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As we begin this new series 
titled Fruit of the Spirit, and 

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we're going to be walking 
through Chapter 5, or rather 

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spend more time on chapter 5. 
So this morning I am in some way

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doing an introduction to Chapter
5, and we'll walk through a few 

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verses in chapter 5. 
And then next week onwards, 

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we're going to look at the fruit
of the Spirit. 

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So we titled this message this 
morning, Walk in the Spirit 

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Galatians, Chapter 5. 
We start reading from verse 13. 

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For you were called to freedom, 
brothers only do not use your 

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freedom as an opportunity for 
the flesh, but through love 

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serve one another, for the whole
law is fulfilled in one word. 

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You shall love your neighbor as 
yourself, but if you bite and 

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devour one another, watch out 
that you are not consumed by one

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another. 
But I say, walk by the Spirit, 

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and you will not gratify the 
desires of the flesh. 

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For the desires of the flesh are
against the Spirit, and the 

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desires of the Spirit are 
against the flesh. 

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For these are opposed to each 
other to keep you from doing the

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things you want to do. 
But if you are led by the 

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Spirit, you are not under the 
law. 

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Now the works of the law are 
evident sexual immorality, 

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impurity, sensuality, idolatry, 
sorcery, enmity, strife, 

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jealousy, fits of anger, 
rivalries, dissensions, 

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divisions, envy, drunkenness, 
orgies, and other things like 

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these. 
I warn you as I warn you before,

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that those who do such things 
will not inherit the Kingdom of 

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God, but the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, patience, 

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kindness, goodness, 
faithfulness, gentleness, 

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self-control against such things
that there is no law. 

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And those who belong to Christ 
Jesus have crucified the flesh 

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with its Persian passions and 
desires. 

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If you live by the Spirit, let 
us also keep in step with the 

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Spirit. 
Let us not become conceited, 

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provoking one another and 
envying one another. 

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Stick away to israelako lingua, 
israelako Lina mantra tetanati. 

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Go see it too. 
XNG. 

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Bless, O Lord, the preaching of 
Your Word this morning. 

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Help us to heed to its warning, 
but equally, oh God, help us to 

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be encouraged by it that in some
ways we may be in step with the 

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Holy Spirit. 
We ask this in your name, Amen. 

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So I am aware of time this 
morning, so I'm going to try and

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keep to the time that I have 
this morning. 

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As you would know, we worked 
through 2 stand alone sermons, 

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not one being the nature of the 
church. 

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And the second sermon was the 
parable of the talents. 

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And now we will begin this nine 
part series on the fruit of the 

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Holy Spirit, the book of 
Galatians. 

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It is indeed a fascinating book.
The author of this book in 

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particular identifies himself as
the Apostle Paul and he is 

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addressing serious matters in 
this church because indeed there

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is a theological crisis that is 
taking place here. 

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It has heated the churches in 
Galatia and these churches of 

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course, were comprised of Jews 
and Gentiles alike. 

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And you get a sense of this as 
you walk through this book, as 

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you would see, as I'm going to 
show you later on. 

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And the Apostle Paul is making 
the point here that the this 

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Church of Galatia had had come 
through the proclamation of the 

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gospel all but also through the 
work of the Holy Spirit. 

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And it says that in Galatians 3 
verse 1 to 15 and Galatians 413 

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to 15, he is encouraging these 
churches to hold firm to the 

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gospel. 
And what what begins to happen 

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in this gospel is that there are
those who creep into this 

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context of these churches and 
the apostle Paul has got nothing

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good to say about them. 
They started to really preach a 

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false gospel to say to these 
Gentile Christians that in order

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for you to be truly saved, you 
ought to be circumcised. 

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You have to actually take on the
Mosaic law. 

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In other words, circumcision is 
necessary for you to be accepted

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by God. 
And so this church has been 

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infiltrated by such teaching. 
More specifically those Jewish 

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Christians who are bringing such
teaching into this context. 

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Notice how the apostle Paul 
calls these people. 

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You would notice in Galatians 
one, verse 7 says those who 

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trouble you. 
In Galatians 512, he says those 

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who unsettle you. 
For these Christians, we're 

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calling the Gentile Christians 
to obey the law, to obey the 

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Torah. 
There's something big is at 

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stake here if these Christians 
are to take on the Mosaic law, 

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Was it at stake? 
Is massive. 

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Whenever we take on the law, it 
actually means that the Christ 

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sacrificial death on the cross 
is not sufficient. 

