The crux of the gospel, Galatians 6:11-18

Do you know any magic tricks?  I have never really been able to do any that actually fooled anyone.  I can sort of do one trick, which I performed for my wife with a plastic cup and a lemon.  I think I might have fooled her with that one.  But from what little I know about magic tricks, the trick is to distract the person with one hand, while doing something else with the other hand.  So you distract on the one hand and then deceive with the other.  Or at least that’s a simple explanation for a lot of tricks.  That’s why they call it a sleight of hand.

The devil is a master of deception.  He is a mastery of trickery. And he uses this method to deceive people, not only those who are unsaved, but even those who are in the church. He distracts people from the truth on the one hand, and then deceives them with what appears to be true by the other hand, when in fact, he has substituted a lie for the truth. And because you think you so obviously see it, you believe it.

Paul warned in 1Tim. 4:1 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.”

The devil substitutes a lot of different things for the gospel.  He has a lot of different tricks up his sleeve. Some people are duped by false experiences.  Some are deceived by a false prophet who proclaims some new revelation or dream.  Some are deceived by some pseudo science that claims to provide the missing link to understand the Bible.  Some have come to believe that by being baptized they are insured a place in heaven.  Some are trusting in the observance of the Sabbath as the means of being right with God.  Satan has deceived many people by many different means. 

The Galatians had been tricked into thinking that by observing the law, especially the law of circumcision, they could be fully right with God.  It seemed innocuous enough.  After all, the law came from God, it was recorded in the scriptures. It had the appearance of righteousness. But Paul calls it another gospel.  A false hope.  And he even goes so far as to say that to observe the law was to make the gospel of no use to you.

He said in ch. 5:2-4 “Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.  And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.  You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” 

Paul was talking about two different gospels, not two different interpretations of

the same gospel, but two different gospels. In one of them, man stands before God on the basis of human merit. In the other, he stands before God on the merits of Jesus Christ. In the one, he stands before God in the righteousness of his own human achievement. In the other, he stands before God recognizing he cannot do anything to satisfy God but Christ has done something that does satisfy God.

So he has finished his argument by the middle of chapter 6. He has shown that the flesh and the Spirit are opposites, and we must die to the flesh that we might live in the Spirit.  And now the apostle Paul writes the postscript to the letter with his own hand.  Vs. 11, “See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.”

What he is talking about here is his usual method of writing a letter was to dictate it to a secretary, or what they call an amanuenses.  I believe the scriptures indicate that Paul had a severe eye impediment which made it difficult for him to write.  And so he used someone to write for him.  But at the end of his letters it was customary for him to write a postscript so that they might be assured that it was written by Paul.  For instance, he says at the end of 2Thess. 3:17 “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write.”  His handwriting must have been very distinctive, using large letters because he could not read his own handwriting.

And he should have just signed off at this point, and say farewell to all his readers and to those whom he knew personally in Galatia.  But Paul can’t help himself. He feels so passionate about this subject, he feels that it is so dangerous, that he can’t help but throw a couple more punches as he hand writes this postscript.

And so he says in vs 12 “Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.  For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.”

In other words, the Judaisers are trying to claim you as converts to their gospel so that they might avoid persecution.  It would appear that in Jerusalem there was a sect of people that claimed to believe in Christ to some extent, but they also said that you must adopt the Jewish laws and be circumcised. They were the ones who had traveled to Galatia to win those converts over to their gospel. So it was some mix of Judaism and Christianity.  

But Paul says that they do not even keep the law themselves, but they just wanted to secure the physical sign of circumcision in the Galatians that they might boast that they had so many converts.  Paul had said earlier, that if you kept one part of the law, you were obligated to keep all of it.  But they were really just focused on the law of circumcision and didn’t keep the laws that they felt were more egregious. 

So the Judaisers weren’t really concerned about the Galatians souls, but they were only concerned about boasting about a sign in the flesh of the Galatians that they had submitted to their gospel.  Paul on the other hand had the right motives for preaching the gospel.  He said in vs 14 “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Paul cared nothing for the glory that came from fame as some sort of super apostle. He cared nothing for the glory that came from riches. He cared nothing for the glory that came from his status and power among men. He only cared about the glory of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For the people reading Paul’s letter who understood what crucifixion was all about, the words “cross” and “glory” just did not go together. They were diametrically opposed because there was not a more humiliating, shameful way to be executed than the cross. It was considered a great shame to be crucified. It would seem much more logical to boast in your good showing in the flesh, instead of the cross.

I titled this message  “The crux of the gospel.”  And I deliberately chose that word crux because it comes from the Latin word which meant cross. Today however in the English language crux has come to mean the most important point, or the central point. The cross is the central theme of the gospel.  The cross was the fullest expression of the justice and holiness of God.  And the cross was the fullest expression of the love of God.  The cross is the fullest expression of the sinfulness of man that deserved death.  And the cross is the fullest expression of the substitutionary atonement by God for man.

Paul gloried in the cross because he knew that there was no other way that a man could be made right with God.  Man could not be accepted by God because he had a mark on his flesh. He could only be made right with God because Jesus died on the cross in man’s place.  So the cross is the central theme of the gospel, whereas man’s efforts are the central doctrine of every false gospel. 

