WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.240 We're carrying on tonight as we have been on Sunday nights for the whole semester in 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:10.800 our series on the Holy Spirit, and we're pretty far into it now. 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:17.280 We're to the point now where we're looking at the ways that we walk with the Spirit, 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:21.679 and what the Spirit means for our normal daily, very practical lives. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:24.480 In Galatians 5, the section we read is very famous. 00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:29.240 Of course, it's the fruit of the Spirit, and it tells us exactly what the Holy Spirit 00:00:29.239 --> 00:00:34.199 means for our very normal, very practical lives. 00:00:34.199 --> 00:00:40.320 And we believe here at St. Columbus, this is part of our vision, that the gospel changes 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:42.399 all of who we are. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:50.200 The gospel of Jesus Christ, the word salvation, it's not just about the forgiveness of sins. 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:54.640 The forgiveness of sins is the starting point, but it's not the finish point. 00:00:54.640 --> 00:00:57.200 And the gospel comes into your life to change everything. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:01:03.600 To forgive you of your sins, but also to change you, to do something in you and all about 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:05.799 you and all of who you are. 00:01:05.799 --> 00:01:08.359 And John Calvin talked about it like this. 00:01:08.359 --> 00:01:14.840 He said that the Holy Spirit gives us what he called a twofold grace. 00:01:14.840 --> 00:01:21.000 And the twofold grace of the Spirit is first that you're justified by faith, you're forgiven. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:24.240 But then secondly, that you're also sanctified. 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:29.079 That means that the power of sin is broken so that you can actually change, you can 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:30.079 grow. 00:01:30.079 --> 00:01:31.560 He said that's the twofold grace of the Spirit. 00:01:31.560 --> 00:01:36.919 The Spirit takes God's work in Jesus and applies it to you and forgiving you, but then also 00:01:36.919 --> 00:01:42.759 breaks the power of sin in your life so that you can actually change. 00:01:42.759 --> 00:01:49.239 And that means that the Holy Spirit comes into our life to show us what Jesus means, but 00:01:49.239 --> 00:01:53.759 also so that we might grow, so that we might change. 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:58.560 And so we say here, we are justified by faith alone. 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:02.640 We're saved, we're forgiven by faith alone. 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:06.140 That's how we receive the good news of the gospel. 00:02:06.140 --> 00:02:11.680 But we're not, we don't walk in a faith that remains alone. 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:12.680 We want to be faithful. 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:14.000 We want to grow, we want to change. 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:20.319 We want to not only say Jesus Christ is my savior, He's also my example. 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:22.879 And you can never say the second unless you've said the first. 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:25.280 You can never flip them around. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.359 But if Jesus Christ is your savior, then He's also your example. 00:02:28.359 --> 00:02:35.400 And that means we're called to grow, to change, to have a change in the life of our character. 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:37.759 And that's what Galatians 5 hears all about. 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:48.680 Now Paul tells us here that we want, we seek, we desire the fruit of the Spirit. 00:02:48.680 --> 00:02:57.280 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:59.360 We seek the fruit of the Spirit. 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:08.439 Why did God through Paul want you to think about growing in sanctification in the language 00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:11.520 of the metaphor of fruit? 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:17.400 And actually when you ask that question you realize that fruit has always been the idea 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:20.240 throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:21.560 Where does fruit come from? 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:25.920 Fruit comes from a couple of different places, but one of the main places, fruit comes from 00:03:25.920 --> 00:03:27.680 a tree. 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:32.360 I fruit from a tree this afternoon at one of our church members' house. 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:35.120 Amazing apples and our crumble. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:40.200 And the fruit, it fell right off the tree. 00:03:40.200 --> 00:03:46.200 And the only way that you can get fruit from a tree is if that tree is healthy and if it's 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:50.159 growing like it should be and it's producing green leaves and then the fruit that comes 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:51.439 from that. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:56.079 And you take that idea back and you realize that that's the metaphor God chose, Psalm 00:03:56.079 --> 00:04:02.159 1, that God wants every single person that He comes into their life that He changes from 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:03.159 the inside. 00:04:03.159 --> 00:04:09.319 He wants to make them like a tree that's stuck beside a river that even when the heat comes 00:04:09.319 --> 00:04:13.280 into their lives there's green leaves and there's fruit abounding. 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:14.280 And that's the metaphor. 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:17.240 That God chose for us and it's always been that way. 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:19.519 And here it is right here. 00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:22.759 Good healthy trees bear fruit. 