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What is at stake here is 
justification by faith alone 

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apart from the law. 
And so these Christians are 

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calling these gentle Christians 
to come take on this law, keep 

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in step with this law. 
And because of this, the apostle

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Paul is harsh in how he's going 
to address that. 

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And you can see from chapter 1, 
the apostle Paul is not happy at

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all. 
In fact, is quite harsh to these

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people who are bringing to some 
extent this false teaching and 

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really causing division in the 
Church of God and reminding them

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that we ought to keep in step 
with that which the apostle has 

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taught that the Church of God is
never called to add to the 

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gospel nor take away from the 
gospel. 

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The gospel is sufficient as it 
is. 

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All the benefits of the 
believers come by grace through 

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faith. 
Apart from the Mosaic law, the 

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ultimate question here that the 
apostle Paul seems to be 

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addressing is how does then one 
become part of God's family? 

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His answer is not through 
circumcision but by faith alone.

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It is quite interesting as I was
thinking about this and thinking

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about my own culture and my own 
context where circumcision is of

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course practice, and someone 
asked me the other day, will 

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will your children go through 
that same process? 

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I then wrote a paper and I'm 
happy to send it to you to 

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respond if my children will ever
do that within the African black

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contest. 
But here the apostle Paul is 

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addressing something slightly 
different that whether it's 

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circumcision or not. 
What is important for you to 

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realize that circumcision in not
in any way is able to save a 

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person. 
Rather it is through faith in 

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which a person is saved. 
And so the apostle Paul is 

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critical of his audience here. 
Notice what he said from verse 

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chapter one, verse 8. 
But even if an Angel from heaven

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should preach a gospel other 
than the one we preach to you, 

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let them be under God's curse. 
And the Greek word today is 

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anathema. 
Let that person who proclaims a 

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different gospel, let them be 
under God's curse. 

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That is serious. 
Any man who preaches a different

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gospel, let that person be under
God's curse. 

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Therefore, the apostle Paul from
verse 13 to verse 26, I think he

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gives us four things as in 
relation to experiential 

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sanctification. 
In other words, how the Holy 

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Spirit conforms us through the 
likeness of Christ. 

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I was encouraged this morning as
we were in the at the prayer 

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meeting, these prayers around 
the Holy Spirit and this song 

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this morning we sing around the 
Holy Spirit and the works of the

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Holy Spirit. 
That is indeed the Holy Spirit 

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sanctifies his church. 
Notice the first thing the 

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apostle Paul addresses from 
verse 13 to verse 14 and that I 

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titled that point to the 
freedom, the flesh and the law. 

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One of my favorite movies of all
time is Braveheart. 

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I'm not sure how many of you 
have watched this movie is 

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Braveheart. 
And there's a particular scene 

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in that movie where William 
Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, 

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he shouts freedom, not you, 
Wallace. 

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The other ones, he shouts 
freedom. 

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Galatians can be summed up to 
mean freedom or liberty. 

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But this is not a political 
freedom and ideological freedom,

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nor has to do with the gender 
rights and all of those things. 

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He presents a different kind of 
freedom that we have through the

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Lord Jesus Christ. 
This is the kind of freedom that

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we have through the substitutary
death of Christ. 

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And the apostle Paul would 
encourage this just to walk in 

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freedom. 
The gospel does not bring 

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bondage, but rather the gospel 
brings about freedom. 

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And the apostle Paul would want 
these believers to know the kind

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of freedom they have in Christ. 
And if they ought to keep the 

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Mosaic Law, they would not enjoy
the freedom that Christ has 

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given them. 
Rather, they return to slavery 

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in the apostle process. 
Do not take the law. 

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Do not take this slavery upon 
yourself, as this false teachers

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were telling them that evidently
for you to be truly safe, take 

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on that law or the Mosaic Law. 
Christian is called to freedom, 

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but I want you to notice that 
word freedom. 

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The Christian is called. 
It has freedom from something 

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and to something. 
Let us deal first with freedom 

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from something. 
As you read the book of 

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Galatians, you have a sense in 
which the Christian is free, but

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free from what? 
As you sit here this morning 

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singing songs about freedom, 
know this church number one, you

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are freed from condemnation. 
Those who are in Christ Jesus 

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are no longer walking in 
condemnation. 

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They are walking in freedom that
Christ has purchased on their 

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behalf #2 The Christian is free 
from guilt of fear. 

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He's he's free from the shame of
this world. 