But there are two other crosses that are taught in vs 14 besides the cross of Christ.  The second cross is the cross on which the world died to Paul. He says, “But far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Through which the world has been crucified to me.  The world died to Paul. The cross condemns the world.  Human reason, it's condemned by the cross. Public opinion, it's condemned by the cross. Popular belief,  is condemned by the cross. The assured claims of modern science which change rapidly and constantly, are condemned by the cross. The allurements of the world, are condemned by the cross.  Making money, being successful, living for pleasure, are condemned by the cross.

So Paul said "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me." Paul no longer is enslaved by the pursuits of the world, the mantras of the world, the approval of the world, the treasures of the world.

The third cross is the cross on which Paul died to the world.  He says, ”And I, to the world.” Now, I think that what he meant by that was that the world didn't think much of Paul. In the eyes of the world, Paul was a loser.  He hadn’t accomplished anything that they valued.  He hadn’t accumulated any of the world’s treasures. Had he never been converted, he might have gone down in history as one of the greatest Jewish rabbis. He would have received every accolade from the Jewish religious elites. But when he converted, he became despised, an object of ridicule and persecution.

When you die to the world, then you are made alive in Christ. You are made new.  You become a new creation. Old things are passed away, all things become new.  Paul says in vs 15, “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”  Circumcision may be a bloody sacrifice of the flesh, but it accomplished nothing in regards to your salvation. It was merely a picture, a symbol of the need to be severed from the flesh that you might live in the Spirit. 

But there was a more perfect bloody sacrifice made by Jesus Christ on the cross, by which we are born again in the spirit.  And through His sacrifice we are made a new creation.  This is the crux of our salvation.  Through the crucifixion we  must be born again.  We must be changed.  We must receive the Spirit of Christ in us.  To be circumcised or not be circumcised is irrelevant.  What is important is that Christ died on the cross for you so that you might live through Him.  Through death we are made a new creation.

2Cor. 5:17 “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  We don’t make ourselves a new creation; God does it in us. At it’s root, Christianity is something God does in us, not something we do for God.

Then notice vs 16, “And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy [be] upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”  Those who will walk by this rule of becoming a new creation, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.  

The word rule there in the Greek is “kanōn” which was a line or a rod used in construction to make a straight line.  So Paul is referring to this new life by the Spirit by whom we should walk. When we walk in the Spirit and not according to the flesh, we will have the benefit of being true.

So as a new creation we are walking in the truth, and the first benefit is that we have peace, we have made peace with God through the cross of Jesus Christ.  Christ satisfied the wrath of God towards us by taking our punishment upon Himself.  And the second benefit, we receive mercy from God.  God struck Jesus so that He might give us mercy.  Mercy is not getting what we deserve.  And the third benefit, we that are the new creation are the Israel of God.  Not those that are circumcised are Israel, but those that have trusted in the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross.  We are the inheritors of the promise. This new creation, made from people of all nations, are the true Israel.  Gal 3:7 “Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.”

Romans 9:6-8 “But [it is] not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are [descended] from Israel;  nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED."  That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.”  So it’s not circumcision of the flesh that is required, but circumcision of the heart.

But as far as having a mark in your flesh goes, Paul says he has plenty of them.  He has the scars in his flesh that testify to his being a son of God.  He says in vs 17 “From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.” These Judaisers, they bear a mark in their body. It's the mark made by the scalpel. It's the mark of circumcision. But I bear in my body the brand marks of the Lord Jesus.

When Paul said that, they knew exactly what was meant. He had been stoned. He bore the marks, the scars of his stonings, the scars of the whippings, the fighting with lions, the marks of deprivation which he had suffered for the cause of Christ.

The man who is the servant of Jesus Christ will have the scars. They may not be physical. But they will certainly be mental. They will be the scars that one cannot see, the scars of the scorn and the ridicule that true Christians must always bear. Jesus said if they hated Me, they will hate you.  And we that are Christ’s will bear the marks of suffering for His name.

And then Paul concludes by saying, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.” Brethren, that’s a term used for fellow Christians.  The Galatians had their faith attacked by false teachers proclaiming a false gospel.  But some at least had stood firm and Paul calls them brethren.  They were saved by grace through faith, and that not of themselves, not of works, lest they should boast.

Salvation is a gift of God.  That’s what grace means.  Jesus did all the work.  Grace is we receive what we don’t deserve, which is forgiveness and new life.  And that grace of God is what sustains us, and keeps us, and supplies all that we need both in this life and the life to come.

Paul said in chapter 2 vs 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Have you become a new creation through faith in the cross of Christ? Jesus said, “you must be born again” to enter the kingdom of God. To become a child of God.  If you cannot truly say you have become a new creation by the grace of God, then I urge you to call upon the Lord today and ask that He forgive your sins, and give you a new heart, and put His Spirit within you, that you may become a new creation. Salvation is a gift of God.  Call upon Him now that He might give you new life through Jesus Christ. 

The practicality of walking by the Spirit, Galatians 6:1-10

Paul has established in his letter to the Galatians, that we are not under the burden of the law, but are to walk in the Spirit.  That the flesh and the Spirit are diametrically opposed to one another.  And if we walk in the Spirit, then we will keep the spirit of the law, but not be under the bondage of the law.

At the end of chapter 5 he also gave us characteristics of living in the flesh as opposed to walking in the Spirit.  He says in vs 19, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,  envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Those sins are the characteristics of living according to the flesh, and he said those that practice such things are not saved.  The caveat is that they practice such things. It’s their life pattern.  It’s not that those that are saved can never commit such sins, but they are not their life practice.

