The first sermon I preached as a pastor; I’ve preached on this text several times over 26 years, but this is the first one:
In Namen Jesu
Pentecost 6C
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
Where’s the Fruit?
16 JUL 95
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters –
Our text is the Epistle lesson that was ready a few moments ago, particularly the following verses: Christ has freed us so that we will be free. I say, let the Spirit direct your life, and you will not carry out what your flesh desires. For what the flesh desires is against the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is against the flesh, because they are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. This is our text.
Christ has freed us so that we will be free. Think about that for a moment, and really let this truth sink in. Freedom. What has Christ freed you from? Obviously, God has freed you from the sinful damnation we all deserve. Christ’s death has freed you from the harsh demands on the Law, which requires perfect words and deeds on your part. The Lord has also afraid you from the fear of death, by which I mean that your faith in Christ assures you a heavenly home of rich blessings for eternity.
These are some great things to be freed from, and thanks be to God that Christ has rescued you from such horrors.
But all the Christ has freed you, there are times when you live as if you were still in bondage to sin. Paul list several examples in his letter to the Galatians—impurity, lust, hatred, jealousy. How many times do you find yourself falling into the same sinful habits time and again? The Law of God clearly tells you what God expects: remain pure, don’t lust after the desires of this world, be content with what God provides, and love one another. How well do you live up to these demanding expectations?
Another bondage that traps many people, even Christian at times, is the feeling that they must please God. There may be times when it seems as if you have a mental balance sheet and the goal is to have more good deeds than sinful ones. What is your response when you sin? Do you hope God wasn’t watching, or do you begin planning a good deed to balance the bad one?
If you try to match a good deed for every sinful deed you will lose. It’s a game you can’t win. God doesn’t want someone who is good 51% of the time, no, God wants 100% perfection and obedience. And there’s the problem, you and I can’t meet this demand. Even as Christians we can’t meet the high expectations God has for us. The struggle between your spirit and your flesh, between your godly desires and your sinful lusts is an ongoing struggle.
Here’s the beautiful part of God’s wisdom. You and I sin all the time, but God doesn’t require a good deed from you to coax Him into forgiving you—through Christ God has already forgiven you. Christ’s victory is your victory! When you sin, it is God’s desire that you come before Him in repentance—that you hear His words of forgiveness in Word and Sacrament.
Paul reminds you that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is what happens in holy Baptism. Paul writes, Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Now when we were baptized into His death, we were buried with Him so that, as Christ was raised from the dead we will be raised likewise.
Baptism. That’s where it all starts with a Christian. God’s grace, mercy, and peace continue to flow. I’m sure many of you saw pictures of the Midwest floods the last two years. As a student in St. Louis I got to witness it first-hand. God’s grace is similar to that flooding. Man can’t stop it from happening. Whatever barriers you or I might construct, God knocks down and overflows. That’s the nature of our loving God: He keeps giving and giving until His grace overflows.
The fruit of the Spirit represents a small portion of God’s gifts to His people. God has placed these fruits within you when He gave you faith in Christ. You don’t have to work to produce the fruits, you already possess them. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—whatever barrier your sinful nature attempts to raise up will be knocked down by the Holy Spirit. You will bear fruit, and your fruit will flourish.
The Lutheran Reformers spoke of good works this way: faith, which is born from the Gospel, believes that sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake, comforts the conscience, and delivers it from terror. Then good works, which are the fruits of repentance, are bound to follow. You will do good works and bear these fruits of the Spirit because you have faith in Christ.
Christ has truly freed you: from sin—for God forgives you on account of Christ, and from the stress of creating fruit—for it is God who creates your faith and also your good works. As the hymn beautifully says:
’Tis not by works of righteousness
Which our own hands have done,
But we are saved by God’s grace
Abounding thro’ His Son.
Amen.
Now may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
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