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He's free from eternal 
punishment. 

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The Christian is not worried 
about hell because it's been 

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freed with Christ, reconciled 
with Christ, and now wait for 

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the blessedness of Christ, 
because Christ has accomplished 

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all of this for us and our 
behalf. 

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So we are free from 
condemnation, we are free from 

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guilt, but also we are free from
the fear of eternal punishment 

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#3 the Christian is free from 
the devil, from sin and death, 

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because Christ has defeated 
death, Christ has defeated sin, 

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and Christ has defeated the 
enemy. 

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And you can see that in 
Colossians chapter 3. 

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You have been freed from 
something. 

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Therefore, then do not take upon
yourself the Mosaic Law. 

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The Christian is free from 
Satan, from sin, from death, 

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from guilt, from fear, from 
eternal punishment, from 

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condemnation. 
Praise be to God. 

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And I can simply stop the sermon
right here because the Christian

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is free. 
You are free this morning, but 

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also it does not only remind us 
that you are we have freedom 

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from something, but he also 
wants to remind us we are also 

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freed to something. 
That is the language the Apostle

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Paul uses here. 
And therefore believers, be 

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careful to be free from 
something and still pitch a tent

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outside of the prison gate. 
Leave as the one indeed who is 

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free. 
You are free to something, and 

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if you don't know that you are 
free to something, what will 

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happen is that you will try to 
justify yourself through the 

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works of the law, or through 
moral pursuit, or through 

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rituals and many other things, 
not just what the apostle post 

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says as he answers the question,
what are you free to? 

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He says you are free to serve 
and love 1 another because the 

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Christian is already accepted on
the basis of Christ, merit 

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believing and fully accepted in 
Christ. 

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Therefore, now you are free not 
just to do what you want, but 

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you are free to love and serve 
one another humbly. 

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But the apostle Paul goes 
further in answering that 

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question. 
We're not only freed from 

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something and freed to 
something. 

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He says there are two enemies of
our freedom. 

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And we have to watch these two 
enemies of our freedom because 

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if we don't pay attention to 
these enemies of our freedom, we

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will go back to slavery. 
We will go back to the Mosaic 

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law. 
And he mentions these enemies as

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the flesh and the law #1 the 
flesh. 

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Doctor Michael Eaton writes the 
following. 

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That he defines the flesh as the
aspect of our personality in 

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which we feel prompted to sin. 
I'll read it again. 

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That defines the flesh as the 
aspect of our personality in 

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which we feel prompted to sin. 
The flesh will always want to 

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what is contrary to the Spirit. 
The flesh will always whisper to

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us. 
No one is watching. 

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Go ahead and do it. 
The flesh will always whisper to

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us. 
No one is perfect anyway. 

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Go ahead and do it. 
Here is the reason. 

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The flesh is always hungry. 
The flesh demands more and never

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have its feel. 
And may I say to us, Weinberg, 

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Oh dear ones this morning, don't
indulge the flesh. 

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And the apostle Paul gives us 
the anecdote in terms of what we

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ought to do. 
He says crucify it, crucify the 

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flesh. 
Do not feed the flesh, rather 

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crucify the flesh. 
Let the flesh hang on the cross,

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and for some of us, while the 
flesh is hung on the cross, we 

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go back and take the flesh down 
from the cross. 

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This morning we ought not to do 
that. 

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We ought to hang the flesh, 
crucify the flesh, because the 

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fruit of the fruit that the Lord
will produce in US is an 

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evidence of the Spirit's work in
us to triumph over the flesh, 

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not just what it says in 
Galatians 524 And those who 

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belong to Christ have crucified 
the flesh with his passions and 

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his desires. 
Therefore I ask you 2 questions 

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00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:41,000
this morning. 
Oh dear ones, one, are you 

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feeding your flesh? 
What are you feeding your flesh 

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and what is it costing you? 
Oh, are you walking this morning

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00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:56,200
in joy and in freedom? 
I think as I was reading this 

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text and, and, and reading and 
reading this text, and when you 

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get to verse 19 and verse 21, 
you can't help but pause. 

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I pray that if you read verse 19
to 21 at home, you will just 

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pause in reading that. 
There's so much in those verses 

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to just wait as we look at those
works of the flesh and say on 

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that list, look at it, pause, 
process, reflect, ponder. 

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Think about verse 19 and verse 
21. 

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He says this is not only flesh, 
but it is also the law. 

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In the book of Galatians, the 
law appears 32 times. 