However, he goes on to say that the life practice of the saved exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.  Vs22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” The fruit of the Spirit is love, and all those things characterize love.  

And in Vs24 Paul adds, “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.”  Paul says we are to die to the passions of the flesh so that we might walk in the Spirit. But the implication there is that this is an ongoing battle with the flesh. It’s not a once and done deal where you no longer have to deal with the temptations of the flesh.  But you are no longer held captive by the flesh.

Now in chapter 6, he continues to talk about this war between the flesh and the spirit.  Notice that it is addressed to those who belong to Christ Jesus.  He is speaking to the “brethren.” This last chapter is bookended by the word “brethren,” which is a word that is reserved for those who are saved, those who belong to Christ.

But inherent in this admonition, is the recognition that all we like sheep have gone astray. There is a tendency, even among those who are walking in the Spirit, to turn aside to the lusts of the flesh.  This is speaking about Christians who have stumbled in their walk.  This trespass is not their practice, it is their past, but nevertheless, they have fallen back in to sin.

So Paul speaks to that in chapter 6 vs 1, “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; [each one] looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

You who are spiritual, that is, you who are walking in the Spirit, then manifest the fruit of the Spirit, which is gentleness.  I think that this is a broad admonition, which can be applied to all within the church.  But I think Paul may have specifically in mind the pastor of the church when he says, you who are spiritual.  And I say that because it is the shepherd’s job to correct the wandering sheep. That’s not to say that there aren’t other spiritual people in the church.  We would seriously hope so. But the context of this section of scripture seems to be oriented towards the pastor more than the rest of the congregation.

But regardless of who catches someone in a trespass, the point is in how you deal with someone who has stumbled and fell into sin. The idea is approaching the person with the goal of restoration and with gentleness. Not harsh condemnation.  Not some heavy handed approach that says you’re on double secret probation for the next year to make sure you never have this problem again.  But with gentleness, with humility, lifting that person up from where they have fallen, and showing them the means by which they might be restored.

And as we discussed last week in our study in Psalm 27, when David had been caught in the double trespass of adultery and murder, the path to restoration was through repentance and forgiveness.  The word restore comes from the Greek word “kataritzo” which means to ‘put in order’ and so to ‘restore to its former condition’. It was used in secular Greek as a medical term for setting a fractured or dislocated bone. It is applied in Mark 1:19 to the apostles who were ‘mending’ their nets.” So the idea is restoration of fellowship with the Lord. Sin always breaks fellowship.  And you can’t walk in the Spirit unless you are in fellowship with Him.

But the one who is spiritual is to restore the fallen one in a spirit of gentleness because they recognize their own proclivity to the weakness of the flesh.  Some pastor from many years ago made famous the remark upon seeing a saint of God that had fallen into sin, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”  Jude said, in Jude 1:23 “And others save with fear, pulling [them] out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”  The fear is that but for the grace of God, go I. Realizing that we are all prone to the weakness of the flesh.  We are all prone to being overtaken by the hounds of hell that assail us, and tempt us, and cause us to despair.

That’s why we need one another.  We need help, we need encouragement, we need someone to lean on. In vs 2, Paul says, “Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”  The picture that comes to my mind is one of two brothers in arms on the battlefield.  One is wounded, and they have their arms around one another, holding each other up as they run.

The one wounded is not the enemy. He is your brother. He needs your support. He doesn’t need your condemnation or judgment.  He doesn’t need you to gossip about him.  He needs a brother in arms to help bear the burden of his sin. To help him to know forgiveness, even as Christ forgave us.

And that support that you give is called love.  Paul says when you bear one another’s burdens you fulfill the law of Christ.  What is the law of Christ? It’s the law to love one another.  Jesus said in John 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”  You know, that whole list of sins which we looked at back in ch.5:19-21 are  aberrations or perversions of love.  The whole world is seeking love in all the wrong places, through all the wrong means, with catastrophic results. So much can be changed by the right kind of love. I’m not talking romantic love. I’m talking a love for one another.  Someone who cares about you, listens to you, talks to you, has fellowship with you can eliminate a lot of temptations to find the wrong kind of love.

So rather than being condemning of others who may have fallen, be mindful of your own weaknesses. Paul says in vs 3, “For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”  First of all, be mindful of the sin of pride in your own life.  Pride in thinking that you are not as bad as your brother.  But in actual fact, you are a sinner saved by the grace of God, and only made righteous by the grace of God. It’s not your righteousness that saves you, it’s Christ’s.  Your righteousness accomplished nothing.

1Tim. 5:24 says, “The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their [sins] follow after.” That means some sins are more evident than others.  Your brother might have problems with the temptation of drugs or alcohol.  You might have trouble with the sin of pride and envy.  You don’t think your sin is evident to others.  It may or may not be.  But it’s still a sin, and God sees it and wants you to deal with it, not deceive yourself by thinking you’re better than someone else.

Vs4 “But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have [reason for] boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.”  Instead of deceiving ourselves, we must make a careful and a sober examination of our works before God. If we don’t, and if we carry on under our self-deception, then we may think our works are approved before God, when really they aren’t. We want to have our work approved before God, so that our rejoicing on the day of reward can be for our own work, and not in the work of another.

Paul isn’t advocating taking pride in yourself.  But in a honest examination of yourself.  In 2Cor. 13:5 Paul says, “Test yourselves [to see] if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?”  And he says in 1Cor. 11:31 “But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.”

