INITIATION:
This is a short letter Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia. Galatia was a region that contained several cities and Paul in his first missionary journey opened churches in these cities. Later, Paul wrote this one letter to all these churches which they all had to read and share. This letter was to help them take care of some problems facing them. One such problem was that false teachers had come among them and were deceiving the people. They were teaching them to observe all the Jewish laws given by Moses.
Paul had to write these Galatians to remind them that Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. It does not come by keeping a list of rules. Paul told them that Salvation through Christ makes us free – free from sin and free to live a new way of life.
BIBLE PASSAGE:
Galatians 5:13-26
SUBJECT:
LIVING IN THE SPIRIT
KEY VERSE:
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25. NKJV).
AIM:
To help the child understand the importance of living daily in the Spirit so that the fruit of the Spirit can develop in his or her life.
FOCUS :
After the lesson, every child will show that he or she understands the lesson:
- Answering correctly the questions that come at the end of the lesson.
- Giving instances of how he or she will allow each part of the fruit of the Spirit to develop in his or her life.
- Saying why God wants us to stop being friends with unbelievers.
MAIN LESSON DISCOURSE:
1. FREEDOM, NOT LICENCE - Gal. 5:13-15
Here, Paul is talking about Christian freedom. This freedom which comes through Christ is freedom from sin and freedom from the total dominion of Satan. This freedom begins when we become one with Jesus Christ. It is maintained as we, who are believers, receive the Holy Spirit and obey His direction.
The freedom Paul is talking about is not licence for the believer to do what he wants. Rather, it is freedom to do what he should. We are given freedom in Christ Jesus to serve one another in love. Love is the key to a successful Christian life. If we love others as God loves us and as we love ourselves, we will not quarrel with one another nor destroy one another, if Christians did only what they wanted, then it will be difficult for the Holy Spirit to flow into their lives and reach others for Christ.
2. LIFE BY THE SPIRIT - Gal.5:16-18
In this section, Paul instructs us as Christians to live and walk by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. And as we do so, we will not do the things our sinful nature wants us to do. Paul, however, warns us that there is a continuous struggle between our new life, which is controlled by the Holy Spirit, and our old sinful nature. The Holy Spirit wants us to do the things that please God while the old nature likes to have its own way. This old sinful nature wants to control us. For example, when we do bad things like when we are selfish, angry, deceitful and lazy, then the sinful nature also called “the flesh is controlling us. Unhappiness comes from letting the sinful nature be in charge of our lives.
Paul now tells us to submit or give ourselves to the Holy Spirit who will help us do what pleases God. When we obey the Holy Spirit, we show we love God. And when the love of God is in our hearts, no law will be counted against us, All this means that two things are placed before us. Either we obey the Spirit and live a righteous life or we obey the flesh or sinful nature and live a life of sin.
3. THE WORKS OF THE FLESH – Gal. 5:19-21
Paul goes on to mention some of the sins committed by a person who is controlled by his old sinful nature. He called these sins “the works of the flesh” and says that they are always clear for everyone to see. These sins include fornication, adultery, hatred, witchcraft, worshipping idols, fighting, envying, drunkenness, killing, and many others. Paul warns that people who do such things will not enter into the kingdom of God. Instead, they will go to hell fire because they refuse to do what God wants, but only what pleases them.
4. THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT - Gal. 5:22-26
When the Spirit of God controls us, we will begin to bear fruit called, “Fruit of the Spirit”. This fruit has nine parts and they are love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control. We will bear this fruit because as Christians, we have crucified the works of the flesh the same way Jesus was crucified on the cross. We now walk in newness of life and live in the Spirit. How do we live in the Spirit? It is by allowing the Holy Spirit to be in charge of our lives from day to day. It means understanding that we do not have any power of our own to overcome sin and the world. It means asking the Holy Spirit to help us every moment. Living and walking in the Spirit also mean being obedient to the Holy Spirit as He leads and directs us, and not grieving and quenching Him.
This Fruit Paul is talking about represents our character. It is our fruit that will show whether we are Christians or not. When we bear the fruit of the Spirit, we will not always seek to be noticed, and we will avoid envying and provoking one another.
APPLICATION:
One woman bought some very sweet oranges from the market one day. She gave one to her little girl. The orange was so sweet that the girl decided to plant the seeds. She went to the back of their house, made a small hole in the ground with a hoe and put the seeds into the hole. One day, she happily noticed that her orange was beginning to grow, and she was sure that before long, there will be fruits on it. So every day, she went to see if there were fruits yet.
Having done this for some time, the girl became discouraged. She ran to her mother and asked her when she would be able to have the oranges. Her mother told her that growing fruits takes time that, it doesn’t happen overnight. She encouraged her to be patient.
Being a Christian, she used the opportunity to explain to her daughter that it is the same with bearing the fruit of the Spirit. It takes time to become a mature Christian. We never become perfect. God does not rush us. What He wants us is to live and walk in the Spirit and then we will bear the fruit in our lives.
DAILY BIBLE DOSE:
Monday: Evil People Shall not Live Long (Psalm 55:23).
Tuesday: Seek the Lord and Live (Amos 5:6).
Wednesday: The Righteous Will Live by Faith (Romans 1:17).
Thursday: The Spirit Gives Life (2 Corinthians 3:6).
Friday: Sow in Spirit (Galatians 6:8).
Saturday: Avoid Evil (1 Thessalonians 5:21, 22).
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