Walking in the Spirit: Part 3

You know, we've been walking through this Galatians 5 packet, talking about the fruit of the spirit and I almost forgot we've had no kids for so long that Bryce, is there to take kids out to children's church if you want to go.

So you can head out there. They will be back at the end. They're going to lead our last song. So, Be ready for that when they come back.

But we've been working through Galatians 5, talking about the fruit of the spirit. And we're actually going to these first four weeks of covering the major portion of it. And then I'm actually going to go back through each of the individual fruit of the spirit which Alaska's pretty much through the end of the year, as we take a deeper look at those. But this week we're going to start looking at the two different lists that Paul gives in Galatians 5, you know, he kind of offers up two entirely different list, you know one list things that we struggle with. You know, those ugly, pretty much sometimes repulsive things that are results of our easel, desire evil desires, as human beings, that he contrast those with the fruit of the spirit that were supposed to have, you know, the beautiful and attractive results of a life lived walking in the Holy Spirit. So this week, we got to look at that ugly things that come from living a life that's based entirely in the flesh or in worldly values of things. And like I said, next week, we'll jump into the other. So reading that passage that Bryce read for us, I Had him read that one. And then I have a slightly different translation. It kind of gives you some different perspectives on it. Galatians chapter 5 19 221. Now the Deeds of the flesh are evident which are immorality and Purity, sensuality idolatry sorcery and Emmett. He's jealous. Outburst of anger, disputes dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things, like these of, which, I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice, the, these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. You know, these Deeds of the flesh, reflect the sinful desires of unredeemed. Humanness. Which are in constant spiritual warfare against the desires of the spirit? That's what we talked about last week. Was the conflict that goes on within all of us peanuts that inner tension that we all feel at different times throughout our day when we have to make choices and my going to do this, or am I going to do that? And sometimes those are easy little decisions, but sometimes they're bigger things that were faced with bigger challenges that are there that we have to wrestle with. Sometimes of what are we going to do? And, you know, if we're really honest, cuz I read through that list of things. You're really those things? Sadly enough are so common to basic human nature. But you know, for Paul to go through that list, you know, as you read it, it kind of feels like the list goes on and on but we all know that it could keep going of the things that happened in our lives. That we know that shouldn't and those things are so basic to our human nature, that really it's kind of like Paul's just reminding us of some things that are there reminding us of our own Fallen nature because it's a reality that we all know all too. Well, Do you know Jesus also made it clear that our basic problem is not with what is outside us. But what is within us? And that's what we're talking about with all this fruit of the spirit and Mark chapter 7 verses 20 through 23. It says and he was saying he would be Jesus that which proceeds out of the man. That is what the files, the men. For from within out of the heart of men proceed the evil thoughts, fornication's thefts murderers, adultery Deeds of coveting and weakness as well as deceit sensuality Envy. Slander pride, and foolishness, all these evil things proceed from within and defile the man. You know, if you didn't notice it, Jesus is list is pretty similar to Paul's list. They're very similar and what they talked about and really the whole idea between both passages is the points made that The evil that receive within the world, the evil that receive with them, people at all originates from within us.

you know, so often we'd like to blame the outside world for things and You know, certainly that plays a role but Jesus and that short little passage. I just read three times. He makes the point that sin comes from within us. And when Paul is identifying his sins or deeds of the flesh, as it's often called, you know, he's saying that those things are produced by our own unsaved, unregenerate to be the big theological work nature that that's where those things come from. Cuz the truth is, you can really have two different views about basic human nature. You know, people are either seen as basically good. Or basically, evil. that second one makes us cringe and you know, the humanistic view is that we are people born morally, good or at least morally neutral.

But we have to realize from things like these lists in the whole of scripture that the Bible maintains the very opposite of the humanistic side. That we are naturally immoral and that we are naturally evil in every aspect. It's not something we like to think about that. That's our basic nature, but it is something I think that, if we're all honest. We know all too well.

And although our environment is never perfect and it can be very detrimental to us. You know, it's never our worst problem. This primarily us who pollutes the environment, not the environment that pollutes us. Now, let me be clear. I'm not making some Greenpeace statement there. I'm not talking about single-use Plastics or anything like that.