And in the next verse Paul speaks of that judgment that each man will have to bear in vs 5, “For each one will bear his own load.”  At first glance this might seem like Paul is contradicting himself.  Earlier, he said, we are to bear one another’s burdens. Now he says, each must bear his own load/burden. But there is a different word in the Greek that is used for burden in those two verses.  In vs2, he speaks of our need to care for others in the body of Christ. In vs5, Paul speaks of our final accountability before God.

So what he is saying in vs 5 is that each man will stand before the judgement seat of Christ when our works will be examined before the Lord.  Rom 14:10 says, “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”  And Paul speaks of that day of accounting again in 2Cor. 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”  So rather than judging others, we should examine ourselves that we will not be judged.

As Christians, we are not going to be condemened at the judgement for our sins.  Jesus was condemned in our place and He bore our punishment.  So God will not be so unjust as to commit double jeopardy. He will not judge a sin twice.  What we will be judged for though as Christians is our works. What we have done with what God has given us.  What kind of steward have we been with what God has entrusted us with.

And to that, Paul speaks in vs 6, “The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches [him.]”.  I take great pride in the fact that as a pastor I rarely speak of the need for giving to the church. We never make appeals for money. We purposefully don’t pass an offering plate at this church, as so many other churches are wont to do, simply to avoid looking like we are serving our own interests.

But when the scripture which we study verse by verse brings up the topic, I must expound the word then as diligently as I do other passages.  But it is not a comfortable topic for me to talk about.  Martin Luther, (not King, but the Reformer Martin Luther) said on this verse, “These passages are all meant to benefit us ministers. I must say I do not find much pleasure in explaining these verses. I am made to appear as if I am speaking for my own benefit.”

Nevertheless, to share in all good things has the idea of financial support, but it is not limited to it. One commentator said,  “Of the variety of interpretations of Paul’s words here the most common is also the most likely: this takes share in the sense of active giving and all good things in the sense of material goods. 

This is a basic, though sometimes neglected spiritual principle. Those who feed and teach you spiritually should be supported by you financially. Paul repeated this principle in several other places. 1 Cor. 9:11 says, “If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?” And 1 Cor. 9:14 says, “Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should get their living from the gospel.” One more; 1 Tim. 5:17, “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.”

For those who are reluctant to share in all good things with those who teach them, Paul reminded them of God’s principle of sowing and reaping. Vs 7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” Their giving (to share in all good things with him who teaches) isn’t like throwing away money; it is like planting seeds, and whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. I would remind you that your giving should be as if you are giving to God, and not to  man.  And if you do it unto the Lord, then the Lord will reward you.  And the Lord sees and the Lord knows what you sow and He will provide the increase.

If I had a choice, I would not mention this verse about sowing and reaping at all.  It has been much abused by the television evangelists that promise that if you sow a seed by sending them some money, God will grant you health or wealth or whatever it is that you desire.  Usually they promise you more money.  I don’t want to sound like I am aligning with that fleecing of the sheep that goes on with those false teachers. But there is a spiritual principle here that the Lord advocates as a means of increasing your reward in heaven.  I don’t suggest that it will enrich you on earth, but you will be enriched in heaven for what good you have done on earth. I would hope that is enough inducement for you to share.

And I would also say that under the OT law, the nation of Israel had to tithe about 25% of their income once you added all the special offerings and regular offerings and so forth that were mandated under the law.  Now we are not under the Mosaic Law, as Paul has made expressly clear in Galatians.  However, the principle of giving remains, and if we are walking in the Spirit, then we will give, but cheerfully and not under compulsion.  So we are not mandated by the law to tithe, but we are asked to share as God has prospered you.

Vs8, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Jesus relayed the principle in this way in Matt. 6:19-21 saying "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

So then, vs 9 “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” It takes a long time to grow a crop and reap the fruit of that crop, doesn’t it? We should not expect to see an immediate response to our good deeds.  We don’t always see a quick benefit to our pocketbooks.  But in due time we will reap.  Due time speaks of the appointed time.  And that time which is appointed, when either we shall die, or the Lord returns, is coming in due time.  Paul says don’t get discouraged.  Don’t be like so many Christians, who are hot for a while, and then they go through a cooling down period.  And then one day they are cold, stone dead.  The Christian life calls for perseverance.  Being faithful until the end.  Being consistent in season and out of season. 

It’s kind of like exercise. I was talking with my wife about my new year’s resolution to be more diligent in my exercise. I’m sure that’s a common resolution for many people.  But I don’t get up in the morning and think about whether or not I feel like going out for my walk when it’s cold and dark outside.  I don’t think about it. I just lace up my tennis shoes and put on my coat and walk out the door and begin my walk.  If I waited until I felt like it, I would never do it.  I imagine the same principle is true  in the Christian life.  Do what is right whether you feel like it or not, whether you are discouraged or happy. And that discipline will overcome the weariness that threatens to discourage you.

In summary then, Paul says in vs.10 “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”  While we have opportunity.  Jesus said in John 9:4 "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”  There is coming a day, an appointed time, when for each of us our work will end.  And then we will stand before God and give an account for the work that we have done or haven’t done. While we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Walk by the Spirit, Galatians 5:16-26

 

How are we to conduct ourselves as Christians?  Paul has argued exhaustively that we are not under the law.  We do not regulate our lives according to the Old Testament law that was given to Moses.  We do not cut off our flesh in circumcision in order to live the Christian life.  We do not observe the Sabbath or other Jewish feast days as a restriction in order to accomplish the Christian life. We do not restrict our diet in order to live the Christian life.

