WEBVTT 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:05.719 Howdy! Well, last week we had talked a bit about 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:09.519 how it is that we're not living by the law as 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:11.699 in we're trying to see all the things that make 00:00:11.699 --> 00:00:14.480 us feel good about ourselves by kind of checking 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:18.140 things off the list, but rather is that we're 00:00:18.140 --> 00:00:22.039 free from letting these rules and laws determine 00:00:22.039 --> 00:00:24.399 our hope and our future, and rather there is 00:00:24.399 --> 00:00:26.960 grace that moves us through and beyond it. But 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:29.280 this week, this is sort of like the part two. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:32.500 This is the part about seeing that just because 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:35.359 we're not living under the law, it doesn't mean 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:39.140 we're lawless. Just because we're not condemned 00:00:39.140 --> 00:00:43.179 by rules doesn't mean we don't want to follow 00:00:43.179 --> 00:00:46.359 what is good and right. You know, when I was 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:49.060 in high school, there was a point in time my 00:00:49.060 --> 00:00:51.020 sister and I were going to two different schools, 00:00:51.899 --> 00:00:54.299 and what was happening is that my mom was trying 00:00:54.299 --> 00:00:56.539 to figure out how to get us to both places, and 00:00:56.539 --> 00:00:59.240 she realized, can't be in two places at once. 00:00:59.340 --> 00:01:01.100 Moms have eyes in the back of their head, but 00:01:01.100 --> 00:01:02.700 they haven't figured out how to teleport yet. 00:01:04.219 --> 00:01:06.879 With that is that she figured out who could take 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:08.900 me to school, some friends that we'd known since 00:01:08.900 --> 00:01:12.879 elementary. And so she would go off to take my 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:15.359 sister to school, and I would be waiting for 00:01:15.359 --> 00:01:18.599 the ride to come. And what I realized is, I'm 00:01:18.599 --> 00:01:22.239 free. I'm here all by myself. Wow, this is great 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:25.040 and I'm thinking myself I could sleep in I could 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.659 like go and take a nap before it's time for school 00:01:27.659 --> 00:01:30.060 And I'm thinking hey, I'll go sneak in some more 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:33.079 lucky charms. That'd be great And oh I can turn 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:35.579 on the TV and watch some cartoons. That'd be 00:01:35.579 --> 00:01:37.780 awesome and all these things that I'm thinking 00:01:37.780 --> 00:01:41.099 Oh, man, I have so much I can do now the world's 00:01:41.099 --> 00:01:44.780 my oyster for 30 minutes. So And then I started 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:47.379 realizing, well, wait a minute, if I'm trying 00:01:47.379 --> 00:01:50.159 to jump back into bed, I'm not going to get any 00:01:50.159 --> 00:01:53.400 extra sleep. But also then I'm going to end up 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:56.980 being late. Great. Well, if I'm watching the 00:01:56.980 --> 00:01:59.700 cartoon, I still have to get dressed. I still 00:01:59.700 --> 00:02:03.340 have to prep myself. Oh, great. Well, I already 00:02:03.340 --> 00:02:05.519 had cereal. I don't really want another bowl 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:08.919 of it. And then if I'm delayed, then... Those 00:02:08.919 --> 00:02:10.199 friends are going to be coming up on the door, 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:12.500 banging on the door, and then trying to call 00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:14.259 my mom and saying, what's wrong with him? And 00:02:14.259 --> 00:02:16.719 I'm like, oh, this is not even worth the hassle. 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:21.039 Oh my goodness. And so as much as I was free, 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:25.020 I still had responsibilities. I still had to 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:26.479 take care of the things that were needed. See, 00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:28.479 the freedom was real. You know, I could kind 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:31.759 of do things at my own pace. But at the same 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:34.620 time, I still had to take care of what was needed. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:39.129 See, that idea... of being free from the law, 00:02:39.530 --> 00:02:42.449 but still not just giving in and having license 00:02:42.449 --> 00:02:45.689 to do whatever we want, that's something that 00:02:45.689 --> 00:02:48.310 Paul is trying to get across. You're free, but 00:02:48.310 --> 00:02:50.150 it doesn't mean you have the license to just 00:02:50.150 --> 00:02:54.729 do whatever desire comes your way. When Romans 00:02:54.729 --> 00:02:58.090 is written and he says, what shall we say then? 00:02:58.509 --> 00:03:02.629 Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:07.520 by no means or even later on in chapter 13 when 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:09.759 it would say love your neighbor as yourself love 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:12.840 does no harm to a neighbor therefore love is 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:15.919 the fulfillment of the law as always trying to 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:18.300 get across is that we're not living by law we're 00:03:18.300 --> 00:03:21.960 living by love and so respecting our neighbor 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:24.800 doing what's right in the world taking care of 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:27.800 others being responsible being respectful all 00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:31.960 of these things are important So then when we're 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:36.500 seeing that while we're not justified or given 00:03:36.500 --> 00:03:39.599 life by the law, doesn't mean that we completely 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:42.219 ignore it. See, the warning is trying to realize 00:03:42.219 --> 00:03:46.020 that just because we're forgiven, we're not supposed 00:03:46.020 --> 00:03:49.340 to take sin lightly. We're not supposed to treat 00:03:49.340 --> 00:03:54.020 it as if every indulgence is not important. Paul 00:03:54.020 --> 00:03:59.219 actually warns us not to use our freedom. to 00:03:59.219 --> 00:04:02.659 just give opportunity to flesh. But rather, how 00:04:02.659 --> 00:04:05.060 is it that our lives are serving God and serving 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:08.360 one another? See, love is meant to fulfill the 00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:11.819 law. It's not about the rigid rule keeping, but 00:04:11.819 --> 00:04:14.580 through the Spirit who enables genuine care. 00:04:14.979 --> 00:04:17.079 You know, I always found it funny was that whenever 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:19.379 I was younger, we were learning the Ten Commandments 00:04:19.379 --> 00:04:21.519 and we would get to the part, you know, like, 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:24.699 don't lie. And someone would always ask, yes, 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:28.379 but what about Nazi Germany? And they're always 00:04:28.379 --> 00:04:31.620 like, they're coming up to ask you, are there 00:04:31.620 --> 00:04:34.939 any Jewish people in your home? And you're not 00:04:34.939 --> 00:04:38.000 supposed to lie. And then what happens? And they'd 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:40.779 always have this kind of uncomfortable moment. 00:04:40.939 --> 00:04:44.300 It's like, well, you're not supposed to lie. 00:04:44.379 --> 00:04:47.379 Maybe you could just, you know, maybe adjust 00:04:47.379 --> 00:04:50.339 the truth a little bit or maybe try to like, 00:04:50.379 --> 00:04:52.519 just avoid the question. And it's like, after 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:56.579 all, it's like, no, lie. Tell them a bald -faced 00:04:56.579 --> 00:04:59.399 lie. Don't let them go in there and hurt the 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:01.819 people. I'm sorry, just no. Just lie through 00:05:01.819 --> 00:05:04.480 your teeth and tell them no. There's nobody in 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:07.779 here that you are looking for. And I found that 00:05:07.779 --> 00:05:10.480 so fascinating and how difficult that was because, 00:05:10.699 --> 00:05:13.040 well, number one, the law and the Ten Commandments 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:16.040 actually said don't bear false witness. As in, 00:05:16.420 --> 00:05:19.160 don't tell lies that malign someone's reputation. 