Galatians 5:13-16
We’re going to read just some scripture here, four verses from Galatians chapter 5 and let me read verses 13 through 16. Here’s what Paul writes, You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Rather, serve one another humbly in love.
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command, love your neighbor as yourself. If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So, I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Well, we’ve been looking at one phrase in the New Testament. It’s one Greek word, and the word is Allélón, which is translated one another. And we’ve been looking at the one another commands in scripture. And it lets us know that God has designed a Christian life to be lived not in isolation, but in community with one another.
And so, the most common one another phrase or command, to no surprise, that’s given in the New Testament, it’s found 16 times, it’s to love one another. And Jesus talked about that in the upper room. Love one another as I have loved you.
By this will all men know that you are my disciples. Not by how many times you go to church, not by how many times you read scripture, but by your love for one another. And so, our love for one another is the distinguishing mark of a follower of Jesus.
Well, as we look at these other one another commands, and there’s 12 of them, and we’re not going to look at all 12, the other 12 one another commands kind of put some flesh on the bones of what does it look like to love one another. And so, we looked at 1st Corinthians 12 where it says we’re members of one another, and Paul uses the illustration of the body of Christ to demonstrate how the church, the body of Christ, is to function. We also looked at a couple of weeks ago the phrase from Romans 15 that we’re to be like-minded one toward another.
And Paul’s praying for the Roman believers, and he says, I want you to have the same attitude as Jesus did. And so where do we find the mind of Christ? Well, it’s Philippians chapter 2, and it’s an attitude of love and sacrifice and obedience, and that we have that like-mindedness toward one another not only in doctrine but in duty, what our goal is as believers in Jesus and a local church. Last week we looked at Romans chapter 10 and looked at a couple other one another phrases, be devoted to one another, and talked about commitment to honor one another, which you’ve obviously done very well today in honoring me.
That’s another command that’s found in Romans 12. But this morning we’re going to look at another one another command. It’s found in the book of Galatians.
If you want to open your Bibles, it’s Galatians chapter 5, and we’re going to look at verses 13 through 25. Now, a little bit of the background to the book of Galatians. The Apostle Paul’s writing to Jewish people in Galatia, and he made a couple visits there on two separate missionary journeys.
But he’s addressing a problem, a false teaching, a group by the name of the Judaizers. Now, the word Judaizers comes from a Greek verb meaning to live according to Jewish customs. You have to remember back in the first century that there was a huge change of the nation of Israel and following all the Jewish laws, and now that Jesus came, and now the gospel is for everyone, and the church really wrestled with that.
But here’s what the Judaizers were saying. The Judaizers taught that in order for a person to be right with God, he must first conform to the Mosaic law, and that specifically circumcision. The Gentiles had to become Jews first, and then they could come to Christ.
This doctrine was a mixture of grace through Christ and works. And so, here’s this group that’s saying, no, you have to first follow all the regulations and laws of the Old Testament, and then you can also follow Jesus and become a follower of His. And so, the Apostle Paul starts out the book of Galatians with strong words of condemnation.
Let me read them to you. It’s Galatians 1:6 through 9. I’m astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. It means a gospel of a different kind, which is really no gospel at all.
He goes on to say in verse 8, even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than one, we preach to you, let them be under God’s curse. As we’ve already said, so now I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel other than the one you’ve accepted, let him be under God’s curse. That’s some pretty strong words of condemnation.
But Paul’s here dealing with the way of salvation. And he’s saying, if you’re preaching the wrong way of salvation, you’re leading people astray and you’re under God’s curse. And so, we know that salvation is what by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, Jesus paid it all.
That one police officer from Costa Rica quoted Ephesians 2:8 and 9. It’s a gift. And when you begin to add anything else to the finished work of Christ on the cross as payment for your sin debt, you’re basically saying Christ’s death on the cross wasn’t enough to pay for my sin. And I have to do something.
And so that’s what the book of Galatians is fighting against, this false teaching that was entering into the church there in Galatian and some of the believers’ lives there. Here’s Romans chapter 4 verses 4 and 5. I don’t know why this verse a number of years ago just jumped out at me, but let me read Romans 4:4 and 5. Now, to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. So, when you get a paycheck at the end of the week or the end of the month or the 15th or the 30th, you don’t say to your employer, well, thank you for that gift.
No, that’s an obligation, that’s a contractual agreement. You earned it. You worked for it.
However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. And there Paul’s saying again, we’re saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, Jesus paid it all. And thank God for that.
Background of Galatians
Main truth- “True freedom comes only through Jesus Christ.”
And so, the theme of Galatians and of this passage is true freedom comes only through Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 8, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. And the book of Galatians deals with, in chapters 3 and 4, that we’re free from the penalty of sin because of what Christ did.