On the other hand, Paul has made it clear we do not have license to sin as a Christian.  We were cleansed from sin, forgiven of our sins, and given power over our sin nature as a Christian.  So we don’t continue in sin that grace may abound.  Christian freedom isn’t found in returning to the captivity of sin.

How then are we to live as Christians? Now that we have been born again, born of the Spirit, how are we to live in the world?  Well, Paul answers that question in this last section of chapter 5. He says that now that we are saved, now that we have been changed, converted by the grace of God, we are to walk in the Spirit.  That sounds simple enough, but it’s a little like receiving a puzzle for Christmas that has 500 pieces, but no photo of what it is supposed to look like when it’s put together.  We are kind of at a loss as to how walking in the Spirit is supposed to look.

I think Paul helps us to know what that looks like by the use of a succession of steps. And to make it more clear he contrasts each work of the Spirit with the work of the flesh.  Sometimes it easier to define what something is by saying what it is not.  And so he does that in each step of the life in the Spirit. 

Let’s start with the first step which is what I might call the effect of walking in the Spirit, which is found in vs 16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

Now we can extrapolate a lot of things from these verses, but at it’s simplest, Paul says that if we walk in the Spirit, we can’t walk in the flesh.  Because the flesh and the Spirit are diametrically opposed. It’s as if there is a road that goes south to north.  You can either walk north, or you can walk south, but you can’t walk both directions at the same time.

And you can’t carry out the desires of the flesh and carry out the desires of the Spirit at the same time.  They are in opposition to one another. It’s a totally different direction.  So before he actually tells us how we are to walk in the Spirit, Paul tells us here the result of walking in the Spirit.  But included in this verse is a hint of how we can live the Christian life. You’re not going to accomplish it by adhering to the law.  But by walking in the Spirit.

Another thing that we learn from this verse is that there is a war going on in our hearts.  The flesh is in opposition, that is it is contrary to, warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit is in opposition to the flesh.

Paul speaks of this war in our innermost being in Romans 7: 21 "I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.  For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,  but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.  Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

Now how we are to deal with our flesh Paul will address a little later on.  But it’s enough to know for now that if you walk by the Spirit you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.  They are two different directions, they are in opposition to one another.

The next step in learning to walk by the Spirit is found in vs 18, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”  Now Paul gives us another contrast in this verse. Either you are led by the Spirit, or you are under the condemnation of the law.  How does a Christian walk in the Spirit? Paul indicates that it is by being led by the Spirit. I think you have all seen a parent holding onto the hand of their toddler who is learning to walk, and the parent leads them, supports them, keeps them from falling as they take one little step after another. Perhaps that’s an illustration of how the Spirit leads us as we learn to walk in the Spirit.

Now how does the Spirit lead us in practical terms?  I suggest it is primarily through the word of God.  I don’t suggest that it is by listening to some inner voice.  I think that approach is problematic. I do believe the Spirit speaks to us through our conscience, or through our mind, but I believe that it originates from  scripture.  He brings the truth of scripture to our mind, enlightens our mind, telling us the truth through scripture, which results in being led by the Spirit.  After all, the Spirit is the author of scripture. And so though we might not be led by a scripture verbatim, the truth of scripture informs us as to how we should walk, how we should live.  

Now when Paul speaks of our walk, it simply indicates our conduct, or manner of life. You are alive while you are asleep, but the living of life involves action, moving, working, conduct.   We speak of people as being from all walks of life. We mean by that their manner of life.  And so I think that is what is indicated as walking in the Spirit.  It’s your manner of life, the conduct of your life. Our way of life is to be directed, led, controlled by the Spirit.  And if you are controlled by the Spirit, then you are not controlled by the law.

That contrast is once again presented as Spirit vs flesh.  The flesh is correlated with being under the law. Paul gave that contrast as an allegory in chapter four, when he compared the law to being born of the flesh, and being free as born of the Spirit.

But he goes on in the next section to make that contrast more clear by means of the evidence of your life. Your manner of life is evidence of which you are of, the flesh or of the Spirit. He begins with the flesh. Vs.19 “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,  envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

This is what the flesh produces; conducts, deeds, a manner of life characterized by the practice of these sins.  I won’t take the time to define each of those sins this morning. I think we are well  familiar with such sins.  Those sins characterized our life before we were saved. We practiced such things.  We were controlled by such conduct. They were habitual sins to which we were enslaved.

I wish I could say that having been saved, those things were no longer a part of our lives.  That we never succumbed to the temptation to do those things again. That they were ancient history.  But I must confess that for most of us, they continue to be something that we are tempted by.  Because our old nature is still there. Our flesh is not done away with. As Paul said in Romans 7, I find a war within my members, and I do things that I don’t want to do.

But even though that might be true, I believe Paul is saying that those that have been born of the Spirit no longer practice such things.  Those sins are no longer  the characterization of our lives.  And if they are still the characterization of our lives, if they are the daily practice of our life, then you must recognize the truth of what Paul says - then you are not born of the Spirit.  You are not a part of the kingdom of God. You haven’t been converted.  You may have tried turning over a new leaf, but it didn’t last.  God hasn’t made you a new creation. If such is the pattern of your life, the practice of your life, then you are not saved.

