What's Your Indulgence? Galatians 5:13-16

Hello all:

This is a Scripture lesson I first presented on April 25, 2010, but it seems rather appropriate today as well. The lesson is on Galatians 5:13-16 and discusses our freedom to indulge our flesh or to follow the Spirit. The contrast between fleshly living and Spirit-led living are given. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

What’s Your Indulgence?

Galatians 5:13-16

Introduction

When you think of the word “indulgence,” what comes to mind?

How do you define “indulgence”?

What is a favorite indulgence of yours?

A good cup of coffee, some rich dark chocolate, good conversation, and a good book are some of my favorite indulgences

We typically engage in indulgences when we have freedom
Indulgences spring from desire and opportunity

Today’s passage talks about freedom and indulgence

Some background: Gentiles, Jews, and Galatians!

Liberty is both freedom from and freedom to

Galatians 5:13-16

1. Called to Freedom

Galatians 5:13

“Called to freedom”: eklathate/kaleo, eleutheria—Paul indicates that all Christians have a call on their lives, a vocation to live in liberty

In verse 1, Paul reminds his Gentile readers that Jesus has “freed you unto freedom;” that is, Christ paid the price for our salvation/freedom so that we could live as free individuals

Now we are reminded that we are “called” to a vocation, to a ministry of freedom ( John 8:36; 2 Cor. 3:17; cf. 2 Cor. 3:4-6; 5:15)

Liberty gives freedom for us to “indulge” in luxuries or pleasures
“Indulgence” or “opportunity” here refers to a base of operations, a starting point, or an opportunity to pursue something

Paul reminds us that freedom heads toward two different indulgences:

a. A fleshly indulgence

b. A spiritual indulgence

2. Fleshly Indulgence

Galatians 5:13a, 15
Paul claims that we can use our freedom (the one we received from Christ) to indulge or to satisfy our fleshly desires

What is the flesh?

a. Sinful nature (Rom. 8:6-8)

b. That which opposes God (Rom. 7:18-23)

c. Flesh is the opposite of what Christ would want from us

d. Bottom line, Flesh is selfish

To engage the flesh, Paul says, is to “submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1b)

If God has called me to freedom and I use that freedom to indulge my flesh, I am essentially returning to bondage to sin (to which I am supposedly dead, cf. Rom. 6:6-9)

Paul commands us to avoid using our freedom to indulge the flesh

Since the flesh tends to selfishness, it also tends to divisive behavior

“Bite and devour”—refer to the actions of wild animals who hunt one another or prey on each other in an effort to find sustenance or to protect territory

Living in the flesh usually manifests itself in an attempt to build up myself by making others look bad (“biting and devouring”)

Living in the flesh means viewing my needs or my position as more important than others (cf. Phil. 2:3-4)

The warning is that if we live in the flesh, we will destroy ourselves; we will be consumed

3. Spiritual Indulgence

Galatians 5:13b-14, 16

Paul claims that we should use our new-found freedom in Christ as an opportunity for spiritual indulgence

Verse 16: “Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh”

a. “Walk in the Spirit”—allow the Spirit to guide your everyday behavior; learn to act in ways that are in keeping with the character of God

b. “Carry out the desires of the flesh”—fulfill or complete the desires of the flesh; the flesh is our sinful aspect that fights to keep us living opposite of God’s plans

Freedom should be used to serve one another in love

“Serve” (doulete/doulew)—to be a slave, to serve as a slave“Serve one another.” But the language is really stronger—“be slaves to one another.” Christians are “not to be masters with a lot of slaves, but each should be one poor slave with a lot of masters.” (Stephen Neill)

No wonder some translations soften the phrase from “slaves” to “servants.” It’s hard enough to act like a “servant,” but “slave” sounds even more demanding.

The word “slave” is all about service

a. Slaves don’t consider themselves more important than the masters they serve. They don’t act superior!

b. Slaves serve whether they feel like it or not

c. Slaves do whatever job their Master gives them; no matter whether it’s hard or easy, dirty or clean

d. Slaves don’t expect recognition or reward or even a pat on the back for their service

e. Slaves serve because that’s what slaves do

Paul is calling us to be slaves in loving one anotherRomans 12:9-13

Fulfill (complete) the law by loving each other (Rom. 13:9b-10)

How do we do this?

Being a servant begins with proper attitude.

a. Love is the foundation of a life of a servant

b. Humility is a necessity

c. Determination to do what needs to be done is a part of it

Being a servant requires sensitivity or discernment

a. We must be aware of opportunities around us

b. We need to learn to act, not react

c. We need to develop the habit of listening

To God

To others

As Nike reminds us, we need to “just do it.”

