In the early ‘90s, I sang with a country music group called Crystal River. We did a monthly 2-hour music show. There were 8 of us and our group numbers together required us to dance during each number. Well, this guy had two left feet and it was hard for me to learn to keep in step with everyone. I did it with lots of practice but it took great effort on my part.

Paul tells us in Galatians 5:25 to “keep in step with the Spirit.” Chapter 5 is all about Paul contrasting several things as he reminds followers of Christ to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit of God.

Paul consistently tells us it is not about how much work you do but it’s the work of Jesus on the cross that makes us right with God. He says in verse 6, “What counts is faith expressing itself through love”. Paul knows a false gospel has been introduced to the church. It’s a gospel that says you need Jesus but you also have the keep the Law. In other words, Jesus is important but keep checking boxes and doing things or God will never be happy with you.

All through Galatians 5, Paul tells us what the real gospel is all about. It’s about what Jesus has done, not about what you do that makes you right with God. He reminds us that the Spirit is greater than the flesh. I often think about the persecution the early followers experienced. The battle that must have gone on internally was no doubt incredibly tense. Most of them had to decide to follow Jesus and die or cave to the fleshly desire to live and walk away from Jesus.

See, our flesh is concerned with performance and presentation. The Law of the flesh says that we want to be seen, honored, respected, and admired. We selfishly pursue those things that will give credit to our sinful nature. We live in this performance-based world and we tend to carry that mentality into our spiritual life.

But the Spirit is concerned with changing our hearts. The Spirit of God wants to move us from hate to love, from a depressed state to one of joy; from chaos to peaceful living, from a non-compassionate spirit to one of kindness; from corrupt living to living the goodness of God; from being untrustworthy to being faithful; from having a heart full of anger to having one of gentleness; from having a short temper to being a person of patience; from being nomadic to being self-controlled.

Paul boils down how to know if you’re keeping in step with flesh or with the Spirit. He lists how we live into our fleshly desires by giving us 15 different ways of living that are not of God. He says, if it’s evident your life has in it “sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties…”, you are living into your fleshly desires. Paul goes on to say if the above represents your life, you will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But then reminds us that we are called to live like Jesus by listing the fruit of the Spirit which are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Paul says we should live this way in abundance every day. It’s then we look like Jesus and are in step with the Spirit.

If you’re brave, you’ll ask someone you love and respect how your life looks. Does it look like your following a selfish path or one that your characteristics look more like the Jesus way? My hope is you’re brave enough to incorporate the fruit of the Spirit in your life…that you are keeping in step with the Spirit. With freedom in Christ, you have all the tools you need to become more like our savior everyday. You no longer have to abide by the desire of the flesh. Embrace Jesus and keep in step with the Spirit. Blessings on your journey.

You’ve had moments when you heard two different stories. My wife says that about me all the time. She knows the way we experienced it and the way I tell it. Hey, don’t let the facts get in the way of telling a good story I say.

Paul’s letter the the Galatian churches is him setting the story straight. Paul had preached the true Gospel message to the folks in towns across Galatia, setting up house churches in the towns he visited. They believed in Jesus as salvation and the way back to God the Father. However, Jewish Christians called Judaizers, were literally traveling behind Paul and preaching a different Gospel to these same churches. These false teachers were saying you need Jesus but you also have to continue keeping the Law or obeying the Jewish rule system if you want to be right with God.

Getting the Gospel right is a big deal. It’s important. As a matter of fact, our very lives depend on us getting the Gospel right and when the church does get it right, a couple of things happen.

One, people begin to experience the saving power of Jesus Christ. Jesus will change how you neighbor, raise your kids, interact with your spouse, how you interact with folks in your school and workplace…he’ll change you! Honestly, Jesus changes everything! Once you know Jesus, the power of Jesus comes into your life and you have new purpose and direction.

Secondly, God is gloried, not you and me. Everything becomes about raising up the Name of Jesus in your daily life and pointing others toward him.

So we ask Paul, what is the Gospel?

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for us and rose from the dead so that through faith in him, we can be made right with God and enjoy life with him forever.

And as a follower of Jesus, he wants you to tell the good news through your actions and words. There’s a great story in Mark 5 where Jesus and the disciples cross the Sea of Galilee and land on shore at the spot where a cemetery is located. As the pile out of the boat, a demon-possessed man runs down the slope out of the cemetery towards them. He is bleeding, screaming, naked, has broken chains around his wrists and is clearly crazy.

Once in front of Jesus, the man asked, “Why are you interfering with us?” (it’s the demons talking). They demand that Jesus not send them out of the area but put them in the pigs, which Jesus does. The pigs rush down the hill and into the water. All of them drown so the local townspeople are not happy and ask Jesus to leave their area.

As Jesus and the disciples start getting back in the boat, the once demon-possessed man is standing by the boat, clothed and in his right mind. He wants to go with Jesus, the person that totally saved him and changed his life forever. But Jesus says he needs the man to stay on this side of the Sea of Galilee.

Interestingly, in Mark 7, Jesus and the disciples go over once again to the Gentile side of the Sea, where the demon-possessed man had been before. But now, Jesus and his disciples are welcomed by the people and invited to stay and do ministry. Why? Well, it’s because the man whose life was changed radically by Jesus went into the Decopolis and told everyone the good news about Jesus. They were ready and waiting.

See, in our lives as well, Jesus calls us, right where we live and work to share the Good News about Jesus, the man who can and will change your life forever. So, begin looking for those opportunities to share how Jesus has changed your life, revealing how Jesus can change their lives as well. Blessings on the journey.

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