The Book of Galatians is about the battle between our flesh and our Spirit. Especially by chapter 5- it goes into specifics and tells of the fruit of the flesh verses the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is of course: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, meekness, and self control (Gal. 5:22-23). I’ve studied Chapter 5 very in-depth and have taught much on that chapter. However, I’m seeing the bigger picture now, instead of zeroing in on Chapter 5, I’m seeing the whole book of Galatians and realize that there is one main message that holds the whole book together: The flesh sucks- so stop trusting in it, feeding it, and letting it rule your life!
I was taught that the flesh is the sinful nature, and still do believe it. But, when I thought of sinful nature, I thought of greed and lust, and mostly those things- for John in his epistle does address “…the lusts of the flesh…”. However, pride is very much part of the flesh! And pride is not just looking down on others- which I had thought and taught. One of the greatest facets of pride is: SELF DEPENDANCE! To be self-dependent is very fleshly/carnal before the eyes of God.
When we operate in self dependance, we are taking the place of God! Eve’s sin was that she wanted to be God- that pride is still prevalent today- even in the Church! Paul was writing to the Galatian Christians, not to pagans who loved orgies. These Christians were very much getting fleshly- not from watching porn or stuffing their face- but from listening to these legalistic “false brethren” who were pretending to be Christian and trying to pollute pure Christianity- by tempting the Believers by saying, “You can be God.” Of course, they didn’t say it like that, but when they were telling Christians that the way to a real walk with God was striving in self-effort and radical works such as circumcision, they were essentially telling them: you can do God’s job.
You see, God’s job is salvation and sanctification by His Spirit. So, Paul in hopes to purify the church from the fleshly pride, asks, “Did you receive the Spirit by works or by hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:2) You see, the way the Galatians got saved, was not working, but hearing and believing! That’s how they got the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, that’s how they got the baptized with the Spirit. Again, these people were saved and Spirit-filled. Not just that, they were a signs and wonders church! Many of them were prophetic, were healing the sick, seeing supernatural miracles, casting out demons, etc. So Paul asks, “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” (Galatians 3:5) Again, Paul is making it clear that they got saved by faith. They’ve moved in the power of the Spirit by faith, God’s worked miracles among them by faith, not because of their perfection in keeping all the rules and regulations of the OT.
By the way, that explains why those God has used in signs and wonders have lived far from holy lives- because the gifts work by faith. They had faith without love- so their faith was not working through love as it should be (Galatians 5:6). You can have faith without love, and that will get you nothing in the end (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Nevertheless, what releases the movement and ministry of the Holy Spirit is not works, but faith! Works is centered on you, but faith is centered on God. Works is the currency of religiosity. Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God. So some of these fallen healing evangelists, had currency for healings, but didn’t use it for holiness. By that does not mean that the currency for holiness is self-dependence and religious works! It’s not! The currency for holiness is faith!
Faith releases the presence and power of the Spirit! It’s the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, that enables us to live holy lives filled with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. These fruit begin on the inside- and make their way out. I can try to force myself to be more kind or more faithful- more holy, but if it’s not there on the inside- I’ll fail! It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that it’s the Holy Spirit who can make us holy. However, the what releases the Holy Spirit in our lives- is not over-working for Him- it’s hearing and believing and trusting God! Religious people are supposed to work for God. Christians are supposed to work from God- from the power of the Holy Spirit that works in them/through them by simple trust in Him.
Those who are fleshly- in their self-dependence- might think they are holy -just because they weren’t sleeping around like dogs, and stealing like pirates, or murdering like the Roman soldiers. They thought they were spiritual, all neatly circumcised- trying to do everything right- and so holy- but they were still FLESHLY! The Holy Spirit cannot move in a fleshly mindset- just as the new wine cannot be held in old wineskins. They were no longer living by faith, but by sight. They believed that they were saved when they “saw” themselves doing good. They were no longer had “faith” that they were saved because of the simple gospel that they’d once put “faith” in. The focus was off of God’s word, and now the focus was on their works. They no longer trusted in God to save and sanctify them, they were trusting in themselves. So, as these false teachers “be-witched” them out of simple trust and into sinful self-dependance, the Holy Spirit was no longer given room to move. Since He didn’t have room to move- they didn’t have much of the fruit of the Spirit in their church.
