Promise, v.16-18. The Promise of vv.16-18 is IF we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (16) Since the beginning, mankind has struggled with this temptation. Prior to the cross the system was to:…“by faith” follow the patterns given under the law to atone for the mistakes caused by the carnal desires of the flesh. This was a system intending to cause God’s people to HOPE forward to a Savior Who could atone once and for all. The system of the law was not a fulfilling system, nor was it ever intended to be. It was system that put God’s Holiness in front of man in such a way that man (though trying the absolute most that was possible)… would come to the exasperated conclusion that works were not enough and never would be. Woven all throughout the OC writings was the promise of God providing for man in spite of this. Jesus being born (incarnation — taking on human flesh. Living a sinless life - fulfilling the law. Dying on the cross — shedding His blood as propitiation and atonement (satisfying God’s wrath and expiating sin). Jesus resurrecting from the dead and ascending to God… Was the manifestation of all that had been promised throughout the time of the law under the Old Covenant. We call this good news (the gospel) and with your faith in Jesus you can trust that your sins are forgiven and you are made right with God. Still, the Galatians, since embracing the gospel, had been being taught to also embrace the law through works of the flesh. Paul’s point up to here in the letter is that Christ has freed us from the law because He fulfilled the law. His contingency(18b) is that we must pursue one path or the other as we practice our faith. The Christian life is not to be a mix of faith and works. The Christian life is to be a life of FAITH ALONE. Certainly that life will produce fruit, but the fruit is the effect … not the cause. How can I know that I am saved? Through faith in Christ you can know that you are saved and you will receive the Holy Spirit. (Justification) How can I know that I am being conformed to the image of Christ? Growing in my faith — being sanctified unto future glorification? Having received the Holy Spirit, walk in the Spirit (thus denying the desires of the flesh) and He will work on this in you. And this is given not as a principle, but a promise. Give yourself by faith to the leadership of the ministry of the Holy Spirit…. …and you will not be under the law. …and you will not do the sinful things your flesh desires. v.17 - the flesh and the indwelling Spirit are at war. “To keep you from doing the things you want to do!” This is an amazing phrase! (17b, so that you cannot do the things that you would) Giving myself to the Spirit I will not do the things my flesh desires. Giving myself to the flesh I will not do the things the Holy Spirit desires. There is another point of view here — what about the things I want to do — how do I distinguish what is sin and isn’t? Speaking specifically of things not clearly laid out in scripture — obviously those things are sin. The flesh and the Holy Spirit are at war — so that I cannot do the things that I would. If I decide to do a thing, that I conclude is not sinful for me — but the thing allows the flesh to win out over the Spirit — I’ve quenched the Spirit and sinned. If I decide to do a thing, that isn’t particularly prescribed in the Bible as a must for a believer…I’ve quenched the flesh and the Spirit wins out. So you cannot do the things that you would all the time. There will be times you must forgo an action, though not specifically sinful, for the sake of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life. There will be times you must purposely do a thing, that isn’t fundamentally a part of biblical teaching for the Christian life, for the sake of denying the flesh and allowing the Spirt to manifest. See Romans 7:14-25. What does this specifically look like? Walk in the Spirit. (16) Do not do the things that you would. (17) Be led of the Spirit. (18) **Pattern, v.19-23.** What does this look like? How can I know to which end I am living? Paul lays out clear patterns. Here is what it looks like to: Walk in the Spirit. Fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Works of the Flesh. (19-21) 1. Adultery — unfaithfulness in the marriage relationship. 2. Fornication — any sexual relations outside of marriage. 3. Uncleanness — unnatural sexual practice. 4. Lasciviousness — uncontrolled sexuality. 5. Idolatry — making inadequate substitutes for God. 6. Witchcraft — faking the work of the Holy Spirit. 7. Hatred — strong desire to do evil…directed toward individuals. 8. Variance — strife, quarreling. 9. Emulations — jealousy, resentment. 10. Wrath — anger, fury, rage, outbursts of hot anger. 