For those that have known me in my personal life or have heard my preaching, you know that I hold Galatians 6 in a special place in my heart. Being a minister who has had his own failures in ministry, this chapter has always brought me hope. Sadly, as I look at the church today, I realize that not many church's hold to Galatians 6. We may take bits and pieces from it, but we don't take in the whole. That is especially true when it comes to verses 1-10. God has worked in marvelous ways in my life thanks to an understanding of His word in Galatians 6. A large part of why Simply Scripture exists and why I belong to Mercy Ridge Community Church in Dry Ridge, KY is because of this part of Scripture. I want to take the next few blogs and break down Galatians 6.
What I want us to talk about today is spiritual community, and how we’re free to love one another as a result of the Spirit of God in our hearts. There’s one truth that I want us to see in Galatians 6 that really...really is all over Galatians 5 and 6, but we’re going to kind of hone in on it today, and that truth is this: The greatest evidence of the Spirit-filled life is love for one another.
This is what we see in Galatians 5, verses 13 and 14, when Paul said, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Then, he goes on and he starts talking about living by the Spirit and walking by the Spirit, and he says, “The fruit of the Spirit is...” what? It starts with love. “The fruit of the Spirit is love...” This is the first picture that we have in this fruit of the Spirit.
Then, you come down to Galatians 5:26, that’s where I want us to start.
Paul says,
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The
one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap
destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap
eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we
will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity,
let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of
believers.
This text and this truth...this truth: The greatest evidence of the Spirit-filled life is love for one another...I believe it’s so important, because so many of the misconceptions and misunderstandings that people have...Christians have...about the Holy Spirit today, usually, when you start talking about the Holy Spirit, the topics that really start to come to the forefront are tongues and second baptisms and prophecies. There’s a place, obviously, where Scripture talks about those things, but what we need to see here in Galatians 6 is that the fruit of the Spirit is love, and we need to be reminded of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13 when he said, “If I speak in tongues of men, but have not love, then I’m like a resounding gong. If I have prophecies that I speak, but I have not love,” he says, “then I am nothing.”
The greatest evidence of the Spirit-filled life is love for one another. This is where we need to realize that evidence of the Spirit-filled life, maybe, is not primarily about emotional highs as it is about practical acts of love that we show to one another, and that’s what Paul brings us down...he won’t even let love remain an abstract concept during Galatians 6. He says, “Here’s some concrete, practical ways that we love one another.”
So, what I want us to do is I want us to take this text, and we’re going to kind of split it up into a few different parts, and we’re going to pause after those couple of different parts, and we’re going to respond to God’s Word. Remember, worship is a rhythm of revelation and response. We see God’s revelation and we respond.
This text and this truth...this truth: The greatest evidence of the Spirit-filled life is love for one another...I believe it’s so important, because so many of the misconceptions and misunderstandings that people have...Christians have...about the Holy Spirit today, usually, when you start talking about the Holy Spirit, the topics that really start to come to the forefront are tongues and second baptisms and prophecies. There’s a place, obviously, where Scripture talks about those things, but what we need to see here in Galatians 6 is that the fruit of the Spirit is love, and we need to be reminded of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13 when he said, “If I speak in tongues of men, but have not love, then I’m like a resounding gong. If I have prophecies that I speak, but I have not love,” he says, “then I am nothing.”
The greatest evidence of the Spirit-filled life is love for one another. This is where we need to realize that evidence of the Spirit-filled life, maybe, is not primarily about emotional highs as it is about practical acts of love that we show to one another, and that’s what Paul brings us down...he won’t even let love remain an abstract concept during Galatians 6. He says, “Here’s some concrete, practical ways that we love one another.”
So, what I want us to do is I want us to take this text, and we’re going to kind of split it up into a few different parts, and we’re going to pause after those couple of different parts, and we’re going to respond to God’s Word. Remember, worship is a rhythm of revelation and response. We see God’s revelation and we respond.
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