"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." (Galatians 5:18)
We read this verse in church, and it stuck out to me like never before. What does it mean that we are not under the law? If you are led by the Spirit, you aren't living under the law anymore. Its not about striving to fulfill the law and failing miserably. You see, the next verse says, "The works of the flesh are evident." I could feel the Holy Spirit nudging my heart, saying "Daughter, these are the works that you can accomplish in your own strength." My works in my flesh are sinful. These are the works of the flesh: "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these" (Galatians 5:19-21). Not a list to be proud of. But we are no longer under the law! We no longer stand in condemnation! What I can accomplish in my own strength will always lead to failure, sin, and death. But in Christ, everything changes.
The gospel is our hope. When we come to the Cross, when we turn from our sin to Jesus, we are turning from our vain efforts after God. We are admitting that without Him, we can do nothing. And by nothing, I mean nothing. We cannot accomplish our own salvation. In Christ, we have new life. The Holy Spirit lives within us. As we are led by the Spirit, we are given the fruit of the Spirit.
Notice the difference, here. The works of the flesh are what we can accomplish. Fruit implies something completely different. It's like God's saying, "Here's what you can accomplish on your own, and here's what I can accomplish in you." And His fruit that He produces in us is so sweet! Paul writes, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). There is no law with the fruit of the Spirit. It is entirely God's transforming work in us. I am reminded of Christ's words to the disciples, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5). There is such an intimacy and closeness in this call. He's just calling us to be with Him and rest in His power and grace. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). I've always loved that phrase "keep in step with the Spirit." It brings to mind the image of keeping in step with a friend as you walk together.
The Holy Spirit is our pacemaker. He's showing us the way to go. He's offering us life and intimacy with the Father. We are no longer shackled by the law and the deadness of our own works. It's time we lived like it! Let's keep in step with Him, and know the One who transforms us through and through.
