divorced from the theology. It is based on the theology. The theology is believers are not under the Law. The rhetorical question he anticipates is: what about a moral life? The answer: live by the spirit and you will live a moral life. The morals produced by living by the SPIRIT are in line with the morals intended by the Law. Against such things there is no Law.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of the things produced by the life focused on God. WE could add to that impartiality, sincerity, mercy, honesty, integrity, submission, modesty etc.

Paul’s point is that living according to the SPIRIT produces moral and virtue. The moral and virtue that one would seek through the Law is actually cultivated by simply living by the SPIRIT not the flesh. Simply live a life focused on God and not self. Live by the SPIRIT, not the FLESH.

 ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

Now I don’t see how this could mean that if you’re a believer the flesh has been crucified so it’s gone and you never have to deal with temptation again.

If that’s the case then I guess I’m not saved. What about you, since you’ve been saved have you struggled at all with the desires of the flesh?

I think this verse is best understood in conjunction with the next verse.

 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.

I believe it has to do with Paul’s exhortation to live by the SPIRIT, not by the FLESH. Believers are to live by the SPIRIT not the FLESH. In essence believers have put to death the flesh. They have died to the FLESH so they shouldn’t live as if they still belonged to the FLESH.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. In other words, since believers belong to the SPIRIT, let’s operate that way. As we make daily choices we can either choose to keep in step with the FLESH or in step with the SPIRIT.

Let’s choose to keep in step with the SPIRIT. The SPIRIT marches to the beat of a different drum than the FLESH.

The SPIRIT marches to the beat of faith expressing itself through love. Love towards God. Love towards my neighbor. Doing to others what I would have them do to me. Setting self aside for the sake of others. Seeking the glory of God, not the glory of self. Keep in step with that.

Don’t keep in step with the FLESH. The FLESH marches to the beat of serving self. Exalting self. Glorifying self. Satisfying the sensual desires of self.

²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. That belongs to the flesh. Where would that conceit and envy come from? I’m following the Law. Look at the works of my flesh. I’m better than you. I’m more righteous than you.

Take the focus off of self and put it on God. That is the means of living a moral and virtuous life before God, not the Law, because the Law is of the FLESH.

So just as our theology should be God-centered so should our actions be God-centered.