Sunday 14th September – Freedom Character

Paul has been doing all he can to assure the Christians in Galatia that they don’t need anyone else than Jesus or anything else than his grace poured into their hearts from his cross to be completely assured that they are God’s holy, loved and resurrected people of this new creation already begun.

Now he switches to what it looks like to live in this freedom.

He immediately acknowledges that it is not all beer and skittles! There is a battle going on inside each of us – but it is a battle that by faith in God’s freedom that forges that wonderful gift of godly character.

In one corner of our being we have this human flesh; this body. In the other corner we have God’s Spirit – God’s Spirit not so much outside of us, but at work inside of us.

What is this battle over? It is over what Paul calls ‘desires’ (v17)

The word ‘desire’ is often translated as ‘passions’; passions in a negative sense – literally and “over-desire” – an all-controlling drive and longing that leads to damage and destruction of the person and their relationships.

Our human problem is not so much that we desire bad things as much as over-desire for good things. We desire the good things of God’s creation so much that we over-rely on them and turn them into gods to which we give a lot of time, money effort, and most importantly, our heart, rather than the one who gives them to us. We worship the creation gifts more than the Creator of the gifts, and simply want more, and more, and more…..

But what about the Spirit ‘desire’ for us? Jesus says the Spirit’s desire is to bring glory to him (John 16:14).

The Spirit desires to show us the full beauty, power and love of Jesus everyday so that we line up with him. We fall into line with him rather than those other stoichia – pillars of earth, wind, water and fire – those ‘elemental forces’ Paul has mentioned, or with the Law of God as means by which we dream we can earn our assurance of peace.

So this desire in the heart turns good things into gods or idols that demand more and more of our heart and life to assure us of our worth.

• I could have worth if I she loved me enough….
• If my career goes well, I know I am worthwhile…
• If the business goes well, then I know I am worthwhile
• If my kids love me, then I am worthwhile….

Tim Keller nicely splits Paul’s list of flesh-desires up into two groups:

1. Desires that only can provide an inadequate substitute for God.
2. Desires for things that fake the work of the Spirit.

And the sense of these words is ongoing desire – not mere once-off mistakes, but repeated habitual desires and behaviours.

Poor substitutes

We hear three words to do with sexual over-desire:

• pornia or ‘porn’ ‘pornography’ or sexual immoral behaviour
• akatharsia or impurity which means unnatural sexual practices and relationships, and
• aselgia, which is uncontrolled sexuality.

This magnificent gift of human body and intimacy with another in a safe, loving, respectful relationship is turned into an out of control desire that can only ever be a very poor substitute for closeness and joy in God.

Things that fake the work of the Spirit to comfort and guide and bring glory to Jesus?

Two things to do with religious practices:

• “idolatry: trusting in just about anyone and anything for our wellbeing, self-image, worth than the promises and presence of the risen Jesus, and,
• ‘witchcraft”: not general religious practice but the occult pagan religious practices at play in these people’s community.

These over-desires of all kinds make their destructive mark in our relationships. The list is long!

Paul first names four destructive attitudes of the heart that destroy relationships:

• Selfish ambition or over-competitiveness
• Envy – desiring what other people have or jealousy
• A hungry ego that needs to be fed at any cost
• Hatred: hostility to others or an adversarial stance to everyone.

Their results?

• Discord: Picking fights or being argumentative
• Rage: outbursts of anger
• Dissentions: divisions between people which rage leads us to; and
• Factions: more permanent parties or waring groups

Lastly Paul names two words around abuse of substances:

• Drunkenness and
• Orgies – drinking orgies showing an addiction to pleasure-creating substances and behaviour.

Paul then says

Sounds harsh! Sounds like if we have ever succumbed in anything even like these things we are out. Who of us has not been jealous or envious or over-competitive, let alone dicing with the other more obvious desires and behaviours?

But Paul is not saying that. He is not emotional but analytical.

