So as a teenager, I thought my parents' role in life was to spoil my fun and restrict my freedom.
Seriously, that's what I thought.
When I went to university, I discovered a form of freedom, the freedom I had longed for,
and I quickly realised it wasn't what it promised to be.
It wasn't even what I wanted.
And I realised then how much my parents had just poured love into my rebellious, foolish life.
And from that point on, I've been really intentional in being a better son,
in loving and honouring my parents in the way that they properly deserved.
And I think it's like that, isn't it, for most things we value in life,
things that are really at the heart of who we are.
Whether it's relationships and roles, like husband or wife, or being a child, or being a parent, or a grandparent,
being a father, being a mother, being a friend.
All those relationships, or whether it's wider than that, whether it's a work situation,
or a hobby, or music, or a career, or sport.
Whatever it is that we value in life, whatever is at the heart of things for us,
then it's natural that we want to get better at doing those things, at being those things.
We want to grow.
We want to mature.
We want to thrive.
We want to excel in the things that we do.
And to get there, we then are quite intentional.
We're quite passionate.
Sometimes even a bit obsessive.
Because these things are so important to us.
So we train endlessly.
We read widely.
We learn as much as we can.
We hang out with others who are ahead of us in skills and maturity,
so we might learn from their wisdom and pick up their model.
But I need to confess something to you this morning, as I stand here before you.
that while I'm passionate to get better,
to grow in almost every relationship I'm in,
and every role I have in life,
there have been too many times in my life
when my passion and intentionality for growing in Christ
has been dwarfed or eclipsed by other passions in my life.
Too many times.
This morning I want to challenge you,
as I've been challenged this week in preparing for this morning,
I want to challenge you to think about how passionate you are
in growing in Christ.
Because the Bible tells us very clearly,
God tells us in his word very clearly,
that you have been saved from sin
to holiness.
But are you passionate in nurturing the mind of Christ
and demonstrating the mind of Christ
in your actions,
in whatever role or position you have in life,
whatever relationship you're engaged in?
Are you passionate so that practically
you actually are getting better at serving Christ
in a world that's hostile to him?
Are you passionate in your determination to become like Christ
in your attitudes and in your speech
and in your actions?
In confronting this reality,
you may, in thinking about this,
you may have to confront the reality
that as we think through this series of God's words,
you actually might have to realize
that yes, well, I'm actually quite passionate about God
and learning about God
and I'm quite passionate about the Bible
and using it and learning it.
I'm quite passionate about the idea of salvation
and being saved.
I'm even quite passionate about being part of this local church.
But here's the catch, you see,
we can be passionate about all those things
and not actually passionate about growing in Christ.
Passionate about the peripheral things.
That peripheral doesn't mean unimportant,
but they're not central.
And yet not passionate about the central thing
of becoming like Christ.
Growing up into Christ
as a saved or died for person
in the context of this church community
and with the help of the Holy Spirit and the Bible.
So again, you see,
this is one of these words
that God has spoken clearly about.
Growing in Christ
is not an optional extra
for us Christians.
even though it appears
that that's what many Christians
seem to think.
Galatians 5, 13 to 26
is built around a huge contrast.
On the one hand,
we have the flesh
or what that means is
it's not the physical flesh,
it's the spiritual flesh.
That is,
the old, distorted,
rebellious expression of self.
And on the other hand,
it's contrasted with
the renewed,
spirit-driven
expression of self.
And this contrast,
it's a huge contrast,
happens in the context
of a key word here
which is called freedom.
Look at verse 15,
13 rather.
For you were called
to freedom, brothers.
Called to freedom.
And we need to understand freedom
if we're to understand
the contrast.
So,
the fact that freedom
is a calling
suggests
it's a basic characteristic
of being a Christian.
Of being gospel-shaped people
as we respond
to God's grace
in our lives.
The same idea
begins chapter 1.
So look back to
chapter 5.
Look back to verse 1
of chapter 5.
It says there,
for freedom,
Christ has set us free.
Freedom is the consequence
or the natural outworking
of being in Christ.
A fundamental aspect
of being a Christian.
And the fact that
there's repetition
in that sentence
for freedom,
Christ has set us free,
suggests
and emphasizes
that
Christ has liberated
us into freedom
with the intention
that we would experience
and grow
and enjoy
the life of freedom.
It doesn't just
make us free.
The intention is
that we have a life
of freedom.
That we grow into that.