Application

Now what?

We are left with a choice, we know we have freedom and that this freedom provides us the luxury of indulging desires

So, what desires will we choose?

Will we carry out or complete our selfish desires?

Will we walk by the Spirit?

If you desire to walk by the Spirit, here are some suggestions for this week:

a. When you are tempted this week to “put someone in their place” or to “speak the truth in love” by gossiping about someone, instead take a few minutes to make a list of the good things God has done in that person’s life. List the positives and then pray specifically for that person that God will give a blessing.

Look for a specific opportunity to “love your neighbor”

b. Go out of your way to serve someone this week and do it with no expectation of recognition or payment in exchange

c. Share the love of Christ by serving: make some cookies, clean a room, pick up some trash, volunteer to a charity, or simply tell someone how Jesus changed your life

Discussion Questions

a. Read Romans 13:8-10. How are all of these commandments from God summed up by Paul?

b. Jesus loved us enough that he died for us. Look at Philippians 2:5-11. How can we imitate Jesus’ love when we love others?

c. Read Jeremiah 31:31-33. How does this passage relate to Paul’s discussion about freedom and the law in Galatians 5?

d. Where do we get the power to live godly lives that include loving our neighbors? See 2 Peter 1:3-9

e. How can your life be characterized as “walking by the Spirit”? What will need to change?

f. How can you love your neighbors this week in such a way as to reveal God’s love to them?

Thanks for reading!

The Importance of Abiding, 1 John 2:24-27, Theology Matters Series

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meeting on December 5, 2010. A while back we started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." This lesson looks at 1 John 2:24-27 and discusses the idea that what we abide in possesses us, and what possesses us becomes obvious in how we live. That is why the idea of "abiding" is important in 1 John. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

The Importance of Abiding
1 John 2:24-27
Theology Matters Series

Introduction
Last week we spoke of the need to avoid deception and the provision that God has given to us as revealed by John
We mentioned the need to know our teachers
We spoke of the need to know the truth/sound doctrine

This week John continues this discussion a bit by speaking of the “truth” which he had given to his readers—this truth revolves around the word “abide”

What do you think of when you hear the word “abide”?

In 1 John 2:24-27, John uses this word at least five times

Our passage today speaks of the importance of abiding by focusing on two things
1. The Abiding Word
2. The Abiding Spirit

The main point—What we abide in affects how we live

1. The Abiding Word
1 John 2:24-25
There is a command here—”Let that which you have heard from the beginning abide in you”

What is that which we have heard from the beginning? (see 1 John 1:1-4)
What was heard from the beginning refers to the message about Christ. In fact, it refers to Jesus himself.
This is a reference to Christ as the Word of God (i.e., the Incarnation), but it may also be a reference to Jesus as revealed by the Word of God (i.e., Scripture)
Separating Jesus from Scripture is simply not an option. It is God’s Word that makes Jesus known. Jesus is God among us in life and action, and Scripture is God’s self-disclosure in words and thoughts

John speaks here of the importance of remembering and rehearsing the good news of salvation as revealed in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus
We need to hear the old, old story over and over and over again. We need to know it intimately and experientially

The command is to let this revelation abide in us
The word “abide” carries the idea of “remaining” or “continuing”
Ray Stedman substitutes the word “possess” for this word, and he may be on to something. The Word of God needs to hold us in its grip

The expression “Make yourself at home”

John is saying more than this—he is telling his readers that they need to let the testimony of God’s revelation, even Jesus himself, possess them body, soul, and spirit. We need to let God’s Word overwhelm everything we are and everything we have

What abides in us possesses us
What possesses you?

There is a condition here—”If that which you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father”

“If the Word, if the truth of God has possessed you, then you will be possessed by the Son and by the Father, i.e., by the fullness of God which is in the Son and the Father.” Ray Stedman

John 14:23—If we love Jesus, then both Jesus and the Father will make their home in us

John 15—the vine and the branches
This is a reciprocal relationship: To the degree that we react in faith by obeying the Word, to that same degree both the Son and the Father will abide in us accomplishing the Word in our lives

Christ is completely available to us, if we are willing to have him
He will give himself to us if we are willing to obey him

There is also a promise here—this abiding leads to eternal life (cf. Isaiah 40:31; John 17:1-3)
“Eternal life” is not simply a future home in heaven
This term refers to what Jesus calls “abundant life” in John 10:10 (cf. John 5:39-41; Matt. 13:13 and 25:29)
This “abundant life” involves how we live here and now as well as what life will be in heaven

