Key Truth: When we walk by the Spirit, we protect ourselves from the bondage born of the works of the flesh and display the fruit of the Spirit in our freedom in Christ.  

Introduction:

What decisions have you made in your life that led to the loss of freedom?
What decisions have you made that have led to truer and greater freedom?

The Works of the Flesh: The Costly Evidence of Our Bondage:

Galatians 5:16-21

“Love is the answer to both legalism and license. To the law-enforcers Paul says that what really matters is faith, expressing itself through love. Love enables us to fulfill God’s law properly without legalism. And to the rule-rejecters Paul says that we should make sure that we serve one another humbly in love. Love enables us to use our freedom properly without selfishness.”

Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit: Growing in Christlikeness

Which are you more prone to: legalism or rebellious licentiousness?
Where do both of these lead ultimately? What do all of the works of the flesh have in common?

The Fruit of the Spirit: The Gracious Reflection of Our Freedom in Christ: 

Galatians 5:22-26

“The fruit is one. Paul speaks of fruit, not fruits. We should not think of these character traits as isolated from each other….faith works through love to produce a many-sided Christian character. To have any of the traits in a truly Christian sense is to have them all. This will become clearer when we recall that to speak of the fruit is just another way of describing the character of Jesus of Nazareth. As we are being conformed into His image, the fruit in its manifold character is appearing in us.”

John W. Sanderson, The Fruit of the Spirit: A Study Guide

How have you previously thought of the fruit of the Spirit?
Did you think of it in the same vein as the gifts of the Spirit or based on our personality traits and preferences? 
What most influences our ability to display the fruit of the Spirit?

Application: 

Galatians 5:16-26 teaches us that when we walk according to:
-the desires of the flesh, we find ourselves in bondage to the works of the flesh and lost
-the Spirit, we bear the fruit of abiding in Christ as we are further transformed into His
  image 

Benediction:

Galatians 6:14-18