LIFE BY THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:16-26

Introduction on the Book of Galatians

Author : Paul the Apostle
Date of Writing : 50-60 AD
Purpose: In the New Testament times false teachers visited
some of the churches founded by Paul. They told the new
Christians they had to follow all the Old Testament rules.
In this letter to the Galatians, Paul explains that being a
Christian means trusting Jesus completely and letting the
Holy Spirit change you as a person from within. It's not
trying to change by keeping somebody's rules. In short to
respond to Judaizers.
Audience of the Book : Paul wrote Galatians to all the
churches he founded in Galatia on his first Missionary the
Early Christians community in Galatia and the Gentiles.

Quick Facts

Galatians were people living in Galatia

Galatia was a Roman Province
The Book of Galatians is only 6 Chapters Long
Judaizers are men who said Christians must
keep Moses' Law
4th of 21 Epistle Books
5th of Pauls 13 books
Paul the Apostle is also know as Saul of Tarsus

Where is Galatia?

Where is Galatia now?

Discussion

What is Life by the Spirit

Is Living w/ God in our lives
The Spirit is the best guarantee of
Christian identity and the only sure
guide for Christian behavior.

Discussion
Chapter 5: 16-19
If a person is not in step with the Spirit of
God he or she will be controlled by the
flesh. These people live an existence
which is dominated by sinful human
nature whose focus and center of
attention is self, whose life is lived to
satisfy selfish desires.

Discussion
Chapter 5: 18
"But if you are led by the spirit you are not
under the law"
It is the spirit rather than the pedagogue
that is to form the character of God's
people come of age. The pedagogical
role of the law has given way to the
guidance of the spirit.

Pedagogue a.k.a a teacher

Discussion
Chapter 5: 19-21
These verses features a list of the works
of the flesh

Paul perceives the way of life

recommended by the agitators as
inevitable deteriorating into a morass of
corruption and perversity.

Conclusion

These two mind sets are intent on

diametrically opposite directions. The mind
set dominated by the desires and activities of
the sinful nature is on the way to death. The
mind set dominated by the desires and
activities of the will of God is on the way to
life and life eternal. Each person is
responsible for which mind set he pursues.
The believers responsibility is to set his mind
on living in submission to the indwelling Holy
Spirit or to focus his mind on Christ.

Relevance in our time