Walk in the Spirit

It’s important to understand that Gal. 5:16 is not a verse in isolation. It says “This I say then…” This is akin to saying ‘because’. In other words, he’s referring to the things he’s said previously - essentially the entirety of Ch. 5.

That being said, as you examine the book of Galatians, you’ll see that Paul spends 4 chapters explaining doctrine, and here in Ch. 5 & 6 he’s now giving the application.

So today’s message is going to be somewhat a summation of the book of Galatians, as ‘Walking in the Spirit’ is the solution to the doctrinal problems the church was facing.

What is Liberty? (Gal. 2:4; 5:1; 13) Liberty - freedom from the yoke of bondage. Free to allow the Spirit to Rule & Reign

The bondage of the flesh & it’s weakness to fulfil the law.

Bondage (Gal. 2:4; 4:3;9;24-25; 5:1)

Grace has the Power to make men free

The Law has the Power to enslave and condemn

They are ‘debtors’ to do the whole law (Gal. 5:3)

It’s much easier to ‘Walk In’ when you are ‘Filled with’. In fact, it’s nigh impossible to Walk in the Spirit without being Filled with Him.

You can’t keep a Spiritual Law in the Carnal flesh: Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”

Galatians 5:18 “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” - under the constraints, condemnation of the Law

I. The Circumstance

The Gospel was Being Perverted (Gal. 1:6-7)

“Gospel (def) “good news” or “good message”.

The Gospel that was being perverted was that of the Salvation by Grace through faith. Paul says:

They were given the Spirit through faith (Gal. 3:2; 14)

They worked miracles through faith (Gal. 3:5)

They were Justified by faith (Gal. 3:8;11)

Justify (def) to render (i.e. show or regard as) just or innocent. “Just as if I’d never sinned”

Paul said that some had come in perverting the Gospel. It’s evident as you read that they were perverting it by intermingling the works of the Law with it.

So in other words, the Gospel as Paul preached was ‘by Grace through Faith’ had been twisted to ‘Grace + works’.

This perversion is not something isolated to 1st century Christians, most denominations today do the very same thing! I think one of the most relevant books in the Bible today is Galatians!

The Gospel was being Perverted

The Law was Being Distorted (Gal. 3:21-26)

They were being taught that the Law was ‘perfecting’ them (Gal. 3:3)

The Law could not make them Righteous (Gal. 3:21)

The Law was to teach & lead them to faith in Jesus (Gal. 3:24)

Paul would say in Romans 7:7 “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”

Paul was trying to tell them “There’s not one law you could possibly keep for Salvation! This is why Jesus is not only important, BUT NECESSARY!

Listen - it doesn’t matter who you are, how righteous you’ve lived, how many laws you think you’ve kept or how many good deeds you’ve done - you STILL NEED JESUS!

The Law was being distorted

Men were being Misguided (Gal. 2:13-14)

The great problem with all this was that people were being led astray.

The problem was that it leads people from trusting in Christ to trusting in their works. It teaches people to trust in the flesh instead of the Spirit.

Men were being misguided

We see the Circumstance for the letter. But this letter - much like 1Cor. is a letter of Correction

II. The Correction

Once we get to Chapter 5, as Paul begins to give them the application, he is teaching them that…

The Difference between Liberty and Bondage (Gal. 5:1)

I think a great part of the confusion between true Grace and the Law comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of what Liberty and Bondage means in this context.

Bondage (def) slavery

Like chains that bind, so is the Law unto man.

It binds us to our sin

It enslaves us to our inadequacies

It condemns us to the Hell that we deserve

Man cannot escape. No matter how much they try, no matter how much they strain, the chains that bind them won’t break! The Law binds them to their sin and the condemnation that their sin brings!

Their bondage reveals itself in their ritualistic customs such as the observances of days, months & years.

It’s revealed in

Liberty (def) freedom

The most basic misunderstanding concerning freedom in Christ is the though that liberty means a license to sin. THIS COULDN’T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! (We’ll address this more momentarily).

Liberty as a Christian means that:

We’ve been free’d from the burdens of sin

We’ve been free’d from the penalty of sin

We’ve been free’d from the power of sin

Sin gains it’s power from the Law - Romans 7:8–11 “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.”

Liberty in Christ means that He has paid the penalty of sin FOR me, and now sin has no more POWER OVER me!

Liberty in Christ means that I now have freedom to allow the Spirit to move and work in my life.

Paul said: Galatians 5:18 “But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” - under the bondage, power, condemnation of the Law!

We see the Difference between Liberty and Bondage

The Spirit has Ability that the Flesh Doesn’t (Gal. 5:17)

Today men try to do good & be good. Even Christians struggle with sin - I know, because many of you have told me so. But here’s the thing: Oftentimes, we try to keep the law in our own fleshly power. AND IT’S NOT POSSIBLE! You cannot possibly live Godly in the flesh!

The reason you can’t keep the law in the flesh, is because the Law is Spiritual - and the Flesh cannot fulfill that which is Spiritual

The Flesh cannot Fulfill that which is Spiritual (Rom. 7:14)

Romans 7:14 “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.”

(Ill.) Just as oil is to water, so is the flesh to the Spirit. Not one of you can go out to your car and fill it up with water and expect it to run. The flesh cannot accomplish what can only be done in the Spirit!

The reason many cannot Walk in the Spirit, is because you need to be filled with the Spirit first! You’re trying to go about things carnally, which can only be accomplished Spiritually.