Here’s what happened to their church:
1) Sincerely saved by faith in Jesus!
2) Got Spirit filled by faith in Jesus!
3) Were moving in the Supernatural power of God by faith in Jesus!
4) These false teachers came in and preached fleshly legalism- turning them to put their faith in their own ability rather in Jesus!
5) They were deceived and started depending on their fleshly efforts rather than just trusting and believing.
6) They were not giving the Holy Spirit the same room He once had
7) Their church was devoid of the fruit of the Spirit and full of the fruit of the flesh
- Paul beckons them to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh in Chapters 5, but in the previous chapters- he makes it clear that’s not by self-effort, but by simple faith! He tells them to stop trying to keep the law and trusting in your own ability and trying to reach God by your flesh’s power. He tells them that the law was not given to justify you or make you proud once you perfectly kept it. No, you can’t keep the law, it was given to humble you! One you humble yourself, you can now stop putting faith in self to be good and do good, but you can put faith in Jesus- which was why the law was given in the first place.
I love the order Paul wrote in:
Chapters 1-4) Stop trusting in yourself- put your faith in Jesus!
Chapter 5) Live Holy- Live Spirit-filled- Restore others.
If we are preaching to others to live holy, be Spirit-filled, and do ministry- but we are not laying the foundation of: DON’T TRUST IN YOUR ABILITY, BUT GOD’S- PUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS, we are not laying a strong foundation- and they can try to live holy and minister, but they will burn out and fail! The higher they go- the harder they will fall.
Believe it or not, there are modern day “false brethren.” There are religious spirits invading the church, tempting Christians to depend on their own strength rather the just simply believing. The religious spirits are saying, “You might have got saved by faith, but it’s all works from here!” I’ve even heard this dangerous teaching that brainwashed me as a young believer: “Salvation is free, but everything else you have to work for it…” I don’t work for things, I believe for things- I’m not in a good fight of good works, I’m in the good fight of faith! It was faith in Jesus that brought salvation, it will be faith in Jesus that will bring sanctification (purification), and it will be faith in Jesus that will bring power. So my job is to: hear the word of God and receive it by faith- and trust in the Word of God more than myself. It’s not an effort issue as much as it is a trust issue. Your effort brings forth your power. Your trust brings forth God’s power. Which would you rather have working for you? The secret to spiritual power is not will power, but surrender. We need to be dead to our own self-dependance and self-effort, because ““Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.” (Jer. 17:5) As Christians, we are “crucified with Christ that we no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and the life that I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) I now live everyday, not by trusting in myself, for I’m dead to my self, I trust in Jesus, for He’s alive in me, and I live by faith (Forsaking All I’m Trusting Him).