Paul is saying that if a person is habitually engaging in these things and, as a result, causing the damage to relationships in this new community of freedom in God’s grace, then these desires and behaviours simply don’t fit! They can’t. By continually feeding these desires we are placing ourselves outside the freedom won for us. We are returning to slavery …

So, please don’t hear Paul undermining your confidence in the gospel in which you trust, but do hear him urging you away from complacency and back to freedom.

Also, please hear that you are not all alone in this battle. We have help! We are;

The Spirit is at work in this battle forging godly character.

The Spirit is always calling us closer to being the people we actually want to be and were designed to be. He is always bringing us ‘home’ to our heavenly Father!

Paul uses a carefully chosen image to describe the Spirit’s work in us in this battle. The Spirit is at work growing ‘fruit’ in us.

Why does Paul use that image of fruit? He must want is to think of agriculture, gardening – how plants grow is how we grow. Fruit grows;

• Gradually
• Inevitably
• Founded on roots not the fruit, and
• Symmetrically/together.

We grow in freedom gradually: The Spirit’s desire to bring glory to Jesus in us and transform us more and more into who we are created in him to be is like fruit – it is gradual. It takes time to grow.

You often can’t see the growth. It takes a long time and it is only after a year or three or ten that you can look back and see some fruit – you are somehow, more patient, more captured by the Word of God, more able to love and be loved, more calm, more interested in others and their wellbeing…..?

The fruit just grows! The growth of the Spirit’s work in you is inevitable. Like the gum tree saplings that just pop up in open ground at our place, the Spirit’s desire is at work in you will grow good fruit. The Spirit will find a way!

It is all founded on the roots, not the fruit. Like an apple tree, the life comes from the roots you don’t see, not the fruit you do. So, your growing in freedom gospel character is not about what gifts/fruits you display but what roots you are living from. The gifts or fruits are NOT my worth. The roots are where my worth comes from, and the fruit grows from.

The roots are faith in Jesus; seeking glory to Jesus in everything; humility before Jesus, attentiveness to his Word, love for him and people with a servant heart which uses whatever gifts for the good of others and the glory of Jesus…..

And this fruit grows together. Christian growth is symmetrical. Like all those apples on an apple tree growing together, not alone or at different times. You don’t just get one part of the fruit growing without all the parts growing too. We all grow these good fruit together all the time.

What is this freedom character; this fruit that is growing in you?

Love – self-giving love.

Joy – delight in God for his beauty and value in your life – opposite of despair and hopelessness or a fake elation based on good experiences or other people’s affirmation etc….

Peace – confidence and rest in the wisdom and control of God way more than your own. No need for anxiety or worry – a counter to indifference and apathy.

Patience – facing trouble in the battle without blowing up – the opposite of resentment and cynicism that denies things are worth caring about.

Kindness – with a deep character that is secure in Jesus’ acceptance and forgiveness to be able to serve others practically even if it makes me vulnerable – the opposite of manipulating people by doing good for them to ‘get ahead’.

Goodness/integrity – being a person whose inside matches your outside – your ‘yes’, is ‘yes’, and your ‘no’ is ‘no’ – opposite of being truthful without any love or loving without any truth!

Faithfulness/loyalty – being reliable and true to your word. Opposite to being ‘on the take’ and ever-changing to get into a better position.

Gentleness/humility/self-forgetfulness – being free to forget one’s self for the sake of the other. Opposite of being superior and self-absorbed.

Self-control – the ability to deal with the important more than always the urgent. Opposite to being impulsive or uncontrolled or being of iron will to win control.

Friends, yes, the battle rages and we feel it.

And yet hear today that fruit is being formed in you; freedom character is being formed in you gradually, inevitably, founded on roots not the fruit, and Symmetrically.

This is a call to put any complacency or despair away.

1. MORE REFLECTION

    

   Opening Prayer

   Begin with a prayer asking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and understanding as you study and discuss the Word.

   Scripture Reading

   Read Galatians 5:16-25 again.