We don’t have to pay for our sins. He already paid for them. There’s no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Chapters 5 and 6, we’re free from the power of sin. So, we don’t need to let sin dominate our lives anymore. But Christ has given us, through the Holy Spirit, the freedom to have victory over sin.
In Christ we are…
i. not to use our freedom to indulge the flesh
So, in our passage this morning, we’re going to look at four truths that are found in verses 13 through 16. One’s a negative instruction and then three positive instructions. And so, let’s look at it this morning from Galatians chapter 5. Here’s the first one.
In Christ, we are not to use our freedom to indulge the flesh. That’s verse 13. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
Do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. The New Living Translation says, do not use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. What’s Paul talking about here? Paul’s talking about Christians that sometimes have the mindset that, okay, Jesus has saved me.
He’s paid the penalty for all of my sins and I’m going to heaven so I can live any way I want. I have a license to sin because Jesus has already forgiven me. And the apostle Paul is saying to the Galatian believers, no, that’s not the way it works.
In fact, Paul addressed this in Romans chapter 6 when he was writing to the Roman believers. What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning that grace may abound? God’s going to forgive us, so I might as well just live any way I want. By no means, we who have died to sin, how can we live any longer in it? And so, Paul says, you need to present your bodies as instruments of righteousness to God.
And so, don’t use your freedom to live any way you want. That’s the first negative truth that Paul points out here. But then he goes on to give us the second truth here.
ii. to serve one another
And this is our one another phrase, and it’s found in the last part of verse 13. Rather, serve one another humbly in love. So, in Christ, we’re not to use our freedom to live any way we want, to indulge sin, but we are to use our freedom to serve one another humbly in love.
Now, who’s the model of this? It’s Jesus, isn’t it? Mark 10:45, for the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. So, Jesus’ whole mission that He came to earth was all about us, all about salvation, all about redemption. His life was a life of service.
And we see that as we study the life of Christ. We see that just days before He went to the cross. Read John chapter 13 through 17, the Upper Room Discourse.
What’s Jesus doing hours before He goes to the cross? He’s washing the feet of His disciples. He takes out His outer garment. He puts a towel around His waist, and He kneels down.
And one by one, He washes the feet of the twelve disciples, including Judas Iscariot, who very soon after that was going to betray Him. Jesus modeled humility, and He modeled servanthood. In fact, when He was asked to define greatness in His kingdom, and this is out of John 20, the mother of Zebedee’s sons, James and John come to Jesus and say, by the way, Jesus, when you’re the king and you’re in your kingdom, is it okay if my one son is on your right hand and your other sons on the left hand? Kind of give them those prime positions of authority in your kingdom.
Jesus says, you don’t understand what you’re asking for. And then He goes on to teach, let me define greatness in God’s kingdom. It’s not how many people serve you, it’s how many people you serve.
And so, in Matthew chapter 20, He tells the disciples, the Gentiles lorded over them, their rulers and their high officials, and they exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.
And whoever wants to be first must be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. And so, in Christ, we are called and are free to serve one another.
Now, what does that look like? Three quick things here. It starts in the home. It starts in the home.
Dr. Gary Chapman wrote a book entitled Five Traits of a Healthy Home. Trait number one, a healthy home, there’s an attitude of service. In a home, you serve one another.
And that’s a mark of what a good, healthy home looks like, serving one another. But it also moves on to the church. And we’re so thankful for so many that serve faithfully here at our church.
Here’s a quote by Rick Warren, former pastor of Saddleback Church in California, serving is the opposite of our natural inclination. Most of the time, we’re more interested in serve us than service. We say, I’m looking for a church that meets my needs and blesses me, not vice versa.
But as we mature in Christ, the focus of our lives should increasingly shift to a life of service to others. The mature follower of Jesus stops asking, who’s going to meet my needs and starts asking, whose needs can I meet? Do you ever ask that question? And so, here the apostle Paul says, we need to serve one another. It starts in the home, opportunities to serve in the church.
iii. to love our neighbor as we love ourselves
And then as we reach out into our community to serve where God has placed us. Well, there’s a third command here. In Christ, we’re not to use our freedom to live any way we want.
In Christ, we’re free to serve and commanded to serve and minister to one another. In Christ, we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. That’s the next part of this section of Scripture.
And so, verse 14, we read, for the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command, love your neighbor as yourself. Elsewhere, Jesus was asked to summarize the law, and he said, love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Do you ever think that the Bible teaches us that we need to love ourselves? Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
So, there’s a proper self-love that we are to have. Now, the apostle Paul in writing about marriage in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 28 says, husband’s ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. So, we naturally want to what? We care for ourselves, we feed ourselves, we take care of ourselves.
