Galatians 5:16 - 6:10
Keep in Step with the Spirit
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Bear One Another's Burdens Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbour. For each will have to bear his own load. Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

When we become a Christian we receive the Holy Spirit who helps us to develop fruit in our lives and become more like Jesus. We use ‘good’ to describe our work, people, behaviour etc. Being good and doing good, someone who is morally upright, etc
We are going to consider 4 aspects of goodness...

1. Goodness begins with God - when addressed as “Good teacher” by the rich young ruler Jesus asked, “why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone”. In Genesis chapter 1, God surveyed his handiwork and said that it was good. Then in Genesis 1:31, at the end of the 6th day of creation, He affirmed that it was very good. Everything about Eden was good until sin came into the world. God showed His goodness in providing a redeemer foretold in Genesis 3:15. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” He is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His goodness. Psalm 119:68 reads, “You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees”. His rules are good, His way is good, His promises are good.“God is good all the time, all the time God is good!” The catechism describes God as being “a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth”. Psalm 119:68 states “You are good and do good”. In chapter 107, the Psalmist admonishes us to “give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

2. God’s goodness is questioned by many - Is God really good all the time? Satan asked the same question…"is God really good?” Why would He prevent you from this good thing? If God is good why does He allow the injustice and suffering we see in the world? Many despise God’s goodness and ridicule Him. If someone wants to belittle a Christian they refer them as 'do-gooders’. We may be facing difficulties and sometimes even finding ourselves questioning God’s goodness. How can a good God possibly allow the evil we see every day? The goodness of God is more than mere kindness.

3. Goodness is seen best in Jesus - several individuals are highlighted in the bible as being good. The good Samaritan, Joseph of Arimathea. Luke describes him as a good and righteous man. Barnabas was a good, man. Tabitha was good and righteous. The only life reflecting the perfect embodiment of goodness is Jesus. Titus 3:4 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”.
Acts 10:38 “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him”. In John chapter 1 Nathanael asks Philip, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” and Philip replied, “Come and see”. The 17th century Puritan, Thomas Brooks said, “Christ is the greatest good, the choicest good, the chief good, the most suitable good, the most necessary good. He is a pure good, a real good, a total good, an eternal good, and a soul-satisfying good.”
The rich young ruler addressed Jesus as “good teacher” to which Jesus replied, “why are you calling me good when only God is good”. He was asking him to consider what he had asked. John 7:12 “He is a good man”, John 10 “I am the good shepherd who laid down His life”. He proclaimed the good news of the gospel. Our salvation depends on the fact that Jesus is good. Look beyond your suffering and look into the heart of Jesus. The cross is the greatest proof of God’s goodness. He gave up His only son so that goodness and mercy would follow us. He laid down His life for our good.

4. Goodness is God’s plan for us - In 2010, Scottish Humanists announced, “2 million Scots are Good Without God.” In contrast, almost 400 years earlier, in 1638, the national covenant was signed by 1000’s of Scot’s in opposition of the interference by the Stuart kings in the affairs of the church. There followed a period of severe repression and many died for their faith. Can someone be good without God?

God's goodness is a different type of Goodness…the fruit of the spirit. Romans 3:10-12 "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” When God’s Spirit enters our lives we are changed. “Salvation is by grace though faith not of works, for we are God’s workmanship created for good works so that we may walk in them" (Ephesians 2: 8-9). In other words, we are not saved by good works but for good works! But how do I know what works God wants me to do? In 1 Timothy 5, Paul sums up how we should work.. Have a reputation for good works, bring up children, sharing hospitality, caring for the afflicted. These are mundane things but in them we find opportunities to do good in our everyday life. It could involve using our skills to bless others. No matter what season of life we find ourselves in, God has prepared good works for us. Most opportunities will present themselves as we go about our daily lives. Sending an encouraging text, Kind words, etc. Sometimes we are wearied in doing good as we can be unappreciated. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). Jesus goodness outshines our goodness but did He get any thanks? No, instead He was mocked, they called Him mad and eventually crucified Him. He did not give up because He knew He would reap the harvest in due time. Do not be weary of doing good. “I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another” (Romans 15:14). Always seek to do good to one another, to everyone, not because it will get us into Heaven but because we are on the way to Heaven.

