Galatians 5:17–25 - Walking by the Spirit, Part 2

If you glance again over the list Paul gives in verses 19–21. It looks like the content of a celebrity tabloid website or a reality TV show, doesn’t it?

It’s a pretty broad list of evils in the world, but it’s not an exhaustive list. Paul doesn’t seem to have that goal in mind. Notice he says “and things like these.” He could’ve recited many more examples of sinfulness in the world.

Now glance over the second list, which he titles “the fruit of the Spirit.” It doesn’t seem to be exhaustive, either. That isn’t all that the Holy Spirit produces in believers. For example, perhaps “humility” or “hope” could be on the list.

Rather than including every single item in each category, Paul is illustrating the contrast between two different ways of being and living and the power behind each of them.

This part of Galatians 5 is well-used by preachers – especially the fruit of the Spirit – and it can easily be lifted from its context to produce all kinds of sermons. But to understand the meaning, we should connect these verses to the overall argument that Paul has been making up to this point: all people try to justify themselves through their own ability. All people work to achieve righteousness for themselves by themselves.

We’re all naturally slaves to proving ourselves. Paul called this slavery to “the elementary principles of the world.” It’s what the Galatians were doing by trying to keep OT ceremonial laws. They were attempting to use God’s law to make themselves right with Him. But this downgraded the person and work of Jesus Christ in their hearts.

Their trust had shifted from the works of Christ back to their own works – which is like willingly returning to captivity and slavery after being set free. To do that gives control back to the sinful nature after Christ has set you free. We’re all capable of it; in fact, we’re prone to it.

And when our trust shifts from Christ to ourselves, any of a number of great evils will result in our lives. That’s why Paul composes this grotesque list in verses 19-21.

He doesn’t name these sins only to inform them of what the lost world is doing. He names them because if the Galatians continue to submit to a yoke of slavery, then these things (and more) are what they will find themselves doing.

The Galatians were capable of all these things — and so are we. All these and more. But like the Galatian believers, if you are in Christ, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you are also capable of everything listed in verses 22 and 23 — and more.

This list of sins is produced in our lives by focusing on what man can do. The list of good fruit is produced by focusing on what Christ has done. And we’re going to look closer at both as we continue to explore what it means to “walk by the Spirit.”

Notice the outline listed for you on page 6. Paul drives home three points for the Galatians, and for us today: First, man-centered means and Christ-centered means produce two different ends. Second, relying on self produces the works of man and leads to death. And finally, relying on Christ produces the fruit of the Spirit and leads to life.

Now look again at verse [17], “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.” Paul sets forth two mutually incompatible ways of living and being. “The desires of the flesh” or “sinful nature” includes the desire to take you back to the condemnation of the law. The sin nature wants to work for righteousness once again, even though it’s useless.

And so the sinful nature craves man-centered means for justification. The sin nature wants autonomy from God; therefore, it prioritizes human ability and willpower for achieving righteousness.

Related to the worship service and the pulpit, the flesh wants messages, methods, and motivation that builds up the self. This is why it drags you back under the law as a means of righteousness.

However, notice verse [18], “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Last week we learned that if we are being led and fed by God with Christ, then we aren’t returning to the law for our justification. That only leads to condemnation.

God has ordained means that train us to rely totally on Jesus. He uses messages, methods, and motivation that will produce true righteousness in us as they showcase not the power of the self, but of the Savior. These are Christ-centered means that glorify the Messiah, and not man. They strengthen our faith to rely on the Lord Jesus and not on the law.

Notice [24], “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” The sinful nature’s power over us died with Christ on the cross. We who are born again have been set free from the sinful nature’s control. Romans 7 says we now belong to Christ “that we may bear fruit for God.” We are now able to put sin to death in our daily lives, but we need help.

See verse [25], “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Which is to say, if we have been set free from sin’s power by Christ, then let’s continue to be led and fed with the means or by the methods that God has ordained to strengthen our faith in who Jesus is and what He’s done.

What’s at stake as we choose between the man-centered and the Christ-centered way? If you look over these lists, your quality of daily life is at stake. Your personal relationships are at stake. Your mental well-being, your physical health, your decisions and their consequences – either good or bad. What kind of life do you want to live while you’re alive on this earth? Let’s compare the two.

Verse [19] “Now the works of the flesh are evident.” Back in Galatians 4, Paul makes this “flesh” and “Spirit” comparison by revisiting the account of Ishmael and Isaac in the OT book of Genesis. These were the two sons of Abraham. God had promised a son to Abraham and his wife Sarah. They had to walk by faith and wait for God to fulfill this promise.