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And the Apostle Paul is making a
point here that no one becomes a

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Christian by observing the law 
or observing rules. 

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If one believes that salvation 
is by keeping the law, therefore

252
00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,960
you must keep the whole law, 
which is impossible for anyone 

253
00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,960
to do. 
Furthermore, if salvation is to 

254
00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,440
the law, that everyone must be 
circumcised, so the Gentiles 

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must now be circumcised and be 
like the Jewish believers here. 

256
00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:19,880
And the point is, no one can 
keep the entire law. 

257
00:19:20,920 --> 00:19:25,240
Whenever we talk about the 
Mosaic Law, it is often split 

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00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,000
into three parts. 
One, it is what we call the 

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moral law. 
It is the law that reflects the 

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00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:34,960
very nature, the very character 
of God, the moral law. 

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00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,680
Really we can sum it up in the 
10 commandments. 

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That is the moral law do not, do
not. 

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00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:45,840
But also God gives Israel civic 
laws that we are regulating the 

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00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:50,600
lives of the Hebrew people, 
things around divorce, things 

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00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:53,360
around how they were they were 
they were they were what we do 

266
00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:57,560
in regarding to disputes among 
them things that had to do with 

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00:19:57,560 --> 00:19:59,760
marriage and property rights and
all of those things. 

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00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:06,080
They were civil laws that. 
The Israel had to adhere to #3 

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00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,880
there were also ceremonial laws 
which related to how people of 

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00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:13,560
God ought to worship God, the 
sacrifices, the, the rituals, 

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00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,160
the celebrations. 
And so the apostle was saying, 

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00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:19,440
if you want to keep the law, you
keep all of it, not just part of

273
00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,320
it. 
The civil law, the ceremonial 

274
00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:23,720
law, you, you, you keep that as 
well. 

275
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:28,240
And you keep the, the, the, the,
the moral laws as well, which is

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00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:32,560
impossible to do. 
The point Apostle Paul is making

277
00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:37,040
that the law cannot do what 
Christ have done, that believers

278
00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:43,080
come to Christ by placing their 
faith in Christ and therefore 

279
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:49,080
their status changes completely.
They do not need to observe laws

280
00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:52,120
in order to be part of God's 
household. 

281
00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:57,120
Praise be to God, it is 
difficult to keep such laws. 

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00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:02,520
Just may I remind you, we break 
such laws every day, every 

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00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,360
single day. 
And so Paul says to them in a 

284
00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:08,120
very harsh way. 
Paul is not kind here in a very 

285
00:21:08,120 --> 00:21:10,160
harsh way. 
He says, oh, you foolish 

286
00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,200
Galatians, Oh, who bewitched 
you? 

287
00:21:14,120 --> 00:21:17,920
Who bewitched you Galatians? 
It was before your eyes that 

288
00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,880
Jesus Christ publicly portraying
the sacrifice. 

289
00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:25,440
Let me ask you only this Did you
receive the Spirit by works of 

290
00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,280
the law or by hearing by faith? 
Are you so foolish? 

291
00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:34,160
Heaven begun by the Spirit? 
Are you now being perfected by 

292
00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:40,080
the flesh? 
When you live by grace, you 

293
00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,720
depend on the power of the 
Spirit. 

294
00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,720
But if you live under the law, 
you must depend on your own 

295
00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:50,920
performance and power daily. 
Can I say to depend on your own 

296
00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:53,240
power daily? 
You will fail. 

297
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,680
We are not sustained by what we 
do. 

298
00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,880
We are sustained by the grace of
God each day. 

299
00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:08,560
The law to the Jews says You are
righteous by keeping the law. 

300
00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:16,880
Grace says I'm not righteous. 
My righteousness is accredited 

301
00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:22,160
to me through the death and the 
sacrificial death of Christ 

302
00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:26,960
Jesus. 
I can't make myself righteous. 

303
00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:32,240
Christ's righteousness has been 
accredited to me. 

304
00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:39,360
If hypothetically, we would be 
asked at the doors of heaven, 

305
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:43,760
why are you here, the answer 
would not be because I'm just a 

306
00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:46,400
Christian or I was a good 
person. 

307
00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:51,760
Let me in because of Christ. 
That's the answer. 

308
00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,920
Because His righteousness has 
been accredited to me. 

309
00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,240
I don't deserve to go in because
of what I've done. 

310
00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:02,080
I deserve to go in because of 
what He has done. 

