5th S. after Pentecost
5th Sunday after Pentecost
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Our problem is not so much that we do not know what the spiritual harvest should be—i.e. love, joy , peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, but we can fall into the trap of saying does it really matter? If I am already a believer, what can you add to that? Simply put there is much to say for being a believer. That is where we must start in the Christian life. So the real question is what does it mean to be a believer is it not? If the fruit of the Spirit are evidences of the work of God’s grace in our hearts then that should be there in some way, shape , manner or form. AA Hodge who taught at Princeton seminary talks about this area in his little book, Evangelical Theology :
“ You cannot take Christ for justification unless you take him for sanctification. Think of the sinner coming to Christ and saying, ‘ I do not want to be holy’ ; ‘ I do not want to be saved from sin’; ‘ I would like to be saved in my sins’;…Could he be accepted by God? You can no more separate justification from sanctification than you can separate the circulation of the blood from the inhalation of the air. Breathing and circulation are two different things, but you cannot have the one without the other; they go together , and they constitute one life. So you have justification and sanctification; they go together, and they constitute one life.”
So the Apostle Paul after listing the fruit of the Spirit says, “ and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” 5:24 This sounds much like Romans 6:6 “ we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Some have made popular, “ let go and let God.” I think I know what they are trying to say that we sometimes have to let go of some things and let God handle them. But this should not be applied to growing in holiness. That is a warfare and struggle. Luther said, “the world, the flesh and the devil.” As RC Sproul has said , “ the basic call of the New Testament ---to grow in Christ---accents disciplined struggle.” “ The mature Christian might well covet the simple inscription found on the grave of a Swiss mountain guide: ‘ Died climbing.’ Michael Green
Yes it is a struggle but we have some help on the way. We have the Holy Spirit 5:16 “ Walk by the Spirit , and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” I got a little magazine called Banner of Truth which we have copies of in the east hall and every year they have a conference US Ministers’ Conference in PA . A minister of Rivermont Presbyterian Church in Va spoke of a low point in his life, “ I neglected my relationship with the Lord in order to work harder for Him.” I thought that tell tale in describing much of what goes on with some of the modern theories of growing a church. We should work , but we must wait on the Lord to strengthen us and to renew our strength. Isaiah 40:31. John Milne of two centuries ago said, “ I suspect that much of the religion you will meet with has more of the flesh than of the spirit; more of self than of Christ; more of the world than of the closet; more of working than what is more humbling---meek, patient, waiting on the Lord.”
So brethren we all know what the fruit of the Spirit is and what it is not. We heard about it when we read Galatians this morning. The problem is that we do not always think we need it. Therein lies the rub. If we do not think we need it, then we probably do not have much understanding either about what being a Christian really is. Our armor has been pierced by the fiery darts of the devil . “ Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” II Peter 1:10 Peter lists some of the same qualities that are spoken of by the Apostle Paul in Galatians, “ …make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness , and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”
Conclusion- 2 Peter 1:8“ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Our problem is not so much that we do not know what the spiritual harvest should be—i.e. love, joy , peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, but we can fall into the trap of saying does it really matter? If I am already a believer, what can you add to that? Simply put there is much to say for being a believer. That is where we must start in the Christian life. So the real question is what does it mean to be a believer is it not? If the fruit of the Spirit are evidences of the work of God’s grace in our hearts then that should be there in some way, shape , manner or form. AA Hodge who taught at Princeton seminary talks about this area in his little book, Evangelical Theology :
“ You cannot take Christ for justification unless you take him for sanctification. Think of the sinner coming to Christ and saying, ‘ I do not want to be holy’ ; ‘ I do not want to be saved from sin’; ‘ I would like to be saved in my sins’;…Could he be accepted by God? You can no more separate justification from sanctification than you can separate the circulation of the blood from the inhalation of the air. Breathing and circulation are two different things, but you cannot have the one without the other; they go together , and they constitute one life. So you have justification and sanctification; they go together, and they constitute one life.”
So the Apostle Paul after listing the fruit of the Spirit says, “ and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” 5:24 This sounds much like Romans 6:6 “ we know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Some have made popular, “ let go and let God.” I think I know what they are trying to say that we sometimes have to let go of some things and let God handle them. But this should not be applied to growing in holiness. That is a warfare and struggle. Luther said, “the world, the flesh and the devil.” As RC Sproul has said , “ the basic call of the New Testament ---to grow in Christ---accents disciplined struggle.” “ The mature Christian might well covet the simple inscription found on the grave of a Swiss mountain guide: ‘ Died climbing.’ Michael Green
Yes it is a struggle but we have some help on the way. We have the Holy Spirit 5:16 “ Walk by the Spirit , and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” I got a little magazine called Banner of Truth which we have copies of in the east hall and every year they have a conference US Ministers’ Conference in PA . A minister of Rivermont Presbyterian Church in Va spoke of a low point in his life, “ I neglected my relationship with the Lord in order to work harder for Him.” I thought that tell tale in describing much of what goes on with some of the modern theories of growing a church. We should work , but we must wait on the Lord to strengthen us and to renew our strength. Isaiah 40:31. John Milne of two centuries ago said, “ I suspect that much of the religion you will meet with has more of the flesh than of the spirit; more of self than of Christ; more of the world than of the closet; more of working than what is more humbling---meek, patient, waiting on the Lord.”
So brethren we all know what the fruit of the Spirit is and what it is not. We heard about it when we read Galatians this morning. The problem is that we do not always think we need it. Therein lies the rub. If we do not think we need it, then we probably do not have much understanding either about what being a Christian really is. Our armor has been pierced by the fiery darts of the devil . “ Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” II Peter 1:10 Peter lists some of the same qualities that are spoken of by the Apostle Paul in Galatians, “ …make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness , and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”
Conclusion- 2 Peter 1:8“ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
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