You know, what I'm talking about is the moral ethical and spiritual environment around us.

You were talking about the environment that's in our schools, the environment that's in our home that's in our workplaces. We have to realize that you know, we are the ones who determine how clean those environments are how good those environments are. He do, we determine if our family, our friends and our coworkers are in an environment that helps them to live the life in the spirit. Or if they are in an environment that helps them to live in the flesh. We help determine that. Yo, are we creating an environment that tells them to live the way that they want to live? Don't worry about anyone else and fulfill every selfish desire you have because it's your right. It's your freedom to do so or are we helping them to live a life? That helps them to walk in the spirit and to go as God would lead them. Yeah, that's why I better housing, better transportation, better education, better jobs more income, free medical care, stimuluschecks higher, unemployment, payouts and other such things, even though they might be desirable and help temporarily. They'll never change things. Because they don't solve our basic problem. The basic human problem, which is the send that lives within each and everyone of us.

You know what? The problem is that we have to realize that no outward benefit can improve us and weirdly

Our culture teaches has quite the opposite, but that is a Biblical reality. You know, the problem is that all those things I mentioned before. All that. We really see that they do is they just provide more sophisticated opportunities for us to do the evil, sinful things that we know we shouldn't be doing. It just gives us easier access to the things that we don't really need the things that are corrupting us. The things that are causing the problems that were trying to escape.

The things that we say, those things are designed to help. Alleviate those problems. It often seems that they actually help to further those problems instead of solve them.

I know that list of sins that Paul list there, you know, her all natural characteristics of unredeemed mankind, you're not every person on that list. You know, I'm not saying when we talk about those things, we talked about our sinful nature. It doesn't mean that every single person on Earth struggles with every single one of those things. Because we all have different areas where we struggle in, you know, a person might only struggle with one of them. There might only be one area that's really hard and tempting for a person in that has been their continual battle for their entire life.

But for someone else, there may be several of those things that they struggle with. And for this person, that's thing that's just a little problem that they sometimes struggle with. For this person. It can be a huge problem. So it's different for all of us. But really what Paul's telling us in these lists is that these are such a part of basic human nature that all of these things have a strong possibility of showing up in our life, one way or another. And we just have to face that reality.

And the reality is that it's when these things become normal and continual behaviors for us that they become a problem.

You know, for someone who doesn't believe in God, someone who's never put their faith in him, it's different. If for them. These things are normal continual behaviors because, well, if they are still living their life In the Flesh, as scripture would say it, or based off the morals of this world. It's understandable. That they commit those acts, they live, those things in their life. But we have to realize that once we have accepted Christ into our life, those things become abnormal for us. They become things that shouldn't be a part of our Christian Life. If we're truly trying to walk in the spirit. But the truth is he, no a Christian can walk in the spirit and avoid all of them. Or you can give into them, give in to the Flesh and fall victim to any of them. None of us should think that. Well, just because I prayed that prayer and I gave my life to Christ that I'm not going to struggle with any of these things anymore. I think every single one of us in here knows that that's not true. That we still continue to struggle. You know, I'm Paul's list of Deeds of the flesh. Really cover three general areas. If you break them down.

The areas of sex religion in human relationships. Yeah, the first group relates to man's defilement in the area of sex. We all know that our society and our culture has Twisted sex from what God intended it to be between a husband and wife into something. That's much more marketable. Right? Something that they can sell something that they can promote something that they can use.

To make the almighty dollar even though it destroys so many lives and so many ways. So instead of it being the beautiful thing that God created it to be between husband and wife.

It's become this way of fulfilling man's evil desires and ways that God never intended.

You know, everything God calls an Abomination, our society calls, normal. in relation to this area of sex, the second group of sins relates to man-made religion. Which is as much a product of The Flash as sexual sin. We need to realize. And what we need to realize with this idea, of man religion, that, you know, these Deeds of the flesh, not only defile, the person themselves. But it interrupts your relationship with God. It causes a barrier between the two of you. And what happens, a lot of time you do all human religion. And basically all the other religions in the world outside of Christianity, you know, they're all based off of human self effort, what you can do to earn your salvation, or what you can do to earn your ability to go to paradise and enjoy that.