00:05:19.819 --> 00:05:23.160 But also is, you're so focused, I'm trying to 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:26.639 check this off, when in your heart you know that 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:29.259 the right thing is to protect the people's lives. 00:05:30.579 --> 00:05:33.360 And that's the thing about this, is that we spend 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:36.139 our time in God's Word, but it's not so we can 00:05:36.139 --> 00:05:37.920 try to find all the laws that are written off, 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:43.180 but rather to know God's Son. And then by prayer, 00:05:43.560 --> 00:05:45.860 to ask God, what are you laying on my heart by 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:50.500 your Spirit to do? See, the thing is, is that 00:05:50.500 --> 00:05:53.550 the liberty... of being a Christian, it doesn't 00:05:53.550 --> 00:05:55.750 get rid of the moral boundaries, but rather the 00:05:55.750 --> 00:05:58.149 point is that we're actually meant to live up 00:05:58.149 --> 00:06:02.230 to a higher standard. And instead of spending 00:06:02.230 --> 00:06:04.250 the time just figuring out if we've checked off 00:06:04.250 --> 00:06:07.389 all the laws we've lived up to, that instead 00:06:07.389 --> 00:06:09.290 we're supposed to be asking, how can I be more 00:06:09.290 --> 00:06:14.470 like Christ in my life? See, there is an inner 00:06:14.470 --> 00:06:17.910 tug of war that is happening within us. The battle 00:06:17.910 --> 00:06:21.240 between flesh and the spirit. See, our battle 00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:25.639 is not between the law and the spirit. The battle 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:29.339 is between the flesh and the spirit. Because 00:06:29.339 --> 00:06:33.819 the real issue is our desires and our tendencies. 00:06:34.819 --> 00:06:36.560 And that as much as we might like to think that 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:39.660 we're doing everything that's, you know, necessary 00:06:39.660 --> 00:06:43.300 and good, we're still struggling. How often is 00:06:43.300 --> 00:06:45.879 it that we have our phone in our hand and we 00:06:45.879 --> 00:06:50.610 cannot help but scroll through And try to check 00:06:50.610 --> 00:06:54.550 every single meme that our friends sent us Eric 00:06:54.550 --> 00:06:56.970 not this one. There's another guy. He sends me 00:06:56.970 --> 00:06:59.410 memes all the time It's like every two or three 00:06:59.410 --> 00:07:02.370 days. There's 24 of them I have to get through 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:04.709 and I'm like dude I just I've got to have like 00:07:04.709 --> 00:07:07.009 a whole full -time job to try to get but you 00:07:07.009 --> 00:07:10.649 can't stop It's like you just you have this habit 00:07:11.129 --> 00:07:13.529 And it's like you're trying to stop, or even 00:07:13.529 --> 00:07:15.970 trying to get on the social media and you see 00:07:15.970 --> 00:07:18.990 who was going off to another land. And you know 00:07:18.990 --> 00:07:21.529 exactly who I'm talking about whenever I say 00:07:21.529 --> 00:07:24.709 how jealous I am of their Ireland trips. I'm 00:07:24.709 --> 00:07:27.569 like, come on, I want to be there. And you're 00:07:27.569 --> 00:07:30.050 like, I shouldn't be jealous. God has blessed 00:07:30.050 --> 00:07:32.990 me in so many ways, but come on. Your heart knows 00:07:32.990 --> 00:07:35.329 that you want to be out there, right alongside 00:07:35.329 --> 00:07:38.240 them. Or even when you're in the middle of the 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:40.600 traffic and you know you're not supposed to yell 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:42.879 at that person, they can't hear you. Yelling 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:47.259 at them does no good. But you still do it. And 00:07:47.259 --> 00:07:50.459 you realize, yeah, you know what's the right 00:07:50.459 --> 00:07:53.920 thing to do, but your flesh still pulls you in. 00:07:55.060 --> 00:07:59.139 But what does that mean? See, walking by the 00:07:59.139 --> 00:08:02.040 Spirit, it's supposed to lead us away from that. 00:08:02.779 --> 00:08:06.230 But then we still struggle. See, being led by 00:08:06.230 --> 00:08:09.089 the Spirit is meant to show us that we don't 00:08:09.089 --> 00:08:12.170 want to go that path. Doesn't mean that now all 00:08:12.170 --> 00:08:14.870 of a sudden we've conquered it all. We haven't 00:08:14.870 --> 00:08:17.129 got it all right. We haven't figured it all out. 00:08:17.269 --> 00:08:20.930 But the point is to be able to not reject what 00:08:20.930 --> 00:08:24.810 the Spirit is doing. The point is to not deny 00:08:24.810 --> 00:08:29.170 that you are sinning. The point is not to reject 00:08:29.170 --> 00:08:30.930 that there is something to be concerned about. 