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GALATIANS CHAPTER 5 RECAP
BEARING FRUIT FOR THE MASTER
Questions and Answers…
Please note: Some of my answers are lengthy for clarity. Yours will likely be shorter, which is fine.
Explain what Paul means in verse one, in regards to, ‘standing fast.’
Since Christ has made a free from the law we aren’t bound by the rules and the many stipulations of the law. There’s a freedom there to observe these ceremonies if we want to (such as circumcision, and keeping the Sabbath holy) as long as we’re not depending on them for salvation.
What makes following and/or practicing the law ‘unprofitable’?
Because the law doesn’t save us. If we put our faith in the law for salvation, we are missing the entire point of the law which was to point the way to salvation and teach men the severity of sin and the importance of redemption.
Why does Paul express such shock and disappointment over the Galatian believers having fallen for this false doctrine?
These were Paul’s converts, and so they were like children to him, born of the gospel of truth. All of the work he had invested in them was being undone by those who were preaching a false doctrine of faith by works.
In what way have we been called to liberty?
Faith in Jesus Christ has made us free. We are free from the law, because we choose to serve Him. And so we don’t use our liberty as an opportunity to sin, but rather to serve the One who saves.
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:2
Explain the reference Paul uses to leaven in verse nine. How does it apply in this situation?
Leaven in scripture always refers to influence, whether bad or good. And so the Kingdom of Heaven is symbolic with heaven in one scripture while the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees is described in yet another.
When a little influence is added to one’s life it begins to ferment and grow until it affects the entire lump of dough.
At the beginning of every Passover season, leaven was removed from the home completely in preparation for the feast of unleavened bread. Every single nick and cranny in the home was searched for leaven, removed from the home, and either sold or burned. Their homes remained leaven-free for a period of 7 days.
This tradition was symbolic of searching for and removing the influence of sin from our lives. And so the people at that time were familiar with the term and what it meant to their salvation.
What Paul is saying here is that this person or people who are influencing you are planting ideas in your mind that need to be removed.
How can we live the liberty we are called to, according to verse 13?
By investing our lives in Jesus Christ. We work to serve Him because we love Him, not because our work justifies our sin or leads to salvation. When we realize the gravity of sin and the gift of salvation, our lives are changed. And yes, we walk in liberty, knowing that we are saved by grace. That knowledge leads to a life of obedience in the One that we serve.
How do verses 17-18 coincide with Romans 7:13-25?
Crucifying the flesh is a struggle for Christians. Not only do we have the sinful patterns of our past to let go of, we also live in a fallen world in which we’re constantly facing temptation. In Romans 6:8 Paul said, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God.”
And so we see in Romans 7 that Paul describes that internal struggle.As long as we’re still in this world, we struggle with the temptation of sin and the weakness of our flesh.
It’s for this reason that we must crucify the flesh at the moment we accept Christ and every time it wars against our Spirit, which is a day-after-day crucifixion.
Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23
Name and compare the works of the flesh with the fruit of the spirit. How do they differ from each other?
The fruit of the spirit is: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
The works of the flesh are: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions (discord), factions (division) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
The fruit of the spirit doesn’t always always come naturally. I needs to be exercised in our lives. We need to discipline ourselves rather than yield to the sin that tempts us. The works of the flesh are the many temptations we yield our bodies to. These are choices we make each and every day as choose to either follow the Spirit or follow the flesh.
In what ways can we ‘walk in the spirit,’ according to verses 24-26?
By crucifying our flesh on a daily basis. In other words, we put our own sinful desires down to serve God and follow His wisdom.
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