It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, keep standing firm and do not be burdened again by the yoke of slavery! Galatians 5:1
Isn’t that great news? But how are we to use that freedom (5:13)? And what does Paul says means far more than circumcision (5:6)? What hinders YOU from running your race well (5:7)?
Walk by the Sprit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
What are the behaviors/attitudes of someone carrying out the desires of the flesh (19-21)? What is the evidence of someone being led by the spirit(22-24)?
Verse 21 says that those who practice such things (the deeds of the flesh listed) will not inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus said in Matthew 7:17-21 “Every good tree bears good fruit but the bad trees bear bad fruit…Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the faire. You will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven but those who do the will of my Father.”
What kind of fruit does someone see who is watching you?
Poiema by Lynn 
We are given freedom through Christ’s sacrifice, which means that we can now live not to fulfill our selfish desires, but to share our joy with others. Said another way, we can “pay it forward”, letting others in on the benefit you have gained through faith in Christ, so that they too can live in freedom.
Love is the main ingredient to our faith.
What hinders me from running my race well is lack of boldness to share my faith, especially in an atmosphere where most are nonbelievers. i have already had an encounter where someone stated “Christians are brainwashed.” The workplace is not the ideal location to refute that opinion. So i didn’t. I decided to exemplify Christ by my conduct. That meant not retaliating or shunning that co-worker for his comment; promoting teamwork when we have a difficult time due to shortage of staff; or reassuring a co-worker on her handling of a task.
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What hinders me running MY race is comparing myself to others and wondering why my race does not look like theirs. Christ has set me free not to mimic some one else but to follow Him where He is guiding me. Another thing that hinders me is evaluating myself according to the world’s standards – bigger influence is better. God wants faithfulness even when no one sees or if there is little response.
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Carrying out the desires of the flesh doesn’t necessarily mean the blatant behaviors as listed in v19-21. They come in the form of subtle attitudes/conduct which are no less off-target than those stated. It’s self-indulgence like online surfing for products that draw my attention; doing other “stuff” with my free time before filling it with God. I think that’s a reason I yearned for a Bible study, to have depth in my day and accountability, aside from benefitting from the words God spoke through his chosen writers.
So the contrast which I would like to cultivate is the fruit of the Spirit (v22) which can come by dwelling on His Word that it grows on me, such that it can be evident in my life.
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Faith, working through love, not being a slave to the law (of circumcision)…………..serve one another in love and not out of obligation…………love your neighbor as yourself. We freely love ourselves by taking care of ourselves, many times without thinking……..to have our lives go well…………… serve others to have their lives go well also.
Adela, your choosing not to verbalize any words at that moment and choosing to exemplify Christ by your conduct may have been much more powerful than any word could have been.
(Ecclesiastes 3:7 — a time to be silent and a time to speak)
What hinders me from running my race well is insecurity……..when I forget that I have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16)
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