00:08:30.970 --> 00:08:34.470 The point is not to avoid it. Like, oh, it's 00:08:34.470 --> 00:08:37.049 not really that important. Or even to justify 00:08:37.049 --> 00:08:38.929 yourself. Like, you know, but there's a reason 00:08:38.929 --> 00:08:42.549 why I did this. The point is not to do that and 00:08:42.549 --> 00:08:45.230 instead to look at it and say, I know it's wrong. 00:08:46.809 --> 00:08:49.149 Because in 1 Corinthians, it even shows the natural 00:08:49.149 --> 00:08:51.950 person does not accept the things of the Spirit 00:08:51.950 --> 00:08:54.570 of God. And we're like, I don't want to be that 00:08:54.570 --> 00:08:58.190 person. I don't want to be the person that just 00:08:58.190 --> 00:09:01.090 rejects and denies and avoids what God is trying 00:09:01.090 --> 00:09:05.720 to get on my heart. See Martin Luther one time 00:09:05.720 --> 00:09:11.259 he says sin Boldly and and a lot of times people 00:09:11.259 --> 00:09:13.320 love to just stop there put that on the shirt 00:09:13.320 --> 00:09:16.259 right sin boldly yep I'm sinning everybody in 00:09:16.259 --> 00:09:18.519 this great, and then they just stop as if there's 00:09:18.519 --> 00:09:22.720 a period at the end of those two words But the 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:26.879 rest of it says sin boldly, but believe and rejoice 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:31.220 in Christ even more Boldly because the point 00:09:31.220 --> 00:09:34.559 is not to encourage the sinning The point is 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:37.200 to be safe enough to be honest about the struggles, 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:40.600 because you know your struggles are not to condemn 00:09:40.600 --> 00:09:43.860 you, that you have to somehow pretend as if it's 00:09:43.860 --> 00:09:46.600 okay, but rather is to know it's safe to look 00:09:46.600 --> 00:09:49.179 at it and be honest about what's really happening. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:52.679 Because being spirit -led doesn't mean that you're 00:09:52.679 --> 00:09:55.279 perfect, but rather is that you're sensitive 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:59.720 to knowing that God is guiding you. And then 00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:04.279 the question comes, are we listening? or are 00:10:04.279 --> 00:10:08.519 we resisting? Because let's just be honest, the 00:10:08.519 --> 00:10:11.720 works of the flesh are often pretty obvious. 00:10:13.220 --> 00:10:16.039 The works of the flesh are pretty obvious. It's 00:10:16.039 --> 00:10:21.360 just that we oftentimes find an excuse to kind 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:25.159 of ignore it. You know, Paul's list that he has 00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:28.129 here, all these things that are listed, you know, 00:10:28.210 --> 00:10:31.450 looking at what it is to see all these different 00:10:31.450 --> 00:10:34.409 things. You know, Galatians 5, as it's going 00:10:34.409 --> 00:10:36.690 through all this, and you're kind of like, it's 00:10:36.690 --> 00:10:38.129 almost like you're going through the checklist. 00:10:38.350 --> 00:10:41.129 You're like, hmm, okay, what do we have here? 00:10:41.649 --> 00:10:45.710 Okay, sexual immorality, let's skip over that 00:10:45.710 --> 00:10:50.860 one, impurity, I'm okay, sensuality. I haven't 00:10:50.860 --> 00:10:53.840 been really weird. Idolatry. I went to church. 00:10:54.100 --> 00:10:57.740 We're going through this as if somehow we're 00:10:57.740 --> 00:10:59.580 trying to make sure we checked off everything 00:10:59.580 --> 00:11:03.320 and that we're okay. And then as soon as we see 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:07.340 someone else that we can then pinpoint them to 00:11:07.340 --> 00:11:10.080 one of these, then they're the ones that are 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:14.679 not really Christian. We go through and somehow 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:17.480 we feel as if this is some exhaustive list and 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:20.379 it's not meant to be an exhaustive list because 00:11:20.379 --> 00:11:23.139 the point is that Paul is not trying to now say 00:11:23.139 --> 00:11:25.399 okay now these are the sins that keep you out 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:29.220 