Sermon Preached at Wonersh
by Brenda Williams at Communion – 6.30 p.m. April 9th 2006
Sermon No 34
THE FRUIT OF
THE SPIRIT
GALATIANS
CH 5 VS 1 AND 13 – 26
In
the very practical closing chapters of Galatians Paul speaks out
AGAINST
LEGALISM -The outer yoke of law keeping but
FOR
He
begins chapter 5 with a bold statement which he repeats in verse 13
Verse
1 ‘It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do
not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery’
In
1941, when the 2nd world war was coming to an end, Franklin
Roosevelt listed 4 BASIC FREEDOMS which he hoped would characterise the world
1.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
2.
FREEDOM FROM WANT.
3.
FREEDOM OF WORSHIP.
4.
FREEDOM FROM FEAR.
We’ve achieved only some degree of his aims. MAN TODAY, AS ALWAYS, NEEDS A FIFTH
FREEDOM
5.
FREEDOM FROM HIMSELF AND THE TYRANNY OF HIS SINFUL NATURE.
Paul
explains that no amount of legislation can change a man’s basic sinful
nature. It’s not law on the outside but only Agape love on the inside
that can make the difference. The power of that love which makes us truly free,
comes from within us, and is the primary fruit of the Holy Spirit at work
within us.
There
are numerous references to the Holy Spirit in Paul’s letters.
This
series has touched on some I know.
The
Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, just the same as God the Father and God the
Son.
The
Holy Spirit draws us to Christ in the first place.
The
Holy Spirit comes to live in us when we become Christians.
The
Holy Spirit gives us the assurance that we are right with God.
The
Holy Spirit enables us to live for Christ and to glorify Christ
This
closing section of Galatians is perhaps the most crucial, explaining 3
ministries of the Holy Spirit that enable the believer to enjoy
HOW TO FULFIL THE LAW OF LOVE WITHOUT BEING BOUND BY
LEGALISM Vs 13-15
HOW
TO OVERCOME OUR SINFUL NATURE Vs 16
– 21, 24
HOW
TO ENABLE US TO PRODUCE THE GRACIOUS FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT Vs 22-23; 25-26
Past
talks and studies concentrated on the individual fruits – even seen as
represented by cut outs in coloured paper bananas (love) apples (joy) etc all
hanging from one person. But they are not fruits (plural) but fruit (singular)
and like fruit on a tree they develop at different paces, are different sizes,
even maybe different colours, but all from the same tree.
Need
to understand steps 1 and 2 before we can move on to being able to understand
the HOW we can begin to experience the growth of the fruit
of the
Holy Spirit in our own lives.
STEP
1
HOW
TO FULFIL THE LAW OF LOVE WITHOUT BEING BOUND BY LEGAISM (VS 13 -15)
Christians
and Christian fellowships are always prone to extremes as was happening in the
churches in
One set interpreted liberty and freedom as license to
do whatever they like. This brings its own serious problems.
Another set go to the opposite extreme and impose
numerous rules for belonging on everyone. This is legalism taken to impossible
degree, becoming a huge burden.
So
where does true Christian freedom fit into this?
FIRSTLY
WE ARE
CALLED TO LIBERTY/FREEDOM (v 13)
The
Christian is a free man
Free
from the guilt of sin because he has experienced God’s
forgiveness.
Free
from the penalty of sin because Christ has paid that penalty on the
Cross
Free
from the power of sin in daily life because the Holy Spirit lives within
him
Free from
the law and its demands and threats
Galatians
1 ‘Christ has called us to liberty to share in God’s Grace (God’s
riches at Christ’s expense)
SECONDLY
WE ARE
CAUTIONED
Don’t
allow your liberty to degenerate into license – don’t indulge your sinful
nature.
Some
will say if we do away with rules and regulations we will create chaos and
anarchy and yes, that danger is real because WE FAIL.
But
with Christian liberty we have an opportunity to serve, not a license to sin.
THIRDLY
WE ARE GIVEN
A
COMMAND
‘By
love serve one another’
‘Love
your neighbour as yourself’ takes the place of all the people directed
laws God gave.
If
you love people because you love Christ
You
won’t steal from them
You
won’t lie about them
You
won’t envy them
You
won’t try in any way to hurt them or ignore their needs
God’s
substitute for law and threats is a heart filled with love, and the Holy Spirit
brings this about, providing an inbuilt discipline which also gives us great
joy in bringing benefits to other people
PROBLEMS
IN
There
was an obvious problem in
Sounds
like a lot of mad dogs fighting – not a Christian community.
The
Law cannot free people to get on with one another.
Unless
the Holy Spirit rules in our hearts and minds, selfishness and competition will
reign.
He
doesn’t work in a vacuum. He works through the word of God, prayer,
worship and fellowship with other believers and this is what builds us all up
in Christ and will build up Christ’s church here.
2.
THE HOLY SPIRIT HELPS US OVERCOME OUR SINFUL NATURE (THE FLESH).
Verses
16/17/18
The
human body is not sinful – it’s neutral!
If
the Holy Spirit controls our bodies we ‘walk in the Spirit’ which was
the slogan of the East African revival movement in the 1930s.
If
our old sinful nature controls our bodies we are its slaves and we walk in the
lusts and desires of our own flesh.
