To be free from bondages, free from colonisation, free from debt and with the current world to be free to make choices, let’s focus on freedom in Christ. I have heard so many ideologies of how when you give your life to Christ you turn into a boring life. This is a big fat lie! It’s actually quite the opposite, life in Christ is a whole new chapter, the old has gone and new has come 2Corinthians 5:17, There is no condemnation Romans 8:1 and to crown it all, you become a co-heir with Christ Romans 8:17. If this cannot excite you, then I don’t know what will, after all, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free Galatian 5:1 and we shouldn’t let ourselves be burdened again with the yoke of slavery.
Looks like the Galatians were so fixated in justification coming from circumcision and the law as he states in 5:4-6 “You who are trying to to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace, (why because justification as we’ve already seen is only through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour). For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
Before we go any further, let’s find out just what Paul is talking about when he talks about the ‘Spirit.’ Who is the Holy Spirit? He is the promise that Jesus talked about in John 14:16-18 “And I will ask the father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – The Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.
What then should we do? how then should we live? We were called to live life by the Spirit as we see in Galatians 5:13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free (your free to make your own choices) But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. No one will put a gun onto your head and force you to do what is right, or follow the laws in your country! All this is a personal choice and as they say ‘choices have consequences,’ but we have being tasked to serve one another in love and in kindness and Galatians 5:14 explains it perfectly “For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command; ‘Love you’re neighbour as yourself’.”
Everything begins and ends in the mind, it all starts with a thought process, how you cultivate that thought will determine the outcome. It is also here that ideas are birthed, whether good or bad. Paul outlines this scenario in Romans 7:15 “I do not understand what what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do,” why? verse 17 “as it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” This is the reason why we need to live by the Spirit of God, because on our own it’s impossible to overcome sin. A friend of mine once said that the flesh doesn’t get saved, which is absolutely true, it remains the same flesh even after you’re saved.
Therefore, we need the Holy Spirit of God and Paul emphasises of the same in Galatians 16-17
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” However, It’s not all gloom and doom, there is hope for us as we see in Galatians 5:18 “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” You have to allow The Holy Spirit of God to lead you and be your guide, because when you do, not only will you be able to control the flesh but also not fall prey to the desires of the flesh.
What then are the acts of the flesh? Paul outlines them in Galatians 5:19-21 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery (excessive indulgence in sex, alcohol or drugs); idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord (disagreement between people), jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions (disagreements that lead to discord), factions (clique/group with infighting) and envy; drunkenness, orgies (wild parties characterised by excessive drinking and indiscriminate (random) sexual activities) and the like I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Everything has been laid out in black and white and its for us to follow.
In the same way that God has laid out instructions of what we need not do, He’s also laid out the fruits that we need to be producing and these are only achieved through the Holy Spirit as we see in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Ever noticed whenever you do something good to someone else or follow what your supposed to do, there is a nice feeling that comes along with it, and so much peace😇. However, when you do bad and evil things, you’re filled with uncertainty, worry and guilt and you’re left wondering, was it really worth it?
When you get saved, you belong to Jesus Christ and because we belong to Him, we have to crucify the flesh and all its passions and desires. Gal 5:25 “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited (excessively proud), provoking and envying each other.
What a way to finish chapter five (5) of the book of Galatians! these are simple instructions that if we are to follow, we will live a life pleasing to God. Therefore, go ahead live free, but live free in The Spirit of God and not in the flesh.
Memory verse Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Blessings!!
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