   Summary

   This sermon explores the Christian concept of living in spiritual freedom by walking in the Spirit rather than gratifying the desires of the flesh, emphasizing the internal battle between flesh and Spirit and the formation of godly character through the Spirit’s fruit.

   • Living by the Spirit vs. the flesh:Christians are called to live by the Spirit, which opposes the desires of the flesh, creating an internal conflict that believers must navigate to live in freedom rather than under the law. 1 2
   • Nature of desires:The conflict centres on desires or passions, where the flesh over-desires good things, turning them into idols that replace God, while the Spirit desires to glorify Jesus and align believers with Him. 3 4
   • Poor substitutes for God:Paul categorizes fleshly desires into those that inadequately substitute for God, such as sexual immorality, impurity, and uncontrolled sexuality, which distort the gift of human intimacy. 5 6
   • Faking the Spirit’s work:Desires that mimic spiritual comfort, like idolatry and witchcraft, represent misplaced trust and occult practices that oppose true Spirit-led life. 7 8
   • Destructive relational attitudes:Fleshly desires manifest in harmful relational attitudes such as selfish ambition, envy, hatred, discord, rage, dissentions, and factions, damaging community life. 9 10
   • Consequences of habitual sin:Habitual engagement in these desires excludes individuals from inheriting God’s kingdom, as they contradict the freedom and community life won through grace, urging believers to avoid complacency. 11 12
   • Spirit’s transformative help:Believers are not alone in this battle; the Spirit actively works within, cultivating godly character and drawing people closer to God, described metaphorically as the growth of fruit. 13 14
   • Growth of the Spirit’s fruit:Spiritual growth is gradual, inevitable, rooted deeply in faith and humility, and symmetrical, meaning all aspects of the fruit of the Spirit grow together over time. 15 16
   • Characteristics of freedom in the Spirit:The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which collectively form the character of freedom in Christ 17 18

   Discussion Questions

   1. Living by the Spirit vs. the Flesh
   1. • What does it mean to live by the Spirit rather than gratifying the desires of the flesh? (Galatians 5:16-18)
      • How do you experience the internal conflict between the flesh and the Spirit in your daily life?
   2. Nature of Desires
   1. • Ponder/discuss the concept of “over-desire” as explained in the sermon. How can good things become idols in our lives? (Galatians 5:19-21)
      • How can we align our desires with the Spirit’s desire to glorify Jesus?
   3. Poor Substitutes for God
   1. • What are some examples of fleshly desires that serve as poor substitutes for God? (Galatians 5:19-21)
      • How do these desires distort the gift of human intimacy?
   4. Faking the Spirit’s Work
   1. • Ponder/discuss the desires that mimic spiritual comfort, such as idolatry and witchcraft. How do these represent misplaced trust? (Galatians 5:19-21)
      • How can we ensure our trust is placed in the true Spirit-led life?
   5. Destructive Relational Attitudes
   1. • Identify the harmful relational attitudes mentioned in the sermon. How do these attitudes damage community life? (Galatians 5:19-21)
      • How can we cultivate healthy relationships within our community?
   6. Consequences of Habitual Sin
   1. • What are the consequences of habitual engagement in fleshly desires? (Galatians 5:21)
      • How can we avoid complacency and strive for a life of freedom and grace?
   7. Spirit’s Transformative Help
   1. • How does the Holy Spirit help us in the battle against fleshly desires? (Galatians 5:22-25)
      • Share personal experiences of how the Spirit has cultivated godly character in your life.
   8. Growth of the Spirit’s Fruit
   1. • Discuss the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit. How do these collectively form the character of freedom in Christ? (Galatians 5:22-23)
      • How can we encourage each other to grow in these characteristics?

   Reflection and Application

   • Reflect on the areas in your life where you need the Spirit’s help to overcome fleshly desires.
   • Commit to specific actions or changes you will make to live by the Spirit and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit.

   Closing Prayer

   End with a prayer, thanking God for His Word and asking for the Holy Spirit’s continued guidance and transformation in your lives.

    

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