LETTER TO THE GALATIANS

How to Live the Christian Life Apart from the Law—
In the Power of the Spirit of Christ!
Part Three
(5:13-6:10)

SPECIFIC WORKS OF THE SPIRIT

An Introductory Word About the Life of the Spirit

The purpose of this study is to focus on Galatians; however, Galatians being written for a specific audience is not going to cover every detail in the area it addresses. I do, though, want to point out 2 areas of the life of Spirit which Paul doesn’t address here but which he and the NT address elsewhere. Because these 2 areas characterize the life produced by the Spirit of Christ, these areas, therefore, characterize the life of the sons and daughters of God.

1. The role of the Word in the life of God's Sons and Daughters.

• Too often those who claim to be Spirit-filled confuse their feelings with the movement of the Spirit. When I was at seminary, I would hear of young ministers claiming that God told them to leave their spouses for another woman. How could you tell that person he was wrong when he claimed he was under the leadership of the Spirit? Simple. What he did contradicted the very Word which the Spirit produced. According to 2 Pet. 1:21 what role did the Spirit have in producing the Scripture (prophecy)?
  

  The Spirit Himself moved upon the authors of the Bible to produce the Bible. Since the Spirit/God is not bipolar, He will not command us one thing in the Word and then command us to do something later which contradicts that Word.

• The Spirit leads us to His Word. It is uncanny that Eph. 5:18-6:9 which describes the Spirit-led life parallels Col. 3:16-4:1. Eph. 5:18ff. says this is the life produced by the Spirit; Col. 3:16ff. claims that that same life is produced by the Word dwelling in a person’s heart. The 2 passages don’t contradict each other. Rather, they are showing us that the Spirit with the Word produces the Spirit-led life.
• I’ve seen that the most spiritual people in the world, those who are close to the Spirit, are people of the Word. When a person becomes a Christian, he is probably closer to the Spirit than at any other time in his life. The night my son was saved, I was a little nervous about the genuineness of his salvation because he was only 7 at that time. I asked the Lord for some reassurance. That night after he had made his profession of faith in Christ, I looked into his room. That little 7-year-old boy was lying on his bed reading his Bible. Neither his mom or I had asked him to; he just did it naturally—because the Spirit who was working so powerfully in his heart was naturally leading him to His Word.

Once more, some conservative Christians tend to jump in and tell us what is the only appropriate way to be "in God's Word." They will claim that if you don't do a daily devotional with just you, Jesus, and the Bible, then you are not spiritual. If you use Open Windows or a commentary, then you are definitely not spiritual. That is pure Pharisaism. The point is not HOW you are in the Word but that you ARE in the Word. God has spoken to me through preachers, teachers, daily devotion guides, circumstances, in prayer and general impressions. All these are legitimate avenues of communication. According to John 7:17 what is the one thing we must be willing to do if we expect God to speak to us?

2. The life of God's sons and daughters: adventure produced by the Spirit-led/faith-filled life.

Too often we fail to understand the wonderful life produced by the Spirit. We look at Galatians 5:21-22 and are kind of put off by all the gushiness of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. Two things here. First, the person who experiences love, joy, etc. doesn’t think that they are all that gushy. Second, this is not all the Spirit produces in the individual. He also produces a life, a real life, a life worthy of the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus didn’t say, “I came to make you smarter.” Rather what did He claim He came to give us (John 10:10)?

There are 2 great surveys of the OT in the NT (Acts 7 and Heb. 11). Too often we think that the OT saints lived under the Law of Moses, while we live in faith. That’s simply not true. Hebrews 11 without one mention of the Law in its survey of the OT claims that the great men and women of the OT were people of faith. And look at the adventures they experienced! Because of his faith, what did Abel offer up (11:4)?

Because of his faith, what ultimately happened to Enoch (11:5)?

Noah saved the world by building the ark. Abraham walked with God and received the covenant of the blessing. Moses delivered the children of Israel from Egypt, etc., etc. “And what more shall I say, for time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel and the prophets. . .” (Heb. 11:32). According to the author of Hebrews, all the great people of the OT were people of faith—which meant a life of real adventure.

To often we reduce discipleship to STUDYING God's Word or going to church. Although I am a big believer in studying God's Word AND going to church, I also realize that discipleship is more than just studying God's Word and going to church. In fact, when you study God's Word, you are really amazed at how little teaching there really is in the Bible. Moreover, you are really surprised at the little amount of time you read about Christians/the OT saints going to church. They LIVED! Christ really came to give us not just life, but a life, actually THE life! Unfortunately we have reduced Christianity to just a set of rules. .That is not the reason Christ died for us, so that we might start living by a set of rules. He came to give us life and give it abundantly.

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. 1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Commentary

Up to this point, Paul has been speaking in generalities. Generalities can get you into trouble. You may FEEL loving, but are you actually and truly loving people? You may FEEL patient, but are you actually and truly being patient towards people?

According to verse 24 because we are one with Christ, what have we done to he flesh with its passions and desires?

The cross has that kind of power in our lives (the flesh won't be completely dead, though, until Christ returns and finishes what He started).

In addition to living by the Spirit (that is making the life of the Spirit our goal), what else are we to do (5:25)?

Next, Paul encourages us to live consistently with what is true about us. The Spirit of Christ came to produce the very life of Christ within us; therefore, we are not only to live by the Spirit in a general way, we are let the Spirit work in our lives in each and every area of our lives, that is, walk by the Spirit. The Spirit living within us has practical applications for our lives on a DAILY BASIS! The Spirit is not here to produce feelings; He’s here to produce a life on a DAILY CONSISTENT BASIS.