Though I don’t want to take the time to define all these sins of the flesh, I will point out something that should be obvious; that Paul doesn’t list only really, really grievous sins and leave out what the Catholics call venial sins.  No, he groups them all, from anger to immorality as evidence of deeds of the flesh which are equally damning.

In contrast to those sinful desires of the flesh, Paul says in vs22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

It’s interesting to notice that Paul calls these things fruit.  Fruit is the natural product of the life of a tree or plant.  So fruit is the natural product of life in the Spirit.  If we are born again of the Spirit, we have life in the Spirit, and life in the Spirit produces a certain manner of life.  The law does not produce such life. The law only serves to expose sin and condemn sin. But when we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So that the product of this new life by the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit.

You could really summarize the fruit this way - the fruit of the Spirit is love. And then all the other items in that verse elaborate on what love is like.  As we read earlier in the chapter, love is the fulfillment of the law.  So love produces joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. If you love your neighbor, you will do no harm to your neighbor. But rather you will do good for them.

It also may be helpful to understand the works of the flesh in contrast to this love of the Spirit. Each one of the works of the flesh is a violation or a perversion of love. Immorality, impurity and sensuality are counterfeits of love among people. Idolatry and sorcery are counterfeits of love to God. Hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, and murders are all opposites of love. Drunkenness and revelries are sad attempts to fill the void only love can fill.

So as an admonition to those temptations of the flesh, Paul says in vs 24 “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”  This is the answer to the implied question in vs 16, how do you not carry out the desires of the flesh. The answer is you crucify them. 

But how is that practically accomplished? This speaks of something that the believer does, being directed and empowered by the Spirit of God. Crucifying the flesh is not the sovereign, “unilateral” work of God.  We are told to crucify the flesh. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said unto his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

The old man, the sin nature inherited from Adam, is crucified with Jesus as the sovereign work of God when we are born again. Romans 6:6 says, Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him. We are simply told to consider or count the old man as dead in Romans 6:11. We are not told to put him to death. But the flesh is another matter. We are called to choose to work with God to do to the flesh exactly what God did all by Himself to the old man: crucify the flesh.

John Stott says, ““Please notice that the ‘crucifixion’ of the flesh described here is something that is done not to us but by us… Galatians 5:24 does not teach the same truth as Galatians 2:20 or Romans 6:6. In those verses we are told that by faith-union with Christ ‘we have been crucified with him’. But here it is we who have taken action.” 

Paul speaks to that in Rom 8:12 saying,  “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--  for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

So you see there the correlation of putting to death the deeds of the flesh, to being led by the Spirit of God.  There is a war in my members, and those led by the Spirit put to death the deeds of the flesh.  Paul speaks of this necessity again in Colossians 3:5 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.  For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience,  and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, [and] abusive speech from your mouth.”

The final step of life in the Spirit is given in the last two verses of this chapter. Vs 25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”

At first glance it may seem that Paul is just repeating what he said earlier in vs 16.  But we can better understand what Paul wrote here if we recognize that the ancient Greek word for walk is different in vs16 than in vs 25. The first walk in vs 16 (peripateo) is the normal word for walking, used there as a picture of the “walk of life.” The second use of walk in vs 25 is  (stoicheo)  which means “to walk in line with” or “to be in step with.” So Paul here in vs 25 is saying, “Keep in step with the Spirit, or walk with the Spirit.”

I’m reminded of Psalm 139 which says, Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. The lamp illuminated the path one step at a time. The same idea is at work here.  As the Spirit leads you, keep in step with Him.  Psalm 23 which we recently studied on Wednesday night says, “you lead me in the paths of righteousness.”  That’s being led by the Spirit, and keeping in step with the Spirit.  As He reveals truth to you, keep walking in it.  Keep following. Keep in step with the Spirit. In other words, the Spirit doesn’t drag you like a child screaming and kicking in the supermarket behind his mother, but as He leads you on, you walk in step with Him.  That indicates obedience.

And then Paul concludes with a warning, that as we walk in the Spirit, we are not to become boastful, or conceited or envious of others. He reveals that the problem of pride is a stubborn sin, a deceitful sin that is not so easily put to death.  And pride can affect the child of God who is walking after the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and then before you know it taking pride in their righteousness, taking pride that they are always  right, and looking disdainfully upon their neighbor who they feel is not living as right as they are.  Pride is a stubborn, deceitful sin that must be guarded against. Pride in accomplishment is the opposite of grace.  And but for the grace of God, we have nothing to boast about. But we can be grateful to God for the grace that was given to us, that saved us from our sin, and relieved our penalty of death, giving us life in the Spirit and of the Spirit, that we might inherit the kingdom of God. But we must guard against pride that it does not nullify the fruit of the Spirit, which is love.

The law of love, Galatians 5:13-15

                                                           

Galatians is Paul’s dissertation, from a judicial standpoint, on the doctrine of salvation.  And he has spent the brunt of his argument delineating the merits of grace versus law.  He has shown in detail the difference between salvation by grace alone, as opposed to salvation by faith plus works.  In particular, he was answering the Judaiser’s teaching that you needed to be circumcised and follow the dietary and ceremonial laws of the Jews in order to really be saved.

Paul called such legalism as “slavery.”  And he described salvation by grace through faith as “freedom.” But some of the difficulty comes partly in defining our terms, and also in extrapolating certain outcomes from those doctrines.  A faulty understanding of the nature of these terms can lead you to a wrong outcome.

