Refuge Church
Empowered: A Series on the Holy Spirit - "Cuts & Conforms" (Galatians 5:16-25)
Who is the Holy Spirit and what does he do? Why’s he a he if he’s a Spirit? Whether you grew up in a tradition where every emotional swing was interpreted as the Spirit moving or if the Spirit was relegated to inspiring the Bible and conviction of sin, we all have some baggage and mistaken understanding regarding the third person of the Trinity. Over the next 5 weeks, we’ll look at the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures in this series called “Empowered.” You can catch up on past messages on YouTube and Facebook.
Locations & Times
Refuge Church
211 Arthur Langford Jr Pl SW, Atlanta, GA 30315, USA
Tuesday 4:00 PM
“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” Your friends shape your habits, values, opportunities, networks…there ends up being a strong correlation in general interests, sense of humor, personalities, weight, and income levels.
I remember the first time I said the f word was because I was with my friends, the first time I smoked, drank, vandalized, stole…all of it was with my friends. And the more I was around them and in those places, the more I became like them, and the more my mom pleaded with the Lord I wouldn’t keep going in that direction.
Kendrick Lamar describes the same dynamic in his song called “The Art of Peer Pressure” on his record Good Kid, Maad City.
Really, I'm a peacemaker But I'm with the homies right now...
Usually I'm drug-free, but, [shoot], I'm with the homies...
That's ironic, 'cause I've never been violent Until I'm with the homies...
My mama called, "Hello? What you doin'?" "Kickin' it" I shoulda told her I'm probably 'bout to catch my first offense with the homies.
Really the whole album is about the seemingly unstoppable influence of our environments shaping who we are. Whether that’s in Compton or the suburbs of Atlanta we naturally assimilate to the world around us. Desire to gain acceptance and opportunities from the people around us.
But the story of Scripture shows us that God meant for his people to be distinct, from the nations that surround them, from the idols of our age, and from what the world chases after….We are meant to be distinct. We are meant to be a peculiar people, a counterculture within the culture.Followers of Jesus are meant to be set apart for God’s purposes. And it’s through faith in Jesus that the Holy Spirit cuts us away from the world and conforms us to Christ. Only then can we become everything we’re truly meant to be. Only then are we empowered to be different, to be holy as God is holy, to walk in the light, to follow Jesus as his disciples.
I remember the first time I said the f word was because I was with my friends, the first time I smoked, drank, vandalized, stole…all of it was with my friends. And the more I was around them and in those places, the more I became like them, and the more my mom pleaded with the Lord I wouldn’t keep going in that direction.
Kendrick Lamar describes the same dynamic in his song called “The Art of Peer Pressure” on his record Good Kid, Maad City.
Really, I'm a peacemaker But I'm with the homies right now...
Usually I'm drug-free, but, [shoot], I'm with the homies...
That's ironic, 'cause I've never been violent Until I'm with the homies...
My mama called, "Hello? What you doin'?" "Kickin' it" I shoulda told her I'm probably 'bout to catch my first offense with the homies.
Really the whole album is about the seemingly unstoppable influence of our environments shaping who we are. Whether that’s in Compton or the suburbs of Atlanta we naturally assimilate to the world around us. Desire to gain acceptance and opportunities from the people around us.
But the story of Scripture shows us that God meant for his people to be distinct, from the nations that surround them, from the idols of our age, and from what the world chases after….We are meant to be distinct. We are meant to be a peculiar people, a counterculture within the culture.Followers of Jesus are meant to be set apart for God’s purposes. And it’s through faith in Jesus that the Holy Spirit cuts us away from the world and conforms us to Christ. Only then can we become everything we’re truly meant to be. Only then are we empowered to be different, to be holy as God is holy, to walk in the light, to follow Jesus as his disciples.
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https://refugechurchatl.churchcenter.com/people/forms/112665These verses are very well known, primarily because of the fruit of the Spirit verses. As important as that is, it is not the main point of the passage. Paul's primary theme is walking- daily living- "in the Spirit". He brackets the passage with imperatives about walking by the Spirit and speaks of the Spirit seven (7) times. This is, of course, to be understood against the broad thrust of the letter which is to get the Galatians to see that law-keeping (self-sanctification) is a looser and turns them away from faith in Christ. It's either walk in the Spirit or walk in self-sufficient law-keeping.
*note- 'flesh' in these verses does not mean "body" but rather our sinful fallen nature which is hostile to God and desires our own exaltation, and self aggrandizement.
1. Paul uses four phrases to describe the Christian's life in the Spirit vs. 16, 18, 25. Do they all mean the same thing? Why or why not?
2. Receiving the Holy Spirit when we believed set up a continual inner (and outer) conflict with our desires. vs. 17 (flesh against Spirit/Spirit against flesh). Are you aware of this conflict? Can good desires become bad? Give an example. Paul says this conflict actually keeps us from doing what things we want to do. What things?
3. What does the apostle mean by saying that if we are led by the Spirit we are not under law?
4. Paul is obviously using the two lists as a stark contrast. Do see categories in the works is the flesh? How about in the fruit of the Spirit? Are the two lists exhaustive? What tips us off to this? (vs. 21, 23).
5. How is vs. 24 really good news? How is it a challenge? How do we crucify our flesh? How does walking in the Spirit accomplish this? If so, what is our part?
*note - the subject of the sentence in vs. 24 is "those who belong to Jesus" the action of the verb is carried out by 'those who belong'. This is an action WE do, and is not the same thing as in Gal 2:20 or Rom. 6:6 which both speak of our union with Christ and therefore sharing his crucified death.
*Tim Keller wisely points out that it's not enough to say "No" to wrong desires, but we need to go deeper and ask ourselves "why" we want to do something. What is missing in our relationship with Jesus that we feel we need something that he, the God of the universe, can't provide? Do you have the faith that he can be your all?
*note- 'flesh' in these verses does not mean "body" but rather our sinful fallen nature which is hostile to God and desires our own exaltation, and self aggrandizement.
1. Paul uses four phrases to describe the Christian's life in the Spirit vs. 16, 18, 25. Do they all mean the same thing? Why or why not?
2. Receiving the Holy Spirit when we believed set up a continual inner (and outer) conflict with our desires. vs. 17 (flesh against Spirit/Spirit against flesh). Are you aware of this conflict? Can good desires become bad? Give an example. Paul says this conflict actually keeps us from doing what things we want to do. What things?
3. What does the apostle mean by saying that if we are led by the Spirit we are not under law?
4. Paul is obviously using the two lists as a stark contrast. Do see categories in the works is the flesh? How about in the fruit of the Spirit? Are the two lists exhaustive? What tips us off to this? (vs. 21, 23).
5. How is vs. 24 really good news? How is it a challenge? How do we crucify our flesh? How does walking in the Spirit accomplish this? If so, what is our part?
*note - the subject of the sentence in vs. 24 is "those who belong to Jesus" the action of the verb is carried out by 'those who belong'. This is an action WE do, and is not the same thing as in Gal 2:20 or Rom. 6:6 which both speak of our union with Christ and therefore sharing his crucified death.
*Tim Keller wisely points out that it's not enough to say "No" to wrong desires, but we need to go deeper and ask ourselves "why" we want to do something. What is missing in our relationship with Jesus that we feel we need something that he, the God of the universe, can't provide? Do you have the faith that he can be your all?