A Tale of Two Trees | Walking Free, Part 11

A Tale of Two Trees – Walking Free, pt. 11

1. Galatians 5:16-26 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
2. List 

3. List A-Desires of the Flesh

   1. sexual immorality,
   2. impurity,
   3. sensuality,
   4. idolatry,
   5. sorcery,
   6. enmity
   7. strife
   8. jealousy
   9. fits of anger
   10. rivalries
   11. dissensions
   12. divisions
   13. envy
   14. drunkenness
   15. orgies,

4. List B-Fruit of the Spirit

   1. love
   2. joy
   3. peace
   4. patience
   5. kindness
   6. Goodness
   7. faithfulness
   8. gentleness
   9. self-control

1. John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
2. This passage is not giving a list of rules to follow, things not to do and things to do.  It is Telling us 2 things:
   1. What the rest of the world sees depends on what you show them.
   2. The proof is in the pudding.
3. Even Paul struggled with the battle going on inside as evident in Romans 7:15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
4. Take an inventory of your life.  Do you need to?
   1. Repent and turn back to God.
   2. Come to God for salvation.
5. Action Steps:
   1. If something in your life looks like the desires of the flesh then confess it, and walk with God to eradicate it in your life.
   2. If you have an area of your life where you are not seeing the Fruit of the Spirit then name it, desire it, and seek God daily for it.
6. The christian life is not about us working harder to be the person that is described by the fruit of the spirit.  The way in which we look more like this is by growing closer to God and seeking the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.  We do that by getting in our bible, through prayer, and through growing in our faith.