Posts
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Our bodies were made for walking; it’s
what God designed us to do.
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Walking is the best form of exercise
for your average human being.
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Not only is it a good way to stay in
shape, it is also good for our hearts and for our minds.
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Regular walking decreases the risk of
cardiovascular disease, boosts mood, decreases the waistline, is easy on the
joints, gets mental creativity flowing, and gets fresh air into our lungs.
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Unfortunately, many people do not
schedule regular walks into their week.
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In today’s fast-paced world, we are
less likely to take long walks.
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Finding the time and the motivation to
do this simplest form of exercise is a great challenge.
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But what about our souls. What is the
great challenge for our souls?
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Like our bodies, the great challenge
for our souls is to keep fit.
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To develop spiritual fitness, the best
form of exercise is still walking.
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In Scripture, walking is not just the
main way to travel, it is a metaphor for the spiritual life.
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Because nearly everyone walked
everywhere they went, God often challenged people to walk with him.
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We often see God equating a
relationship with him with walking.
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If people love him, then they will
walk with him.
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According to the Bible, we need to
walk with God.
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The point of the spiritual life being
like walking is that God does not want to make our relationship with him any
more difficult than it already is.
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God sent Jesus to set us free from
sin, death, hell, and everything that enslaves us not to add to our burdens.
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Therefore, God compares our
relationship with him to the simplest thing that most average human beings can
do, walking.
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But just because walking is simple
does not mean that it is easy.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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Walking with God is a way of life; it
is how we live.
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Walking with God is about our
attitudes and actions being changed by a relationship with him and one another.
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The apostle Paul talked about this in
many places, but this morning let’s focus on just one, Galatians 5:16-26.
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Paul told the Galatians that to be fit
spiritually they had to walk by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit.
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“I say then, walk by the Spirit and
you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires
what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. If you are
led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are
obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery,
hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions,
factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you
about these things — as I warned you before — that those who practice such
things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. The law is not against such things. Now 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. Let us not become conceited,
provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:16-26, CSB)
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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The only way we can live the way God
wants us to live is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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That is why Paul said to walk by the
Spirit.
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Getting up and physically walking is a
conscious choice and it is the same in our spiritual walk.
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We must consciously choose to be in
touch with the Holy Spirit in all our daily schedule, routine, activities, and
relationships.
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As we seek to stay in touch with the
Holy Spirit and all these things, the Spirit empowers us to live God’s will
rather than our way.
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It is not possible to live the
Christian life without being empowered by the Holy Spirit.
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As Jesus said, “Apart from me, you can
do nothing.”
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Walking by the Spirit is a continual
thing; it is something we must keep on doing.
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We must keep on seeking to live under
the Spirit’s guidance and direction.
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We must surrender to the Holy Spirit’s
authority.
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We must willingly receive his
correction.
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We must let him unite us as Christ’s
body.
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The Holy Spirit is not just working on
a part-time; he is working on us all the time.
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We must keep on depending and obeying
the Holy Spirit because our flesh, these bodies that are occupied by our sinful
nature, oppose or are at war with the desires of the Spirit.
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Although we have new life in Christ by
the power of the Holy Spirit, we also continue to have fallen, sinful desires.
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In the right situations, our desires
are good and normal, but temptation comes when those desires arise in
situations that are contrary to God’s will.
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That is where the battle lines are
drawn.
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Every time we choose to follow how the
Holy Spirit is leading, we must expect opposition from our flesh.
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Our flesh wants what is comfortable,
known, and familiar.
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Our flesh wants what we prefer, to
support our habits, leanings and tendencies.
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Our flesh does not want us to share
the gospel.
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Our flesh does not want us to serve
others in love.
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Our flesh does not want us to come
together as one body.
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And our flesh will do almost anything
to thwart the movement of the Holy Spirit.
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However, the Holy Spirit is working to
counter the desires of our flesh.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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Victory over sin is not a result of
human striving to obey God’s law, but of actively surrendering to the person
and work of the Holy Spirit.
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Paul talks about for different
patterns of sin that are reproduced in the lives of those who do not walk by
the Spirit.
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The first pattern is sexual; Paul
lists sexual immorality, moral impurity, and promiscuity.
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Any type of sexual behaviour outside
of the marital union of one man and one woman is sin because sex outside of
marriage is not love but selfishness.
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The second pattern is religious, under
which Paul lists idolatry and sorcery.
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Idolatry is allowing anything to usurp
God’s place on the throne in our hearts, minds, and lives — anything.
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Sorcery is associated with trying to
manipulate spiritual powers for personal gain.
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The third pattern his social, in which
Paul lists hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions,
dissensions, factions, and envy.
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These social sins wreak havoc on our
interpersonal relationships when we are not walking by the Spirit.
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The fourth pattern is substance abuse
and all that goes with it. Paul lists drunkenness, carousing, and anything
similar.
