The Life of the Spirit | Pastor Eric Hinson September 6, 2026

Paul reminds the Galatians that salvation is not about what anybody can do, buy, earn, or follow. Christ did it all. Christ paid it all through His death and resurrection, and His perfect blood paid the sin debt in full. Paul therefore refuses the false gospel that tells Gentile believers they must add Jewish law, ceremonies, or circumcision to faith in Christ. Salvation through anything added to Christ is no gospel at all. It is false teaching that puts people back under slavery.

Freedom in Christ means freedom from the punishment of sin, from the death the law brings, and from trying to establish righteousness through filthy-rag efforts. Christ calls His people free, not to drift back into pagan living, false freedom, or the weak and miserable forces that enslaved them before. The world’s version of freedom feels good until the bill comes. Sin promises people that they can live their best life, but sin always comes with a price and always wants more.

The flesh is selfish. The flesh says, “Mine, mine, mine,” and wants life right now and its own way. The heart cannot be trusted simply because it feels strongly, because God calls the heart deceitful and wicked. Sin should not be dressed up, excused, or called a mistake. Sexual immorality, lying, stealing, drunkenness, anger, and selfish choices harm neighbors, families, churches, and the relationship with God.

Paul gives the better way: “Serve one another humbly in love.” Love for God and love for neighbor fulfill the law because all the law hangs on those commands. God’s agape love has no limits or conditions. Christ demonstrated that love while sinners were still sinners, dying in their place. The law does not save, but love keeps believers within the good boundaries of God’s law and does no harm to a neighbor.

Paul warns that a church that bites and devours itself will be destroyed by itself. The church cannot act like wild animals, street gangs, or people representing a denomination more than representing God. Love must shape how believers treat every neighbor, including spouses, children, coworkers, and those with whom they disagree.

The Holy Spirit makes this life possible. The Spirit of truth lives in believers as advocate, counselor, guide, and power. The conflict between flesh and Spirit is real, even Paul knew that struggle, but sin must be acknowledged, repented of, and crucified daily. Christ calls His people to keep moving, trust His strength, reject the enemy’s lies, and remember who they are: children of God, heirs of the promise, called to be free.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Christ paid the whole sin debt Christ’s finished work leaves no room for earning salvation through rules, performance, or religious activity. Grace is a free gift because it came at Christ’s expense, not because sin was cheap. Faith rests in what Christ has done, not in anxious attempts to become good enough. [60:35]
• 2. Freedom is not permission for flesh Freedom outside Christ is captivity dressed up as choice. The flesh calls selfish desire freedom, but its promises eventually hand over a bill nobody can pay. Christ’s freedom breaks slavery so that believers can serve rather than indulge themselves. [53:31]
• 3. Love fulfills the law’s purpose God’s love does not erase holiness or make sin harmless. Love for God puts Him first, and love for neighbor refuses murder, adultery, theft, lies, and coveting. Christ fulfilled the law through love, and His people display that fulfillment by doing no harm to their neighbors. [70:11]
• 4. The Spirit empowers daily resistance The struggle with sin does not mean Christ has abandoned a believer. The Holy Spirit gives power to recognize sin, submit to God, resist the devil, and turn back in repentance. Believers must stop making excuses for evil and trust the living God who lives inside them. [84:37]
• 5. Repentance opens the way to restoration Repentance is more than admitting an action happened. Judas acknowledged betrayal, but Peter turned back and was restored. Christ can restore even the vilest person when the heart truly turns from sin to God, though consequences still remain.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [38:32] - Galatians Recap: Salvation Through Christ
• [41:44] - False Teaching and Slavery Under Law
• [45:02] - Focus on What Truly Matters
• [47:30] - Called to Be Free
• [51:40] - False Freedom and the Price of Sin
• [53:31] - Freedom to Serve in Love
• [56:09] - The Selfishness of the Flesh
• [62:24] - The Command to Love Neighbor
• [65:21] - Agape Love and Christ’s Sacrifice
• [72:23] - Do Not Bite and Devour Each Other
• [80:22] - Stand Firm in Evil Times
• [81:52] - Repentance, Consequences, and Restoration
• [84:06] - Walk by the Spirit
• [89:09] - Keep Moving in Christ’s Strength
• [94:29] - Called Free to Love and Serve

Bible Reading

Galatians 5:13-16
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” [48:06]

Romans 5:8
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” [01:05:49]

Matthew 22:37-40
“And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” [01:06:46]

Romans 13:8-10
“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” [01:10:09]

Romans 7:15-20
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” [01:31:39]

Observation questions

1. In Galatians 5:13-16, what are the three directions Paul gives believers for using their freedom: concerning the flesh, serving others, and walking by the Spirit? [53:55]
2. According to Romans 13:8-10, what specific sins does Paul name as examples of actions that harm a neighbor?
3. What picture does Paul use in Galatians 5:15 to describe believers who fight, attack, and tear each other down? What result does he warn will follow? [01:12:23]
4. In Romans 7:15-20, what does Paul say about the difference between what he wants to do and what he actually does? [01:32:21]

Interpretation questions

1. If Christ has fully paid the sin debt, why does adding rules, ceremonies, or personal effort to faith in Christ change the gospel into something false? [42:11]
2. Paul says freedom must not become “an opportunity for the flesh.” What is the difference between Christian freedom and the world’s idea of doing whatever feels right? [51:49]
3. Romans 13 says love does no wrong to a neighbor. How do God’s commands against adultery, stealing, lying, coveting, and murder show that biblical love is more than a warm feeling? [01:07:55]
4. Paul admits a real struggle with sin in Romans 7, yet Galatians calls believers to walk by the Spirit. How can a believer take sin seriously without falling into hopelessness or trying to overcome it by personal strength alone? [01:23:50]

Application questions

1. Is there any area where you have been trying to earn God’s acceptance through being good enough, keeping a religious routine, or comparing yourself with others? What would it look like to rest again in Christ’s finished work? [01:00:35]
2. The flesh says, “Mine, mine, mine,” and demands its own way. Where does selfishness most often show up in your life: at home, at work, with money, in conflict, online, or in private choices? [55:31]
3. Think about the people closest to you—spouse, children, relatives, coworkers, church family, or neighbors. Is there someone toward whom love needs to become more patient, truthful, humble, or practical this week? [01:15:49]
4. Have you seen “biting and devouring” show up through gossip, harsh words, online arguments, denominational pride, or refusing to forgive? What can help you address disagreement without treating another person as an enemy? [01:13:00]
5. Is there a sin that you have been tempted to call a mistake, a weakness, or simply part of your personality rather than naming it honestly before God? What would sincere repentance and turning back to God look like? [01:21:52]
6. When temptation, anxiety, depression, addiction, fear, or painful memories feel stronger than you are, what are some specific ways you can seek the Holy Spirit’s help and also receive needed support from trusted believers or professionals? [01:25:27]
7. What daily practice could help you keep walking by the Spirit rather than stopping and starting—such as prayer, Scripture, confession, accountability, serving someone, or remembering your identity as a child of God? [01:29:09]