For further study…Epicurus was a Greek philosopher born in the 4th century BC. He too questioned God’s goodness in asking, “Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?” This is known as the Epicurean Paradox. Furthermore, election or predestination is at odds with the concept of “free will.” That is, if God has “before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, God chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race, which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and ruin” (Canons of Dordt 1.7 https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/canons-dordt), then we are essentially robots and do not make free choices so should not be held accountable or responsible for our choices since we never had a chance or choice to do differently. God however, has given us the ability to choose our own actions, even if those actions result in suffering for ourselves or others. The world is not as God created it. We are far from our creator God and in our fallen state we have no rights except for eternal damnation. It is only by God’s grace that He choose to be merciful to any of us. But God so loved the world that He sent His only Son to become our Saviour. “Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28).

1 Kings 22:29 Ahab Killed in Battle So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armour and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. And about sunset a cry went through the army, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!” So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the LORD that he had spoken. Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

All things work together for good?
Romans 8:28 states that "all things work together for good". All things? Surely not the bad things as well? Is this saying that God is the author of evil?!

Is God really Sovereign?
God governs over all rulers and influencers. His decrees happen no matter what the ‘rulers' dictate. He uses everything for His purposes. In Genesis 50:20 Joseph addressed his brothers ,“you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”. Proverbs 16:4 reminds us that “Even the wicked (are for) for the day of trouble”. Luck, chance, random events, good fortune, bad fortune, coincidence are terms commonly used in our everyday live. Some even live their lives on this basis.

What does the Bible teach about chance?
The Bible acknowledges in Ecclesiastics 9:11 that events seem to happen by chance. “Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favour to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all”. Solomon observes that it is not always the swift that win the race but the sure and steady like Aesops story of the hare and the tortoise. It is not always the strong that win the battle. Prosperity is not always with the intelligent. Prosperity sometimes seems to be by chance!

Does this mean that our lives are governed by fate?
Not at all! In 1 Kings 22 we read of the evil king Ahab. He disguised himself as he went into battle so he wouldn’t be targeted but Jehosaphat king of Judah wore his robes. The Syrians went after Jehosaphat but stopped chasing him when they realised he was not king of Israel. As they turned back, a soldier shot an arrow into the air at random and hit Ahab! It hit the one they were after in a position that would end his life. In Luke chapter 10, Jesus refers to chance in the parable of the good samaritan. The priest passed by the samaritan by chance! The book of Ruth is full of events that could be construed as 'chance'. Ruth went to glean in the fields and 'by chance' picked the one that belonged to Boaz, a relative of her late husband, who could become her kinsman redeemer. Did God direct her in her selection. Was this by coincidence? These events appear to be by chance!

What does the bible teach? “The lot is cast into the lap but its every decision is cast by the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33). What do we understand by the term “the lot?”. The lot was used as a method of ascertaining God’ will. The soldiers cast lots to see who would get Jesus' garments. The sailors cast lots to identify Jonah! We try to control the outcome but we have no control. God show us that even the outcome of a roll of a dice is governed by God's sovereignty. God is in charge of even the minutiae of life which may have a massive impact. Nothing happens by chance!

Application i. The myriad of events that take place in our lives, even the small things, the chance conversations etc are used in God’s eternal plan. It is not fate or luck but by Divine appointment. Everything that happens is by God's planning. If it’s something good, be sure to thank God. It is His gift. If less pleasant events come our way remember God has allowed it and has a purpose in it. God is dealing with us for some good. He is a gracious God not withholding his own son so why would He withhold any good thing from us?

ii. When shocking things happen ask and pray what God wants to teach us. We must seek Him for His meaning since we know that in everything there is a purpose. God is Sovereign and governs the small coincidental events for His purposes. Search for God's purpose in your life but realise that you may not discern them in this scene of time. Zophar responds to Job in chapter 11, “Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea”. Even the evil things are subject to His purposes and plans. God uses all events, every war, every evil, He takes iniquity and turns it into righteousness!