There’s a proper self-love. Now, that can be taken too far. And in this love of self, there’s kind of a movement and people say, well, I’m all about self-care.
And yes, we do need to take care of ourselves, but if that take is too far, then the only person you’re concerned about is yourself, and you become consumed with your needs and taking care of yourself, and it can go too far. But the Bible says we’re to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And isn’t it interesting that Jesus answered the question, who is our neighbor? Not talking about the person that lives necessarily next door to you, although they could be included, but in that story of the Good Samaritan, he defines a neighbor as anybody whose need we have the ability to meet is our neighbor.
iv. to live by the Spirit
And so, love your neighbor as you love yourself. Well, the fourth command here, and it’s in verses 16 through 25, and we don’t have time to go into detail here, but in Christ we are to not use our freedom to live any way we want. We’re to serve one another.
We’re to love one another and our neighbor as we love ourselves, be concerned about them. Lastly, we in Christ, we are to live by the Spirit. We are to live by the Spirit.
Verse 16, so I say, walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. So, why are there so many sometimes discouraged, defeated Christians? And one part of the answer to that might be that you’re trying to live a Christian life in isolation, but another answer to that could be that you’re trying to live the Christian life in your own power and strength, and that leads to failure. You know, it’s not a self-improvement program where I just need to do better or try harder.
No, the Bible says, let the Spirit of God who, if you know Jesus as your Savior, lives within you, let Him influence your life. Let Him control your life. Be sensitive to His promptings.
a. the command
And so, here’s, in Galatians 5, here’s the command, verse 16, walk by the Spirit. The New Living Translation says, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives, and not based on feelings, but on the influence and control of the Holy Spirit. This is the way that Jesus lived.
We go back to the beginning of His ministry in Matthew chapter 4, verse 1, Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Why did Jesus spend 40 days in the wilderness before He began His earthly ministry? Well, the Spirit of God led Him there, and there He was tempted by Satan. Now, this is the way the Apostle Paul lived.
In Acts 16, on one of his missionary journeys, he wanted to go to a certain region of the country, and it says, the Spirit of God forbid me to go there. And so, it’s a matter of living by the Spirit. How does the Spirit direct us? Primarily through the Scriptures.
The more you know the Bible, the more you know the teachings of Scripture, because the Spirit of God will use the Word of God to guide our lives. The Spirit of God directs us through prayer. The Spirit of God directs us through godly counsel, that hopefully there’s some godly people in your life who can give you some direction.
b. the conflict
And the Proverbs talks about there’s safety in godly counsel. And so, we are to live by the Spirit. That’s the command, but there’s a conflict.
And Paul writes about it in verses 17 and 18. 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, but if you are led by the Spirit, you’re not under the law. So, Paul says, we’re to be led by the Spirit. But guess what? Even after we come to faith in Christ, we still have a sin nature. It’s called the flesh.
The Greek word is Sarx, and it talks about our sinful nature. So, the Christian has three enemies. The world, that’s the world system that is anti-God. The flesh, that’s our sinful nature. And the devil. And now, Paul says, even though we’re followers of Jesus, there’s a conflict that goes on in our life. It’s a battle between the Spirit and the flesh. Paul experienced that firsthand. He writes about it in Romans 7. He says, the things I want to do, I don’t do.
c. the contrast
And the things I don’t want to do, I end up doing. He says, oh, wretched man that I am. So, if the Apostle Paul struggled with sin, we’re probably in good company if we struggle with sin as well. And then, Paul goes on to give a contrast of living by the flesh, the acts of the flesh. He lists them there in verses 19 through 21. And then, he lists the characteristics of someone whose life is controlled and influenced and led by the Spirit of God.
D. the conquest
They’re called the fruit of the Spirit. Those nine character traits that God wants to develop in each of our lives. Let me remind you what they are. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness. Boy, we’re missing that in our culture today. Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. That’s what God wants to develop in our lives through the Spirit who lives within us. So, in Christ, we’re not to live for ourselves and say we can live any way we want. No, Christ has saved us from the power of sin.
Application Questions
1. Am I trusting in Christ’s finished work on the cross for my salvation?
We’re to serve one another. We’re to love our neighbor. We’re to live by the Spirit. Just a few application questions as we think about bringing this to a conclusion. And let me just add one that’s not on the screen, but here’s the first one. Am I trusting in Christ’s finished work on the cross for my salvation? Have I put my faith and trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as the one who paid for my sin for my eternal destiny? And I trust that you have.
And if you haven’t, it’s easy to receive that costly gift that Jesus paid for us. It’s called the sinner’s prayer. Lord, I know that I’m a sinner. I know I can’t make it to heaven on my own. I know that Jesus died and paid for my sin. And right now, I put my faith in Jesus and Jesus alone and turn from my sin and put my faith in the finished work of Christ.