And, you know, it's something that man has struggled with and it's another one of those sins of the flesh that we struggle is to think that there's something that we can do on our own to make ourselves. Good enough to be accepted by God.

And what we have to realize is that anything that takes that form flies and direct opposition to scripture and the gospel. Which says that the only way we can come to God, we can ever be acceptable to him. It's because of the blood of Jesus Christ, that was shed on the cross. And we have to realize that that's the only way on her own. We can never do anything to accomplish it. We are entirely dependent on our relationship with God for that to happen.

And you know, when you think about Man, Ray religion, you know, one of the things is idolatry and you know, that's worshipping any certain image and things like that and you know this, we think about it. There's so many things that we've set up on that level of idolatry. And it can be things just like well or you know, achieving a certain status of this or that or things like that that we've put on that same level as God. There's times when I think our society looks at saving the environment that way.

You know, there's people who put other social justice issues on that level to say that, you know, if you don't believe in this cause or that cause then, you know, you can't be a Christian, you can't be safe. You know, I know someone who was told that if they didn't believe in support black lives matter that they are a bigot and there's no way they're saved.

I mean, that's just crazy. But that's when we raise other things to that same level of God, and it can be anything.

The third group relates to human relationships, which are defiled by a lot of sense. That Paul listed there may be many others that we can probably think of, you know, because I think this is a part of human nature that we know all too. Well, talking about how our sinful nature impacts our relationships with our fellow human beings. Yeah, these are the things that usually make the 5 News. You know, these are the sins that represent the animosities that. Happened between individuals. And, you know, a lot of times it's things that, you know, something happens to cause an initial conflict between a group, but it just continues to go on, you know, long. After that incident over. It just continues to go. The Strife is there. You know, you might think of the old-time conflicts between Mountain Clans, right, you know, the Hatfields and McCoys. You think about that, you know, we lived in the county where the Hatfields and McCoys were in Kentucky and, you know, they had the place marked at the courthouse, where they hung, the Hatfields, and The McCoys, at the end of all that. But they're still conflict between those two families that it's decades later. We can think of conflicts in the Middle East that have went on for centuries. you know, a lot of the conflicts, we think we see happening in the Middle East, if you actually Trace those back, those are conflicts between the ishmaelites and all those people you read about in the Old Testament, there still fight with each other countries, just have different names and It just perpetuates and that's the type of sins. He's talking about that affect that they just continue to go on that destructive. Way of life is just fed by all the sinful desires Within. Humankind. I think we've witnessed the same thing in our own culture over this last year where we've had incidents. That no one would argue with that. Our tragic happen in our own country. But the tension just continues to go on even though those things are done and over with and it's been dealt with the way. It should be dealt with. Some people just can't let it go and it continues to go on. But, you know, I think the high point of the Apostles, forewarning, in this scripture is sobering, says those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Yes, because that list is sins is so all-encompassing, cuz there's so many things listed there. But like I said, the scary part of it is those are things that we know are true about basic human nature and they're all listed there. And it tells us plain as day in Scripture that those people involved in those things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

If that doesn't make you pause for a moment and think about some things. then I don't think anything will because That's what's caused a lot of Believers at different times to question where they really stand in their relationship with God when they bump into a scripture passage like this. That says, You know, this whole list of sins. And if you're committing any of these, you're not going to be accepted. They don't like to hear that. But, you know, the whole reason they're struggling with that. That's your sinful nature within you welling up fighting against what the Holy Spirit once. And it goes back to that whole conflict. We talked about last week. It's going to be there. But one thing you need to notice the keyword and Paul's warning is practice. Which indicates an ongoing action? You know, it's the continual habitual, practice of those things that Paul listed. Those are the things that are going to mark you as a person that is unredeemed a person that is not truly saved. A person who is an enemy of God. And those are the people he's talking about that will be barred entrance into the kingdom of God, because they are not Saved children of God. Just one thing we can learn from scripture is that scripture always assesses. The person's character on the basis of his common habitual actions. Not his occasional ones.

cuz the truth is people who habitually Indulgence and show themselves to be enemies of God, where as you know, people who habitually do good show themselves to be his children.