My friends,
this concept
of freedom,
this concept
of growing in Christ
is more than just
a theory.
it's even more
than an expectation.
It's a command.
Like so many other commands
in the scriptures,
grow in Christ.
But what does this
freedom look like
in the life
of a Christian?
Well you see,
we think freedom,
as I mentioned
in my introduction,
we think of freedom
as having,
as being free
from restraint
so that I'm
able to do
what I want to do
when I want to do it.
Freedom from restraint
in how I express myself.
But when you dig down
into that notion,
of freedom,
it actually isn't possible
because constantly
we're bashing into
things that restrict
our freedom.
I'm restricted
constantly
by my gender.
To the extreme,
I can't get pregnant
and deliver a baby.
I can't create
another human being
because I'm a bloke.
I can't fly
through the sky
unassisted.
I can't live
under the sea
unassisted.
I'm constantly
coming against
restraints
by gender
and my humanness.
So the idea
of freedom
that our society
bandies around
just doesn't work
in practice.
The Bible,
on the other hand,
is much more realistic.
So true freedom
as defined by God
is the ability
and desire
to be
what I was created
to be.
God tells us
that humans
were created
to enjoy
relationship
with him,
to enjoy
relationship
with one another
as image bearers
under God,
to creatively
enjoy this
physical world
full of all
good things
that he's made
for us.
But this freedom,
we're also told
in the scripture,
was lost as a result,
a consequence
of rebellion.
And then as the passage
of Bible follows through,
the story of the Bible,
we're told then
that the gospel
restores true freedom
again as a consequence,
this time a consequence
of Christ's rescue mission
which undid
the effects
of rebellion
and restored
full relationship
between God
and his people.
God's purpose
is not just
to make us free
in the storyline
of the Bible,
his purpose
for the world.
God's purpose
is not just
to make us free
but that we enjoy
the life of freedom
that we were created for,
available to us now
in Christ.
And in the context
of the letter
to the Galatians,
practically that meant
freedom from slavery,
the slavery of trying
to earn acceptance
with God
through their own
religious efforts
and any notion
of somehow or other
having some sort
of intrinsic goodness
to bring to the table
as we negotiate
relationship with God.
That's what we're
set free from
ultimately.
The freedom
we have in Christ
is in being
made acceptable
to God
and actually
coming into
what the Bible
calls forever
relationship
with God
by grace,
by God's initiative
alone.
Not our performance,
being good,
keeping God's rules,
doing religious things,
but Jesus' performance
on our behalf.
And added to this
idea of freedom
is the reality
of renewal
by God's spirit.
Verse 5,
we won't stop
for through the spirit
by faith
we ourselves
eagerly wait
for the hope
of righteousness.
The spirit
is working
daily within us
to produce
new gospel
attitudes,
new gospel
desires,
new gospel
thinking,
new gospel
orientation
towards heaven
and being with Christ
and being like Christ
so that
practically
we grow
in our reliance
on what God
does for us.
in Jesus.
And that
is expressed
then in radically
different lifestyle
and radically
different actions
and thinking
and speaking
on the outside.
Growing in Christ
is the freedom
we were given.
The command
we were given.
that also means
then as we look
further into this
passage here
that growing in Christ
is more than a command.
It's also a promise.
Being called,
verse 13 again,
being called
to freedom,
to live the truly
free life
in Christ
carries with it
the promise
that genuine
commitment
and struggle
to express
daily who we now
are in Christ
will actually
result in
growing
Christ-likeness
in holiness.
Why?
Because
we have the
spirit working
for that same
end within us.
The renewing
work of God's
spirit within
believers
creates
and actually
helps or
assists us
grow
in holiness,
in Christ-likeness,
in the mind
of Christ,
whichever term
you want to
use there.
The desire
and ability
to be loving,
obedient,
worshipping
servants of God
as we were
created to be.
And that
is true freedom
in the Holy
Spirit,
in Christ.
Christ.
And what's
the evidence
of growing
in freedom,
of growing
in Christ,
growing into
Christ-likeness?
What's the
evidence?
We'll look at
verse 13,
14,
15.
The short
answer,
says Paul,
one word,
love.
More
extended answer,
generous,
purposeful,
other person
centred
commitment
to serving,
building up
one another
in a
Christian
community,
this church
family.
Love
your neighbour
as yourself.
So familiar
that old
verse,
isn't it?
That little
statement.
That's so
hard to do.
So foreign.
