‘Love your neighbor as yourself’, words spoken by Jesus
stating that loving others is the second greatest commandment second only to
loving God. Last week as we looked at Paul’s letter to the Galatians we see him
pointing out that we should be living our lives loving others. He also points
out that how we live our lives is very important. If our words and actions are
mired in sin, our ability to be a witness is ruined.
How we live our lives impacts the witness we share. What do
people see when the look at you? Are you seen as someone who lives differently,
who lives by their beliefs or are you seen as hypocrites who says one thing and
lives another?
Paul continues some of that some discussion as we pick up
this morning.
Galatians 5:16-18
“16 I say then, walk by the
Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For
the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what
is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do
what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit,
you are not under the law.”
What is the answer to making sure you are doing what God
created you to do? How do you make sure you are living a life that helps you to
have a Godly witness?
Walk by the Spirit.
Becoming Holy is not something that happens in an instant.
It is not something like flicking a switch to turn on a light. It is a life
long journey, where you walk away from your old sinful life and walk towards
the complete, fulfilling, life that Jesus has prepared for you.
I used to have a t-shirt that had a road construction sign
on it that said, ‘Caution, God at Work, Still under construction’. I loved that
shirt from the first day I saw it. It was a reminder to me, and everyone who
saw me wearing it that I am not perfect just because I am saved. I am just as
messed up as everyone else, but God is working on me. He will be working on me
and everyone else who ‘walks by the Spirit’ until the day we join Him in glory.
‘Walk by the Spirit’ means we are to depend on the Holy
Spirit to guide us. I need to emphasize that we need to DEPEND on the Holy
Spirit. This is not automatic once you are a Christian, it requires effort on
your part. You need to yield control of your life to Him. You need to let Him
guide you. You need to pray that the Holy Spirit directs you steps, encourages
you, strengthens you, and gives you the words to speak. Talk to the Holy Spirit
and then listen for His guiding.
Depend on the Holy Spirit and He will guide you. Letting Him
lead you will keep you from carrying out the desires of your flesh. You have to
give up control, but when you do the Holy Spirit will keep you away from sin. Not
100% as we are sinful beings, but He will help us resist living in a sinful
lifestyle.
Every believer has two natures. A sinful nature that comes
from simply being human. This sinful nature has been with us since conception
and it is the flesh that we battle. The other nature we have is the new nature
we were given when we become God’s children.
2 Peter 1:4
“By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so
that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the
corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.”
By Jesus’ divine power and by our action of giving our lives
to Him as our Lord and Savior, we are a new creation and through the work of
the Holy Spirit we can escape the flesh, the evil desires that plague us.
Our fleshly nature is in constant battle with our new born
again nature. Walking by the Spirit allows God to work in us and He will give
us the strength and wisdom to turn away from the things that we might normally
want to do. Depending on Him gives Him the authority to battle your flesh,
block your sinful desires, and provide you an escape.
Walk by the Spirit and you are not stuck living a life that
is under the rules and restrictions of the Law. Let the Holy Spirit guide you
and live a Godly life. A life that portrays what God created you for, a life
that shows the world that Christ followers are different than the word, a life
that portrays the amazing witness that God has given each and every one of us.
Walk by the Spirit
and let God lead you to the life He has created for you.
Galatians 5:19-21
“19 Now the works of the flesh are
obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery,
hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness,
carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in
advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not
inherit the kingdom of God.”
All of us, no matter how long we have been Christians still
have that sinful, fleshly nature in us. That same nature that existed before we
were saved. With the help of the Holy Spirit we work hard to suppress it, but
it is still there. There are times we will fall prey to our sinful ways, but if
we depend on the Holy Spirit the we are less likely to do so.
Paul goes on to list 15 things that are works of the flesh.
These are the exact opposite of how you should behave as God’s children. They hurt
your ability to be a witness to the lost, they hinder your ability to love
others, and are obvious signs that someone is not depending on the Holy Spirit.
Let’s walk through these fleshly sins.
Sexual immorality – this is simply fornication of any type
that is outside of what God has ordained. Homosexual, pre-marriage, adultery,
pornography, etc…
Moral impurity – any thought, word, or action that would be
considered unclean. Would easily apply to even thinking about acting on any of
these sinful actions Paul has mentioned.
Promiscuity – Normally applies to someone living their
sexual exploits out in the open for all to see, but also applies to any other
sins that are proudly or unashamedly paraded for others to see.
Idolatry – The worship of any pagan gods, bowing to an idol,
or putting anything where only Jesus belongs. Making something a higher
priority than loving and serving Jesus.
