Today’s passage is Galatians 5:13-26. Paul says the law is summed up in “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But our sinful nature is in conflict with the desires of the Spirit and the result is that we do what we don’t really want, such as sexual immorality, idolatry, discord, rage, selfish ambition, and drunkenness. The fruit of the Spirit, however, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There is no law against these and if we are led by the Spirit we are not under the law.
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Why is freedom serving one another in love? How have we crucified our sinful passions in Christ Jesus?
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Today I observed a couple of high school English classes.
The students were doing presentations.
Part of their presentation was to ask essential questions.
This is part of the training I encourage at our school.
One student’s presentation dealt with fear.
She asked each of us to write one thing we feared.
She collected the anonymous answers and then read them out.
Some of the answers were snakes, tests, failure, my mom, and death.
As the answers were read, there were giggles at some and nods of agreement at others.
When the class heard my answer#8212;myself#8212;there was silence.
I was surprised because I thought the answer would provoke comments.
Instead, there was stunned silence.
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There was silence because the answer hit a deep truth, the one that Paul alludes to in today’s passage: my sinful nature is opposed to all that is good.
Because of my faith in Jesus, my fear of my sinful nature and the attitudes I display and the bad things I say and do is under control.
But without Jesus, I would be deeply afraid of myself and evil inclinations that rise up in me hundreds of times every day.
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Before Jesus called me to faith, I was not aware just how sinful I am.
I didn’t see myself objectively, I didn’t see myself as who I am.
Only through the loving protection of Jesus Christ through his redeeming crucifixion can I continually ask and receive forgiveness of my waywardness.
Without Jesus, I was truly a slave to my sin.
From the other side of the cross, I see who I was and am and it strikes me with fear. I am not safe.
But because of Jesus’ death and resurrection and his gift of the Spirit, I have been able to live a life free from the penalty of the law.
I have been able to live a live where the Spirit bears fruit in me. But I am under no illusion that I can bear that fruit on my own. It is God’s grace entirely. It his grace that makes me free.
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Application: to pray for the Spirit’s guidance in fostering truly important discussions with my students, to make them think about who they are and, ultimately, why they need Jesus.
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Lord, let me not be afraid to serve others in love, let me not allow my fear of my sinful nature get in the way of serving you.
