"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." -5:1
"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please." - 5:17
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." - 5:22-23
This was a funny passage - Paul seems to want so badly to communicate his point that he kind of spits and sputters through his illustrations, only to leave us holding a bag full of fierce admonitions and general proclamations of truth. I think the emotion and emphasis he displays indicate the importance of his point, though.
I think one key distinction Paul makes is between two possible ways to live life. One is by the Spirit, and the other is by the flesh. The flesh is the medium through which most people live their lives. It entails submission to sin compounded with the guilt of the law. It is focused, like Bobby was trying to tell us, on a surface-level management of sin.
The second way to live life is through the Spirit. Paul gives us a good look at what this looks like. He tells us what the fruits of the Spirit (their manifestations in our lives) are, specifically, and reminds us that "it is for freedom that Christ set us free." This is perfect for the Man Group. This chapter is a measuring stick by which we can see our progress in the transition from living in the flesh to living in the Spirit
This weekend, let's focus on praying for each other to live in the Spirit.
Powell
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