00:04:22.759 --> 00:04:27.600 And that fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:30.040 and self-control. 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:37.720 Now we can't tonight walk through all of those, all nine of those, but what we'll do instead 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:44.560 is listen to what the Holy Spirit means for growing in the fruit of the Spirit and we're 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:48.080 told right here you read it in verse 16. 00:04:48.080 --> 00:04:53.800 The preface of the fruit of the Spirit is verse 16 when Paul says, here's how you do 00:04:53.800 --> 00:04:57.240 it, walk by the Spirit. 00:04:57.240 --> 00:05:01.480 Walk by the Spirit and you will put on the fruit of the Spirit. 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:05.600 So how do you in your life seek the fruit of the Spirit? 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:09.680 Paul says walk by the Spirit. 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:15.320 So first how not to walk by the Spirit and then how to? 00:05:15.320 --> 00:05:19.320 There's two ways Paul tells us here to not walk, how not to do it. 00:05:19.320 --> 00:05:25.400 And he says walk by the Spirit, don't walk, don't walk instead according to the flesh. 00:05:25.400 --> 00:05:30.240 He says don't walk according to the law, but do walk according to the Spirit. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:31.240 So there's our outline. 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:37.400 Don't walk according to the flesh, not by the flesh, not by the law, but instead walk 00:05:37.400 --> 00:05:38.519 by the Spirit. 00:05:38.519 --> 00:05:39.519 How can we? 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:42.759 All right, so first, not by the flesh. 00:05:42.759 --> 00:05:47.120 We don't seek to walk by the flesh, but by the Spirit. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:52.680 Right here in verse 17, right after Paul gives you the command, walk by the Spirit. 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:59.960 Verse 17, Paul says this, the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit. 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:08.239 Now Paul is saying here that in every single one of you there is a war happening. 00:06:08.239 --> 00:06:15.599 All of us deep down in the bottom of our heart, in our deepest consciousness, there's war 00:06:15.599 --> 00:06:17.299 taking place. 00:06:17.299 --> 00:06:19.419 And he tells us exactly what that war is. 00:06:19.419 --> 00:06:25.199 If you're a Christian tonight, Paul says there's a war going down in your heart between the 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:30.839 desires of your flesh and the desires of the Spirit. 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:35.759 That there's a war in you between the Spirit and the flesh. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:44.439 And the flesh wants you to do what's wrong all the time, and the Spirit is advocating, 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:49.079 speaking to your heart, and telling you that there's a different way. 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:55.000 Now even though Paul's talking to Christians here, this is something that every single 00:06:55.000 --> 00:06:58.439 person in the world understands. 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:02.439 By the, we call it the common operation of the Spirit, the Spirit's working everybody's 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:09.759 life to a degree, Romans 2, showing all of us that there's good and there's bad. 00:07:09.759 --> 00:07:13.240 Everybody knows, everybody knows, you don't have to be convinced that there's a war going 00:07:13.240 --> 00:07:16.879 down in your heart from the time you're born. 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:20.279 You know that, I can prove it to you, I've said this several times from here, but if 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:28.000 you've ever known exactly the right thing to do in any situation, what would be truly 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.079 good? 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:35.719 And you've said, I don't care, I want to do what I want to do anyway. 00:07:35.719 --> 00:07:36.719 And you do it. 00:07:36.719 --> 00:07:40.399 You know that there's something, there's a gap between your mind and your heart, that 00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:45.199 there's a war going on in the life of your soul. 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:51.879 Now everybody knows what they were like, maybe you're just now here, maybe you're not quite 00:07:51.879 --> 00:07:57.399 here, most of you are way past this, but you remember maybe what life was like when you 00:07:57.399 --> 00:08:01.599 were 16 years old, sweet 16. 00:08:01.599 --> 00:08:05.079 Some of you are right there right now, I can see, but some of you I can see are not there 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:07.759 anymore. 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:13.800 And listen, let me tell you a story, Saint Augustine, the great bishop, one of the greatest 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:18.920 Christian theologians of all of history, he tells us a story about when he was 16 years 00:08:18.920 --> 00:08:22.079 old about the war. 00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:25.759 And this is what he says, he says that there was a, he was 16 years old and there was a 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:27.800 pear tree. 00:08:27.800 --> 00:08:31.319 He says there's a pear tree, I'm going to read to you exactly what he says, okay, there's 00:08:31.319 --> 00:08:34.720 a pear tree near the vineyard, my vineyard. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:42.159 And he says it was laden with fruit, tempting, tempting not in color or taste, the pears 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:43.680 weren't great pears. 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:45.839 They were okay. 00:08:45.839 --> 00:08:53.679 Some lewd young fellows of us, we went late into the night precisely because we were out 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:58.279 prolonged into the night because of our sports in the street. 00:08:58.279 --> 00:09:05.359 And he says, and we went and we shook those pear trees and we robbed those pear trees. 