Religion is like a bicycle- you get forward by pushing with personal power. When we got saved, we have changed vehicles. I’m no longer on a bicycle, I’m in a car! You can’t operate a car the same way you operated a bike- by peddling. Some people want to succeed in the Christian life- the same way they succeeded in religion- by trying harder and harder. It’s as foolish as peddling in a car. I’m in a new vehicle- under a new covenant- with a license from another Kingdom- how does it operate, how do you push the pedal? BY FAITH! Not by self effort, but by simple trust in Jesus! Of course, a car can do so much more than a bike- it can get so much further. Why? Fuel. Riding a bike will burn you out- so will religion. Riding a car- or being saved- will take you so much further in holiness, purity, and ministry than religion because of the fuel which is grace. There is more than enough fuel- and it’s free- paid for by Jesus Christ on the cross! When a biker sees a huge hill- he has to pedal harder and might fail if it’s too high. When a religious person sees a crisis or temptation- he will try harder and harder to not fall backwards- but in his limited strength he will break down. When a person under grace sees a hill- he just needs to push the pedal a little more and there is so much power available! In other words, when a Christian is tempted, he/she just needs to trust Jesus more/ trust grace more- and His grace is more than sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9)- and we will find grace in time of need (Hebrews 4;16)
Ok then…
Should we, in the name of: ”trusting” the Lord and putting “faith” in His ability instead of our own, do nothing, be lazy, and just pray here and there? NO! Prayer is huge, but we can’t pray in place of obedience. Prayer ought to empower our obedience, not replace it. Trust in the Lord means that you will obey Him. You can say you trust me, but if you never listen to me and obey me, I have no evidence in the true integrity of your heart. Faith is not a feeling! Faith is action! ”Faith is the evidence” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is not an idea, or a thought, it is something that is evident! A person of faith is one whose obedience to God is evident. Professing faith without corresponding action is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy doesn’t move mountains, faith does! Yes, it’s given, I don’t trust in my ability to make myself holy. I do pray and cry out to God. But, I must also trust and obey Him when He speaks to me! When we hear the Lord, and obey- faith is evident in my life! That’s why Abraham was the Father of Faith (Romans 4:6). Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17) the spoken word of God-the Rhema-of what God is saying to me personally now.
I really want to live a holy life! No joke. Holiness is only possible with God. However, He will not make you holy without your cooperation and participation. From Day 1, God didn’t want robots whom He controlled, but He wanted partners to cooperate with. Since Day 6, God gave Adam responsibilities! God wants to be your partner. Do you know what that means? God has a part to play, and you have a part to play. Without God’s part you are hopeless. Without your part, you are fruitless! Don’t try to do God’s part, but don’t neglect your part. Some retards (I saw that with love) want to do God’s part -they huff and puff to be holy without prayer, but don’t they do their part -trust and obey the Lord when He speaks. What is God’s part? To supply the grace to change and impart the beauty of holiness and to speak to you His wisdom. What is my part? To pray, to study the Word, to position ourselves in humility before God, to obey the Lord when He speaks to us. When both partners are doing their part, there is an explosion of faith!
Speaking of explosion…
Faith is like an explosion!
When we hear from God, there is a great potential for faith, a window of opportunity for faith. This is what I’m trying to say. When we hear from God, it’s like there is gun power has been graciously deposited into your heart. But, gun powder will stay powder without the fire. When God created you, He gave you a free will; in other words, He put the lighter in your hand. When God’s spoken Word and your obedience to it come together, there is an EXPLOSION OF FAITH! That explosion really catches God’s attention and affections! ”Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). God is only pleased when He cooperates in partnership with us. He’s not pleased when it’s a one person show! He wants a partnership.
So faith is like an explosion! That explosion is however, not automatic. You can be drenched in gun powder and even drown in it. You can be so full of Words from God, but there will be no explosive fire to your life if you don’t obey. Many people hear from God and do not obey him, remember the Rich Young Ruler? (Luke 18:18-23) When we hear from God and don’t obey, it leads to a greater hardness of heart- and increases unbelief. Unbelief will cause a person to die in the wilderness, without ever stepping into what God had for them. ”And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest (the promise land), but to those who were disobedient? And we see they were not able to enter because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:18-19) Disobedience and unbelief are two sides of a coin (they always come together, but have a different face, but are one of the same). A person who claims faith in God, but is disobedient, is living a lie.
A person who is full of faith, is faithful to God- or consistently obedient to God. Faithfulness if something you can test right, it’s evidenced through a person’s behavior. ”Faith is the evidence” (Hebrews 11:1) Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Fruit grows over long periods of time. The character of faithfulness is not instantaneous, it’s a product of time and diligent obedience. A fruitful tree started as a simple seed.
Speaking of seed…
Faith is like an Orchard!
