Walking by the Spirit part 3
Stand Firm in Freedom • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I asked April if we could sing “Wherever He Leads I’ll Go” this morning for a couple of reasons.
As you’ll see, it fits well with the text this morning.
But, additionally, it’s a convicting song because it’s easy for us to sing, but not always as easy to practice.
Many of us, if we were being honest, would probably need to sing it like this:
“‘Take up thy cross and follow me’ I heard my Master say. ‘I gave my life to ransom thee, surrender your all today.’”
“Just about wherever He leads I’ll go (maybe),
“As long as it’s not scary, inconvenient, or uncomfortable.”
“I’ll follow my Christ, at least part way.”
“Just about wherever He leads I’ll go (maybe).”
I’m sure glad B.B. McKinney didn’t use my version!
See, when we sing a song like this, we should really look at the words. Do I mean this, or am I just saying words? Do I have a strong conviction to practice what I’m singing, or a list of excuses? I’m a being honest, or am I lying?
As we’ve been considering what it means to walk by the Spirit over the last few weeks, we should be asking similar questions.
Do I really see the fruit of the Spirit in my life, or the works of the flesh? Is it a mixed bag?
Remember what Paul said earlier in this letter:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
As we will see this morning, walking by the Spirit means we have died to an old way of living and are now risen to a new life in Christ.
Body
Body
Verses 24-25
These verses summarize the point of the last section, focusing on the works of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit.
Since we belong to Christ Jesus, we have crucified the works for the flesh and now can live or walk by the Spirit and, therefore, the Spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
How do we live (or walk) by the Spirit?
Paul has made that clear, that we do it by faith in Christ Jesus.
But, let’s consider what is required of us, because living or walking by faith can easily become a weighty theological statement that has little real impact on our lives because we don’t understand what our part is.
So, living or walking by the Spirit begins in our lives as the Holy Spirit draws us to the Lord and reveals our guilt before the Holy, Holy, Holy God, our desperate need for a Savior, that Jesus alone is worthy to be Savior and Jesus alone paid the price for our sin debt before God. Then receive the free gift of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone.
At this point, we now have a role in our salvation. It’s called sanctification.
Three parts of salvation: Justification, Sanctification, Glorification.
Only God, through Christ Jesus, is able to justify and glorify. It’s wholly out of our hands.
But sanctification is where we have a part to play.
(Going to get into some heady theological territory for a few moments) Two parts of sanctification:
Vivification = the continuous growth in grace through our new life in the Spirit. This is a work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Mortification = daily dying to the works of the flesh. We have a part in this and the Holy Spirit has a part in this.
And this isn’t a one-and-done thing. It’s something that must be done daily (or more!).
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
This is where the statement “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh” comes in.
Crucifixion is symbolic of death. In Christ Jesus, we have put to death the old life, and are now risen again to new life.
My friend, Tim Gilliham, pastor of Robert Gray Baptist Church told a great story this week after selling his home...
So, then, how do we daily die to the works of the flesh?
This is where practicing the spiritual disciplines come in.
Developing the habit of prayer, repentance, self-control, solitude, fasting, sacrifice, etc. are vital tools we can use to help us combat the temptations of the works of the flesh.
But, the greatest of all is quality time in the Word of God, the Bible.
Here’s how it works: we hear God’s Word (preached, taught, and read ourselves) and we respond to God’s timeless truths we find throughout Scripture. As we do, God reveals more and more of Himself, His will, and His purposes to us.
Addition, it’s a weapon in our spiritual warfare.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Remember, when Jesus was tempted by the devil, how did He combat the devil? Scripture! Specifically by quoting Deuteronomy.
If Jesus did this, guess what: we should as well!
I love how the writer Todd Wilson put it: “We must feed upon the Word of God by faith. The Word of God is food for the soul.”
Let me ask a serious question: If the Word of God was your only food, would you be obese, satisfied, hungry, starving, or dead?
See here’s the thing, when we feed on God’s Word (I mean truly feed on God’s Word) we will become satisfied with Him, with His promises to us, and His provisions for our lives. When that happens, we are far less prone to the pull of the works of the flesh.
But, we will never be satisfied in Christ Jesus if we rarely spend quality time with Him in His Word.
It’s not different than my marriage in that sense...
How can the believer “keep in step with the Spirit”?
To “keep in step with” is a military term that means “be drawn up in line” or to “stand in a row.”
Veterans, let me ask you a question: when you served, how would your commanding officers respond if you refused to “keep in step with” his orders? How about if you kept dropping out of formation because you didn’t feel like it?
Now, of course, the Lord isn’t a military commander, but think about why a military commander expects his orders to be followed without question. Because, in that person’s estimation and experience, they know better than you what needs to be done, how the team needs to come together, and what it’s going to take to accomplish the mission and come back alive.
The Holy Spirit knows better than we do. And, He wants those things that will ultimately be for our good and God’s glory. So, we keep in step with the Spirit so we can fulfill God’s good and perfect purposes for our lives.
But how do we do that? Again, spending quality time with Jesus in His Word, and doing what He says!
Verse 26
In verse 15, Paul says:
But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
This picks back up on that thought, and introduces the focus of 6:1-10, where Paul will focus on specific attitudes and behaviors the Galatians are struggling with.
Here, the focus is warning them against becoming conceited, and thereby provoking one another and envying one another.
conceited = is to be falsely proud. It’s a false or fake feeling of self-respect and personal worth.
provoking = to call out or challenge. It means to summon someone to a contest or struggle.
envying = to begrudge. It’s being spiteful or resentful at the success or possessions of another person.
Therefore, Paul is saying, don’t be full of yourselves, which will create the divisions I warned you about, which will ultimately consume the church.
But, what might cause us to become conceited?
I like how John Stott put it: “…our conduct to others is determined by our opinion of ourselves.”
In Paul’s view, they were becoming conceited, which likely stemmed from the influence of the Judaizers. If we can save ourselves by works, then conceit will follow, as it did with the religious leaders of Jesus day.
Additionally, those who walk by the flesh will also become conceited, as their sin becomes more and more prevalent and important to their lives.
One need only look at the world around us today to see what happens when sins of the flesh are celebrated instead of repented of!
Two immediate dangers of conceit that Paul warns against then are provoking and envying. In this context, they are opposites.
Provoking comes when we make others feel inferior to us. Envying is what happens when we feel inferior to others.
So, what’s the solution to conceit? Walking by the Spirit.
A person who is truly walking in the Spirit; who is saved by faith alone through grace alone in Christ Jesus alone; who spends quality time developing the spiritual disciplines, especially Bible reading and applying; who lives out the fruit of the Spirit; cannot, be definition become conceited. It’s when those are off that things fall apart.
So, to close this section, let’s be reminded of Paul’s original encouragement:
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.