00:09:05.359 --> 00:09:13.359 And we took huge loads of pears, not for eating, not because we were hungry, but to fling them 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:17.639 to the very hogs, having only tasted them. 00:09:17.639 --> 00:09:23.840 And this was to do what we liked only because we knew it was misliked. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:29.519 And then he writes in his book, a prayer as an old man thinking back on the pear tree. 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:36.440 He says this, behold my heart, O God, behold my heart, which you had spitty upon in the 00:09:36.440 --> 00:09:39.200 bottom of the bottomless pit. 00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:46.879 Now behold, let my heart tell you, O God, what it found there, that I would be gratuitously 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:55.120 evil having no desire to do wrong except the thrill of doing wrong. 00:09:55.120 --> 00:09:59.160 It was foul and so I loved it. 00:09:59.160 --> 00:10:00.879 I love to perish. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:04.680 I love my own faults. 00:10:04.680 --> 00:10:07.800 And he says, he says it was no noble theft, those pears. 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:13.159 It wasn't like a laden and a boo, you know, taking the bread because they were truly hungry, 00:10:13.159 --> 00:10:14.159 not at all. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:22.039 He said, he writes, he says, I did it because I was controlled by my desires. 00:10:22.039 --> 00:10:25.359 Now have you ever felt that in your life? 00:10:25.359 --> 00:10:33.399 That you were so controlled by wanting what is evil and wrong that you could not help 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:35.279 but do it. 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:36.599 That's what Augustine's talking about here. 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:40.240 Now you say it's some pears, but he stole them. 00:10:40.240 --> 00:10:41.240 They weren't his pears. 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:42.960 And he's just giving us an example. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:45.200 This is exactly what, this is the war. 00:10:45.200 --> 00:10:48.200 This is the war that's deep down in every one of our lives. 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:53.080 Christian or not tonight, we all know the feeling. 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:56.240 And if you're not a Christian tonight, let me say to you that I don't know if you can 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:58.560 put that feeling anywhere. 00:10:58.560 --> 00:11:04.399 You know, I don't know that you have a box to say this is what makes sense of this feeling, 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:07.360 this guilt that I feel within myself. 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:11.360 I don't think you know what to do with it because it speaks of a law. 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:16.079 It speaks of something truly great that stands above all of us that tells us that there's 00:11:16.079 --> 00:11:18.759 something wrong with me. 00:11:18.759 --> 00:11:24.600 Now here in Galatians 5, Paul is talking about the Christian life and he's saying, if you 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:27.840 have the Holy Spirit, if you have Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:32.840 And if you have the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit now is at war with those exact desires, 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:33.840 the desires of the flesh. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:41.560 And here when he says flesh, he doesn't mean the physical life versus the spiritual life. 00:11:41.560 --> 00:11:47.680 So the desires of the flesh are not desires for food, not sexual desire, not anything. 00:11:47.680 --> 00:11:51.000 It's not fleshly just because it's physical, not at all. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:52.000 That's not what he means. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:53.879 Instead, we actually have the list. 00:11:53.879 --> 00:11:54.879 He gives us a list. 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:57.960 He says, you want to know what the desires of the flesh are? 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:00.720 Well let me put some of them on paper for you. 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:08.519 Verse 19, he says, here they are, sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:10.600 strife, jealousy, anger. 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:17.840 Now here's how you know that he doesn't mean that flesh is physical versus spiritual because 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:23.279 he says that one of the desires of the flesh, he writes, is sorcery. 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:28.040 And sorcery is an entirely spiritual sin. 00:12:28.040 --> 00:12:29.759 And so what are the desires of the flesh? 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:33.159 The desires of the flesh are not physical versus spiritual. 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:37.600 Instead, they are evil versus good. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:44.559 The desires of the flesh are natural inclination to want, what is wrong, to want things in 00:12:44.559 --> 00:12:49.960 the way that God has not made the world, to not want to walk in the grain and the groove 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:52.720 of creation order. 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:56.679 And to walk in the grain and the groove of creation order is to seek the good, but we 00:12:56.679 --> 00:12:58.799 want the bad. 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:01.279 And that's the desires of the flesh. 00:13:01.279 --> 00:13:07.839 And Calvin comes to you tonight and he says after Paul that the Holy Spirit, look, if 00:13:07.839 --> 00:13:11.799 you're a Christian tonight, the Holy Spirit has come into your life and given you a two-fold 00:13:11.799 --> 00:13:14.519 grace. 00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:21.799 And that grace is first to say that Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, his work is yours 00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:26.399 and that you're forgiven for every evil desire that you've ever had. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:29.079 That's justification. 00:13:29.079 --> 00:13:31.399 But then he comes and says, but the Holy Spirit doesn't stop there. 00:13:31.399 --> 00:13:37.299 He comes into your life and says to you that I'm here to break the power that's been held 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:41.159 over you by the desires of your own flesh. 00:13:41.159 --> 00:13:46.480 And that means that the spirit is at work in your life tonight, Christian, in order that 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:49.279 you might grow. 00:13:49.279 --> 00:13:55.720 And Paul says to you tonight, on the one hand, you cannot grow into the fruit of the spirit 00:13:55.720 --> 00:13:57.440 without the spirit. 00:13:57.440 --> 00:13:58.440 It's a grace. 00:13:58.440 --> 00:13:59.440 It's a gift. 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:05.519 And at the same time, he says, walk by the spirit so that you might grow in the fruit 00:14:05.519 --> 00:14:06.519 of the spirit. 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:09.000 Now, do you hear that nuance? 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:12.120 He says there is no growing. 00:14:12.120 --> 00:14:19.160 There is no change in your life without the Holy Spirit and walk with the spirit so that 00:14:19.160 --> 00:14:21.360 you might change. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:22.879 Now you could put it another way. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:26.320 In Corinthians six, Paul does the same thing. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:31.720 He gives us a list of sins and he calls them the sins of the flesh. 00:14:31.720 --> 00:14:38.000 And then he says, and such were some of you, but you are this no longer. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.000 You used to be this, but you're not this anymore. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:41.159 And you see what he's saying? 00:14:41.159 --> 00:14:46.820 He's saying the Holy Spirit has come into your life so that you can no longer be identified 00:14:46.820 --> 00:14:49.639 by these sins. 00:14:49.639 --> 00:14:52.480 And walk instead with the spirit. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:57.600 In other words, become the very person that the spirit has made you. 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:02.000 In other words, he's saying, this is the work of God in your life and you've got to do something 00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:04.399 about it. 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:10.480 This is all the spirit and you've got to get up and get active at the very same time. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:15.519 You know, in your justification, your forgiveness, there's nothing you can do. 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:19.840 Nothing in your hands you bring simply to the cross you clean. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:24.480 And when the spirit comes and gives you that, but then breaks the power of sin, God says, 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:31.000 now walk and step with the spirit, put on the fruits of the spirit, be active, not passive. 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:35.240 Now let me move on and ask you a question. 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:42.040 And the question is framed according to 1st Timothy 612, which says, fight the good fight 00:15:42.040 --> 00:15:43.200 of the faith. 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:45.040 Fight the good fight of the faith. 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:50.919 J.C. Riles great book on holiness, he says that the Christian life is entering into the 00:15:50.919 --> 00:15:51.919 fight. 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:56.240 All right, the fight, the war that's deep down in the bottom of your heart. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:02.279 Now let me ask you this and don't get offended because this is what I'm asking myself tonight. 00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:03.879 When are we going to grow up? 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:05.319 When are we going to grow? 00:16:05.319 --> 00:16:08.000 When are we going to grow? 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:12.000 When are we going to say I'm entering into the fight? 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:17.240 When are we going to say holiness is serious? 00:16:17.240 --> 00:16:21.840 And I want to hear, Gilesh, I want to walk by the spirit and I want to change. 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:24.519 I want to grow. 00:16:24.519 --> 00:16:29.039 So let me ask you tonight, have you, have you by the grace of the spirit, by the grace 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:34.360 of the spirit entered into the fight? 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:38.440 And the answer, of course, for all of us, if you're a Christian tonight is yes and no, 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:39.440 right? 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:42.200 It's yes, but no, but yes, but no. 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:44.560 It depends on what day this is. 00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:47.840 It's Sunday, maybe it's better. 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:52.920 But that's why we're here because today is the day to remember the gospel, the good news 00:16:52.920 --> 00:16:56.960 of forgiveness, into enter the fight. 00:16:56.960 --> 00:17:02.360 And to say tomorrow is the day that I seek the fruit of the spirit, that I walk and step 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:05.360 with the spirit, that I long to grow, to change. 00:17:05.360 --> 00:17:06.360 All right. 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:10.479 Secondly, walk by the spirit, not by the flesh, walk by the spirit. 00:17:10.479 --> 00:17:14.599 Paul says, secondly, not by the law. 00:17:14.599 --> 00:17:19.639 We move from verse 17 here, walk not by the flesh to verse 18, walk not by the law. 00:17:19.639 --> 00:17:25.959 But if you were led by the spirit, he says, you are, quote, not under the law. 00:17:25.959 --> 00:17:34.719 Now he doesn't hear mean law in general, because we know that walking by the spirit is actually 00:17:34.719 --> 00:17:36.199 obeying the laws of God. 00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:42.400 It's loving the Ten Commandments and listening to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and saying that 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:49.840 we actually want to become the person that Jesus describes in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:17:49.840 --> 00:17:52.400 Instead he means something different here. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:54.400 Walking by the spirit, not by the law. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:18:00.279 Law is a term here that stands for something else, not just the commands of God. 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:03.400 But one pastor, a preacher, he puts it this way. 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:12.720 Paul here means by law, it means living, living as if your performance is the ground of your 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:15.519 acceptance before God. 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:22.440 Living under the law means living as if your performance is the ground of your acceptance 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:24.160 before the living God. 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:25.160 All right. 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:27.480 So, anytime, living under the law is this. 00:18:27.480 --> 00:18:36.960 When you think in your heart that obedience gets you to God, that's living under the law. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:41.079 Anytime you think that your obedience will get you into the acceptance of the living 00:18:41.079 --> 00:18:42.079 God. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:45.720 Now, this is exactly what we saw in the Old Testament. 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:51.559 First Kings 18, Elijah was on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal, and they went to 00:18:51.559 --> 00:18:58.119 war, they went to war over who the true God is, and at the top of the mountain, the prophets 00:18:58.119 --> 00:19:01.399 wanted their God to listen to them, the false prophets. 00:19:01.399 --> 00:19:02.399 And what did they do? 00:19:02.399 --> 00:19:08.359 They first recited magical incantations, but their God did not hear them. 00:19:08.359 --> 00:19:09.359 He didn't listen. 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:12.319 And then they started singing and dancing. 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:15.960 They started dancing, and their God didn't hear them. 00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:22.000 And then they resorted to cutting themselves, the text tells us. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:25.319 And that's exactly what living under the law is. 00:19:25.319 --> 00:19:33.559 It's when you think that you can get the attention of the divine by performance. 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:35.640 If I do enough, God will listen to me. 00:19:35.640 --> 00:19:39.240 If I say enough, if I say it the right way, if I do it the right way, if I behave the 00:19:39.240 --> 00:19:42.680 right way, then I can get God to come down. 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:43.960 And that's what Paul means here. 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:45.840 That's living under the law. 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:47.959 And you can do this with anything. 00:19:47.959 --> 00:19:54.039 Here he's talking in this context about living under the law of Jewish custom keeping, that 00:19:54.039 --> 00:19:58.159 in Galatians, the Galatians were being told if they were to keep the customs the right 00:19:58.159 --> 00:20:01.639 way, then they would be accepted by God. 00:20:01.639 --> 00:20:04.799 And in every single one of our lives, there's all sorts of little ways that were attempted 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:11.839 to come under the yoke of some law, some little God that says to you, dance for me. 00:20:11.839 --> 00:20:16.720 And if you do it the right way, maybe I'll enter into your life. 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:21.439 And that is not how our living, the true God works, not at all. 00:20:21.439 --> 00:20:26.639 And Paul says, instead, walk by the spirit, don't walk under the yoke of the law. 00:20:26.639 --> 00:20:28.139 Now here's the danger. 00:20:28.139 --> 00:20:34.679 This is why we need to say this, because we're saying tonight, seek the fruit of the spirit. 00:20:34.679 --> 00:20:35.679 Seek love. 00:20:35.679 --> 00:20:36.679 Seek joy. 00:20:36.679 --> 00:20:37.679 Seek peace. 00:20:37.679 --> 00:20:38.679 Seek patience. 00:20:38.679 --> 00:20:40.279 Seek kindness and gentleness. 00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:42.399 Be faithful. 00:20:42.399 --> 00:20:47.240 These are all good things, but there's a real danger when you hear the command, walk by 00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:53.480 the spirit and seek the fruit of the spirit, that we get confused in our heart and think 00:20:53.480 --> 00:21:00.799 that walking by the spirit by seeking faithfulness becomes the law. 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:04.519 In other words, that we treat the virtues of the spirit, the fruit of the spirit, as 00:21:04.519 --> 00:21:09.039 if they are the ground of our acceptance before God. 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:14.079 And for some of us, especially those of you who have been in the church a long, long time, 00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:17.759 it's very easy to get lulled, even if you know in your head that you don't believe this, 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:22.920 to get lulled in your heart to thinking that your public display of virtue, the fruit of 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:27.839 the spirit, is the true ground of your acceptance before God. 00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:28.839 And you know what that is? 00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:31.680 That's flipping justification and sanctification. 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:34.839 That's saying that my growth is the grounds to justification. 