The Essential Eight: Walking in a New Life
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· 5 viewsIn discipling others, it is important that realize the new life they have in Christ and the need to walk obediently to the HS.
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As the new believer begins his journey
The next key step in discipleship is getting them to understand the new life they have in the Christ and the indwelling HS
The NT is full of “in Christ”statements
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:
For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Make no doubt about it when Christ saves a person, a change has occured and continues to occur
Thats the good news about the sanctification process- God will see it through to completion- Philippians 1:6
So we will be walking through Galatians 5:13-25 today
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. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
1. You have freedom in Christ Vs 13-15
-Previously in chapter 5 Paul said not to go back to circumcision, thinking its necessary as some were
He called that slavery
His point- is the Christ life is Christ plus nothing
Nothing else is needed to save some one
Not special prayers, not outward markings, not pilgrimages, no religious work does it
Only Jesus, amen
So Paul says- your free in Christ- live free in Him and like Him
Vs 13- dont use your freedom for sin but for service
Many claim Christian liberty when they are looking to justify their borderline actions
How many times have you heard this “Well it just doesnt bother me, Im not convicted by it.”
But yet they have left a wake of stumbling brothers and sisters behind them
Here Paul says use your freedom in Christ meaning your singular hope in the Gospel truth if Jesus for loving others
Very few using Christian liberty for serving others
Vs 14- he echos Jesus truth from Matthew 22
-Love for others is a hallmark of a life changed by Christ
We love because he first loved us.
Vs 15- So then he warns to becareful with how we treat one another
-Many people live this way
-harsh and sharp all the time
-At times its in the church and that cannot be
-He reminds, is your gonna live like that, then what your gonna get is eventually the same thing in return
-Our freedom in Christ hasnt given us full license to landblast everybody we see or all over Facebook as is the common place one nowadays
-The killer comments are all the open ended remarks you see about people or even family members
-Like it makes you look any better airing your frustrations all over social media?
-Beloved, stop that stuff.... Call a friend and talk if needed
-Use your freedom in Christ from sin- to love God and love others- not make people stumble
2. Battle of our old and new nature Vs 16-18
Vs 16- Paul tells the Galatians to walk by the Spirit
This isnt some weird humpty dumpty head in the clouds waiting to hear voices idea
Its live obediently by Gods word and therefore you will be lead by the Spirit
But the big point here is that this isnt automatic
Paul says if you walk by the Spirit then you wont fall into the old ways
The HS, when allowed in our life, blocks and guards us from falling into sin
Paul, speaks similarly in Eph 4 about living a set apart life and he says
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Before and after this he describes how the HS is grieved
-unwholesome speak, anger, slander, gossip,
His point is by sinning and following our selfish desires
Vs 17- We see the old nature and the new nature are so in conflict with each other
The HS doesnt force our submission to daily obedience
We are not coerced into daily choices but as we walk in Gods word and live obediently to it we will be lead by the HS for according to John, speaks and exalts the name of Jesus But its our choice to be obedient or not
However we do know as well, God disciplines his children for their actions
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
So as we live life, we are at constant war between ourselves and our new nature
We must as Jesus says
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Deny himself and daily follow - Key truths
Vs 18- Just we submit to following faithfully we are not just to do it alone
Yes, we are daily obedience is required
But are decision are based on keeping a bunch of laws
Our decisions are transformed by the indwelling HS presence in our life
Shear obedience to the Bible isnt gonna get you to heaven
You and I must be saved by the Jesus and filled with the HS
Because the HS dwells in us, we now can say the legal demands of our sin that the Law has exposed has been satisfied because of Christ
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
And its the HS that now is our seal of our current and future salvation
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
So as we live as believers, we now have freedom to walk by Spirit or by our own natural desires
Before we were slaves to that desire- know we have freedom
3. Natural fruit vs Spiritual Fruit Vs 19-24
Vs19-Pauls point is crystal clear
People living in sin and chasing after those things are clearly seen
Some of these more stain publicly than others but make no doubt of his statement at the end of vs 21
“Those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Whether the world shames it or salutes it- God clearly says no
But vs 22-23 shows the freedom fruit so to speak
Id encourage you to memorize these
Its a simple study-and a great tool against sin if applied
When he gets to the ends of this list in VS 23- He says there never is a question as to if God approves this lifestyle
Works of man- judged by the Law
Fruit of Spirit- no judgement by the Law
Vs24- he anchors it all home and says I you have been saved by Christ then you have crucified your self and its desires
Because that is needed to be saved to begin with
Doesnt mean we dont slip up and muddy the robe but its clear we shouldnt wallow in it mud hole
4. Walk in with the Spirit
Vs 25- If we have been made alive by the HS, sealed and guaranteed for salvation through him
Then shouldnt we walk, talk, and live that out
I never expect an unbeliever to act like a believer, albeit I have seen many act better than professing believers
However I should always act like a believer if I so claim to be and have the HS living in me
So should you if thats true of you
Vs 26- Paul connects it altogether and says church guard your heart and love one another
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
How do we do this? By walking in the Spirit
Crucial for step in discipling others- Walking in a new life