I’m all about real. Every new year I review my year and look for something real, something tangible about my year. I’m not into the religion around Jesus, I want what’s real. So if Jesus says he’ll set me free from sin, I want to see how I’m set free from sin. I don’t want to live the same way as I did without Christ.
One way of evaluating is looking at the fruits of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. Many people pursue the gifts of the spirit, but fewer people pursue the fruits of the Spirit. Fruit is not merely given, it needs to be cultivated, protected, trimmed and requires time and care. If we are to be spiritual people, we must understand things of the Spirit.
The book of Galatians is Paul’s letter helping us understand the paradigm of the Spirit; the difference between living under the law as a slave and living as a son or daughter of God.
Listen to the rest of the sermon, “The Gospel (Part 1)” by Nick Russell here.