1. We need to open our eyes.
   We were dead in sin but now alive in Christ (v.10). Paul reminds us to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His Might. He emphasises that we must stand firm. He warns us about the flaming darts of the evil one. Being a Christian isn’t easy. It is not just a pass time. It is difficult, it’s a battle, we are at war. It demands our all, our life. We are soldiers at war! The moment we become a Christian we sign up to a lifetime of conflict! We are not boarding a pleasure cruise but entering a theatre of war! Why is it so hard to defeat some sins? Why is it so hard to pray? Why do I have sinful thoughts? Why do difficult people seem to gravitate towards us? We wrestle with a devious enemy and we must open our eyes to see it. Before introducing us to the armour of God Paul councils about our responsibilities as wives, husbands, children, employees and employers. We often encounter conflicts at home. Workplaces too can be places of constant attack. We are at war!
2. We need to know or enemy v.11-12.
   Religious cults, false religion, media, internet etc are blatantly hostile. So much of what we believe is under threat. Jehovahs Witnesses, Muslims, Atheists etc are not the real enemy. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Our adversary is Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air. He is not all knowing nor all powerful so we should not overestimate him but we must take care not to underestimate him! He has countless agents, spiritual powers, demonic forces etc. He brought down and wounded many of the biblical patriarchs so we should not think we are immune to failure...“that you may be able to stand against his schemes”. He knows human history, he knows our every weakness and so he knows how to destroy us! “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12).
3. We need to put on God's armour if we are to stand against the enemy v. 13-17. Relentless conflict is wearisome and we all know it is difficult to keep standing. It can be overwhelming but we can we get help. Where can we find resources to engage in the fray? Be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might. We fight not in our strength but in God’s strength using armour that is not our own. Each piece is provided by the Lord himself. Neither the strength nor the weapons are ours!
   In 1 Samuel ch.29 we read of David’s attempted alliance with the Philistines against Israel. The Philistines rejected him but when he went back to camp he found that all their wives and children had been taken by the Amalekites. David and his men were beyond consolation but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God (v.6). He was weak in himself but the Lord is strong. We do not fight in our own strength nor use our own weapons. We need, by faith, to put on the armour He provides. “Fasten on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:14-17). Open our eyes know your enemy and prepare for battle.
4. We need to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! v18.20
   Communication is critical on the battlefield. On the Christian battlefield this communication is known as prayer. We need to put on our Heavenly armour. “Each piece put on with prayer!” We will be unable to stand firm if we do not pray. “Making supplication for all the saints” that we might not fall foul of the enemies schemes. Even Paul asked for prayer. So much more us! Pray for ability to give reason for our faith, for courage, for words to penetrate, for boldness, etc. Paul stresses this in v18 “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication…keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.
   “Don’t you know there's a war on?”
5. Encourage one another
   A common problem on the battlefields is fatigue. Progress can be so slow at times. The enemy seems to be winning. Paul sends his scribe to the church at Ephesus to 'encourage their hearts! Can you remember someone who came along to bring encouragement when you needed it most. You too can bring encouragement to others. The last thing we need is for people to turn against us but that’s often what happens. What type of army would shoot its wounded? Sadly, we often find that the church does exactly that! Peace be to the brothers... grace... with love incorruptible. Let peace, love and grace fill your hearts. The victory has already been won but Satan and all the powers of darkness will fight on to the bitter end. Keep your eyes open, know your enemy, put on God’s armour, pray and encourage one another in the faith...after all, don’t you know that there's a war on!