2
February
2009

God’s Imprint On People And Societies

Practice Love

5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another. 5:14 For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” 5:15 However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another. 5:16 But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. 5:17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, 5:21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 5:23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:13-5:25

Key Point: God’s Spirit can transform both individuals and communities if we commit and submit ourselves to Him

How do you view the world?

Creation reveals God’s mind; social order reveals God’s heart

Worldviews: My/Our way vs. God’s way?

  • Biblical: World evil-God will transform it!
  • Humanist: World good-people might ruin it!

My/Our Way: vss. 19-21

Wall St to Main St – what about the Back Streets of America?

What if “LOVE” was a way of life for both people and societies?

God’s Way:  vss. 22-23 Private pain becomes a shared concern “Live by the Spirit…keep in step” = commit & submit

“Common-union” celebrated because of Jesus’ sacrifice

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