The flesh cannot Fulfill that which is Spiritual

So, what does walking in Liberty look like? Does it reveal itself in going about doing whatever you want to do? Does it sin willfully without regard because they are ‘saved’?

Walking in Liberty of the Spirit Leads to Love and Service (Gal. 5:13-16)

In v13, we see the warning against using Liberty for fleshly desires.

True Liberty and walking in the Spirit will lead a man to love his neighbor and desire to love and serve.

Being free FROM sin doesn’t mean free TO sin - it teaches and trains us to love and serve BECAUSE we’ve been freed! They will be fulfilling the Law, but not through the power of the flesh, BUT OF THE SPIRIT!

A Christian walking in the Spirit will love and serve. They will also demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22–25 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Walking in Liberty of the Spirit Leads to Love and Service

Walking in Licentiousness Demonstrates Depravity (Gal. 5:19-24)

Licentiousness (def) Using license; indulging freedom to excess; unrestrained by law or morality; loose

I certainly believe the statement “If saved, always saved”.

I also believe there’s a lot of people out there that may have spoke some words and said a prayer that have never been born again. SAYING you’re a Christians and BEING a Christian are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS!

If you see someone who claims Christ, yet has no regard for the things of God and lives a life of licentiousness with no conviction, it’s possible that they are simply backslid, but it’s PROBABLE that they are lost! If they’ve NEVER demonstrated a change, it’s almost assuredly they are lost!

Walking in Licentiousness Demonstrates Depravity - a soul depraved and knowing not the Saviour, and having NOT the Spirit of God within him!

We’ve looked at the Circumstance for the Epistle and the Correction. Next I want to briefly look at the Concept of Walking

III. The Concept

Implies Progress

Walking implies that there is progress.

When I walk, I walk for a purpose. I am progressing to a goal.

My goal may be to get from the couch to the fridge - but it’s a goal.

My goal may be to get in shape - but it’s a goal.

People walk for a purpose - we Walk in the Spirit for a purpose as well. To progress the Cause of Christ in and through our lives!

It implies progress

Intimates Consistency

Walking is a consistent thing.

(Ill.) I have an apple watch. I have in times past went to walk the dogs and set my watch to show that I was ‘exercising taking an outdoor walk’. Well, the dogs would pull me a bit, then stop & pee on something. Then pull me a bit, then stop and pee. After a few times of this, do you know what my smart watch asked? “Are you still walking?” It could tell, because a walk intimates consistency.

Our Walking in the Spirit is a consistent thing. It’s not a high one day, and off the wagon the next. If we’re Walking in the Spirit, we’re consistent.

That’s not to say that we won’t have bad days - but they are the exception, not the rule.

Walking intimates consistency

Indicates Exercise

I’ve already eluded to this, but this is the point that I want to make: We exercise to what? Get stronger.

The more we Walk in the Spirit, the stronger the Spirit gets in our lives!

Walking indicates exercise

The Circumstance for the Epistle and the Correction. The Concept and finally, the Completion - how you actually Walk in the Spirit

IV. The Completion

Acknowledge the Spirit

Simply recognize that IF you are saved, God sealed you with His Spirit. You were baptized in Him and that affords you some benefits.

His Power

Remember - the Holy Spirit is *Literally* God - who dwells in you, and is ABLE to work IN you and THROUGH you!

Paul said: Ephesians 3:14–21 “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

Recognize that God has given YOU the power to Walk in the Spirit

His Place

You must have the same mindset of John the Baptist when Jesus came on the scene: John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

You mustn’t give place to the Devil, but give place to the Spirit!

Acknowledge His Place in your life - to be the leader

His Performance

Next, simply trust that He will do what the Bible says He will do! TRUST GOD!

I promise you this: There’s never been a Christian who has recognized His Power, given Him 1st place in their lives and not done great and mighty things in the eyes of God!

Trust His Performance

Allow the Spirit

To Walk in the Spirit is not to have Him as your ‘co-pilot’ - it’s to give Him full reign over your life! You go & do what He tells you to do, whether you like it or not!

(Ill.) Do you know that the Spirit of God will tell you to do things that make you uncomfortable? Do you know that sometimes the Spirit of God will lead you to places you don’t want to go? Matthew 4:1 “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”

You need to simply allow the Spirit of God full reign in your life

Be in Awe of the Spirit

Lastly, sit back in Awe at what Christ does in your life.

(Ill.) I can tell you this, and I have people here to testify: I was saved 24y ago this year. After much searching, God led me to a little old renovated building to Gloryland Baptist Church - and bro. Gene was the pastor. When God led me there, I knew nothing about nothing. I don’t think anybody sitting here that knew me then would have ever believed that I’d be where I am today. I stand in Awe of where God has brought me unto - and make no mistake, I don’t think I’m anything, I’m just amazed that God would call me into the ministry, and allow me to pastor His Church!

Church, Walking in the Spirit will make an impact on your life like you wouldn’t believe. When you ‘Let go and let God’ and just say - “Oh, God you want me to what? Quit my job and go pastor that little church two states away? That makes no sense, but ok.” “What God, you want me to take that church up in WV - two states away? What are they going to pay me? What do you mean it doesn’t matter? Just go? Ok.”

I never would have believed that God would put me where He has today. But I’ll say this: I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am not the pastor here because I couldn’t be elsewhere doing other things - I’m here because God put me here. And for that, I stand in Awe.

But that’s me - Where will the Spirit of God take you if you commit to Walking in Him?

Walk in the Spirit

Introduction

I. The Circumstance

II. The Correction

III. The Concept

IV. The Completion

Conclusion