Scripture: Galatians 5:13-25

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Power To Please God

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16 (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome the sin that we carry around within us because we still live in bodies contaminated by sin. This is the purpose of the Spirit's filling. To help you understand and appropriate the reality of this, let me make five observations about the exciting, powerful, yet often misunderstood verse we're reading today.

First, Paul is definitely talking about yielding control of your will to another. The drunk yields to alcohol. We are to yield to the Spirit. That's a big difference, but the principle is the same in each case.

Second, notice that the positive statement is a command. Paul is not saying, “If you'd like to, it would be nice if you were filled with the Spirit.” He is saying that if you are going to please God, then you must be filled with His Spirit.

Third, this is a plural command. It applies to every believer. The Spirit's fullness is not for the elite few. There are Christians you may look at and say, “If I could just be like them. They love Jesus so much, and they walk so closely with Him. Why can't I be like that?” You can. The difference is the filling of the Spirit, not the fact that they have something you don't.

Fourth, this plural command is also passive. You can't fill yourself. This is the sovereign activity of the Spirit. That means your attempts to fill yourself are going to be very unfulfilling.

Fifth, this plural, passive command is also present tense, meaning it is a continuous action. You don't get filled today and expect it to cover you tomorrow, just like you don't eat Sunday dinner and expect it to carry you to next Sunday. The Holy Spirit's filling is a dynamic, moment-by-moment experience.

Why is it that way? Because we live in a world that depletes our filling. Sin depletes the filling. When you go against your conscience, it is depleted. So the Spirit's fullness is constantly being depleted, not because He is deficient, but because we are imperfect Christians who still carry the principle of sin around with us.

Have you asked the Holy Spirit to fill and control you today? He will, if that's your prayer.

Excerpt from "Time to Get Serious" - Tony Evans

Jesus Wants You To Know...

"Stop worrying, and listen carefully for My voice. But remember that I speak softly. If your own thoughts are too noisy, you will not hear Me. . . That is why I gave you a special gift - My Spirit inside you. Ask My Spirit to quiet your thoughts so that you can hear Mine. Then sit peacefully in My Presence - letting My thoughts become yours."

"...love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice,

and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life..."

Deuteronomy 30:20 (NIV)

Excerpt from "Jesus Calling for Kids" by Sarah Young

Scripture: Galatians 5:25

 

Application of God's Word: Galatians 5:25

 
Verse: Galatians 5:25
 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Application:

Again Paul reminded the Galatians that in addition to a divine judgment of the sinful nature there is a divine enablement in the person of the Holy Spirit. He made the believer alive by regeneration (cf. John 3:5-6), so each believer is exhorted to keep in step (stoichōmen, translation “follow” in Galatians 6:16) with the Spirit. Step by step one's Christian walk should conform to the Spirit's direction and enablement.

God is interested in every part of our life, not just the spiritual part. As we live by the Holy Spirit's power, we need to submit every aspect of our life to God: emotional, physical, social, intellectual, vocational. Paul says that because we're saved, we should live like it! The Holy Spirit is the source of your new life, so keep in step with his leading. Don't let anything or anyone else determine your values and standards in any area of your life.

Abide In Christ

Abide in Christ – Being in Christ
“Abide in Me [Christ], and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me” (John 15:4).

Consider abiding in Christ or being in Christ as a journey. This spiritual adventure begins with a personal experience with Jesus Christ and continues for the rest of your life. The steps on this glorious path are ones of both pain and great gain since you must leave your former, natural pathways to follow a new way of living (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new path involves denial of your former path and its accompanying selfish desires and actions (see Romans 6:3-5), but is also filled with great blessings, including the very presence of Jesus Christ and a joy that is beyond description in human terms alone (1 Peter 1:8). This new life is one lighted only in small steps, which require faith in following along with, but not ahead of, Jesus Christ. Yet those who choose to discipline themselves do so with the assurance of fellowship that continues forever with Jesus Christ in His Home called Heaven (John 3:16 and John 14:1-3).