And so I want to review some of these key terms for a moment, because I think they are sometimes used interchangeably, when in fact they mean different things. The first term is mercy.  Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Mercy is forgiveness. You were found guilty of a crime, and the penalty was death, but the judge gives you mercy.  You are forgiven by the courts and not held accountable for your crime.

So mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace, on the other hand, is getting something you don’t deserve. Do you see the difference?  Grace means a gift.  It’s getting something you don’t deserve.  You don’t work for. In salvation, not only do you receive mercy, but you receive grace.  God gifts you His righteousness, eternal life, and His Spirit to dwell in you.

Now when Paul talks about freedom in the verses before us today, some people might be confused and think he is speaking of grace. But actually, freedom is being set free from the penalty of sin, and the captivity of sin.  Paul says in vs 1, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”  So Christ set us free from the condemnation of the law, and the captivity to sin, so that going back under the law would be akin to a free man going back to slavery.  You would be now required to keep all the law, which would only condemn you, and you would eliminate salvation by grace.

That being understood though, the question arises, then do we have no obligation to keep the law in any respect?  Are we able to sin with impunity?  Are we, as Paul himself asks in Rom 6:1 “Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?” Is grace then a license to continue in sin?  Does freedom mean that I am free to live any way I want, to do whatever I want?  

Well, Paul answers that question of Romans 6:1 by saying in vs 2, “May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”  Actually I prefer the KJV on that, which says, “God forbid!” It’s a much more strident answer.  Why would Paul be so strident, so concerned that the church not continue in sin? Because it is contrary to the will of God.  It’s contrary to the plan of God.  And its’ contrary to the purpose of our life that we have been given by God.  So what I think we will find in this next section is that the law of God is more closely related to the will of God than we might realize.

So to that question of law versus grace, of grace being a license to sin, Paul says in Galatians 5 vs 13, “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only [do] not [turn] your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

Now notice that suddenly Paul seems to be saying that there is still a law that is in effect. There is still a law that we are to be subject to. And this law, the law of love,  Paul says, is the consummation of all the law of God. Now let’s try to break that down and make sure we understand correctly what he is teaching here.

So first notice this concept of freedom.  Back in vs 1 he said “It was for freedom that Christ set us free,” then in vs 13 he says, “For you were called to freedom.”  He is speaking of our salvation, through Christ we are set free from the captivity of sin, set free from the condemnation of the law.  That’s why Christ saved us. That’s why Christ died on the cross - to pay the penalty for our sin so that we might be set free. We are justified, set free,  not by what we have done, not by keeping the law, but by what He has done for us.

Notice also the element of predestination in his statement.  God called us to Himself. The call of God in salvation is from the Lord. And those whom He predestined to salvation will hear His call and come to Him.  Rom 8:30 says, “and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”  Notice all those elements of salvation are accomplished by the Lord.  We do not participate in our predestination, we do not participate in our calling, we do not participate in our justification, we do not participate in our glorification.  Salvation is of the Lord.  That’s the mercy and grace of God towards us.

So then salvation is a spiritual transaction that happens for us, and in us, which also produces a physical change.  That’s an important point.  Salvation is spiritual.  We are born again spiritually.  But if that is so, then the spirit will change the way the physical lives.  That is what Paul was teaching in the Romans 6 passage I read earlier.  In salvation we die to sin. And so we live by the spirit and not according to the flesh. That new spirit produces a different way of living, a different purpose for living.

That’s what Paul is saying here. “You were called to freedom, only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh.”  Now that we are set free from the captivity to sin, now that we are set free from the condemnation of the law, how are we to live in light of that freedom? Paul says don’t use your freedom to go sin again. I am reminded of the woman that was caught in adultery and brought before Christ.  The law required that she be put to death.  But Jesus said “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”  She had been set free by the mercy of Christ from the condemnation of sin.  So then to continue in sin would have been a travesty. 

Back in Romans 6 Paul says in vs17 “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed,  and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

Now in our text Paul characterizes sin as an opportunity for the flesh. The flesh is contrary to the will of God. Going back to that passage in Romans 6 which we referenced earlier, Paul continued in that argument to say in 6:12" Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body [flesh] so that you obey its lusts,  and do not go on presenting the members of your body [flesh] to sin [as] instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness to God.  For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

All sins of the flesh are at the root a desire to please self.  It’s serving myself and my desires and my interests and my pride. The sin is serving myself and my desires above anyone else. Righteousness on the other hand can be characterized as serving God first, and serving others. All the law does is put limits on me, in order to protect others.  

So Paul says if we willfully submit our flesh to sin again, are we not in effect putting ourselves back under the law and the condemnation of the law? So do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, and your body as instruments of righteousness.

So we are called to freedom, to live in the Spirit and not to live in captivity to the flesh. I want to read from Romans 8 again, in which Paul speaks to this change from living according to the flesh to living according to the Spirit.  There is so much there, I can’t really exegete the whole passage.  But perhaps if I read it, the Lord will give you understanding.  Romans 8:5-8 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,  because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able [to do so,]  and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”  

So this is speaking of the same thing as Galatians is speaking of.  An opportunity for the flesh, is the same as setting your minds on the things of the flesh.  And notice that Paul says that such a mind set on the flesh cannot subject itself to the law of God, and those in the flesh cannot please God.  So he is saying that the law of God is still something that we are to be subject to.  But when you are focused on fulfilling your fleshly desires, which is sin, then you cannot please God.  So as Christians under grace, not the law, we are no longer serving the desires of our flesh, but our desire should be to please the Lord, which is to subject our bodies to the law of God.