Did pretty
well all of us
here.
many plants
are propagated
by taking
a really
healthy,
vigorous root
stock
and grafting
onto that
root stock
a cutting
from some
other species
or plant
that you
want to
grow.
And the
evidence of
the success
of that
graft
is that
the cutting
starts to
grow.
and ultimately
produces fruit.
Well,
the evidence
of being
successfully
grafted
into Christ,
and that's the
language of
John chapter
15,
grafted into
the vine,
the Lord
Jesus.
The evidence
of being
successfully
grafted into
freedom in
Christ
is growth.
in displaying
practically
the mind
of Christ.
In other
words,
we're getting
our life
and direction
from the
rootstock,
which is
Christ.
a desire
and commitment
to modelling
the love
and grace
of God
and Jesus,
which we
ourselves
have received.
We then
want to
pass it
on.
That's
the evidence
of that
graft,
being
successful
and being
real.
My friends,
the authentic
Christian life,
the authentic
Christian life
is seen
in the
lifelong
obsession
and struggle
to express
and demonstrate
who we
are in
Christ.
Use a
different
picture.
We're under
new
management.
The Holy
Spirit,
according to
Galatians,
here we'll
move into
the next
verses in
a few
seconds,
the Holy
Spirit is
now our
controlling
passion.
And daily
our struggle
is to
overflow
in that
which reflects
the mind
of Christ
mediated to
us through
the Holy
Spirit.
That is,
to overflow
in a desire
to say
yes to
righteousness,
to choose
righteousness
and to
say no
to that
which reflects
our old
sinful,
distorted
self-expression.
To say
yes to
righteousness
because that
reflects our
new master,
our new
manager,
our new
owner,
as it
were.
It
reflects
his
character,
it
reflects
his
wishes.
And so
we want
to say
no to
anything
that's in
competition
with that.
So the
question then
is,
what will
you cultivate
and what
will you
kill off?
In order
to produce
good fruit
and heaps
of it,
a plant
requires
cultivation,
purposeful
cultivation.
It needs
to be
fed,
it needs
to be
watered,
and it
needs to
have around
about it
anything that
will compete,
weeds,
any other
thing,
plant around
it needs
to be
removed so
that plant
will thrive
and produce
fruit.
Paul's
saying here
for us as
Christians as
we think
about growing
in Christ,
there can
only be
one
controlling
passion.
either it
will be
the flesh,
says Paul,
our old
distorted
self-seeking,
self-governed
attitudes,
desires,
and thinking,
either that
will shape
our pattern
of living
or
our new
spirit-driven,
spirit-enabled
attitudes,
desires,
and thinking
and actions
will drive
us.
they can't
both be
operating
at the same
time,
says Paul,
because they're
totally opposed
to one
another.
They're
pulling us
in different
directions.
That's why
Paul uses
towards verse
23,
24,
25 there,
Paul uses
the language
of crucifixion.
Crucify your
flesh,
says Paul.
Now,
that's a very
violent word,
and Paul
uses it,
I take it,
because it
demonstrates
the ruthlessness
with which we
have to deal
with ourselves
in killing
off anything
that competes
for our
loyalty
or threatens
to shape
us contrary
to how Christ
wants us
shaped by
spirit.
That language
doesn't resonate
with us
in 2019,
does it?
Who,
for goodness
sake,
who crucifies
themselves?
We don't
mind praising
ourselves,
but the
language of
crucifixion is
not easily
applied.
We won't
allow others
to apply it
to us,
and we
certainly
don't want
to apply it
to ourselves.
But here's
the point,
you see.
Paul's issue
here is if
we're not
growing in
Christ,
then we're
allowing that
space to be
filled and
shaped by
attitudes,
thinking,
or actions
which are
opposed to
living under
Christ's rule
by Christ's
spirit.
That's
verse 17.
So Paul's
point is
this,
that our
outward
actions,
our outward
words,
are an
indicator
of our
inward
character
and actions,
an indicator
of our
real
controlling
passion.
See,
we can
say we're
controlled
by the
spirit,
but the
acid test
is,
what do
our words
say?
What do
our actions
say?
What do
our attitudes
say?
And it's
not just
about
books
ticking when
we go to
talk about
growing in
Christ.
It's not as
if we're
just here,
we've got a
list of
things,
and these
are all
bad things,
and these
are all
good things.
So it's
not as if
we're just
trying to
tick all
the boxes
and change
our behaviour
so we've
got all the
right things
in place.
