Life By the Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
If you have your Bibles please turn to
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. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Throughout this entire series we have looked a number of things from the difficulty that legalism presents in the our spiritual life. We have looked at how we have true freedom when we have put our faith in Jesus. We have finally come to the point where we will look at what it means to live a life by the spirit.
Paul begins this area with a warning not to indulge the flesh. We have freedom and yet we must be very careful what we do with that freedom. We can use that freedom to continue to sin and thus pulling ourselves back away from God. Or we can use that freedom to begin truly following Jesus.
The problem that the Galatian church is much like the problem facing churches all over right now. While the Galatian church was being pulled the apart by legalism. The modern church is being pulled apart by issues over Biblical integrity. Each had subpar leaders leading the way for this division. While the reason for the divisions may be different the results are the same. When we have removed Jesus’ second command there can only be disastrous results to follow. I am afraid to say that this is a far cry from the Biblical ideal of believers living together in loving unity. But as I have been reminded of lately God always has a remnant, God is always soverign and we must learn from the words of the Bible and continue on in our faith and our walk
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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.
So we walk by the spirit. These are some of the truest statements written in the Bible. This is the very core conflict of each and every believer that has ever followed Jesus.
Here is how R.C. Sproul said it
My life didn’t begin to be complicated until I became a Christian, because only then did I have to go to war every day between that which is of the flesh and that which is of the Spirit.
R. C. Sproul
What our flesh or the sin nature in us and where the Holy Spirit is guiding us is in two very different directions. The world itself is guiding us away from God. This is why it is so important that we have discernment in our lives and we recognize that everything in life centers on the spiritual. The world has separated the spiritual into it's own category. But I am here to tell you that everything in your life boils down to your relationship with Jesus and how you are doing with that relationship. Are you doing things to build that relationship or not? Are you practicing discernment when you look at what is happening around you? We must guard our hearts against things these things that take away from Jesus. This may mean giving things up but it may mean increasing your time with God everyday.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
The Holy Spirit is there to help us with this discernment process and to remind us of everything Jesus taught you. More importantly peace can only come through Jesus. Please do not be fooled by the world, no matter what it is that they can give you peace. It is never lasting peace, it is never the kind of calm and comfort that Jesus provides. Most importantly Jesus tells us not to let our hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. We must put totally trust and faith in Jesus that is how to obtain that peace and resolve that conflict in our hearts. Yet the tough part is that it must be a daily submission to Jesus.
I want to share one of the best verses about discernment with you
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.
Here are the two questions that we need to be always asking ourselves. First, is what I am doing benefical to me at all? Is this going to help me be closer to God, is it going to help me love my neighbor? Those are the two commands from God.
The last question we need to ask is this going to take over my life? If I do something is that something going to actually take control?
Every single day we make hundreds of decisions. Most of these decisions we make we do not even put a lot of thought into. Yet each one of these decisions begin to add up over time and these develop either the flesh or the spirit.
Now we turn to some examples of acts of the flesh.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 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.
and now let us look look athe fruits of the spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Which of these two choices sounds better to you? I want the fruit of the spirit in my life.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
I have talked about this before but the cross wasn't just our sins. How do you get the peace that Jesus was talking about before? We crucify the flesh and all those desires. We must take them to the cross.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
God is faithful and God has provided a way out through the cross. We must humble ourselves before God and cry out for wisdom and for help. God always provides a way out. It is about going to Him and going to the cross when we find ourselves in this great conflict because then we can live out the fruits of the spirit in our lives.
I want you to look at the fruits of the spirits back on the screens
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
As we close the sermon today, please look at these fruits. love and joy , peace and kindness. These fruits will be in your life when you put your faith into action. We must be an active body of Christ that goes out into the world to make a difference. We must be a body of Christ that follows Jesus and spreads the Gospel. We are that remnant of believers and we must find ways to help. So we have Rachal from Project Belong VA that is going to speak to us for a few mintues to show us how we can help out
Let us pray.