Freedom in the Spirit

Freedom in the Spirit

All throughout Galatians Paul has been championing freedom, but perhaps you have had some serious questions about this.  See we know that the nature of humanity is corrupted and so if we are set free from the laws that keep our sinful nature in check will we not just embrace that sin and wind up doing more damage than good.  Paul anticipates this question and declares boldly that even though we are called to freedom we should not abuse that freedom for our own sinful desire.  And in what is one of the most important concepts for Christians to grasp Paul outlines how we can do this… how we can live free from the law without embracing sin… and it all has to do with walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:13-24

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.