"Life In the Spirit"

(Galatians 5:13-25)

INTRODUCTION:

According to one legend, at the signing of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence John Hancock, one of the signers, the one with the biggest signature, is supposed to have said: "Gentlemen, we must be unanimous, we must all hang together."

To which Benjamin Franklin replied, "We must indeed all hang together — or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." (1)

Whether or not that particular story is true, it still gives us insight into the minds and hearts of the founders of our country. It show the great personal loss they and their families faced in committing themselves to the Declaration of Independence.

Saturday is Independence Day, the day we celebrate the signing of that great article that set into motion the founding of this great country of our; a country based on freedom.

I. FREEDOM:

Freedom is one of those words that we use almost indiscriminately, almost without thinking. Although it is a small word, only containing seven letters, it is huge in concept and meaning. It is more than just a word. It is a concept, a whole philosophy and way of life and thought process that is all summed in seven letters. Freedom is not just a word. It is a noble word. It is one of those words and concepts that is worth dying for. Unfortunately though, we all seem to have our own concept of what freedom is and isn't. Or maybe it would be more fair to say we have our own interpretation of the word and concept.

For some, especially for those who seem to have enough of anything and everything that money can buy and a desire to protect it, freedom means "Leave us alone." For those who don't have enough and simply desire the opportunity to better themselves, freedom takes on the deep meaning of "Give us a chance." Then there are those who don't have enough and don't want the opportunity to better themselves, they just want anything and everything that money can buy. For them freedom means, "Give me what you've got." Freedom can be interpreted to mean all kinds of things.

II. FAITH:

A. In the passage from Galatians, Paul begins by talking about freedom. But as you read this passage you see that Paul is saying that true freedom comes from faith in Christ. That is Paul's assertion. Apart from Christ, we can not really know true freedom. Paradoxically, freedom comes through giving ones self to Christ.

Once we give ourselves to Christ, then we are called upon and empowered to live the Christian life. Here, Paul reminds of the both the Christian life, a "life in the Spirit" and its alternative, life in the flesh.

He cautions us and says, "For freedom Christ has set us free." (5:1) And then he reminds us not to let our freedom become "an opportunity for self-indulgence" (5:13) by giving us this long list of attitudes and actions to avoid.

B. During an elementary camp one summer, one of the volunteers was leading a discussion on the purpose God had for everything God created. They began to find good reasons for clouds and trees and rocks and rivers and animals and just about everything else in nature. Finally, one of the children asked, "If God had a good reason for everything, then why did God create poison ivy?" The discussion leader sort of gulped and, as she struggled with a way to answer the question, one of the other children came to her rescue and said: "The reason God made poison ivy is because God wanted us to know there are certain things we should keep our cotton-pickin' hands off." (2)

I think that's pretty much the reason for this list of the works of the flesh. Paul wants us "to know there are certain things we should keep our cotton-pickin' hands off."

III. FRUIT:

A. This passage isn't really about the things we should avoid. Rather, it's about faith and about "life in the Spirit." If we accept that "freedom comes from faith in Christ" then we must also accept that our faith does more than bring freedom. Part of that freedom is that our faith should bear fruit.

Paul gives a list of the spiritual fruit we should bear. He says, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." And Paul reminds us that this is not a list or fruit that we have to try and bear all by ourselves. Through our faith in Christ and living for Christ, we can have the guidance and the power of God's Holy Spirit to help us bear the fruit of the Spirit.

A couple of years ago we were in Mesa Verde, Colorado on vacation, looking at the Pueblo Cliff Dwellings. In several spots you look down into the valley. At one stop there was a drop of a couple of thousand feet. While looking down at that panoramic view, we noticed something near the valley floor. My telephoto lens showed us that there were a number of hawks or eagles flying with gentle flapping motions. All of a sudden there was a change. Catching one of the warm air currents rising off the valley floor, they stopped flapping their wings, and within just a minute or two we watched them rise to where they were at least a hundred feet over our heads.