Paul speaks of this life as a life of liberty (2 Cor. 3:17-18; Gal. 5:1)
This is life that comes from God’s Spirit, that is free to do what God calls us to do (John 3:6-8)

What abides in us affects our life and our relationships

2. The Abiding Spirit
1 John 2:26-27—Here John continues his argument by pointing out that with the Word of God we also have an anointing, an “inner witness” of God’s Spirit to aid us in pursuing the truth

John gives a contrast here—a contrast between the antichrists/false teachers who try to mislead others (we spoke of them last week) and true Christians who have the anointing of God’s Spirit

The warning—John states that he has “written” to his readers to warn them of deception
Once again, John understands his letter as some kind of instruction or revelation for his readers
May imply the importance of God’s written Word for direction and teaching in our life
Certainly he reminds us here that the church must be careful of false teaching in all ages

The false teachers in John’s day seem to claim a special “anointing” or “knowledge” or “revelation”
We need no special revelation outside of what God has made know in Jesus and in Scripture
This is John’s perspective in this letter

What is our source of truth? Do we look only to others, or do we look to God?

The other half of the contrast refers to true believers who have the anointing of God’s Spirit

What is this anointing?
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 may provide one answer (cf. 1 John 2:20-21)
This anointing is the presence of God’s Spirit in each believer
The Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of conversion, and his presence in us is a sort of divine “lie detector” or sorts if we will simply follow his lead

We are to let the Word of God abide in us, to possess us—this requires a regular coming to the Word and spending time in and with it

The Holy Spirit , on the other hand, he abides with us if we are already in Christ—we did not get a part of the Spirit at salvation, we got all of him. The Spirit is already present within us

This anointing of the Spirit teaches us what we need to know

What about the words “you have no need that anyone should teach you”?
I don’t think John means we don’t need to listen to human teachers—if so, then his letter is pretty much a waste of time
Rather, he is contrasting the superior claims of the false teachers to the leading of God’s Spirit
We do not need a “skilled” or “enlightened’ or “illuminated” teacher or prophet to reveal “new” truth to us—that is the sense of what John says here (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9-13)

The Spirit guides us in truth (John 16:13)—an illumination of the mind and the heart

What abides in us teaches us—what teaching are we hearing?

John gives another command—As the anointing (i.e., God’s Spirit) teaches you truth and not lies, abide in him just as he taught you

The anointing of God teaches us “in all things”—this doesn’t mean that we are spiritual “know-it-alls,” but rather that this anointing permeates every aspect of life

This anointing teaches us the truth and reveals lies—the presence of the Spirit should help us discern between what is according to God’s Word and what is not, but this certainly does not excuse us from spending time in God’s Word (remember the first point above)

The anointing abides in us, but John commands us to abide in this anointing
Remember that “abiding” means something like “remaining” or “continuing” or even “possessing”
We must pitch our tent in God’s anointing

To abide in God’s Spirit requires us to respond to him in obedience

What we abide in is shown by how we act
What do others see in us?
What directs our path? What anointing do we trust?

Application
How do we respond to what John is teaching here?

This week, I think we can live this truth in several ways

First, the obvious one is that we should make time to spend in God’s Word. We cannot hope to have the Word “abiding” in us if we do not take time to learn what it says. This week, set aside at least 15 minutes a day to dig into the Bible. Don’t just read a passage, actually spend some time investigating the material. What is God saying here? How can I act on it in obedience? What is God requiring of me? This week, read 1 John or the Gospel of John and pay attention to the places where John speaks of God’s Word or encourages us to “abide”

Second, tell the story of God’s redemption in your life. John is calling us to be “possessed” with God’s revelation, and one way to do that is to talk about what God has done. During the Christmas season this sharing is a little easier, but you have to be intentional. Take time to remind yourself of what God has said and what God has done. Tell it to others

Make an effort to abide in the anointing that God has given you. Train yourself to listen to God’s Spirit (that means you may actually have to take time to be quiet and still). Remember, God’s Spirit will only lead you into truth, so ask the hard questions about things you hear and see this week—where is God’s truth in this? Is there anything true here?

Finally, act on what God has commanded and shown you—make an effort this week to show God’s love and kindness to another so that they may know the truth of God’s redemption in you. Find a way to stand for God’s truth and then do it.

What we abide in will possess us, and what possesses us will be shown to others
Where do we abide?

Thanks for reading!