Sorcery – Most think this is something like what is seen in
the Harry Potter movies, but the reality is that it is the worship of evil
beings such as Satan and demons.
Hatred – The opposite of the love we were created to share.
Strife – Conflict between friends, families, groups of
people that is normally brought about by hatred.
Jealousy – Is the result of those who are self-centered,
those who lack contentment with what God has given them.
Outburst of anger – Is normally the result of the hatred,
strife, and jealousy. We are supposed to have peace that surpasses all
understanding, not anger.
Selfish ambitions – This is not a knock at those of us who
have ambitions to improve themselves, provide for their families, etc… it is
referring to those who want to do those things at the expense of others.
Pushing yourself ahead while pushing others down. Not a very loving behavior.
Dissension and Factions – points to what happens when people
fight over issues, people, personalities that cause division. Think of how new
denominations are formed or how church splits happen.
Envy – An evil feeling of wanting to possess what belongs to
others. Probably one of the most destructive behaviors mentioned on this list,
as it can be the driving force behind many of the items listed in these verses.
Drunkenness – Is the excessive use of alcohol, drinking to
the point where you lose control, can’t think straight, or even today should
include getting buzzed to a point that it impairs a person’s reactions.
Carousing – Other translations have the word orgies here.
Basically drunken sexual relationships, which at the time would have been done
to worship the god of wine.
Paul did end the list with the phrase ‘and anything similar’
to state that while this list was long, it was not all inclusive. It is a
representative list of behaviors that are of the flesh.
Walking in the flesh, regularly practicing these or other sinful
behaviors, will prevent someone from spending eternity in Glory.
Some have used this verse to say that a believer can lose
their salvation if they fall into sin. That is not what is meant by Paul’s
statement. It is stating that someone who continually lives their life in the
flesh practicing these things is obviously not a child of God. If someone is
walking in the Spirit, depending on the Holy Spirit, they may fall and stumble,
they may temporarily get dragged into a sinful path but they will not embrace
it and make it a life style. Depending on the Holy Spirit will allow a believer
to pull themselves out of sin and back to the life they are meant to live.
Galatians 5:22-23
“22 But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness,
self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
A much different list than we looked at a few minutes ago.
Walking in the flesh is embracing the first list. Walking in the Spirit is
embracing that you need to depend on the Holy Spirit and He will bring these
fruit or graces into your life. It is through His power that these fruit
manifest in your life.
All of these fruit will be found in all who submit to and
depend on the Holy Spirit. These fruit are how the life of Christ is lived out
in His followers.
Let’s run through this list like we did the first.
Love – This is the foundation of all the other fruit, as it
stems directly from God. God is love and He loves every part of His creation.
It is that self-sacrificing love that sent Jesus to die for us. It is that same
sacrificial love that come from the Holy Spirit if you depend on Him.
Joy – Is the deep sense of rejoicing that comes from simply
being a child of God, regardless of your circumstances. Depending on the Holy
Spirit gives joy even in the darkest of trials.
Peace – The peace that defies understanding. Peace that God
is control regardless of the storm you are facing.
Patience – This is not the ‘my kids are driving me crazy’
kind of patience. It is the knowing that God has your back. Understanding that
it is not your place to retaliate when you have been treated poorly. Simply be
patient and depend on God.
Kindness – Have compassion for others, especially those in
need. If God has blessed you, be a blessing to others.
Goodness – Depending on the Spirit leads to an upright
character, but also it drives one to help others even if they do not deserve
it.
Faith or Faithfulness– Walking in the Spirit leads to
someone being trustworthy and reliable.
Gentleness – Submitting to the Word of God and considerate
of others.
Self-control – the Holy Spirit will help us to stand strong
and not caving into our fleshly desires.
This second list is only achievable through the work of the
Holy Spirit in your life. Submit to Him, Depend on Him, and let Him change you.
Galatians 5:24-26
“24 Now those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since
we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. 26 We
must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
If Jesus Christ is your King of Kings, your Lord of Lord,
your Savior, let the Holy Spirit live in you. Depend on Him so that your
fleshly desires stay crucified. They died the moment you became a new creation
through your acceptance of Jesus as Lord. There is no reason to bring them
back, instead walk by the Spirit. Let Him guide you and let Him produce fruit and
grace in your life.
It starts by choosing to Follow Jesus and it grows from
there. Relinquish control and let the Holy Spirit lead. Submit to Him, Depend
on Him, and be who God created you to be. A person full of love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control, be a person
filled with the Holy Spirit.
God Bless,
Robert
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