THE
SPIRIT AND THE FLESH HAVE DIFFERENT APPETITES –
In
the Bible
Pigs
are seen as unclean animals, wallowing in filth
Sheep
are seen as avoiding garbage seeking clean fresh grass
After
the flood when Noah sent out the raven and the dove
The
Raven didn’t return, he found plenty of carrion,
dead things to feed on.
The
dove returned each time until he found a clean place to settle
The
old nature is like the pig and the raven – content with unclean things
The
new, Spirit purified nature is like the sheep and the dove – longs for
all that is clean and holy.
There
is a fight going on in all of us.
We
can’t overcome our sinful natures on our own and by our own will.
V
18‘But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the law’
because ‘God’s laws are written in our hearts and our desire is to
obey Him’
Ps.40‘I
delight to do your will, my God, your law is written in my heart.
Being
led by the Spirit and walking in the Spirit is the opposite of yielding to the
desires of the flesh’.
What
must we do with these sinful desires?
First recognise them.
The
list of the UGLY works of the flesh verses 19 -21 and 24
1. SENSUAL SINS
Adultery
illicit
sex between married people
Fornication
the
same sin among unmarried people
Uncleanness filthiness
of heart and mind
seeing ‘dirt’ or ‘smut’ in
everything
Lasciviousness closest
word is debauchery, encouraging wanton appetites that know no shame
Drunkenness, orgies speak
for themselves
2. SUPERSTITIOUS SINS
Idolatry/Witchcraft Putting
things ahead of God
We are to Worship
God - Love
people - Use
things
Too often we Use
people - Love
ourselves- Worship things
We leave God out of the picture
completely
3.
SOCIAL SINS
Hatred or enmity. An
attitude of mind which defies and challenges and leads to strife and discord
Jealousy or rivalry. How
tragic when Christians compete with one another to
make another Christian look substandard, like flaunting spiritual gifts
as we heard about last week.
Wrath, uncontrolled outbursts of rage
… and the like, says Paul – not an exhaustive list.
There
is no excuse for the Christian who practices these and other sins. He/she
won’t inherit the
When
we became Christians, we identified ourselves with Christ and our sinful nature
was hammered to that cross. We have to reckon ourselves dead to sin. The
trouble is we keep picking at the nails, feeding it with the things it enjoys
putting ourselves dangerously close to temptations
ONLY
WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT’S HELP CAN WE STOP THIS.
We
have seen the Holy Spirit at work in 2 ways.
HE
ENABLES US TO FULFIL THE LAW OF LOVE
HE
ENABLES US TO OVERCOME OUR SINFUL NATURE
NOW
THE REALLY GOOD NEWS
HE
ENABLES US TO PRODUCE GRACIOUS FRUIT IN OUR LIVES
The
Christian difference – positive qualities must grow out of the life of
the believer – out of the life of the Holy Spirit within him.
The
fruit unfolds slowly, beautifully, like apples ripening. The fruit becomes the
seed of more fruit
Love
draws out more love. Joy helps produce more joy.
‘The
joy of the Lord shall be your strength’ – our wedding verse.
Nehemiah ch 8 v 10
Jesus
talked about bearing fruit, more fruit, even more fruit, much fruit, in his
parable of the vine and the branches and how to care for the vine by careful
pruning.
The
Gifts of the Spirit are to do with special abilities and actions
The
fruit of the Spirit is all to do with Christian Character and can be cultivated
in all of us.
My
apple tree had a main stock tree, a Lord Lambourne I
think, into which was grafted
Cox’s orange pippin, a
The
Holy Spirit’s role in our lives is to bring out the fruit of the Spirit,
the Jesus qualities in us.
The
first three are
GODWARD
QUALITIES
Love
is the greatest, then flowing from this, joy and peace and all the other
aspects.
When
a person lives in a sphere of love, he experiences joy (an inner peace an
sufficiency not affected by outward circumstances) A holy optimism, not
a misplaced one, keeps him going in spite of difficulties.
LOVE
+ JOY = PEACE
A
peace which passes all understanding
MANWARD
QUALITIES
Longsuffering,
patience, courageous endurance without quitting
Gentleness, kindness, a servant attitude, humility.
Goodness,
love in action
The
Christian who is long suffering won’t avenge himself or wish difficulties
on those who oppose him.
He
will be kind and gentle even to the most offensive and will sow goodness where
others sow evil.
HUMAN
NATURE CAN NEVER CONSISTENTLY DO THIS ON ITS OWN.
ONLY
THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN THE CHRISTIAN CAN BE CONSISTENT.
SELFWARD
ASPECTS
Faith,
faithfulness, dependability
Meekness,
not weakness but the right use of power and authority
Temperance,
self control
When
the Holy Spirit causes this fruit to begin to grow in a person’s life
God
gets the glory
The
Christian is unaware of his spirituality and not inwardly proud or seeking praise
The
work of the Spirit is simply to make us more like Jesus.
We
have to cultivate this fruit – to walk in the Spirit, keep in step with
the Spirit, to prune out the bits in our life that hinder the growth of these
Jesus qualities.
We
must share this fruit with people around who are starving for love and joy and
peace. When they see this fruit in us they will know they lack something. We
become fruitful so that others may be fed and Christ may be glorified
Story
of
Wilson
the Shona schoolboy’s song in the musical
‘Spirit’
“To be like Jesus, this thought possesses
me”
Read
out
Will
you allow the Holy Spirit to be the co-cultivator of the fruit of the Spirit in
your life?
He’ll
do his part, if you will co-operate with him.