Those hawks or eagles could have flapped and flapped their way to that height, but they didn't need to, for they had caught a thermal! For me that was a great visual image of Isaiah 40:31, "God will raise you up on eagle's wings." And a great image of life in the spirit. Those eagles or hawks simply trusted in God in a sense. for they trusted in what God had created and they were lifted up.

Sometimes we struggle with our faith. Sometimes we put out so much effort trying to do the work of God that we never trust what God has created. The first characteristic of a life in the Spirit is trusting in God's Holy Spirit as your guide. When we trust in the Spirit then we can begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit.

B. And just like any fruit, the best way to describe it, is to let you taste it. And the best way to do that is through a couple of stories both from A 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

It was one of those hot summer days that was just right for ice cream. A little girl clutching her money, entered the ice cream store. Before she could say a word, the clerk told her to go outside and read the sign on the door and not to come back until she put on some shoes. She left slowly. A big man followed her out of the store.

The big man watched as she stood in front of the store and read the sign: "No Bare Feet." Tears started to roll down her cheeks as she turned to walk away. Just then the big man called to the little girl. He sat on the curb, took off his size 12 shoes and set them down in front of the girl and said, "Here, you won't be able to walk in these, but if you sort of slide along, you can get your ice cream." Then he lifted her up, set her in his shoes and said, "Take your time, I get tired of moving them around, and it'll feel good to just sit here and eat my ice cream." (3) The eyes of the little girl glowed with thanks for this act of "love, joy, kindness, generosity and gentleness." That man lived a life in the spirit and bore much fruit.

Let me tell you one more. Kenneth was in junior high school and was excited and eager about participating in a day of Special Olympics events. While his parents watched expectantly from the stands, he ran, and won, the first race. He was proud of his ribbon and the cheers form the crowd.

He ran in the second race. Just at the finish line, when he would have won again, he stopped, then stepped off the track. His parents gently questioned him, "Why did you do that, Kenneth? If you had continued running, you would have won another race."

Kenneth innocently replied, "But, Mom, I already have a ribbon. Billy didn't have a ribbon yet." (4)

Paul tells us "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." That young man lives a life in the spirit and bears much fruit.

And that's what we are called to do. We're called to live a life in the Spirit. You don't have to be a rocket scientist. You don't have to be perfect. You don't have even have to be the best. You just have to have faith in Christ. You have to trust the guidance of God's Holy Spirit. And you have to spread your wings. But the Good News is that God will lift you up. And like those mentioned, you will bear much fruit.

CONCLUSION:

Good old Mr. Wilson and his wife are standing at the front door. In the distance Dennis the Menace is waving good-bye. Mrs. Wilson says: "Alice says he was such a good baby." Mr. Wilson comments, "Obviously he got over it." (5)

While it is very true of Dennis the Menace, it is also very true of each of us. We are born in the image of God, but somewhere along the line we experience our own fall. And we're never quite as good as God intended. But our faith in Christ changes all that. Christ gives us new life and freedom from the old life. Christ empowers us to be all that God created us to be. And the Holy Spirit empowers us to bear much fruit as we live the freedom Christ has given us. "For freedom Christ has set us free." Freedom to live a life in the Spirit. Accept that freedom and spread your wings.

This is the Word of the Lord for this day.

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1. Adapted from The Little Brown Book of Anecdotes, Clifton Fadiman, Ed

2. Parsons Bible Illustrator for Windows, 1990-1997, Parson's Technology Inc.

3. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty, Melody McCarty, The 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1997) pp. 85-86. Big Feet - Bigger Heart, Anonymous, From Brian Cavanaugh's The Sower's Bag.

4. Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty, Melody McCarty, The 4th Course of Chicken Soup for the Soul (Deerfield Beach: Health Communications, Inc., 1997) p. 87. Winning, Clifford and Jerie Furness.

5. From Dennis the Menace by Hank Kethcham, December 8, 1992.