It's not
just about
that.
It is about
that, but
it's not
just about
that.
It's not
just about
trying to
get the
bounds right
so we
do more
good things
in life
than bad
things.
It's about
a process,
it's about
a pattern
of living,
it's about
a habit
of life,
which is
characterised
by inward
controlling
passion.
And there
are only
two possibilities.
Let's have
a look at
them in
verses 19
through to
21,
and we're
just going
to take
a walk
through
them.
It's
interesting
that when
we read
through
these
passages,
and I
make no
comment here
to Catherine,
but we
actually tend
to read
the works
of the
flesh
quicker,
and then we
slow down
when it
comes to
reading
the fruits
of the
Spirit.
I'm
going to
reverse it
this morning.
Verses
19,
3 to
21 is
the
expression
of a
life
dominated
by the
old
nature.
And I
want you
to notice
several
things as
we walk
into this
slowly.
That the
whole thing,
all of it,
I say,
is marked
by self-centeredness,
by divisiveness,
by aggressiveness,
by the
consumerist
relationships that
Paul mentions
in verse 15.
But if you
bite and
devour one
another,
watch out that
you're not
consumed by
one another.
So the
works of the
flesh are,
as it were,
a living,
breathing
demonstration
of that
very thing.
And as we
slow down
and dig
into this,
man,
it's
nasty.
The second
thing I want you
notice about
this list
before we
move into it
is not just
a remote,
random list
of characteristics
that sort of
bad people
somewhere out
there might
do.
Paul's
writing this
to the
Christians
in the
churches
in Galatia.
We can't
hold it
at arm's
length.
We've got to
engage with
it personally
and individually.
Is this
me?
Well,
let's have a
look at
verse 19.
The works
of the
flesh,
they're
evidence,
says Paul.
Sexual
immorality,
impurity,
sensuality.
There's the
first group,
verse 19.
A whole
range of
what?
Self-gratifying,
exploitative,
sexual expression.
And who's
at the
center of
that?
Me,
me,
my needs,
my desires.
So
contrary
to the
way we
were created
to be
in our
expression
of self.
But it
gets worse,
gets more
personal,
verse 20.
Look at
that long
list going
through there.
And every
one of those
things describes
in part
something of
the endless
pain and
mess we
cause in
relationships
when we
make ourselves
the center
of life
rather than
God.
Idolatry
is acting
like I
am God.
Me,
me is
everything
and demands
that others
fall into
line with
me.
me and
if you
don't fall
into line
with me
then you
can expect
me to
do my
best to
take you
down.
Sorcery.
Well,
we might
think,
well,
that's
something
relegated
to the
olden
days as
well,
or pagan
societies.
Well,
sorcery,
when you
dig down
into it,
is people
trying to
manipulate the
lives of
others.
people
in
animistic
societies
they do
that with
special words
and special
potions and
special
incantations.
And personally,
I think we
Christians have
a very
sophisticated way
of doing the
same thing
in the context
of quasi
Christian
language.
So we have
special words
sharing and
fellowship.
The means by
which we
communicate
mistruths,
misrepresentations
of others
around us,
untruths about
others around
us.
Why?
Because we're
trying to
manipulate
relationships
and outcomes.
Enmity.
You might
disagree with
the sorcery
one.
That's fine.
I don't care.
But enmity.
You can come
with me on
this one.
Enmity is,
you can check
these words out
for yourself,
it's an
attitude that
assumes the
worst about
others and
is happily
content to
push people
into opposing
divided hostile
camps.
Strife.
A preparedness
to go to
war with
people,
with those
with whom
you disagree
because you're
so convinced
of your own
right and
your own
rights.
Jealousy.
Wondering what
God has given
to others and
been dissatisfied
with what God
has given to
us.
Fits of
anger or
rage.
Well,
that's really
just unleashing
ruthless
strategies to
try and
overpower or
blaster our way
through and get
what we want.
rivalries.
They come out
of continual
self-promotion,
continually
pushing my
profile at
the expense
of others.
Dissensions
and divisions,
acting to
get what you
want regardless
of the impact
on unity
and community.
Envy.
A bit like
jealousy.
It's the
attitude that
can't stand
by and let
others have
success that
you believe is
yours to
have.
Drunkenness
and orgies.
Well,
most commentators
think that's a
separate category.
I'm just lumping
it in here.
You can,
again,
do what you
like with what
you think I've
done.