That means the unsaved unregenerate person, you know, there's times they're going to do good things. Everybody has days where they do good. But those are the occasional things. Their habitat is doing the things, on the list of things. We know we shouldn't be doing. but the true is same is also true for those of us who are Christians, those of us who are saved, is that You know, there's going to be those days where we do really good? We live in the spirit, the whole day. We do things and say things that glorify God. And at the end of the day, you know, God has a smile on his face.

but then there's also those days where we slept a little bit and we occasionally fall into some of those things that we struggle with. We might fall back to an old sinful pattern. But that's where the real difference comes. Because the pattern of the person whose unsaved is to keep doing those things, even though they know those things are wrong. It's just who I am. It's just how I live. I'm just going to keep living that way. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, hopefully, when we stumble and fall like that, when we slip into a send pattern that we know we shouldn't be in. What do we need to do? Fall on our knees. Pray to God, and ask him to forgive us. Once again, for how we've stumbled. And to ask him to help us do better in the moment. You all too often. We put it the way too big thing out there in front of us. Lord. I want to stop struggling with this today, and never struggle with it, for the rest of my life. Well, that would be awesome. But we're human not going to happen. You know, we have to get to the point where we're spending so much time and God's word and in prayer throughout our day that when we stumble, we can say, Lord. Did it again, you know, I didn't mean to, you know, I don't want to. But I did. Lord forgive me and help me to do better. In This Moment. In this day for the rest of today, just help me not to struggle with that for the rest of today. No, it starts off simple. But that is what walking by the spirit really is, is asking God to continually be with us, walk with us. Help us make the right decision and help us. Say the right things.

You know, Paul makes a similar statement in 1st Corinthians chapter 6, verses 9 and 10.

Since or do you not know the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Do not be deceived neither fornicators, nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor homosexuals North thieves nor the Covetous nor drunkards nor revellers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. He didn't makes clear that. No, such things are not supposed to be things that were practicing as Believers when he says in 1st Corinthians, 6:11.

Such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were Sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the spirit of our God. You know, that verse 11 needs to be something that we hold onto needs to be a reality that we get. Is that Such were some of you, you know, I think of better wording. There might have been. Search for all of you at some point in time because we all know that may not struggle with everything on that list, but some of it I do.

But the Hope comes in that. You were washed. You were Sanctified. You were redeemed essentially. As what it's saying, by the blood of Jesus Christ. And that's where we find our hope. That's where we find the ability to live in the fruit of the spirit, which we're going to talk about not next week. Cuz next week we have our missionary sharing with us. That'll be here from Spain, but the week after that we'll talk about the fruit of the spirit and how we aren't able to live in that because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Because, you know, even though we're not habitually doing those bad things. Pause bringing them to our attention because we need to be aware of them. We need to accept the reality of that basic part of our human nature and Beyond watch for when we see those things coming. What are we going to do to avoid them? That's a big part of walking in the spirit. We all know where we struggle. You know, where you struggled better than I know where you struggle. I know where I struggle better than any of, you know, where it, we all know ourselves better. So when you know that when you know, which things that is on these lists that you struggle with, you have to start planning accordingly. How do I stay out of this situation or that situation?

And that we will look at more when we get to that place, where we talked about. The Fruit of the Spirit. So, if you guys could, please bow with me in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we come to you and Lord. We thank you for all the blessings that you give us. Lord, I pray that you'll be with us and walk with us and Lord, just help us to know. Help us to be real with ourselves in real with you Lord of where we struggle. And where we need your help the most. Lord help us not to be hesitant to call upon your help and the help of the Holy Spirit, Lord, to be able to live a life. That honors you. We play the song, your most. Holy name. Amen.

What do you guys want to run and go get Bryce and the kids since they're down there? Scott Orr. So they can come saying I'll be in trouble if those girls by don't let him sing. So I'll do announcements while they're running down there to get them.