of heaven he's trying to get your attention and 00:11:29.220 --> 00:11:33.519 to realize that so many of these things are making 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.919 it harder to listen to God Because thing is is 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:41.039 that this is not an exhaustive list. It's a diagnostic 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:45.620 one It's meant to be something where as you look 00:11:45.620 --> 00:11:48.299 through and you realize something is wrong inside 00:11:48.299 --> 00:11:51.679 of you is to be able to say Then that means I 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:54.919 need to ask some hard Questions. It's like what 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:57.500 like whenever you're going to the doctor and 00:11:57.500 --> 00:11:59.480 and you're telling all the different things, 00:11:59.559 --> 00:12:02.750 right? that you're like, oh, you know, I'm not 00:12:02.750 --> 00:12:05.090 feeling good today, this is what's happening, 00:12:05.309 --> 00:12:08.490 you know, my eyes are itchy and they're watering 00:12:08.490 --> 00:12:10.769 and everything and I don't want to wake up and 00:12:10.769 --> 00:12:12.950 everything and they're trying to diagnose what 00:12:12.950 --> 00:12:15.889 may be going on and everything. But the point 00:12:15.889 --> 00:12:18.769 is not then that the doctor is sitting there 00:12:18.769 --> 00:12:21.509 trying to use it to then condemn you. I mean, 00:12:21.850 --> 00:12:23.889 you go in there and he's like, oh, I think you 00:12:23.889 --> 00:12:26.309 have the flu. What kind of a terrible person 00:12:26.309 --> 00:12:30.620 are you? You went and caught the flu. Oh my goodness. 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:33.700 Oh, I can't believe. I am ashamed of you. Could 00:12:33.700 --> 00:12:35.820 you imagine your doctor doing that? Like standing 00:12:35.820 --> 00:12:38.039 there is like, oh my goodness, I can't believe 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:40.379 you got sick. What is wrong? You stubbed your 00:12:40.379 --> 00:12:44.139 toe. What kind of it? No. The point is to look 00:12:44.139 --> 00:12:46.980 at them and to know what's going on so that then 00:12:46.980 --> 00:12:50.620 you can work through it. Because your doctor 00:12:50.620 --> 00:12:53.299 wants to be able to help you to be better, stronger, 00:12:53.740 --> 00:12:56.820 and to heal. See, that's the thing about this, 00:12:57.080 --> 00:12:59.200 is that what we're looking at is trying to get 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:02.320 the difference of, I'm having a struggle versus 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:07.259 I've now decided this is who I am. Because the 00:13:07.259 --> 00:13:09.480 point of then coming to the doctor with everything 00:13:09.480 --> 00:13:11.559 that you're struggling with is so that he can 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:14.139 help you walk through, not for you to go back 00:13:14.139 --> 00:13:17.700 to exactly where you've been before. See, that's 00:13:17.700 --> 00:13:21.779 the thing about this, is that this list is actually 00:13:21.779 --> 00:13:26.740 where all of us fall. We have all had these struggles, 00:13:26.740 --> 00:13:31.299 but the question is, are we now letting that 00:13:31.299 --> 00:13:35.240 determine who we are? Have we then given in and 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:39.399 decided that's all we're ever going to be? Or 00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:42.399 are we willing to pause and say something needs 00:13:42.399 --> 00:13:46.659 to change? This difference between struggle and 00:13:46.659 --> 00:13:50.039 identity is really what we're trying to get at. 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:54.409 Because, let's be honest, How many of the people 00:13:54.409 --> 00:13:58.649 that we know in our minds They're defined by 00:13:58.649 --> 00:14:01.370 certain things when we think of this one person 00:14:01.370 --> 00:14:04.370 and we automatically know that that person is 00:14:04.370 --> 00:14:07.809 impatient That's what immediately comes to mind 00:14:07.809 --> 00:14:11.870 or then there's this person and it's like That 00:14:11.870 --> 00:14:15.230 person's lust controls most everything in their 00:14:15.230 --> 00:14:19.870 life or this person They're as selfish as I can 00:14:19.870 --> 00:14:25.159 imagine not hey I know this person messed up, 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:29.639 but rather that they're continuing to revel in 00:14:29.639 --> 00:14:33.700 it and that they have no interest in changing. 