In contrast to the DEEDS of the FLESH where people TRY to earn their own salvation or TRY to live the Christian life in their own strength, even Christians who try to earn God’s favor over and over… in contrast to all that, is THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. This is what the Spirit produces in us and through us, making us ATTRACTIVE CHRISTIANS and making our church TASTY! Giving evidence of true salvation, appearing as a group and not individually, helping you overcome sin, is the display of God’s fruit through you.

Galatians asks, do you ever get sick of your SELF? Are you blown away by how people now live selfishly and justify it with words like, ‘That’s is my identity’; or ‘This is what I am made for’ all the while, somehow legitimizing a narcissistic lifestyle. This week, Galatians 5:19-22 exposes the deeds of the flesh – you need these verses for your own life and you desperately need this passage to understand our world today in a new way. You must not miss it, it’s a real EYE OPENER!

BACK TO GALATIANS – Free in Christ means ALIVE in Christ. You and I have been made free, but not free from responsibility, but free from enslavement to SIN, the DEVIL and this WORLD. We are now slaves of the perfect master, our friend and savior Jesus Christ. We are freed to SERVE, and freed to LOVE, and freed to actually GET ALONG with each other. As we WALK in the Spirit, we enjoy an entirely new kind of LIFE, known for its joy, peace, kindness, service to others and love. READ Galatians 5 – the entire chapter in preparation for this Sunday, focusing on Verses 13-18.

The social Gospel – which isn’t social OR gospel. Paul’s strongest words and some of the most pointed in the New Testament about what to say about False Teachers. READ Galatians 5:7-12 and see if you can discover how teachers today are not of God, hindering the truth, contaminating the Church, even persecuting the saints, resulting in God’s judgment and being cut off from God’s people. STRONG WORDS and a huge help for us today

Paul’s challenge to NEVER GO THERE AGAIN. Do not embrace works, the law, tradition, ceremony as a way of salvation – trust only in Christ by Grace through Faith. Stay Free, never go back to slavery. Paul is SHOCKING in these verses and says things that even solid Christians react to. He talks about those who walk away from Christ, those who determine to be saved their own way. YET ALSO celebrates the uniqueness of life in the Spirit, where we trust in Christ and live a life of loving works.

GALATIANS 4:28-31 Part Two, Paul continues with his “literal analogy” and presses the Galatians to PICK A SIDE! Are you on the works salvation side, or are you on the grace salvation side? Any and all religion, no matter if you call it Christian, that seeks to work your way to heaven, leads to eternal torment in hell and ONLY salvation by Grace through Faith in Christ alone leads to eternal life in heaven with Christ. Paul is super practical this week asking if you are a child of the promise, are you persecuted, are you inheriting, and are you LIVING FREE? Only the Christian will.