Abide in Christ – Remaining in Close Fellowship with Jesus Christ

To abide in Christ is not a matter of being in a relationship with Jesus and then suddenly being without that relationship. Abiding in Christ is experiencing an intimate, close relationship with Jesus as your Savior. It is more than a superficial acquaintance.

The life of Jesus Christ on earth was one of trial and suffering (Matthew 8:20), but also one of great joy in doing the will of God the Father (John 15:9-11). After the initial experience of coming along side of Jesus Christ, one begins to walk more and more as He walked (1 John 2:6). It is accompanied by a heart that is inclined and dedicated to obey God and His Word.

Abide in Christ – Continuing in Closeness

Being in Christ also involves the Holy Spirit, who convicts, comforts, and communicates with the disciple of Christ (John 14, 16). The truth that the Holy Spirit will teach the believer in Christ is always the same as that which Jesus Christ said to His disciples while they walked with Him on this earth (John 16:13-15).

This invisible leading is one that goes beyond words and even outward actions. There is an intimacy for the follower of Christ who hears the beckoning and guidance of the Holy Spirit which transcends what can be described in human terms alone. This closeness leads to a fruitful life with both inward and outward manifestations. These fruit are gifts from this life with the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Jesus Christ likened abiding in Him to a branch of a tree remaining part of the main vine of a tree (Luke 13 and John 15). From this vine (Jesus Christ) comes the only true, spiritual nourishment and eternal life. The branch that seeks its own ways and substitutes candy for spiritual food will not grow and will not produce spiritual fruit (John 15:2, 6). The branch which receives this spiritual food grows and helps to lead to other growth on the tree and receives to itself a life of “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

Provided by "All About Following Jesus"

Spiritual Enemies

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

These who are not "flesh and blood" are demons over whom Satan has control. They are not mere fantasies - they are very real. We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ's church. When we believe in Christ, these beings become our enemies, and they try every device to turn us away from him and back to sin. Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because Satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord's side. We need supernatural power to defeat Satan, and God has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and his armor surrounding us. If you feel discouraged, remember Jesus' words to Peter: "Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it" (Matthew 16:18).

In a battle, it is imperative to identify your enemy. If you are not aware of the point of your attack, you are vulnerable. Paul had many enemies. Some resented him, others hated him, and others wanted to kill him. Some, who were supposedly on his side, sought to harm him and his ministry (Acts 9:23; Philippians 1:17; 2 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 4:14). In spite of the persecution he faced, Paul never lost sight of his real enemy. Paul was wary of Satan. When people attacked him, he knew they were not his real opponents. They were simply unwitting instruments of the spiritual forces of darkness.

When you meet opposition to your faith, your first reaction may be anger toward your antagonist. This may divert your attention from the deeper, spiritual dimensions of your conflict. Your adversary may be hopelessly in bondage to sin. Rather than retaliating, you should immediately and earnestly intercede for that person. Your opponent's hostility is your invitation to become involved in God's redemptive work to free him or her from spiritual bondage.

Application of God's Word: Ezekiel 36:26

 

Verse: Ezekiel 36:26

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Application:

Sin hardens the heart (Matthew 13:4,19). The more sin we allow to pass over our hearts and through our lives, the more resistant we become to a word from God. The sin of unforgiveness stiffens our hearts. We cannot continue to resist the prompting of the Holy Spirit without becoming hardened against Him. Exposing ourselves to evil and ungodly influences desensitizes us to God and His word. Over time, our hearts become like stone, unreceptive to a fresh word from God. We become anesthetized to sin.

Has your heart grown hard toward God? Do you feel as though nothing could soften it? God has a solution. He will separate you from the influences that are destroying you (Ezekiel 36:24). He will cleanse you from all filthiness and remove everything that has taken His place in your affections (Ezekiel 36:25). He will remove your heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh, tender toward Him and His Word. If your love for God is not what it should be, ask Him to renew your heart and restore your devotion to Him.