311
00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:09,160
It's because of Him we don't 
depend on ourselves. 

312
00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:14,520
Paul argues to this Christian 
that the law was simply your 

313
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:21,080
guardian until Christ has come. 
Now that Christ has come, now 

314
00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:26,000
that you have received Christ, 
you no longer need a guardian to

315
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,000
gain the righteousness of 
Christ. 

316
00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,960
And so I ask you this morning, 
are you free? 

317
00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:44,000
Are you depending on your own 
performance perhaps, Or do you 

318
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,040
feel you must do certain things 
for you to be truly accepted in 

319
00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,760
Christ Jesus? 
I want to say this morning to 

320
00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:56,320
you, let go of that. 
Let go of that was Christ has 

321
00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:05,520
done it all. 
It is finished #2 freedom to 

322
00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:11,720
serve in love and not bite. 
He uses a very interesting 

323
00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,080
language here. 
But if you bite and devour one 

324
00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,440
another, watch out. 
You are not consumed by one 

325
00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:22,040
another. 
The the language of biting seems

326
00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:28,120
to convey an idea of a snake 
bite or a behaviour that is 

327
00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:34,720
common to wild animals. 
The term devours him to convey 

328
00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,920
the idea of eating parts of 
another. 

329
00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:43,840
So the apostle Porter is using a
wonderful imagery to address the

330
00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,200
issue of relations among the 
believers. 

331
00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:52,320
And so he says, there are those 
among you who are legalistic 

332
00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:57,600
expecting you to be circumcised 
or to keep the Mosaic Law. 

333
00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,040
And you're saying to them, I 
want you to watch out as a 

334
00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,680
family and as the churches don't
be legalistic to one another. 

335
00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,160
If you do that, you're going to 
bite one another and devour one 

336
00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:11,920
another. 
Because when you are a legalist,

337
00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:15,360
often what happens, you become 
quarrelsome because you want to 

338
00:25:15,360 --> 00:25:19,040
observe the law and you are very
critical of others winning 

339
00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:22,720
arguments than loving other 
people. 

340
00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,320
If you read the book of 
Galatians, it is only at this 

341
00:25:26,320 --> 00:25:28,040
point where you see the Apostle 
Paul. 

342
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,360
He's not saying they are doing 
this, He's not saying they're 

343
00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:37,240
guilty of this, but he is 
warning them that do avoid this.

344
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:45,040
Do not bite one another. 
Instead, love one another. 

345
00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:50,520
I don't need to even give you 
examples of how we can bite one 

346
00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:54,240
another, but I think the wisdom 
of Michael Eaton, again, he is 

347
00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:56,480
quite helpful. 
He is saying this is an 

348
00:25:56,480 --> 00:26:00,640
interesting thing about the law.
It is meant to promote love, but

349
00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:05,040
typically unlegalistic people 
are more loving than legalistic 

350
00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,880
people. 
Love is not criticizing others, 

351
00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:14,000
but ministering to others. 
It moves out to touch everyone, 

352
00:26:14,520 --> 00:26:21,560
but begins with one another. 
This is the encouragement of the

353
00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,480
apostle. 
That is the This is not 

354
00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,120
something that happens 
externally, but this is 

355
00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:32,040
something the Holy Spirit 
produces in us to love one 

356
00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:37,200
another. 
So I ask you again, are you 

357
00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:40,360
biting? 
Are you quarrelsome? 

358
00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:43,760
Are you more concerned about 
rules? 

359
00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:51,840
Are you concerned about the love
#3? 

360
00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,240
Ryan, you'll just say this and 
then I'll stop. 

361
00:26:55,240 --> 00:26:56,800
Ryan, you need to give me an 
education. 

362
00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:03,680
The flesh and the spirit #3 The 
flesh and the spirit from verse 

363
00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:08,640
16 to verse 17. 
But I say to you, by the Spirit,

364
00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,200
and you will not gratify the 
desires of the flesh, for the 

365
00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,880
desires of the flesh against the
spirit and the desires of the 

366
00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:18,040
spirit are against the flesh, 
for they're opposed to each 

367
00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:24,320
other to keep you from doing the
things you want to do. 

368
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:30,200
Constable defines it this way. 
To walk by the Spirit means 

369
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:36,280
living moment by moment, 
submissively trusting in the 

370
00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:42,160
Holy Spirit rather than itself. 
And so the apostle Paul is 

371
00:27:42,280 --> 00:27:46,520
encouraging the church here. 
Walk by the Spirit. 