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:38.240 And Paul comes and says, no, don't walk by the flesh, that's the flesh, don't walk under 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:39.640 the law, that's the law. 00:21:39.640 --> 00:21:47.759 No, here, Christian, that the only way to truly grow is if you know, if you know that 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:54.039 your virtue is never the ground of your acceptance before God. 00:21:54.039 --> 00:21:57.400 And let me give you one example of this. 00:21:57.400 --> 00:22:00.160 This won't strike home with everybody, but I think it's something that everybody needs 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.480 to be aware of. 00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:09.279 Today there's a movement across the Western world called, that's me, and called Hustle 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:12.880 Culture, Hustle Ideology. 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:17.880 Some of you know about this, but it's exemplified more than anywhere else in the popularity 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:21.200 of the Joe Rogan podcast. 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:24.440 So if that's meaningless to you, then I'll explain it. 00:22:24.440 --> 00:22:28.640 The Joe Rogan podcast is the most popular podcast in the world. 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:37.480 Joe Rogan has not millions of downloads, but multiples of billions of downloads worldwide. 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:42.840 And Joe Rogan is one of many, many people who are part of a movement that's known as 00:22:42.840 --> 00:22:46.680 the Hustle and Grind movement, the Hustle Ideology or Hustle Culture. 00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:48.120 And this is what Hustle Culture says. 00:22:48.120 --> 00:22:51.240 Now listen, listen to this. 00:22:51.240 --> 00:22:55.200 It says, you only have one life. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:23:05.319 So work hard, challenge yourself, keep your body in shape, never give up, have a stout 00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:12.240 heart, a stout soul, seek patience, seek faithfulness to the people in your life that you've committed 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:15.799 yourself to, stay committed. 00:23:15.799 --> 00:23:21.759 The key to the good life is working hard, working out, being patient, being persistent, 00:23:21.759 --> 00:23:24.519 and being faithful above all else. 00:23:24.519 --> 00:23:26.879 And look, you listen to that message. 00:23:26.879 --> 00:23:28.759 It's called the Hustle Culture message. 00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:31.400 And you say, there is so much virtue there. 00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:34.639 There's so much good in that message. 00:23:34.639 --> 00:23:37.440 And this is how the Hustle Ideology finishes it off. 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:43.680 It says, look, you only have one life to live and then you die. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:49.200 And in that one life, you need to seek the most idealized version of yourself. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:53.400 Seek the ideal. 00:23:53.400 --> 00:23:55.560 There's lots of good here. 00:23:55.560 --> 00:23:59.000 Here's the difference in Christianity and Hustle Ideology. 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:04.759 Hustle Ideology says, seek the good life, be virtuous, work hard, be responsible, be 00:24:04.759 --> 00:24:07.920 committed to the people in your life that you've committed yourself to. 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:11.880 Do the best you can at your job because work really matters. 00:24:11.880 --> 00:24:17.680 And the Christian comes along and says, basically, yeah, that sounds about right, but here's 00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:20.000 the difference. 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:25.559 In the Hustle Culture, in the world's eyes, you seek the best version of yourself for 00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:29.279 the sake of yourself. 00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:31.680 This is called, this is being under the law. 00:24:31.680 --> 00:24:38.960 You see, being under the law is any time you seek something for the sake of your own self. 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:41.559 Seek virtue so that you can realize the idealized self. 00:24:41.559 --> 00:24:43.200 But this is what Christianity says. 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:50.799 Christianity comes and says, seek true virtue, not for the sake of yourself, but for the 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:55.960 sake of the God who has come into your life and saved you when you were at your worst. 00:24:55.960 --> 00:25:01.240 Seek virtue, seek holiness, seek the fruit of the Spirit, not so you can be a better 00:25:01.240 --> 00:25:02.240 person. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:03.960 No, not at all. 00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:08.240 But because you have a great God, the true God, seek Him. 00:25:08.240 --> 00:25:12.240 You see, you seek the fruit of the Spirit in order to seek the face of God. 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:16.160 You seek the fruit of the Spirit because you want to be like Him. 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:19.640 You want to know the God who's come into your life, who's changed you. 00:25:19.640 --> 00:25:23.200 You want to know Him and you want to be like Him. 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:28.440 And that's completely different than every other virtue philosophy, which is, this is 00:25:28.440 --> 00:25:29.440 just one. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:35.400 In all of world history, we'll move to the final brief point by saying this, look, that's 00:25:35.400 --> 00:25:36.400 law. 00:25:36.400 --> 00:25:42.039 Anything that says to you, law, law, it's when you are enslaved to some temporary 00:25:42.039 --> 00:25:49.680 master, and even a philosophy that says to you, put on as much virtue as you can, be 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:53.440 as responsible as you can be in this life. 00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:59.039 Seek all of those goods because you only have one life. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:02.440 That's seeking a false master. 00:26:02.440 --> 00:26:08.680 It's seeking a mere idealized version of yourself and then you die. 00:26:08.680 --> 00:26:09.680 That's law. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:10.680 Here's the gospel. 