"Walking by the Spirit"
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2 Peter 1:3-4 - Everything we need to live a godly life has ALREADY BEEN GIVEN TO US!!
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
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 desire.
One of the “…precious promises” is the gift of the Holy Spirit! – Acts 2:38-39
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
In (Ephesians 1:3) Paul tells us that we have been “…blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ."
“Do I really possess everything I need to live a godly life?"
To be honest, I don't feel so strong! I walk in DEFEAT much more than I walk in VICTORY!
"What is this power, this spiritual blessing that will enable me to walk in victory?"
On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”
He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
All a believer ABSOLUTELY needs to live a holy life is the Holy Spirit! The newest Christian has the SAME POWER as the oldest to finally be FREE FROM SIN!
John MacArthur: "Just as Jesus Christ is the primary Person behind justification, the Holy Spirit is the primary person behind sanctification. A believer can no more sanctify himself than he could have saved himself in the first place! He cannot LIVE the Christian life by his own resources any more than he could have SAVED himself by his own resources!"
In its most PROFOUND and yet SIMPLE definition, the FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN LIFE is a life lived under the DIRECTION and POWER of the Holy Spirit!
In our passage this morning, Paul gives the Command, the Conflict, the Contrast, and the Conquest of the Spirit led life!
(READ TEXT - PRAY)
I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.
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.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,
idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions,
envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
This morning we will look at the first two aspects of "Walking By the Spirit!"
I. THE COMMAND! – (5:16)
I. THE COMMAND! – (5:16)
A. The Problem.
A. The Problem.
Every wrong action, reaction, work, idea, emotion, and attitude is from what the Bible refers to as "the flesh"—the sin nature we received from Adam!
Christians have been delivered from the penalty and power of sin, but not the PRESENCE of sin!
R.W. - "Salvation is not NEW CLOTHES on an OLD MAN, but it's a NEW MAN in OLD CLOTHES!"
When our bodies will be redeemed at Christ’s Return, the sinful nature will no longer be a problem!
Until then, (Galatians 5:13, 16)
When a Christian is walking in the Spirit, the desires of the flesh are not carried out!
Since sin is caused by the flesh, then overcoming the flesh is the SOLUTION TO EVERYTHING!
That is NOT an over-simplification, but the truth according to God's Word!
B. The Meaning.
B. The Meaning.
"Walk" - means "live" (NIV) Notice several things:
1. It is in the PRESENT TENSE!
1. It is in the PRESENT TENSE!
It could be translated, "keep on continually living by the Spirit".
2. It is in the IMPERATIVE MOOD!
2. It is in the IMPERATIVE MOOD!
Paul is not giving the Galatians an option; it is a command!
It is a sin to NOT walk (or be led) by the Spirit!
Don’t stifle the Spirit.
And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.
3. Walking implies PROGRESS!
3. Walking implies PROGRESS!
It is going from where one is to where he ought to be. Step by step the Spirit moves you from where you are to where God wants you to be!!
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh.
The Spirit is the source of all holy living, but it is the believer who is commanded to walk!
The Christian is not to sit on the sidelines and simply watch the Holy Spirit do battle for him.
So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.
And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.
C. The Application: "How do I walk by the Spirit?"
C. The Application: "How do I walk by the Spirit?"
(Ephesians 2:10; 4:1-2, 17; 5:2, 8, 15-16) (2 Corinthians 5:7) (2 Thessalonians 3:6) (3 John 3-4)
D. The Result – (v.16b) – “…you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
D. The Result – (v.16b) – “…you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
II. THE CONFLICT! – (5:17-18)
II. THE CONFLICT! – (5:17-18)
In these two verses there is bad news and good news...in fact, there's even good news in the bad news! Let me explain:
A. The Bad News – (v.17)
A. The Bad News – (v.17)
The Spirit led life is NOT EASY!! (Romans 7:18-19, 21-23)
B. The Good News in the Bad News!
B. The Good News in the Bad News!
If you're struggling, it does not mean that you're not saved! In fact, the struggle would seem to indicate the presence of the Holy Spirit!!
Someone once said, "If you knew what was in the mind of the person sitting next to you, you'd probably move!"
I say it might give you some hope! You're not the only person struggling this morning!
God doesn't abandon us when we're in the battle! That's when He wants us to trust Him more!
C. The Good News – (v.18)
C. The Good News – (v.18)
"What in the world does that mean?" – (Romans 8:1-4, 12-17)
CONCLUSION – (Romans 13:14)
CONCLUSION – (Romans 13:14)