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The misuse of drugs and alcohol leads
to all kinds of dangerous sins.
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People under the control of alcohol
and drugs do many stupid things.
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Christians, however, are to be
controlled by the Holy Spirit.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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In nearly every local church, it is
possible to find evidence of members not walking by the Spirit.
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Unresolved conflict hides under a thin
veil of courtesy from which it sometimes erupts.
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When we are not walking by the Spirit,
then we will follow our selfish desires rather than what God wants.
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We may even mistakenly deceive
ourselves into thinking that we are doing God’s will, when in fact we are not.
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We may have strong feelings about the
way things ought to be, but the more our emotions control our behaviour, then
the more caution we must use.
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Conflict in the body of Christ is a
sign of two things: 1) God is up to something; and 2) the flesh, the world, and
the devil are opposing it.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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After his sin list, Paul gave a clear
warning as to the consequences for those who live without walking by the
Spirit.
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“Those who practice such things will
not inherit the kingdom of God.” (V. 21)
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Since we want to inherit God’s
kingdom, then we need to make a clean break from the sins that come from not
walking by the Spirit.
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We cannot ignore our old habits and
evil desires; we must deal with them.
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Whether they are obvious or not, God
sees our sins and if we won’t deal with them he will, so we are better off if
we deal with them sooner rather than later.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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What does a person who is walking by
the Spirit look like?
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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. The law is not against such things.” (vv. 22-23)
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Those who walk by the Spirit produce a
wonderful, soul nourishing spiritual fruit.
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This fruit is not produced by our
striving but by the work of the Spirit.
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The Spirit produces in us love for
God, joy in God, and peace with God.
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Because of the love, joy, and peace within
us, we also display patients, kindness, and goodness.
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We are better able to bear with
annoying or irritating behaviour, act generously, and do good to those who do
not deserve it.
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We become faithful, reliable and
trustworthy.
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We are gentle, humble, and
considerate.
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We can control the very desires that
once enslaved us.
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No law exists against such fruit
because if everyone were filled this way then no laws would be needed.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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How do we walk by the Spirit? What is
the solution to our struggle with sin?
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The apostle Paul makes it very clear
in verses 24 to 26.
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Now 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. Let us not become conceited,
provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:16-26, CSB)
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1. Belong to Jesus.
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To belong to Jesus, I must personalize
the gospel.
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More than knowing that Jesus died for
sinners, I must know I am a sinner and he died for my sins.
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Dying for me, Jesus purchased my life
with his blood.
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Because he died for my sins, I am dead
to sin.
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Because he rose again, I am risen with
him.
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“Set your minds on things that are
above not on things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is
hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2-3, ESV)
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I am Christ’s; his agenda for my life
is now my agenda.
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I belong to Jesus.
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2. Crucify the Flesh.
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Whatever is in me that is against
Jesus’ agenda for me, must go.
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My self-centered ego must be
overthrown in favour of living a Christ-centered life.
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Christ’s teaching, Christ’s example,
Christ’s love, Christ’s death and resurrection must be all I rely upon to
overcome my sin.
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“Therefore, put to death what belongs
to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and
greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the
disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in
them. But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and
filthy language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put
off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self. You are being
renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.” (Colossians
3:5-10, CSB)
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Crucifying the flesh doesn’t happen
all by itself; it takes effort on our part and it effort is often painful as is
crucifixion.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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I must agree with God that my sinful
nature, my flesh, has been judged in Christ’s cross.
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Because I have died and my real life
is with Christ, the power to resist sin and overcome is always available to me.
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3. Live by the Spirit.
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Living by the Spirit is also something
that does not happen automatically.
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Just as walking takes effort, so does
walking by the Spirit.
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I must walk with purpose on the right
path and in the right way.
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However, the Holy Spirit is the path
and the guide for the way.
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4. Keep in step with the Spirit.
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I live by the Spirit through keeping
in step with the Spirit.
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If I am walking by the Spirit, then I
am keeping in step with him and walking by his guidance and direction.
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I am walking towards unity and harmony
in love.
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As soon as I begin making progress and
maturing spiritually, Satan knows there is only one tactic that will bring me
down, pride.
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The Galatians struggled with legalism
which brings pride, arrogance, conceit, judgemental attitudes, irritating and
envying each other.
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Only by keeping in step with the
Spirit can I overcome my pride.
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As I walk in step with the Spirit, I
remember the attitude of Christ Jesus who made himself nothing and humbled
himself to the point of death on a cross.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
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Just because walking is simple does
not mean that it is easy.
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I must remember that I belong to
Jesus, so I crucify the flesh.
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I live by the Spirit, so I walk in
step with the Spirit.
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These things are not easy; they are,
in truth, most difficult.
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Daily walking in step with the Spirit
is our greatest challenge.
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Our
greatest challenge is walking away from our sinful self with Jesus.
