Faithful on Fridays Blog

Part One

It amazes me when I talk to believers about faith and they list the things they do. Now, don’t get me wrong, these are usually good things: “I go to church, read my Bible, and pray.” The attitude is, “That should do it” but does it? Paul didn’t agree so he wrote to the church in Galatia, who were being deceived, to remind them of their freedom in Christ. 

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. Galatians 5:1 

In Galatians 5 Paul reminds us that we are free to do whatever we want; the question is what do we want to do? What drives us in life? Since those who trust in Jesus for salvation are no longer slaves why do we go back to things we know we shouldn’t do?

But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. Galatians 5:5 

Oh … it’s about life in the Spirit. 

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 

Paul continued in this chapter showing us that the power of the Spirit living in us changes our lives and we can walk in total freedom. God’s best for us is to be driven by the Spirit and serve others. Pretty simple, right?

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. Galatians 5:16-17 

It sounds like there’s a war going on in our hearts and minds, opposing forces battling for a victorious life; whose side are you on? It’s pretty easy to tell, Paul even gave us a sample of desires of the flesh in verses 19-21 in case we weren’t sure: take a look at it, it’s grim. However, he doesn’t leave us there but reminds us of the contrast of life in the Spirit.

Here are some excerpts:

• Living by the Spirit (used twice)
• Walking by the Spirit
• Led by the Spirit
• Desires of the Spirit
• Fruit of the Spirit
• Keeping in step with the Spirit

All those phrases are used by Paul in Galatians 5 for the express purpose of showing the benefits of Spirit-filled believers. How do you know if you’re a Spirit-filled believer? That’s the point of the metaphor of fruit: what’s growing in your life? Which side is winning this war; Paul says it’s evident. People watch you, listen to you, and analyze what you say, it’s evident to them if you’re different.