Holy Spirit (Part 3)

FLYING CLOSER TO THE FLAME

Study Three

My Sin . . . and “The Things of the Spirit”

Romans 6–8; Galatians 5:13–23

13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

-PRAY

-In this study, we turn the pages of history forward to our day.

-What chains will the Holy Spirit’s power break in your life?

-How will He revolutionize your “pilgrimage/journey from this planet to paradise”?

PREPARE YOUR HEART

—One reason God gave us the Holy Spirit was “to fill our hearts with his love” (Romans 5:5).

5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

TURN TO THE SCRIPTURES

At odds with the Spirit is our flesh—our natural inclination toward sin.

Paul wrote extensively about sin in

the opening chapters of Romans, concluding that “everyone has sinned” (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of

sin is death” (6:23).

God, however, “freed us from the penalty for our sins” by offering Jesus as our atoning sacrifice (3:24–25).

He “makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” (3:26).

“26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

This is good news . . . but there’s more!

Because God loves us, He not only delivers us from the penalty of sin but also frees us from our habits

of sin—habits that don’t surrender without a fight.

In Romans 6–8 and Galatians 5, Paul wrote like a

battlefield correspondent, reporting on the war that wages in our soul between our flesh and God’s Spirit.

Paul delivered good news and bad news but assured us that, in the end, we have victory in the power of the Spirit.

Observation: Admitting the Struggle, Claiming the Victory

Sin No Longer Has Power Over Us

In the following verses, Paul rang a liberty bell. What good news do these verses sound out to Christians?

Romans 6:6–7, 12–14

“6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.”

“12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

Galatians 5:1, 13

“1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

“13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

We have been emancipated! We have been freed from slavery to sin.

Sin no longer has power over us. —Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Sin Is Still Present Within Us

While sin is a vanquished foe, it still is a present enemy.

What do you observe about the conflict between

the Spirit and the part of our humanity that is drawn to sin?

In Greek, Paul labeled this part, sarx—

which the New Living Translation translates as the “old nature” or “sinful nature” and the New American

Standard Bible translates as the “flesh.”

Romans 7:5, 18–20

“5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.”

“18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”

Galatians 5:17, 19–21

Sin may no longer have power over us, but it is still present within us.

“There is a part of our being, our inner person, that still desires to live disobediently. We cannot get away from the fact that we carry around the carnal desires of the flesh.” —Pastor Chuck Swindoll

The Holy Spirit Provides a New Dimension of Living

Now that we have the Spirit, we can submit our will to God in such a way that we desire the things of the

Spirit rather than the things of the flesh.

When we make that choice, we live in a new spiritual dimension.

We “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16 NASB) as the Spirit empowers us to live free from sin.

What do these verses teach about the Spirit-controlled life versus the flesh-controlled life?

Romans 8:9–11 Galatians 5:16, 22–25

“Walk by the Spirit.” Now, that is the secret.

This is not talking about believing that Christ

died for your sins. That’s conversion.

“Now that you’re a believer, do you walk by the Spirit?”

—Pastor Chuck Swindoll

Interpretation: Understanding the “Things That Please the Spirit”

How do we win the battle of our desires?

By redirecting our desires from the things of the flesh to “the things that please the Spirit” (Romans 8:5).

“5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

These “things” appear in Romans 8 as the Spirit’s beautiful blessings—which are such a contrast to the ugliness of sin.

Note the blessings of the Spirit in the following verses.

What does “life and peace” mean for you—Romans 8:6?

What does “not . . . fearful slaves. Instead . . . adopted” mean for you—Romans 8:15?

What does “heirs of God’s glory” mean for you—Romans 8:16–17?

What does the “Holy Spirit prays for us” and “pleads for us” mean for you—Romans 8:26–27?

Life, peace, release from fear, security as God’s children, assurance about our future, assistance in prayer,

awareness of God’s will—such blessings!

In addition are the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

Compare these virtues produced by the Spirit with Paul’s list of fleshly vices in Galatians 5:19–21.

“19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

What impression did Paul intend to leave for his readers with these two contrasting lists?

When viewed side-by-side, the things of the Spirit appeal to us far more than the things of the flesh, don’t they?

Our souls genuinely crave life, assurance, security, love, joy, peace . . . every blessing the Spirit offers!

Whether or not we experience these things depends on how we set our mind—“the mind set on the Spirit is

life and peace” (Romans 8:6 NASB).

Let’s dig deeper into this concept in other passages.

Correlation: Setting Our Minds on the Things of the Spirit

What do the following verses teach about the crucial role our mind plays in determining our behavior?

Romans 12:2

Philippians 4:8–9

Colossians 3:2–3

The Spirit unleashes His transforming power when we set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

He peels the veneer off sin so we can see sin for what it is—ugly, destructive, and deadly distortions of all that’s good.

He helps us build new, life-giving habits to replace the old habits of sin. So what should you set your mind

on today?

Application: Thrilling Thoughts to Consider

Begin your day with this thought: I choose to desire what God desires—the things of the Spirit not the things of the

flesh.

It’s a simple first step, but an important one.

Your goal isn’t to eliminate desires but to surrender them

to God and focus them on the things of the Spirit—the spiritual blessings from the Father who loves you.

Can you take that step right now?

The next thought is this: I yield control to the Spirit who lives in me.

Only the Spirit can empower the things of the Spirit.

So, invite Him to take control when you’re trying to be patient in a traffic jam or trying to find peace in a crisis or trying to love an enemy.

-Pray