Galatians 6:1-6

The question remains, how do we keep in step with the Spirit that results in loving Jesus, trusting Jesus, being close to Jesus, and ultimately becoming acting, loving people like Jesus?

this is a word to those who live or desire to ever live in community with God's people. and i mean REAL community, not the living-in-a-house-together kind, but the living-life-together-as-the-church kind. it is also a word about what it means to live by the Spirit. pretty powerful to me, I especially appreciated the distinction made that: our end goal is not to be LIKE Jesus, but rather to be WITH Him. do not be alarmed by this statement, for it's actually only through this truth that we can ever hope to be like Him in the end. in talking to a friend just last night about something very similar, i feel even more strongly that our focus must be spending time with our God rather then always jumping to do things for Him (as if he needed our help in fulfilling his will in the first place) and striving to be like him. because think about it, if we are having authentic connection to him and sincere love for him in our daily life, then the fruit of that (as Paul spoke about in Galatians 5) will have no choice but to show forth in the believer's life. he or she will live differently. he or she will become more like the Son who died for them. but the moment we turn the logic around and believe that the performing of righteous and just behaviors somehow justifies us and brings us closer in relationship with the Lord, there we have tragically been deceived.

the passage here sheds insight into how we do what Paul encourages us to do in Galatians 5, which is "live by the Spirit."

other notes from the sermon:

- How to live by the Spirit and keep in step with Him, how to crucify the flesh: get into a church that loves each other and teaches the Scriptures, develop friendships, open lives, receive discipline, distinguish between burdens and loads, help others and know when to receive help. Not mystical experience but it works.
- Not personal relationship, but communal one. Sin not just between that person and God. It affects other people and must be called out/dealt with. Accountable. Restoration. Be humble.
- Paul in Acts 20 – all of God’s word must be preached, the whole breath of Scripture.
- Understand purpose of Scripture – James says “do not merely listen to the gospel and so deceive yourselves, but do what it says”
- Teaching of Scripture is not to cause you to be holy through information but to cause you to be holy through transformation.
- Goal is for you to be like Christ, not just to memorize innumerable facts about him. It is to love him and be with him as a person, and not just be committed to him as a concept or a principle. Cannot just listen and have doctrine in order because doctrine is also life and practice and what we do.
- Galatians are arguing and speculating with each other, not loving each other and God.
- John 5 – false teachers much like in Galatia. “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life”
- Cannot be about information, but transformation. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. We as the church should be compelling people to come to Jesus.
- Paul’s harsh words because he loves them and is concerned. Hard words produce soft people and soft words produce hard people. Soften hearts toward God and his Word.
- Book of encouragement