Bible Study - Never Alone (5) - Walking in the Spirit - Galatians 5:16-25 - July10, 2022

 

Bible Study – Never Alone (5) – Walking with the Spirit – July 10, 2022

This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled. “Never Alone: The Holy Spirit in our Lives.”

Our focus scripture is Galatians 5:16-25.

The Holy Spirit leads us to display the fruit of Godly character.re

The key is that the Holy Spirit leads the Spirit-born person, however, the Spirit-born person must yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit-born person still has a will to either walk as led by the Holy Spirit or resist. The Spirit led person must discern the prompting of the Holy Spirit and notions that prompt him or her.

The Spirit led person is being changed from the inside. As Spirit led people walk in the Spirit, seek to do the will of the Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide what the Spirit prompts them to do, they become more responsive to discern between notions and being led. We read in 1 Thessalonians 5:21:

²¹ but test all things. Hold on to what is good.

Spirit-born people are a work-in progress. They live in a body of flesh that is being transformed by the renewing of their mind into a body led by the Holy Spirit. Spirit-born people are taking off their old clothes of self and putting on their new clothes which have been washed in the blood of JESUS and being sanctified to walk as led by the Spirit. It is an internal process. Spirit-led people are grafted in the true vine, JESUS, and all fruit that is produced comes from the internal working of the indwelling Holy Spirit. After writing this lesson, we drove out to Strawberry Hill and along the way I saw flatbed trailers being loaded with baskets of peaches. The peach tree had produced its fruit but the fruit had to be picked and distributed to those who desire a fresh peach. If the fruit was not picked it would be of little to no benefit to others. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is to be shared with others to meet their needs. All who live by the Holy Spirit are to share what GOD has invested in them. The fruit of the Spirit is packed with power - the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. 

Spirit-led people this is what you produce by your fruit. Share it as you move through life ----

Let’s read Galatians 5:16-18:

The Spirit versus the Flesh

¹⁶ I say, then, walk (live) by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

It takes the Holy Spirit within us to give us the strength to live by the Spirit. Our carnal or flesh nature desires whatever is against the desires of the Holy Spirit. The instant a person accepts JESUS as his or her Savior, that person is filled with the Holy Spirit, never to be unfilled. However, the “born-again” person controls what he or she allows to control his or her life. Our mind is the battle ground. Satan knows that and so does GOD. We read in Romans 12:2:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is good, pleasing, and perfect will of GOD.

Life is a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. The flesh loves to try to live by the law, rules, regulations and rigorous disciplines. However, the Spirit desires for a person to live by the leadership of GOD. Why? The flesh information sources are limited to the physical world whereas when a person has been born-again by the Holy Spirit, his or her information, leadership and guidance comes from GOD.

As we live each day, there are things that will attempt to turn our minds from the things of the Spirit to the things of the flesh. The flesh is always with us and it constantly has our attention unless we die to self, daily, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:31:

I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in CHRIST JESUS, I die daily.

Dying daily to self was Paul’s secret and it is the secret of all who desire to walk in the Spirit. What is our focus each day? As Spirit-led people, we have choices every day to do our will or the will of the Spirit. There are certain things we have to do to maintain our health and to function in the world in which we live. The key is, as those who are Spirit-led move within the world in which they live, to ask the Holy Spirit to open their eyes to the opportunity around them. You will be amazed. You may be called to respond to a situation or to pray for a situation or remain focused on your task for the day.

Let’s read Galatians 5:19-21:

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are obvious:^[e] sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, ²¹ envy,^[f] 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.

The Apostle Paul quickly focuses upon the “works of the flesh.” The flesh mind is active as we go through a day, which Paul gives a partial list in verses 19-21. The more a person dwells on those things, the more they enslave him or her. This list and other deeds of the flesh are an alarm system to let us know we are not living in the Spirit. When the things that GOD declares evil come into the minds of those Spirit-led, they are to be rebuked.

So, what do we do? We confess our thought life and ask GOD to deliver us from such thoughts, as a Spirit-born person. So, what is the fruit of a person who walks in the Spirit? Let’s read on -----

The first attribute of a person walking in the Spirit is that he or she produces fruit. It is not fruits but fruit.

A Spirit filled person is grafted into the true vine, JESUS. The only way for a person to be grafted into the true vine is to be Spirit-born or “Born-again.”

What did JESUS have to say regarding the true vine? Let’s read John 15:1-8:

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father (GOD) is the gardener. ² Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he (GOD) removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. ⁵ I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. ⁶ If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. ⁸ My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be^[a] my disciples.

GOD desires all who are Spirit-born to produce Spiritual fruit. Spirit fruit comes from the Holy Spirit WHO is active in the lives of all Spirit-born people. Many Christians can change their outward behavior to look like JESUS. However, true Christlike behavior comes from within every Spirit-born person. The question many of us have to ask ourselves is, “are we living in our strength or the strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit.” True change must come from within. The Holy Spirit works from the inside and produces the fruit of the Spirit.

Let’s read Galatians 5:22-25:

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.^[g] 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

As stated earlier, those who live/walk in the Spirit are grafted into the true vine, JESUS, and walk/live in the Spirit. The fruit produces nine characteristics – love, peace, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. WOW!!!

When a Spirit-led person who is living in the Spirit has crucified the flesh, with its passions and desires, keeps in step with the Spirit, he or she produces Spiritual fruit. Those who walk in the Spirit do not become conceited, provoking, or envying one another. When we observe these attributes in our lives, we must pay attention because the Spirit led person is being or has been infiltrated by the flesh. The flesh gives inroads to Satan and his minions. If Satan can disguise himself as the real thing, he can wreak havoc in the life of a person wanting to live the Christian life. The Christian life lived in the flesh is a struggle, whereas the Sprit-filled life, lived in the Spirit, may still have its struggles but has the power of the Holy Spirit to guide the person internally and strengthens him or her during his or her struggle.

I recall a story I read many years ago. Like 70 years ago. Coal miners carried doves into the mine with them. I know, we often hear of the canary in the coal mine. I do not recall the reason why doves were used. But at the end of the day, the miners were covered with coal dust but the doves were white. An observer asked how could that be? The miners stated that the dove secreted an oil that that flowed from inside its body to the outside and in so doing kept the dove clean. This is a beautiful illustration of the working of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit flows from the inside of every Spirit-born person outward as they function in our sinful world. Never to draw attention to themselves but to magnify the LORD JESUS, as led by the Holy Spirit.

Living each day in the Spirit is a choice. The Apostle Paul said it best as already stated in 1 Corinthians 15:31:

I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in CHRIST JESUS, I die daily.

Each day has its challenges and opportunities to grow in strength and knowledge of walking in the Spirit.

FATHER, here I am as YOUR Spirit-led child, reveal to me the opportunities around me to serve YOU, today. May the cleansing oil of the Holy Spirit flow from the inside of me out to those YOU bring to my attention who are in need, prayer, physical, Spiritual, mental and only YOU can help me to see and respond. Amen!

Blessings!!!