Now admittedly it feels like we are splitting hairs in trying to delineate the difference between law and grace. I suppose you might say that under the law we are condemned, but under grace we do the works of righteousness.  The difference between the old covenant of law and the new covenant of grace is that in the old covenant we are given the law but we are not capable of keeping it, and so it only condemns us.  But under the new covenant, we are given the power over sin, which results in righteousness, and that power is the presence of the Spirit within us.

Let me ask you something.  Define righteousness without referencing the law of God. I don’t think it is possible.  The law of God not only defines sin, it defines righteousness. Righteousness is by definition a state of being moral and ethical. When you try to keep the law in the flesh you cannot do it, resulting in sin.  But when you follow the Spirit you do the works of righteousness by the power of the Spirit within you.  The difference between the old and new covenant is we that are saved have the Spirit of God in us who enables us to do the works of righteousness.

I might try to illustrate it this way.  Imagine the word LAW written as a giant sign.  On one side of the sign is the word sin and flesh.  On the other side of the sign is the word righteousness and Spirit.  The same law produces either result.  The difference is that sin is the result of the flesh and righteousness is the result of the Spirit.

Now let’s go back to our text. Gal 5:13-14 “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only [do] not [turn] your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the [statement,] "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”

But through love serve one another and love is the fulfillment of the law. Now we have heard that all of our Christian lives, but how is that true?  How does that work? Love, first of all, is not a sentiment.  It’s not an attraction you have towards your neighbor. Or a feeling you have towards the Lord. Love is not based on attraction. Love is not based a feeling.  Sometimes love may be accompanied by a feeling, but you must not rely on a feeling in order to act in love.   Love is a commitment to put another’s needs above your own.  To serve another before yourself.  That is love.  And my apologies to those who can only see love through a romantic lens, but there may be more times in your marriage when you will choose to love your mate when you feel like wringing their neck, than there will be times when you will love your mate because you feel so warm and fuzzy about them.  In good times and bad, in sickness and in health, in ups and downs, in financial woes and financial bliss, whatever happens, whatever their response may be, you choose to love them.

But that being said, you cannot really legislate love, can you? You can’t make laws and write them on the doorposts of your house and on the walls that say “you must love me and obey me.”  You can legislate obedience, but not love. But if you have a mate that loves you, you won’t have to say “obey me.”  

Jesus said, “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” See, the issue is not that the commandments have been done away with and you are free to live like you want.  The issue is that captivity to sin has been done away with, and you choose to love the Lord, which is to keep His commandments.  And what is the commandment?  “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”  Your neighbor is anyone within the sphere of your world. That includes your husband or wife, or kids or friends, or coworkers, or in-laws  or outlaws, or anyone that you come into contact with.  In salvation there is a change from loving yourself first, to loving the Lord first and loving your neighbor as yourself.

If you love your neighbor, you will not bear false witness against him.  If you love your neighbor, you will not murder him.  If you love your neighbor, you will not steal from him.  If you love your neighbor who are your parents then you will honor your mother and your father. If you love your neighbor, you will not commit adultery with his wife. If you love your neighbor, you will not covet his stuff.  

Romans 13:10  says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of [the] law.

So the difference between law and grace is that we have a change of heart.  When we are saved by grace, forgiven of our sins, given a new spirit and everlasting life, we are given a new heart.  I mean by that, we are given a new nature, new desires.  And that happens by the indwelling of the Spirit of God.  If you are unsaved, you do not have the Spirit of Christ in you.  You cannot please God.  You cannot do the things of God.  You cannot work the works of righteousness. You certainly cannot do it in the power of your flesh.  You can only do it by the power of the Spirit in you.

So key to our new life in this covenant of grace is that we have the Spirit of God indwelling us. Empowering us, changing our heart, so that our desire is to please the Lord.  And we please the Lord by being obedient to His commands.  

Paul qualifies what not acting in love is like in vs 15, “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”  That needs very little exposition, doesn’t it?  We call it back biting today.  Slander.  Bearing false witness against one another.  Hateful speech. Speaking ill of one another.  The result of that is to devour one another.  To murder one another. That’s the opposite of love.  That’s the result of the flesh.  We that are saved still have our flesh. But we are to die to the desires of the flesh, and operate under the control of the Spirit.

Let me close by reading the promise in the Old Testament, that God would give a new covenant to those whom He called to be His people.  It says in Jer 31:33  "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”  Instead of being subject to the law written on tablets of stone, we are now subject to the law written upon our hearts.

And God tells us how that will be accomplished in Ezekiel 36:25-27  "Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.  "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

Let me ask you this morning, have you been born again? Have you had your sins forgiven, and a new spirit put within you, and do you have the Spirit of God dwelling in you? You cannot become a Christian through observance of the law, or by attending church, or by being baptized, or by taking communion, or by any work of the flesh.  But you need to be changed, you need a new heart, and a new spirit, and the Spirit of Christ in you.  You can have that salvation as a gift of God, if you will simply call upon the name of the Lord, confessing Jesus as Lord of your life, trusting in Him as your Savior who paid for the forgiveness of your sins, and receive the Spirit of God to reign in you.  Call on the Lord to save you and change you, and live in you.