372
00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:49,960
Let your Spirit direct you. 
Let your Holy Spirit be in 

373
00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:52,800
control. 
Keep on working. 

374
00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:55,560
That's the that's the root 
language here of walking by the 

375
00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,560
Spirit. 
The root language is keep 

376
00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:04,960
walking by the Holy Spirit. 
And for some of you may say this

377
00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,400
morning, Eric, you simply do not
understand. 

378
00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:11,680
When I'm tempted, I cannot help 
it. 

379
00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:17,640
I just can't get enough. 
Eric, you don't understand. 

380
00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:19,840
I really struggle with slander 
and gossip. 

381
00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:24,600
You do not understand. 
I don't like those people very 

382
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:26,720
much. 
They're not likeable anyway. 

383
00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:35,040
You just don't understand which 
the Apostle Paul would respond. 

384
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:40,040
It is because you are not 
walking in the Spirit. 

385
00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:45,240
Instead you are indulging the 
flesh. 

386
00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:52,400
And because we saw earlier on 
that we are called to something,

387
00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:56,520
free to something. 
The Christian is led by the Holy

388
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,200
Spirit, not only led by the Holy
Spirit. 

389
00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:03,080
The the believer is sealed by 
the Holy Spirit as they 

390
00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:07,120
guarantee, as they deposit of 
the future inheritance, so the 

391
00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:13,600
believer has the Holy Spirit. 
Our freedom is not a license to 

392
00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:17,200
sin habitually. 
Our freedom is not for us to 

393
00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,960
walk in disobedience. 
Just let me remind you that in 

394
00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:26,880
this world the fight will go on 
in the believer's life it will 

395
00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:29,360
go on until we die. 
Why? 

396
00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:31,560
Because our of our sinful 
nature. 

397
00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:37,160
The flesh once what is contrary 
to the spirit the flesh will say

398
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:41,320
Eric come on have an affair. 
The flesh, once that is put, no 

399
00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:46,720
self-control will we fight every
day. 

400
00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:50,280
That's what the apostle forces 
walk in the Spirit, because the 

401
00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:55,360
flesh wants what is contrary to 
the Spirit. 

402
00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:58,840
Paul in Colossians puts it this 
way, put to death. 

403
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:02,360
Therefore, what is earthly in 
your sexual immorality, 

404
00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,960
impurity, passion, evil desires,
which is idolatry? 

405
00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:08,400
Church. 
The apostle Paul does not call 

406
00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:12,960
us to manage our flesh. 
He calls us to put it to death, 

407
00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:18,880
for flesh cannot be managed. 
Put it to death. 

408
00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,560
Crucify it. 
Let the flesh die. 

409
00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:26,840
Do you know when that? 
Do you know when that happens? 

410
00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:36,280
Every single day. 
I was reminded as I was 

411
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:44,560
preparing this of Solomon, that 
part of Solomon's mess did not 

412
00:30:44,560 --> 00:30:45,880
really. 
Most of it actually happened 

413
00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:50,400
when he was just young. 
Solomon actually moved away from

414
00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:56,240
God in his old age. 
It's quite interesting, quite 

415
00:30:56,240 --> 00:31:00,760
interesting to me, that a man in
his old age would actually go 

416
00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:06,080
and serve other gods. 
Because the flesh knows nothing 

417
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,600
about age. 
Absolutely nothing. 

418
00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,920
It fights the young, it fights 
the old. 

419
00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:20,880
That's why we fight every single
day. 

420
00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:28,440
One of my favorite theologians, 
Doctor Mark Jones, he writes the

421
00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:32,760
following. 
Christians commit certain sins 

422
00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:37,320
in the presence of God that they
would never dream of doing in 

423
00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:47,320
the presence of others. 
Walk by the Spirit. 

424
00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:53,800
Each day we say, Holy Spirit, 
help us to say yes to you. 

425
00:31:54,920 --> 00:31:57,520
Temptations will come from 
different directions. 

426
00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:02,800
Holy Spirit, help us this 
morning, this day, to say yes to

427
00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:04,720
you. 
Help us. 

428
00:32:04,960 --> 00:32:07,800
We can't do this in our own 
power, in our own strength, in 

429
00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:11,840
our own will. 
Holy Spirit, help us, Help us to

430
00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:14,840
say no to that contrary to your 
word. 

431
00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,720
Help us to say no to that which 
brings your name under 

432
00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:20,600
disrepute. 
Holy Spirit, help us. 

