The Fruitful ChristianPart 3 Text: Galatians 5:16-26 Memory Verse: You will harvest what you plant.

8If you follow your selsh desires, you will harvest destruction, but if you follow the Spirit, you will harvest eternal life Galatians 6:7b-8 Introduction: In our last Study, we talked about the different kinds of soil (heart) and how they determine how fruitful the seed (the Word of God) will become. We shall continue by considering sowing & reaping. We always would harvest what we plant. You can sow to your esh or to the Spirit, reaping the consequences of your choices. It then becomes paramount that you make sure plant your life in the Spirit. I. Sowing in the Flesh This means following your selsh desires i.e. to indulge or cater to the appetites and impulses of the fallen human nature (a nature void of the Spirit of God, controlled by devilish & unholy instincts i.e. living in disobedience, wilfulness etc). Jer. 17:9[NLT] - The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Rm.8:5-8 - Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey Gods laws, and it

never will. 8 Thats why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. Gal.5:19-21: When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selsh ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. NOTE: If youve accepted Jesus into your heart as Lord & Saviour, you must not follow your eshly desires, rather you should submit to the Holy Spirit.Rm.8:9,10,12-15[CEV] - You are no longer ruled by your desires, but by God's Spirit, who lives in you. People who don't have the Spirit of Christ in them don't belong to him. 10But Christ lives in you. So you are alive because God has accepted you, even though your bodies must die because of your sins.12My dear friends, we must not live to satisfy our desires. 13If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God's Spirit you say "No" to your desires. 14Only those people who are led by God's Spirit are his children. 15God's Spirit doesn't make us slaves who are afraid of him. Instead, we become his children and call him our Father. Gal.5:24- Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucied them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirits leading in every part of our lives II. Sowing in the Spirit this means following (obeying) the

Holy Spirits leading in every aspect of your life. This also means living by the Spirits power (not yours) Gal.5:22-23 - But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Jn.15:4b5 - Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. 5I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. Eph.5:1-7 - Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among Gods people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokesthese are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Dont be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Dont participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them 15 So be careful how you live. Dont live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Dont act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants

you to do. 18 Dont be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.