11. Strife — Selfish ambitions, self-centered strivings to be “number one,” even at others’ expense. 12. Seditions — dissension, discord, separations caused by disagreements. 13. Heresies — factions formed by men with self-willed opinions. 14. Envyings — jealousy, spite, resentment toward the success of possessions of another. 15. Murders — unlawful killing of other humans. 16. Drunkenness — intoxication, under the control of something besides the Holy Spirit through excessive consumption. 17. Revellings — binge party, an occasion for excess, orgies or actions that could follow drunkenness. …and such like — doing anything resembling these things. They which do such things…Paul isn’t making the case that sinners cannot be saved. His point is that those whose lives are characterized by such sins are not saved. Fruit of the Spirit. (22-23) Love — agape, love of choice, not emotion or feeling that leads to self-sacrificial service. Joy — happiness unhindered by circumstance because of the facts of God’s immutability. Peace — supernatural inner calm. Absence of war. Longsuffering — patience, ability to endure. Gentleness — kindness, treating others like Jesus treats you. Goodness — generosity, active kindness. Faith — faithfulness, loyal and trustworthy. Meekness — gentleness, power under control, humble. Temperance — self control, restraining passions and appetites. Against such there is no law… “When a Christian walks by the Spirit and manifests His fruit, he needs no external law to produce the attitudes and behavior that please God.” (MacArthur) 1 Timothy 1:8-9a, “But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient…” One way to approach this is to conclude: I will focus on perfecting the positives (Fruit of the Spirit) in my life. I will focus on avoiding or overcoming the negatives in my life (works of the Flesh). At some point the good should be outweighing the bad and I will know for sure that I am being sanctified. Paul’s point to that position is that you’ve just become the NC legalist, similar to the OC legalist. You’ve just put yourself back under the law. Though a modified one. I submit to you that the more victorious way to approach this is the Path prescribed in vv.24-26. The Fruit of the Spirit are attributes of God, given to the believer through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These are not things you DO, but things you HAVE now. The works of the flesh are the things you DO or DO NOT. Path, v.24-26. Die to self, v.24. Live in the in the Spirit, v.25. Then life becomes less about us vs. others and more about us and Jesus vs Satan/World/flesh alongside the Church. (26) v.24 - Crucify the flesh. (See 2:20) Just as Christ died and rose again, we die to our old man and have been resurrected to new life in the Spirit! Romans 6:6, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Cf. Col. 3:1-17. (See 3:1a, 2, 5a, 8a, 10, 12-17) v.25 - Live and Walk in the Spirit. (Keep in step) “If our spiritual life is the result of a divine work, let our actions be in harmony with it: “If we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit.” (Spurgeon) Keep in step by following the Holy Spirit’s direction and guidance. J.I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit, “The Spirit works through … the objective means of grace, namely, biblical truth, prayer, fellowship, worship, and the Lord’s Supper, and with them through the subjective means of grace whereby we open ourselves to change, namely, thinking, listening, questioning oneself, examining oneself, admonishing oneself, sharing what is in one’s heart with others, and weighing any response they make. The Spirit shows his power in us, not by constantly interrupting our use of these means with visions, impressions, or prophecies … (such communications come only rarely, and to some believers not at all), but rather by making these regular means effective to change us for the better and for the wiser as we go along.… Habit forming is the Spirit’s ordinary way of leading us on in holiness.…” v.26 - Three checks on this. Ills: If you walk into a room and find a person laid out, what are some things you should check? (Speech, pulse, breathing) Paul ends this portion with just the same triage: Am I desirous of vain glory? (Conceited, Proud) Do I provoke others? (To summon someone to a contest) 2 Tim 2:24-26, “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” Do I envy others? (Jealous, resentful of their success) Conclusion: This is Walking in the Spirit —and it is A LOT!! If you try to go at vv.16-26 all on your own it will overwhelm you and you will fail. But if you simply say to God — I can do all of these things through Christ who gives me the strength — His Holy Spirit will carry you. Walking in the Spirit, is keeping in step with the Spirit.