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:16.360 It's when you realize that you're never going to love enough. 00:26:16.360 --> 00:26:18.840 You're never going to be patient enough. 00:26:18.840 --> 00:26:21.440 You're never going to have the right amount of joy. 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:22.880 You're never going to be gentle enough. 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:25.320 You're never going to be faithful enough. 00:26:25.320 --> 00:26:26.360 Never. 00:26:26.360 --> 00:26:30.200 Not to reach the idealized version of yourself and not to get acceptance before the living 00:26:30.200 --> 00:26:32.279 God. 00:26:32.279 --> 00:26:39.400 And instead you say this, God in Jesus Christ has entered my condition. 00:26:39.400 --> 00:26:42.160 You know, He was patient. 00:26:42.160 --> 00:26:47.960 He was so patient and He died for my impatience. 00:26:47.960 --> 00:26:54.240 He is love and He died because of all of my hatreds. 00:26:54.240 --> 00:27:02.320 He is faithfulness and yet He became the sheep led to the slaughter for my inconsistencies, 00:27:02.320 --> 00:27:04.920 my lack of faithfulness. 00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:05.920 Don't live by the law. 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:09.040 Live by the gospel because the gospel says that you've got something more to live for 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:10.599 than just this life. 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:13.420 You don't seek virtue for the sake of virtue. 00:27:13.420 --> 00:27:19.440 You seek virtue because you seek the living God and you do it by way of the gospel. 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:23.960 Walk by the spirit, in other words, not by your achievements because that's walking 00:27:23.960 --> 00:27:24.960 under the law. 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:26.720 Now finally, let me close with this. 00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:29.039 Three things, and I'll just rattle them off. 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:30.519 Three ways that you can do this. 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:32.399 Walk by the spirit this week. 00:27:32.399 --> 00:27:33.519 Three ways. 00:27:33.519 --> 00:27:35.319 Verse 23 says it. 00:27:35.319 --> 00:27:39.519 It says in the spirit, you have crucified your sinful desires. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:44.240 All right, here's the first thing. 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:49.599 If you're a Christian tonight, your sinful desires have been crucified forever on the 00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:52.359 cross of Jesus Christ. 00:27:52.359 --> 00:27:57.039 And that means that you can come tonight to a verse like verse 19 and 20 and read this 00:27:57.039 --> 00:28:04.279 list and say, on this list of sins, I know what I struggle with. 00:28:04.279 --> 00:28:09.599 Now you can look at the six times that Paul gives you a list of sins. 00:28:09.599 --> 00:28:14.399 He does it six times across his letters and you can say, I know in my heart, these are 00:28:14.399 --> 00:28:19.759 the particular issues that I'm still really wrestling with in my life. 00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:24.119 And then you got to come back and you got to hear it one more time. 00:28:24.119 --> 00:28:33.279 The sinful desires of your flesh have been past tense already crucify with Jesus Christ. 00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:39.399 You are not under condemnation for the sins that you struggle with. 00:28:39.399 --> 00:28:41.839 They were crucified with Jesus Christ. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:44.079 You are forgiven. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:47.039 That's your justification fully and finally and forever. 00:28:47.039 --> 00:28:50.920 And so that means practical step number one. 00:28:50.920 --> 00:29:00.319 Some of you tonight may be struggling with shame because of sins that you cannot shake. 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:05.679 And the first thing you've got to do is you've got to know my sins have been crucified with 00:29:05.679 --> 00:29:11.399 Jesus Christ because sometimes what happens is you can't get out of the shame. 00:29:11.399 --> 00:29:18.240 And actually when you're in the midst of shame over your particular sins, we run right back 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:20.879 to them. 00:29:20.879 --> 00:29:25.960 We swim around in them for so long that we ended up just staying right there. 00:29:25.960 --> 00:29:35.960 But put away the shame because Jesus Christ was enough for God the Father to forgive you. 00:29:35.960 --> 00:29:40.680 And if Jesus Christ's death was enough for God the Father to say you're forgiven, then 00:29:40.680 --> 00:29:44.440 what is it going to take for you to forgive yourself? 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:50.680 Is Jesus enough to say that that sin is past and I'm moving on? 00:29:50.680 --> 00:29:52.559 You don't have to live in shame. 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:54.360 You're forgiven. 00:29:54.359 --> 00:29:56.039 That's for a second. 00:29:56.039 --> 00:30:02.119 Verse 25, it's not only that your sins have been crucified in Christ, but verse 25, you 00:30:02.119 --> 00:30:03.240 see what he says in verse 25? 00:30:03.240 --> 00:30:06.519 He says he doesn't just say now walk by the Spirit. 00:30:06.519 --> 00:30:09.759 He says now live in step. 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:15.319 We live by the Spirit, so we keep in step with the Spirit. 00:30:15.319 --> 00:30:17.079 Your sins have been crucified with Jesus. 00:30:17.079 --> 00:30:18.079 You're forgiven. 00:30:18.079 --> 00:30:22.240 Secondly, he says here, now today walk in the steps of the Spirit. 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:31.000 Now I grew up in America, as you know, and I grew up hunting. 00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:34.920 And we hunted for all sorts of animals. 00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:40.839 And one of the things about hunting that I remember most, when I was little, all the 00:30:40.839 --> 00:30:46.599 way to when I wasn't as little, my dad saying the same thing to me over and over and over 00:30:46.599 --> 00:30:47.599 again. 