13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” k 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” Galatians 5:13–26

Explain the concept of Legalism and License and how they both lead to slavery… The Flesh leans toward both legalism and license

1. If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:17-18

Legalism: When God impresses on you for your spiritual growth and you insist it upon everyone else.

2. Feed the Spirit to defeat the flesh.

Acts of the Flesh: Fruit of the Spirit verses doing and being…

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Galatians 5:19-21

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

• When you serve people it feeds the Spirit

• Reading the Bible feeds the Spirit

• Being in community with Christian brothers and sisters can feed the spirit

• Worship (Private and Public) feeds the Spirit

• Developing the habit of prayer feeds the Spirit

• Obedience feeds the Spirit

When you are full of the Holy Spirit, you begin to exude these qualities: Love, joy, peace. patience ect

The Concept of taking off your grave clothes… Lazarus comes out of the tomb. Most people try and put church clothes over their grave clothes.

The Bible speaks multiple times about “Putting on Christ”

The Fruit of the Spirit: this series, we will journey together to help take off our graveclothes and pursue the Fruit…

The Fruit of the Spirit… they are the barometer, the thermometer of your walk with God

TRUE FREEDOM: Fish out of water is free…. But it will die. The rules of nature are good for the fish…

3. You can’t have the Spirit unless you're born again (Gospel turn)

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet and dramatist (1749-1832)