I’ll never forget when I heard a Bible Teacher say, “Every deed is a seed.” When we hear from God and obey Him, we planted a seed! If we are diligently dwelling in the sunshine of God’s presence and the light of His word and the rain of His Spirit, that seed will grow into a beautiful orchard of faithfulness. If we hear from God and don’t obey, we planted a seed of unfaithfulness. Unfaithfulness grows like weeds. Weeds destroy the fruit of the Spirit. If we allow seeds of disobedience to come into our lives, we will see our love crippled, our joy drying up, our self-control suffocated, and all the rest of the fruit of the Spirit struggling for life.
You don’t get a harvest of a fruitful orchard overnight. It starts with seeds! Those seeds must be nurtured in the right environment. It’s one thing to hear from and obey God once, but if we aren’t in His nurturing presence, we will not grow into a faithful person, only a fallen one. If I want to be an orchard full of the fruit of faithfulness, I must continually sow the seeds of obedience, and keep myself in God’s presence. I must not sow disobedience into my life, because weeds are counter productive to God’s will for my life- which is that I bear much fruit (John 15:8). Some people think they can sin without any consequences. That’s a deception. Every decision- good or bad, in obedience or disobedience, has a domino effect. Do we want our hearts to be a fruitful field or a land full of weeds. The weed seed is known for it’s stubbornness. Weeds aren’t easy to pull.
Faith is like a Muscle!
Every time we hear and obey God, our faith grows like a muscle! Those with unshakeable faith didn’t get there overnight! They built that muscle with diligence. Unbelief works like a muscle too, the more we act in disobedience, the more our unbelief grows. Do we want more power in our faith, or in our unbelief? By faith we walk into the promises of God, but by unbelief we die in the wilderness! The Bible says that the Father of Fait- Abraham “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith…” (Romans 4:20) Abraham heard from God. But, instead of despising the Word (gun powder), he respected it, he honored it, so he obeyed it (lit it)! Abraham continued following the Lord and obeying him. As he did, his faith grew like a muscle.
When Abraham obeyed God to leave Ur, an explosion of faith caught the attention and affections of God! While Abraham was packing his bags, his faith was growing. When Abraham took steps towards the mysterious new land, his faith grew even more. So, when it was time to sacrifice Isaac in response to the Word of God, he was strong enough to obey. With that act of obedience, His faith grew even stronger. Abraham wasn’t perfect, but He went down in the books as a righteous friend of God (James 2:23). Do you want that kind of holiness and intimacy with God? Start by obeying God today. Maybe your faith isn’t strong enough to hear God tell you to empty your bank account now. But, your faith probably is strong enough to obey God in not watching T.V. if that is what He is saying to you. You might not have the faith or strength to overcome a life long addiction. But, maybe while you were praying about that addiction, God spoke to your heart about sleeping earlier and waking up earlier to pray. You probably have the faith or strength to make that little step. That little step of obedience builds your faith muscles, and next thing you know, you killed that addiction like David killed Goliath- by faith.
God, I trust you. Your Word is yes and amen! Give me a greater hunger for Your Word and a tender heart to believe what it says. It’s Your Word that are seeds to a fruitful life. I want the fruit of the Spirit dominating my life. Holy Spirit, I’m sorry for not giving you much room in my life because of my religiosity and old-wineskin thinking of self-dependance and self-effort. I depend on You God. I surrender to you! I’ve tried in my own ability and failed miserably- now I decided to lay down my own sinful, fleshly pride, I don’t want to keep trying to do Your job Lord. I’ll let you do Your Job, and I’ll do my job: trust and surrender. Thank you for showing me this. It’s been setting me free and setting me straight. I felt like a tree that has grown out bent out of shape, and miraculously by the creative power of Your Word- you’ve been fixing me. I love this! I repent of all religiosity. I embrace grace. Hallelujah! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Cialis
March 6, 2010
YviQym Excellent article, I will take note. Many thanks for the story!