00:30:47.599 --> 00:30:51.120 I would be right behind him and we would be walking through the woods trying to get to 00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:55.359 the place where we were looking for whatever deer or whatever it would be. 00:30:55.359 --> 00:31:01.319 And he would turn around and tell me to be quiet and to walk in exactly the steps that 00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:03.239 he walked. 00:31:03.239 --> 00:31:07.479 Because the key when you're hunting is you don't step on the sticks because the sticks 00:31:07.479 --> 00:31:09.559 crack and then the animals run away. 00:31:09.559 --> 00:31:14.879 And so my dad would say take every step that I take. 00:31:14.879 --> 00:31:19.519 And so I was stretching my legs out as far as I possibly could, trying my best to take 00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:23.000 his long steps. 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:30.920 Paul says to here, not just walk by the Spirit, but take the exact steps that the Spirit is 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:33.200 taking. 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:37.680 Now we're told what those are. 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:38.680 It's a call. 00:31:38.680 --> 00:31:46.519 It's a call to be incredibly active in the life of your spiritual growth. 00:31:46.519 --> 00:31:51.519 You see what he's saying, it's not just walk by side the Spirit, but actually take steps 00:31:51.519 --> 00:31:53.599 wherever the Spirit is walking. 00:31:53.599 --> 00:31:56.480 In other words, it's saying Paul says it like this. 00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:00.240 He says, oh, wake, oh, sleepers and rise up. 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:01.519 Get your mind in gear. 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:03.000 Get your heart in gear. 00:32:03.000 --> 00:32:06.279 Wake up and walk with the Spirit. 00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:08.759 Don't be asleep. 00:32:08.759 --> 00:32:09.759 Listen to the Spirit. 00:32:09.759 --> 00:32:11.480 Be attuned to the Spirit. 00:32:11.480 --> 00:32:16.000 Know the type of thing the Spirit desires and is speaking to your life. 00:32:16.000 --> 00:32:17.000 Here it is. 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:22.599 It's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. 00:32:22.599 --> 00:32:26.440 Walk in each of those nine steps, eight, nine steps with the Spirit. 00:32:26.440 --> 00:32:31.039 That's when seek the fruit, because that is walking in the steps of the Spirit. 00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:37.279 It's the call to be active, to know that two natures are working deep down in your heart. 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:41.960 Your sinful desires and the Spirit be in step with the Spirit. 00:32:41.960 --> 00:32:43.640 Seek the Spirit. 00:32:43.640 --> 00:32:45.279 Put on the fruit of the Spirit. 00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:47.759 Lastly, and we close. 00:32:47.759 --> 00:32:56.559 Lastly, why is it that the fruits, these fruits, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, that 00:32:56.559 --> 00:32:59.039 this is the fruit of the Spirit? 00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:00.839 Why is that? 00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:06.879 Why is it that walking in step with the Spirit should be moving you towards this particular 00:33:06.879 --> 00:33:08.079 person? 00:33:08.079 --> 00:33:09.399 And here it is. 00:33:09.400 --> 00:33:16.000 It's because these things you read about here, these are the attributes of God. 00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:18.000 Did you know that? 00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:24.440 The fruit of the Spirit, we're reading here the very attributes of the living God, that 00:33:24.440 --> 00:33:30.160 God is love and God is joy and God is peace and God is patient and kind and gentle. 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:34.759 And he's faithful and he's controlled. 00:33:34.759 --> 00:33:36.400 These are the very attributes of God. 00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:41.560 And so when it says here, seek the fruit of the Spirit, walk in step with the Spirit, 00:33:41.560 --> 00:33:46.040 it's actually telling you, put on the very attributes of God. 00:33:46.040 --> 00:33:47.040 Now why? 00:33:47.040 --> 00:33:53.880 It's because God made every single one of us here to be in His image, as His image. 00:33:53.880 --> 00:33:57.200 And it's saying that as you put on the fruit of the Spirit more and more in your life by 00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:01.759 the grace of the Spirit, you are actually becoming fuller and fuller and fuller the image of 00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:03.400 God. 00:34:03.400 --> 00:34:07.519 You're putting on the very thing you were made to be, the very image of God. 00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:12.720 And that's why salvation does not stop at the forgiveness of sins. 00:34:12.720 --> 00:34:21.680 You see, salvation says this, become in full the image of God that you were made to be. 00:34:21.680 --> 00:34:27.480 And we are truly saved in the second coming of Jesus Christ when we put on fully and finally 00:34:27.480 --> 00:34:35.320 and forever the fruit of the Spirit without remainder, without sin, that salvation, becoming 00:34:35.320 --> 00:34:38.679 the full image of God. 00:34:38.679 --> 00:34:45.400 But here's the promise, today, Christian friends, by the Spirit you can put on the fruit of 00:34:45.400 --> 00:34:48.000 the Spirit. 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:50.440 And so walk in step with the Spirit. 00:34:50.440 --> 00:34:51.440 Let's pray together. 00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:59.480 We give thanks for the grace of forgiveness in Christ tonight that our acceptance is not 00:34:59.480 --> 00:35:03.119 by law but by the cross. 00:35:03.119 --> 00:35:10.000 And standing on that ground and no other ground, we ask that you would move in our hearts, 00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:18.000 Holy Spirit, to make us active participants seeking to grow, to be holy, to love, to have 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:24.559 joy, to have peace, to be gentle and kind, all of these things. 00:35:24.559 --> 00:35:29.760 And so Holy Spirit, grow us up as fruit-bearing trees, we ask. 00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:31.679 And we pray this in Christ's name. 00:35:31.679 --> 00:35:48.719 Amen.