2. Am I experiencing victory over sin in my life?
And then we become part of God’s family. But here’s a second one, be the first one on the screen. Am I experiencing victory over sin in my life? We’re not going to reach sinless perfection until we get to heaven. It’s going to be a lifetime battle. And so, my question is, and whatever sin you might be struggling with, and Hebrews talks about this, let’s run the race with perseverance. Let’s lay aside the sin that so easily entangles us, that trips us up.
Am I experiencing victory over sin in my life? Colossians chapter 3, verse 5, the Apostle Paul writes these words about victory over sin. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, which is idolatry. Put to death sin in your life.
How do you put to death sin? This past summer, I listened to a speaker by the name of Carl Clausen. He pastors a church in Chicago, and if you ever hear Carl Clausen speak, you will remember it for a long time. He’s passionate about Jesus.
He’s written a book about killing sin, having victory over sin in our life. He’s also written a book called Seven Resolutions, and he gives a little outline of if we’re serious about having victory over sin in our life, there’s some steps that we need to take. Let me just give them to you very quickly.
Number one, recognize that all sin is ultimately against God. Genesis 39, verse 9, when Joseph was being tempted to be involved with Potiphar’s wife, he says, how shall I do this great wickedness and sin against not only my boss, but ultimately, I’m sinning against God. And so, we recognize that all sin is ultimately against God.
But if we’re serious about having victory over sin in our life, we also need to expose it, to confess it. There’s a wonderful prayer in the end of Psalm 139 where the psalmist writes these words, Psalm 139, search me God and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts and see if there’s any offensive way in me.
Lord, would you point out to me an area in my life where I’m missing the mark? And when God does that, what we need to do is confess it. First John 1:9, if we confess our sins. Now wait a second, you might say, I thought I already put my faith in Jesus and all my sins are paid for.
That’s our standing before God. We’re standing justified, just as if we’ve never sinned. Legally, he proclaims that we are righteous in Christ, but in our daily life we still sin.
And sin affects our relationship with one another, sin affects our relationship with God, and so he wants us to confess those daily sins. And to confess, the word simply means to agree with God. If we confess our sin, he’s faithful in just what? To forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And so, we expose it. And then thirdly, he says, this is Karl Clauson, he says we attack it. Here’s what he says, take extreme measures to kill what is killing you.
Remember that limiting access is one of the most practical ways to starve the supply lines of sin. Write down a strategy to make sin less accessible in your life. List the places, the people, or the things that need to be cut off.
3. Am I serving others?
And then he says you need to overwhelm that by filling your mind and your heart with God’s Word and God’s truth and God’s people and encouraging one another. And so, am I having victory over sin? Next, am I serving others? Am I serving others? So, Paul says, serve one another humbly in love. If you were to send your son or daughter off to Taylor University, a very fine Christian University in Upland, Indiana, when they graduate at their commencement ceremony, every graduating senior will get a towel.
I didn’t have a white one, but it’s a towel about this size. They call it the Taylor towel. And so, when you walk across the platform, you’ll get your diploma, but they’ll also give you the Taylor towel.
Here’s what the Taylor towel represents. It’s a symbol of servant leadership that’s given to incoming freshman students. And again, at graduation, it is a tangible reminder to follow Jesus’ example in serving others even when service and relationships get messy.
4. Is my life under the daily influence and control of the Holy Spirit?
So, am I serving others in the home? Am I serving others in the church? Am I serving others in our community? Jesus has called us to serve, and a towel is a good reminder of what we’ve been called to do. Here’s the last one, and then we’re done this morning before we take part in the Lord’s Supper here. Is my life under the daily influence and control of the Holy Spirit? Who’s in charge? Am I cognizant of the fact that the Spirit of God dwells within me? Am I in the Word of God? Am I in tune to those internal promptings of the Holy Spirit? In other words, we could just quote the song, Jesus, take the wheel.
I want you to control my life, Jesus. I want the Spirit of God to lead me, direct me in my daily walk and in my daily choices. So, the Apostle Paul writes to the Ephesian believers in Ephesians chapter five, be filled with the Spirit.
The literal tense there is keep on being filled with the Spirit. Allow the Spirit of God to control your life as we’re in the Word of God, the more we know the Word of God, as we fellowship with other Christians, as we’re in tune to that still small voice, those inner promptings that we need to be in tune with, we’ll have victory over sin and we’ll walk with Jesus. So, I trust you know Him as your Savior.
I trust you’re winning that battle, that daily battle between the Spirit and the flesh. I trust you’re living a life of service. I trust you’re allowing the Spirit of God who lives within you to direct and lead your life.