433
00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:26,400
We are helpless without you. 
Each day we do that because 

434
00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:29,920
apart from the Holy Spirit 
Church, we drop the ball. 

435
00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:37,800
Need the Holy Spirit thank you. 
We want to say yes to you, Holy 

436
00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:42,320
Spirit. 
Therefore, the antidote to the 

437
00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:46,880
flesh is to be in fellowship 
with the Spirit. 

438
00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:52,880
It is to walk in the Spirit, to 
be filled with the Spirit, and 

439
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:58,440
to be led by the Spirit. 
And I ask you again, perhaps 

440
00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,200
which side will win? 
Will it be the flesh or will it 

441
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:14,320
be the spirit #4 for my maybe 
this is my last point, Verse 19 

442
00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:19,480
to verse 21, the works of the 
flesh and inheriting the 

443
00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:23,480
Kingdom. 
And we know from verse 19 to 

444
00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:27,720
verse 21, where I said we needed
to pause, that the apostle gives

445
00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:32,520
us these works of the flesh, and
these are ugly. 

446
00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:38,240
These works of the flesh are so 
ugly. 

447
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:43,720
This is what our sinful human 
nature produces. 

448
00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:51,080
A true Christian is knows not to
flirt with sexual immorality, 

449
00:33:51,240 --> 00:33:59,040
impurity, jealousy, divisions, 
and envy, but rather to walk in 

450
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:05,920
the Spirit, not to sow in the 
flesh church. 

451
00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:14,800
At times our hearts get heavy, 
at times we lose our joy and may

452
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:19,440
even find ourselves practicing 
such things. 

453
00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:24,840
But I wanted to notice that the 
Apostle Paul here is very harsh 

454
00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,800
and is not really sanitizing any
of this. 

455
00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:35,199
He calls these works sin because
that is what they are calling 

456
00:34:35,199 --> 00:34:40,560
the believers again to nail this
to the cross and repent and 

457
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:50,570
torque in the spirit and each of
us may struggle with something 

458
00:34:50,570 --> 00:34:54,449
on that list we can actually 
identify. 

459
00:34:54,449 --> 00:34:57,530
Maybe maybe this is my struggle.
This is this is my struggle. 

460
00:34:59,130 --> 00:35:05,320
I struggle with this for some of
us may say, we say perhaps it's 

461
00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,240
an encourage. 
I want to say to you that we in 

462
00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:11,760
our struggles, we don't stroke 
things like jealousy and even 

463
00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:15,240
maybe call them struggle. 
No, we repent of it because it's

464
00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:17,760
sin. 
We don't flirt with sexual 

465
00:35:17,760 --> 00:35:21,000
immorality and say no, no, no. 
I can't help myself. 

466
00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:25,400
We repent of it. 
We don't stroke anger and say 

467
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:26,640
no. 
Many people know me. 

468
00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,600
I have a short fuse. 
Even my family knows me. 

469
00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:31,840
I have a short fuse. 
People know me. 

470
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:42,440
That's the work of the flesh. 
We nail it to the cross. 

471
00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:51,680
And so we may be struggling with
with this and maybe some of 

472
00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:54,240
these. 
And so I am giving you both a 

473
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:57,000
warning, but also an 
encouragement. 

474
00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:05,960
Constable writes the following. 
A Welshman said I cannot help if

475
00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:10,280
a bird alights on top of my 
head, but I can help if he 

476
00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:14,840
builds his nest in my hair. 
And so you may not be able to 

477
00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:19,440
help it if evil thoughts come 
surging into your mind, but you 

478
00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:22,000
can help indulging in those 
thoughts. 

479
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:30,240
If we don't, it will cost us our
freedom. 

480
00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:36,680
Finally, he says, I warned you. 
Therefore those who do such 

481
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:38,960
things will not inherit the 
Kingdom of God. 

482
00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:44,440
Now, I want to say from the 
onset here that many scholars 

483
00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:47,600
and theologians disagree on this
part of the text. 

484
00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,640
Many people I respect, they 
don't have the same view 

485
00:36:52,400 --> 00:36:56,080
regarding this text. 
One others refer it to 

486
00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:58,720
salvation. 
Other scholars referred to it 

487
00:36:58,720 --> 00:37:01,440
really as simply a struggle with
sin. 

