Galatians 5:19-25

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES

• Good Desires (verses 22-25)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

• Desire the House of the Lord

Psalm 27:4 – One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.

Hebrews 10:23-25 – Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

• Desire to see and hear of the things of God 

Luke 10:24 – for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it.

• Desire the Word of God

Psalm 119: 11 – Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.

Acts 17:11 – Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

• Desire to work for God

1 Timothy 3:1 – This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

Colossians 3:17 –  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

• Sinful Desires (verses 19-21)

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

• Tree looked good

Genesis 3:6 – So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

• Whatever we see and want

Ecclesiastes 2:10 – Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them.  I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor.

James 1:14-15 – But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

• Deny Christ

2 Peter 2:1 – But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

John 12:48 – He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day

• Lust for other goods

James 4:2 – You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

REAPING THE HARVEST OF THE SPIRIT (verses 22-23)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

CRUCIFY THE SINFUL NATURE (verse 24)

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

• Lay it aside/turn and walk away/JUST SAY NO TO SIN AND YES TO GOD. 
• Realize:  Eternity is too long to be wrong. 
• Do right; live right; be right and you will turn out alright.
• The way you purpose in your heart will determine your final destination.
• Remember Daniel.  “He purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself.”  (Daniel 1:8)

OBEY THE HOLY SPIRIT (verse 25)

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” 

• Our efforts at goodness without relying on God, no matter how sincere or valiant our efforts may be, can only be a poor copy of the virtues produced by the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian.
• As we yield our lives to the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, the result of God’s power will become evident when it is manifested in our lives. 
• To be victorious in living a Christian life, we must keep our eyes fixed on the cross and the work Christ did for us and be constantly submitted to his will, not our will.  That is dying to self.
• Our initial decision to trust in Christ for salvation must be reaffirmed daily.
• This requires us to make ongoing decisions by which we continually crucify the sin nature again and again and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit as he guides us day by day.