Walk in the Spirit

If we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfil, or bring forth, the lusts of the flesh.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. KJV

Mammon historically is all of a person’s material desires.

You must choose between spiritual gain and physical gain.

Not being under the law is NOT a license to sin.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? KJV

If you love me, keep my commandments. KJV

The ESV says that “the works of the flesh are evident”.

Adultery: cheating on your spouse

Adultery: cheating on your spouse

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, The whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery in his heart. KJV

Fornication: pre-marital sex

Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Uncleanness: the Greek word here means impure.

An impurity is something that ruins the uncontaminated nature of something.

Prove all things; hold fast to that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

God cares about your reputation. You need to be careful what you do, because there are people watching to see if you have sin in your life and if you do it will hurt your work for the kingdom.

Lasciviousness: when someone’s thoughts and actions are driven by sex.

Idolatry: putting things before God

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Anything that takes precedence over your relationship with God is more important than him.

Witchcraft: messing around with the spirit world.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. KJV

Rebellion against the word of God and against the man of God will get you nowhere but trouble.

Hatred: extreme dislike or ill will toward a person/community

We MUST hate sin, just as God hates sin, but we ought not hate those people who are lost and need a savior. We will NEVER win people to Christ if we have hatred in our hearts.

The church will not see revival until people stop having ill will toward their brothers and sisters in Christ. If you do not have the love of Christ in your hearts so that you can fellowship with your fellow Christians, you need to get your heart right with God.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 John 4:20

Variance: inconsistency

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Emulations: effort to match or exceed the achievements of a person, typically by imitation.

You ought not be in competition with your brothers and sisters in Christ. It isn’t about who brings in the most visitors, it’s about pleasing God and doing what He wants us to do.

Wrath: extreme anger

He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated. KJV

Cease to anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. KJV

Strife: angry or bitter disagreement

If you disagree with your brother or sister, you ought to come to them in peace with the love of God to discuss the matter.

Angry argument is a work of the flesh, so if you can’t speak to your brother or sister in a calm peaceable manner, you need to go pray and then continue a conversation.

These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. -19 KJV

Seditions: conduct or speech enticing people to come against authority or leadership.

the people come against Moses and God kills them.

2 Samuel Absalom comes against David and finds himself hanging from a tree and his head is cut off.

Heresies: preaching or teaching something that is not Biblical.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Envyings: desire to have a quality, possession, or other desirable attribute belonging to someone else.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. KJV

Murders: killing

Thou shalt not kill. KJV

Drunkenness

Revellings: taking pleasure in the things of this world.

If these are in your life, you can’t inherit the kingdom of God! You must get rid of the works of the flesh.

Love: Unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the good of another.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. KJV

But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. KJV

Joy: a feeling of pleasure

A Christian ought not always be moping about.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is the fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. KJV

As the temple of the Holy Ghost, we have God dwelling within us, so if we do not have joy it is our own fault.

Having joy is a fight.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. KJV

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. KJV

Peace: the original Greek here means to make peace.

We as the body of Christ should be peacemakers.

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. KJV

Longsuffering: having patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people.

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. KJV

Gentleness: thankfulness toward God and polite restrained behavior.

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. KJV

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. NASB

Goodness: kindness

Faith: complete trust and confidence in God

And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If you have faith as a grain of a mustard see, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. KJV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that thing which are seen were not made of thing which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. KJV

Meekness: submissiveness

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. KJV

We must be submissive to:

The will of God

The authority that God has placed in our life

Temperance: self control

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. KJV

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. ESV

Galatians 5:24

If you belong to Christ you have to crucify your flesh.

If you want the fruit of the spirit to come forth in your life, you have to crucify the flesh.

If you want revival you must crucify the flesh!

Galatians 5:25-26

If you want to be all that God wants you to be, if you want to be an effective Christian, you MUST bear fruit.

If we are not bearing fruit, are we really connected to the vine at all?