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[508.24 --> 512.78] But so safe to say, my life became fixated on cones.
[512.84 --> 513.58] I know that's silly.
[514.64 --> 518.56] But that occurred to me now, as it did even back then,
[518.66 --> 520.04] that this is sort of an illustration
[520.04 --> 523.04] of what our spiritual lives should be like.
[524.14 --> 526.88] In other words, a life of holiness,
[527.48 --> 529.58] a life that walks by the Spirit,
[529.58 --> 533.32] is to constantly be thinking, to be acting,
[533.96 --> 537.86] and to always have this living in Christ,
[538.24 --> 541.30] fixated on my God, always thinking about Him,
[541.56 --> 544.88] always acting, and having habits that form out of that.
[546.26 --> 549.60] And hope the good news for us from our passage this morning,
[549.84 --> 551.94] from Galatians, actually, in the whole,
[552.26 --> 554.20] is that we are freed in Christ
[554.20 --> 556.82] to live this life of holiness out.
[558.10 --> 560.90] God's Holy Spirit Himself dwells in us
[560.90 --> 563.26] and guides us to a life of holiness,
[563.64 --> 565.86] a life of Christ-likeness,
[565.86 --> 568.18] in and through our thoughts,
[568.30 --> 569.58] our actions, our habits,
[570.06 --> 571.10] forming character.
[572.14 --> 573.32] And in the words of Paul,
[573.40 --> 575.32] what Paul calls this character part
[575.32 --> 577.54] is the fruit of the Spirit.
[578.24 --> 580.10] And notice that it's not fruits of the Spirit,
[580.24 --> 581.76] it is the fruit of the Spirit.
[582.30 --> 582.92] And he's saying,
[583.16 --> 584.66] this comes from God Himself.
[585.36 --> 586.96] And to emphasize the main point here
[586.96 --> 588.14] before we move on,
[588.40 --> 591.08] I do not want to somehow misrepresent the gospel,
[591.08 --> 594.10] that this is some sort of self-help method
[594.10 --> 595.24] for a better life.
[596.04 --> 597.28] The fruit of the Spirit,
[597.72 --> 599.28] a life of Christ-like holiness,
[599.52 --> 600.52] is made possible,
[600.80 --> 602.90] not by our own self-reliance
[602.90 --> 604.34] or our own self-efforts.
[604.66 --> 606.64] This is not some sort of flashy program
[606.64 --> 608.56] or some sort of technique
[608.56 --> 610.08] that gives you a better life.
[610.68 --> 612.24] But this life of holiness,
[612.68 --> 614.56] this life of Christ-likeness,
[614.86 --> 617.58] is by the empowering of the Holy Spirit Himself.
[617.58 --> 620.86] The promise of the gospel
[620.86 --> 623.34] is that this Spirit-led life
[623.34 --> 627.22] is gifted to those who belong to Christ.
[628.16 --> 629.12] That is for us.
[629.36 --> 633.24] That is a gift only by the grace of God.
[634.80 --> 635.84] And many times,
[635.92 --> 637.60] we need to name the fact
[637.60 --> 638.56] that many times,
[638.66 --> 640.14] this life led by the Spirit,
[640.92 --> 641.92] it hurts.
[642.62 --> 643.94] It's uncomfortable.
[644.68 --> 646.14] It's not all easygoing.
[646.14 --> 648.10] Because part of it means
[648.10 --> 650.16] to acknowledge and resist
[650.16 --> 651.56] our old selves,
[652.10 --> 653.94] our old sinful natures,
[654.36 --> 654.92] the flesh,
[655.36 --> 656.64] as Paul says it in his letter.
[657.98 --> 658.34] And so,
[658.50 --> 660.36] one of the main books that I read
[660.36 --> 663.14] was from the late theologian J.I. Packer.
[663.42 --> 664.50] And he said it like this.
[665.22 --> 665.60] He said,
[665.88 --> 666.80] God's acceptance
[666.80 --> 668.72] of each Christian believer
[668.72 --> 670.46] is perfect to start.
[671.28 --> 672.20] It is then accompanied
[672.20 --> 673.44] by repentance
[673.44 --> 675.02] all throughout our lives.
[675.02 --> 676.42] I think that captures
[676.42 --> 678.10] the picture of what
[678.10 --> 679.82] a Spirit-led life looks like.
[680.78 --> 681.10] And hence,
[681.20 --> 682.14] Paul says too,
[682.66 --> 683.64] walk by the Spirit
[683.64 --> 685.20] and you will not gratify
[685.20 --> 687.42] the desires of your sinful nature,
[687.54 --> 688.06] your flesh.
[689.66 --> 690.04] And so,
[690.16 --> 690.76] to sum up,
[691.48 --> 692.60] this life of holiness,
[693.18 --> 694.68] this life of Christ-like holiness,
[695.30 --> 696.54] is twofold in character.
[697.12 --> 697.46] One,
[697.84 --> 698.88] it is the forming
[698.88 --> 700.24] of Christ-like thoughts
[700.24 --> 700.92] and actions
[700.92 --> 701.58] and habits
[701.58 --> 702.90] that allow us
[702.90 --> 704.58] to reflect God's own goodness
[704.58 --> 705.86] and love for the world.
[706.14 --> 707.22] It is the same old
[707.22 --> 709.96] to be blessed,
[710.52 --> 711.44] to be a blessing
[711.44 --> 712.90] for the world.
[713.76 --> 715.00] And in Paul's words,