00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:37.360 See, that's the thing about this is that in Romans 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:39.460 1 where it talks about looking at the broader 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:42.879 picture of what happens when people reject God's 00:14:42.879 --> 00:14:47.299 truth and they live by fleshly desires. The question 00:14:47.299 --> 00:14:51.940 to you is, is this who you actually want to be? 00:14:53.740 --> 00:14:56.639 When you think of the struggle that you're having, 00:14:57.600 --> 00:15:02.440 is to pause and ask yourself, is this who I want 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:06.960 to be? Because that's the good part about what 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:11.120 is happening here, is that Paul is showing us 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:14.720 this is who you are in Christ, and if this is 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:17.679 who you've been, Do you still want to be this 00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:20.419 person? Not that you're going to change because 00:15:20.419 --> 00:15:23.519 somehow the law is making you. The law can't 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:29.039 make us any better. But the Spirit of God moving 00:15:29.039 --> 00:15:32.799 and saying, wouldn't you rather be the person 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:36.039 Christ has called you to be? See, that's what 00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:38.299 we end up seeing about the fruits of the Spirit. 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:41.980 Because the fruits of the Spirit are meant to 00:15:41.980 --> 00:15:47.409 show us who do we want to be. in Christ. I want 00:15:47.409 --> 00:15:50.809 you to think in your mind. Picture in your mind 00:15:50.809 --> 00:15:55.950 somebody that you admire. Picture in your mind 00:15:55.950 --> 00:15:59.210 somebody that you admire. And I want you to think 00:15:59.210 --> 00:16:03.850 about the fruits of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, 00:16:04.529 --> 00:16:08.330 patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 00:16:08.950 --> 00:16:11.889 self -control. Which of those, the person you 00:16:11.889 --> 00:16:18.289 admire, stands out strongly? Because I'm 90 -something 00:16:18.289 --> 00:16:20.889 percent sure that whoever you have in your mind 00:16:20.889 --> 00:16:25.769 has at least a few of those gifts. Because this 00:16:25.769 --> 00:16:29.409 is someone that when they are living out what 00:16:29.409 --> 00:16:33.129 God has given them, they become the person that 00:16:33.129 --> 00:16:36.929 God has desired of them. See, these are not meant 00:16:36.929 --> 00:16:39.690 to be rules where you sit there and you're like, 00:16:39.870 --> 00:16:44.409 okay, was I self -controlled enough today? Okay. 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:48.159 Was I kind enough today? Okay, do I have enough 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:51.500 peace? I was there with a small group and we 00:16:51.500 --> 00:16:53.480 were talking through this passage and somebody 00:16:53.480 --> 00:16:56.200 said, is there a definition here for goodness? 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:01.000 And I understood what the point was because they're 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:03.220 trying to understand was there a Greek meaning 00:17:03.220 --> 00:17:05.720 that emphasized this, but isn't that amazing 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:11.559 that we have to define the meaning of goodness 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:17.420 in our lives? See this is not about trying to 00:17:17.420 --> 00:17:20.940 prove whether or not we're saved It's not about 00:17:20.940 --> 00:17:23.380 trying to decide whether or not we're shamed 00:17:23.380 --> 00:17:27.440 But rather is it's helping us to diagnose when 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.619 something's missing Because I know there have 00:17:30.619 --> 00:17:34.119 been some times I'm looking at patients like 00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:39.180 ooh That one means some work You know the times 00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:42.440 where you're just like oh my oh wow that did 00:17:42.440 --> 00:17:46.369 not go very well. And you are apologetic, but 00:17:46.369 --> 00:17:48.609 you're also slowing down and saying, yeah, but 00:17:48.609 --> 00:17:50.829 couldn't there be a way that I could not fall 00:17:50.829 --> 00:17:56.250 into that one beforehand? Or even the times whenever 00:17:56.250 --> 00:18:00.170 we look and we see it in other people. And whenever 00:18:00.170 --> 00:18:03.690 we see these things missing in other people, 00:18:05.250 --> 00:18:08.859 what is it we're supposed to do about that? Is 00:18:08.859 --> 00:18:12.019 the point to now go up and start figuring out, 00:18:12.539 --> 00:18:14.700 okay, I see you missing some of those fruits. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:17.519 You're terrible, and I'm not going to spend any 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:20.539 more time with you. I'd lose all my friends. 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:26.500 But, and they would lose me. Because the point 00:18:26.500 --> 00:18:28.940 is not about trying to figure out which people 00:18:28.940 --> 00:18:32.519 are the most broken, but rather is saying, yeah, 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:35.220 but doesn't that mean I need to show them God's 00:18:35.220 --> 00:18:38.559 love even more? Because that's the thing that 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:41.859 actually causes fruit. Is that every time we 00:18:41.859 --> 00:18:44.579 see something missing is to say, God, what is 00:18:44.579 --> 00:18:48.980 it that I've missed from your spirit that's causing 00:18:48.980 --> 00:18:53.920 me to miss this? Maybe you've seen somebody in 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:59.200 your life that you know is struggling. Is the 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:03.059 point then to say, oh, it's all or nothing. That's 00:19:03.059 --> 00:19:07.990 it. You're broken. Too bad. Or is it instead 00:19:07.990 --> 00:19:11.250 to look for a way to be able to bring them back 00:19:11.250 --> 00:19:14.170 to Christ with grace and forgiveness and to say, 00:19:15.069 --> 00:19:18.269 I know you want to be better than this? Because 00:19:18.269 --> 00:19:20.630 that's what we end up seeing when we crucify 00:19:20.630 --> 00:19:25.829 the flesh and live by the Spirit. To crucify 00:19:25.829 --> 00:19:29.650 the flesh is to say it no longer has the final 00:19:29.650 --> 00:19:34.029 say. Does the flesh continue to make us struggle? 00:19:34.170 --> 00:19:37.390 Yes. time and time again. But when did the flesh 00:19:37.390 --> 00:19:42.890 get crucified? It was in the past tense. It's 00:19:42.890 --> 00:19:48.710 been done. Because the person who saw that the 00:19:48.710 --> 00:19:52.849 law was condemning was willing to give up his 00:19:52.849 --> 00:19:56.509 life for us. He knew what your struggle was. 00:19:57.069 --> 00:20:00.450 He still does. And he's still giving everything 00:20:00.450 --> 00:20:03.470 for you. Because that's the thing about love. 00:20:04.009 --> 00:20:07.069 is that love does not come in to try to figure 00:20:07.069 --> 00:20:10.210 out how to point out the struggles and the failures 00:20:10.210 --> 00:20:13.410 and the lack of fruit as if that is now meant 00:20:13.410 --> 00:20:16.950 to be your identity. Your identity is in Christ. 00:20:17.990 --> 00:20:22.569 You have everything already. But now, inside 00:20:22.569 --> 00:20:26.730 of your heart, the question comes from that Spirit. 00:20:27.529 --> 00:20:33.240 Don't you want to be like Him? See, that's where 00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:38.299 we end up seeing. Whenever we are at those moments 00:20:38.299 --> 00:20:42.160 when all we can see is the struggle and we know 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:47.259 that we can't seem to stop, does it mean we get 00:20:47.259 --> 00:20:52.980 numb to it and say it's okay? No. It means we 00:20:52.980 --> 00:20:58.720 take it and bring it back to Jesus. Jesus, I 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:04.480 need to die to this today. Help me Because the 00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:07.400 struggle is not a sign of failing. It's a struggle 00:21:07.400 --> 00:21:12.440 of fighting and Today I encourage you to fight 00:21:12.440 --> 00:21:18.079 Turn to Christ in your weakness and keep fighting 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:20.839 Because you don't do it from your own strength 00:21:20.839 --> 00:21:26.660 You do it from his spirit So as we look and we 00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:29.420 admit and we face to the ways in which we have 00:21:29.420 --> 00:21:32.809 sinned boldly May we more boldly still cling 00:21:32.809 --> 00:21:36.369 to the cross and the forgiveness that brings 00:21:36.369 --> 00:21:39.309 us life everlasting. Thanks be to God.