976. Bearing God's Fruit Without Law or Boasting (It's Not Your Fruit)

Growing in Grace Podcast

As we keep browsing through the later part of Paul's letter to the Galatians, notice the contrast between flesh and Spirit. To Paul's dismay, the Galatians had been baited into adding works and law to their faith in Christ. Paul was trying to pull them out of the ditch and steer them back onto the road less traveled ... walking by the Spirit and bearing the fruit of the Spirit, where there is no law. Interestingly, notice Paul's point about how the Jews who were encouraging circumcision were not successful law keepers ... but were seeking bragging rights in the fleshly works of the Gentiles because of their recruiting efforts:
"As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:12-14)

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