In the meantime, their faith wavered. So they took matters into their own hands. Ishmael was conceived by human effort in a relationship outside their marriage. Isaac was conceived by the Holy Spirit’s power within their marriage. Ishamel was the result of human scheming; Isaac was the result of God’s promise; Ishamel represents those enslaved by works through law; Isaac represents those freed by faith through grace.

God’s promise of salvation is not achieved through human effort and creative schemes, and our trust in Christ is not strengthened in those ways, either. The faith to rest in Jesus is not made stronger by appeals to the flesh. The flesh thinks, “I must prove myself to God.” One conclusion is thinking, “I can do it. Just me the list of do’s and don’ts. I will earn God’s love and favor.” Another is, “I can never do enough. I will never get God’s love and favor.”

Our worship on the Lord’s Day and your spiritual life throughout the week shouldn’t reinforce these foolish conclusions of the flesh, because the result will be something in verse 19-21, or something like these.

Now, will you do all of these? Probably not, but you might do more of them than you thought you were capable of. Like I said, there are other sins described in Scripture that aren’t on this list. Gossip, lying, stealing, killing, gluttony, greed, stinginess. The list goes on. But all of these evils have the same power behind them: the sinful nature.

When you are urged to rely on yourself, the result will be some “work of the flesh.” When the overarching message is what you must do, rather than what Christ has done, then in some form or fashion, the result will be works of the flesh. If your efforts are on the forefront of your mind, the result will be works of the flesh.

In Galatia, Paul didn’t tell them to put aside ceremonial law to focus on moral law. He told them to put aside ceremonial law to focus on Jesus Christ. Now, I’m not saying that if you hear one man-centered message after another, or attend one man-centered worship service after another, or if you have a spiritual life that is generally man-centered that you will definitely resort to, say, sexual immorality. But you might. And you will fall into something on this list or some “things like these.”

Relying on self produces the works of man and leads to death.

Paul is not just saying that we shouldn’t do these things. He is saying that self-righteousness produces these things. He is saying that when we trust in ourselves, we will produce these works – but when we trust only in Christ, the Spirit will produce His fruit.

Look again at verse [22] “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” There is a law against the things in verses 19-21. This means that in our own power, we naturally break God’s holy law.

But what the Holy Spirit produces does not break the law. And God has sent the Spirit into our hearts, fulfilling His ancient promise. When was this promise made?

Earlier in worship, we read various passages from the OT book of Isaiah. Isaiah recounts how when God delivered ancient Israel from slavery in Egypt, He established them like a vineyard to bear good fruit. But they bore bad fruit.

They produced the evil things in verses 19-21, and more. Therefore, God allowed them to be overrun by their enemies. The vineyard was trampled. But Isaiah prophesied that a day was coming when, “Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit.” He said it would be when “the Spirit is poured upon us from on high.” And then God would make “her desert like the garden of the LORD.” Those who receive His Spirit be like in the garden of Eden, with good fruit!

You see, unlike man-centered means, when we use the means God has ordained, the Holy Spirit produces this good fruit in us. Relying on Christ produces the fruit of the Spirit and leads to life.

Perhaps you’ve heard us talk here about “the ordinary means of grace” In other words, “the ordained means of strengthening our faith in Christ.” With Scripture as our guide, we understand that God uses the Christ-exalting preaching and reading of His Word, and He uses the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and He uses prayer.

God has given us these so that we can, as Jesus says in John 15, abide in Him. John writes that Christ said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, it is he that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” What does it mean to “abide” in Christ? It means to remain with Him, to not leave Him, to never depart from the consuming grace and knowledge of Him.

If you look at verses 22-23 once more, they describe the wonderful earthly life and ministry of our dear Savior. He never broke the law of God. He did not deserve the condemnation of the law, but He bore the full weight of condemnation for you. He displayed all these fruit of the Spirit even as He endured the wrath of God for us.

Will you feast on the God-ordained means for abiding in Christ? The Galatians were no longer abiding in Christ – and they were bearing bad fruit. But it was by no means too late for them. Christ was compassionately calling them back to Himself. And He calls us today.

He calls you today. Will you place all your trust on Jesus Christ today, and every day? In your own power, you aren’t able. But He is able, and He is ours forevermore. He will keep you and care for you, and being led and fed by Jesus, you will walk by the Spirit.

Let’s bow together in prayer.