But anyway,
it's sort of
when all that
sometimes fails
and we
sometimes look
for relief
and for
satisfaction and
comfort in
other things,
things other
than God.
And those
things are
often taken
up as an
overflow of
brokenness and
frustration in
relationships and
attempt to fix
them ourselves or
fix them with
something else
rather than
going back to
God and
repentance.
Now,
friends,
the last time I
said this
sentence I got
into a serious
amount of
trouble, so
here goes
again.
these
attitudes and
characteristics are
alive and well in
our church family
and thriving in
some parts.
We so easily
live with them.
We so easily
cultivate them by
actually engaging
with those who
want to give
expression to
these sorts of
things privately.
We have
conversations with
them and
thereby cultivate
them.
We give them
oxygen when we
should be saying
to one another,
no, stop.
We've got to
kill these
things off.
Otherwise,
they're slowly
conversation by
conversation killing
us off as a
church.
in contrast,
verses 22,
23, and
24,
the expression of
a life dominated
by our new
spirit-driven
nature.
That's the
overflow of the
mind of Christ
developing within
us, growing in
the life of
freedom, growing
in Christ,
cultivating the
fruit of the
spirit.
Notice here
there's only one
fruit.
It's not fruits
of the spirit
so that we
can sort of
cherry pick and
take the ones we
want and leave the
other ones and
sort of play them
off and say,
well, I've got
this one, I've got
patience and love,
so therefore I
don't need to worry
about these other
ones.
No, it's one fruit
of the spirit.
Together they
characterize what
we ought to be as
Christians.
And notice also
that they're not
just, again in
contrast to the
other ones, they're
not just a warm
fuzzy description of
what Christians will
sort of be
automatically by
virtue of being
Christians.
No, these things
are really hard
work to get a
hold of and to
develop and grow
in.
They're seriously
hard to cultivate
and call for real
radical change.
And generally we
need incentive to
change.
We need to believe
that the gospel
shaped life is
far more attractive
and beautiful than
where we are at
the minute.
That's why we will
be motivated to
change in large
part.
So again, the
question is, as we
see this contrast,
is how attractive
is our current
position as
opposed to how
attractive is this
spirit-driven,
spirit-controlled
place, the fruit of
the spirit.
Love.
Moving towards one
another and serving
people for their own
good without promise
of personal benefit
in return.
Joy.
Finding satisfaction
in God, not in
people's responses
to you.
Peace.
Being committed to
reconciling and
restoring relationships
for Ireland, being
committed to
destroying them.
Patience.
Being generous to
others when they get
it wrong, repeatedly.
Kindness, goodness,
faithfulness.
Demonstrating a steady
display of grace and
commitment to serving
others when you may
well have reason to
withdraw from them
because of their
failures.
Gentleness and
self-control.
Humility towards
others arising from a
very healthy self-awareness.
Ask yourself, my
friends, are you
growing in Christ?
Is growing in Christ a
passion for you?
Do you think you've
arrived at an end
point, the end point
that God has for you
simply because you are
a Christian, you've
been saved, you've
been delivered from
your sin, you're now
secure, you have a
place kept for you in
heaven.
Is that the end point
for you?
And so you live
easily without concern
to showcase the mind
of Christ and grow to
maturity in Christ.
And I ask each of you,
as I've looked at
myself this week, and I
genuinely have looked
at myself this week, as
I do every week in
preparation, I want you
to go back and revisit
the conversations you've
had over the past week,
the past month, the
past year, and ask
yourself which
controlling passion
did you communicate
to the person you
were speaking to in
your conversation?
Was it, did it sit
easily in this context
of the fruit of the
Spirit?
Or would your
conversations be better
fit for verse 26?
Friends, we need to ask
these tough questions
individually and as a
church.
The general health and
well-being of our
church, the authenticity
of gospel renewal, and
ultimately the honour of
God stands or falls in our
answers to these questions.
Let me pray.
Lord, your word bites really
deeply into us.
Forgive us, I pray.
Forgive me, I pray.
For the times, oh so many
times, far too many times,
when I've lost passion to
grow in you, but simply
wallowed in the security I
have in you.
Forgive us, Lord, when we
are better described by verse
15 and verse 26 than we are
by verses 22, 23, and 24,
the fruit of the Spirit.
Forgive us for that, oh Lord.
Give us a heart to repent.
Give us a heart to go back and
revisit those conversations with
the people we've spoken to and
correct them.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.