Stay Connected to the Source:Galatians 5:13-26

Peter Fitch, St. Croix VineyardSunday, May 5, 2013

Galatians 5:13-26

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. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:13-26

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 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. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

Galatians 5:13-26

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 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. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Galatians 5:13-26

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

Last time . . .

5:5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

• Waiting for the hope of righteousness• Faith working through love

What’s in Paul’s head?

• People have accused him of bringing an ‘easy’ gospel because he has taken the focus off the Jewish laws and placed it on belief in Christ

• He did this because he is committed to the idea that faith is superior to law in helping someone come to God and grow in relationship with God

• But he really did it because he is a pastor/missionary to non-Jewish people and he doesn’t want them to be excluded from full participation in church

• So he gives a new picture of what maturity looks like—something that flows from inside of you if you surrender your life to God

He describes it with words like . . .

• ‘walking by the Spirit’• Or, ‘being led by the Spirit’• Or, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control

Fruit of the Spirit

Unfortunately, at times . . .

Older understanding

• All about individual growth• About overcoming our bad habits and

becoming good Christians

Now, I think it’s more about . . .

• ‘can’t we all just get along’• Remember the issue that has motivated Paul

to write everything in this letter• He has been a pastor in a community where

Jews and Gentiles grew together• Now, in one of the churches he has worked

hard to plant, there is confusion about whether or not this is ok

His real concern

• This kind of fruit is necessary to build community—that’s what he wants to see

• So, in this way it’s like many other passages:– Philippians 2 (nature of Jesus)– 1 Corinthians 13 (love)– Revelation 2 (lost first love)

Exclusion

• From avoidance to genocide• Fought against by Jesus and Paul and also by

Francis

Francis and the leper

Governed by Disgust

Disgust

• Sweet tooth• Learned but universal• 3 major kinds:– Core disgust– Sociomoral– Animal reminder

What we’re up to

• Trying to create a garden where everyone gets along

• All the necessary qualities grow naturally if we remain well-connected to the Source of life

• If we stop to judge others we ourselves are disconnected

• We get ‘bigger as we go’ (Bruce Cockburn)• Greater and greater fields of ultimate concern

• We live more in an I-Thou way in all of life• So, everything we do is meant to build the

right atmosphere for growth:– Sense of belonging– Anchor for soul along with guidance– Space for questions and doubts– Opportunities for contemplation and mystical

experiences

It is enough

Service flows from this– Practical acts of love– Compassion– Mission– Involvement in town– Caring for family and neighbours