Excerpt from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby

Meme: Walk In The Spirit...

Choose To Rejoice

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:25
[Acts 16:25-34]

Your joy as a Christian should not depend on your circumstances. Joy comes from God, and therefore it cannot be affected by what is outside of you. Don't be fooled into letting the actions of others determine your joy. True joy comes from knowing that God Himself lives within you and has fellowship with you, regardless of your environment. Real joy lies in the knowledge that holy God has completely forgiven you of every sin, and even now, He has a home prepared in heaven where you can spend eternity with Him (John 14:3). The circumstances of your life cannot change these truths!

Paul and Silas faced some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They were falsely accused, arrested, and imprisoned. They were beaten and shackled in the darkest, coldest section of the prison. But they refused to allow their horrific situation to dampen their joy! They did not blame God for allowing these things to happen to them. Instead, they praised Him for His goodness! In the darkness of the night, they prayed and they sang. God brought a miracle that released them from their chains, but perhaps the greater miracle was that His Holy Spirit could so fill them that even in their painful imprisonment they could overflow with joy!

Do not allow difficult events to cancel the joy of knowing you are a child of God. Choose to allow God's Spirit to fill you with His unquenchable joy, and your life will be a miracle to those who watch you face the trials that come.

- Excerpt from “Experiencing God Day-By-Day” by Henry and Richard Blackaby

The Mind of Christ

 

Scripture:

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

- 1 Corinthians 2:14-16

 

Reflect:

How do we as believers in Jesus Christ have “the mind of Christ”?

 

Hundreds of years before Paul wrote today’s verse, the prophet Isaiah wrote the words that Paul was referencing: “Who can fathom the Spirit of the LORD, or instruct the LORD as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:13-14, NIV). Isaiah was saying that wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are completely from God. God was not taught these things by anyone and no one knows better than He does.

 

In today’s verse, Paul says that the “natural person” views things of God as “folly” and they are “not able to understand”. Why? Because they have not accepted Christ and therefore, the Holy Spirit is not in them. Without the Holy Spirit, they are not able to discern spiritual things.

 

So who is able to discern the things of the Spirit of God? Those of us who are in Christ Jesus! In 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, Paul explains, “So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:11-12, ESV).

 

As believers in Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God dwells within us. Because we have His Holy Spirit, we are able to discern spiritual matters. The Holy Spirit illuminates our minds so that we are of one mind with Christ.

 

So how do we access this understanding that God has given us? One way to understand the mind of God is through His Word. But even unbelievers can read the Bible. In order to rightly interpret and understand the Scriptures, we need the Spirit of God to enlighten us. In Luke 24:45, it says that Jesus “opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” right before He ascended to heaven.

 

Friends, in Christ, you are filled with the Holy Spirit. God’s Spirit lives in You. You have the mind of Christ and have been given wisdom and discernment. As Christians, we are not “natural people” who view the Word of God as “foolishness.” We are spiritual people who view the Bible as the Truth of God. Whenever you read the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to shed His light on His Word so that you can correctly understand and interpret what He said.

 

Pray:

God, I want to be of the same mind as You. Open my mind to Your Word. Thank You for Your Spirit that dwells in me and gives me wisdom and discernment so that I can understand Your ways and Your Word. Amen.

- Nat Crawford (Provided by "Back To The Bible")

Jesus Wants You To Know...

"In My kingdom freedom comes from yielding to My perfect will. Because I am infinite and you are not, My will may appear to be anything but perfect. Still, I want you to trust Me, even when you cannot understand what I’m doing. The Holy Spirit will help you in this as you invite Him to control your thinking. He lives in the depths of your spirit and knows you better than you know yourself. His work in you can liberate you to become more completely the one I designed you to be. I am pleased when you ask My Spirit to live and love through you. This is the collaborative way of living I had in mind when I created mankind." 

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

- "Jesus Lives" by Sarah Young