488
00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:07,280
I don't hold the view that I 
think this relates to salvation,

489
00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:10,080
but I think I don't think that's
what the apostle Paul is 

490
00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:16,720
addressing. 
Rather, I do think he is talking

491
00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:21,040
about a real struggle for 
believers, that believers indeed

492
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:26,000
will struggle with these things 
not just in the future, but they

493
00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:28,800
will struggle with those things 
here and now. 

494
00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,880
But he says to them in their 
struggle, do not be mocked. 

495
00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:37,120
God is not for whatever man sows
that he will reap for any for 

496
00:37:37,120 --> 00:37:41,360
one who sows to his flesh will 
from the flesh reap corruption, 

497
00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:44,520
but the one who sow to the 
Spirit will from the Spirit reap

498
00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:50,920
eternal life. 
Michael Eaton again. 

499
00:37:52,720 --> 00:37:54,480
Allow me to quote him the third 
time. 

500
00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:58,840
He writes the following The 
Christian is safe in his status 

501
00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:02,400
in the Kingdom of God, But the 
sinning Christian is setting up 

502
00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,960
for loss of the blessing of the 
Kingdom, for the powerful 

503
00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,840
corrective punishments of God, 
and for the possibility of 

504
00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:11,040
ultimately being saved through 
fire. 

505
00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:14,320
We are to walk in freedom, are 
to walk in the Spirit. 

506
00:38:14,480 --> 00:38:17,760
If we sow to the Spirit, the 
blessing of God will come upon 

507
00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,960
us in life and in the visible 
and glorious rewards of 

508
00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:24,000
eternity. 
So this is not losing salvation.

509
00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:29,320
This is about believers who to 
some extent, because of their I 

510
00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:33,280
said, unfaithfulness, may lead 
to certain rewards, not 

511
00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:36,880
receiving certain rewards to 
which they ought to receive. 

512
00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:40,600
But a believer indeed, according
to the apostle Paul in Romans 

513
00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:45,880
13, can commit some of these 
things as listed in verse 19 to 

514
00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:51,360
verse 23. 
But also it is an encouragement 

515
00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:58,880
to faithfulness and therefore, 
church, what are we ought to do?

516
00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:03,000
I'm closing now to keep in step 
with the Spirit. 

517
00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:06,320
Number one, I think to keep in 
step with the Spirit, we ought 

518
00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:10,600
to be people of prayer. 
We must be people of devotion to

519
00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:16,240
God. 
One author once said that in the

520
00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:19,680
morning the first person you 
ought to talk to is God. 

521
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:23,040
We ought to keep in step with 
the Spirit through prayer. 

522
00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:27,280
We need to be careful of what we
watch on television, on social 

523
00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:30,720
media, and the kind of music to 
which we listen to the 

524
00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:33,960
influences. 
All these things in our lives. 

525
00:39:34,640 --> 00:39:38,400
We must be careful to keep in 
step with the Spirit. 

526
00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:42,280
We do this by serving others in 
love. 

527
00:39:43,240 --> 00:39:47,000
We keep in step with the Spirit 
through reading and studying and

528
00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:50,920
and and and and and devoting 
ourselves and memorizing 

529
00:39:50,920 --> 00:39:56,040
Scripture and going deep into 
Scripture to know God's will for

530
00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:58,720
our lives. 
We keep in step with the Spirit 

531
00:39:59,320 --> 00:40:01,960
through confession and 
repentance. 

532
00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:07,480
Our Lord in heaven, we thank you
for this morning to be reminded 

533
00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:10,680
what it means to walk in the 
Spirit, to call, to be in step 

534
00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:14,680
with the Holy Spirit. 
And Lord, we know that each of 

535
00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:18,880
those things mentioned, we 
cannot defeat those things in 

536
00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:23,560
our own strength, in our own 
power, but we, we need the Holy 

537
00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:26,880
Spirit to help us in our journey
of faith. 

538
00:40:27,680 --> 00:40:29,360
We ask you, please, Holy Spirit,
help us. 

539
00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:31,880
We may be struggling with a lot 
of things on that list. 

540
00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:34,640
For some of us, it may be a lot 
of things in that list. 

541
00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:37,680
But Lord, we ask you to please, 
please help us. 

542
00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:42,760
Holy Spirit, empower us, fill 
us, rejuvenate us. 

543
00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,320
Holy Spirit, we, we want to be 
those who say no to these things

544
00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:51,120
and yes to you. 
Please help us. 

545
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:55,720
Lord, we need you. 
We desperately need you. 

546
00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:59,520
Lord Jesus, we ask this in your 
name, Amen.