Lesson 8 Walking In The Spirit

Lesson 8
Galatians

Walking In The Spirit

Galatians 5:16-26

Prayer

Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit to us with greater and greater abundance. Create in us clean hearts, teachable and yielding to you. Give us ears to hear you Lord and hearts and minds to accept what you show us in the Spirit. Give us those victories in our lives that we so desperately need Lord, for we know that Jesus died to give us VICTORY and we want to walk each day in that victorious life that He died to give us. Thank you Lord! We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Key Words

Spirit, flesh

Reading Assignment

Galatians 5:16-26

Lesson

Welcome back to Believers Bay’s study on the book of Galatians. Questions and comments should be directed to publisher@believersbay.com. Thank you. We hope you enjoy this study and it helps you to grow in Christ.

This selection of scripture is so important to the believer. It is how we walk in VICTORY! It is how we can lead a Christian life that truly impacts the world around us.

In verse 16, it tells us to "walk in the Spirit" and we will NOT fulfill the lust of the flesh. That is a promise. We CAN overcome the FLESH if we walk in the Spirit. Jesus has already won victory for us at the CROSS. He died to set us free from SIN. We CAN have that VICTORY! Praise GOD for that.

There is clearly a battle within the believer. It is a battle between our flesh and the Spirit. This battle explains why Christians do bad things. We do have a choice. We can choose to follow the flesh or to follow the Spirit. As a believer we have power available to us to overcome the flesh. Perhaps too often we concentrate on the power of the flesh over us. We need to concentrate on the POWER of the Spirit. The power to walk according to the Spirit and OVERCOME the flesh. The Holy Spirit desires for us to be FREE from sin. As a believer that is (should be) our desire as well.

Being under the law of sin (verse 18) is painful. It comes when we sin and that comes when we are not being (or letting) the Spirit lead us. Sin has its’ consequences. Example: Adultery can lead to divorce. To be free from those consequences we MUST be led by the Spirit.

The works or deeds of the flesh are listed in verses 19-21. In looking at these verses we can see that each one serves or feeds the flesh, the physical desires. Whether it is adultery, which feeds sexual desires, or whether it is jealousy which feeds the selfish desires.

The works or deeds of the Spirit are listed in verses 22-23. Isn’t it amazing how when we look at this list: love, joy peace, patience (longsuffering), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, these are all qualities we LOVE to see in other people; however, when we relate it to us we tend to think it is unattainable. Remember, with God all things are possible. In verse 23 it states "against such there is not law". These qualities will make us better people. Verse 24 tells us HOW to do this.

Verse 22 it states these qualities are the FRUIT of the Spirit. Jesus in his teachings used examples of FRUIT. It was a more agricultural society and something they understood well. However, today, while many may not understand how the FRUIT comes to be, they do understand that fruit is sweet and good and pleasant. The fruit is the product of a tree or plant that has grown. It is the result of watering and feeding of the plant. It comes when a plant is mature. Fruit does not appear on a strawberry bush 10 days after it emerges out of the ground. It is the product of a full-grown plant.

Can we see that as we grow in our walk with God we mature in our spiritual walk? The WORD of God has fed us and the WORD has watered us. We begin to have ears to hear what God is speaking to us.

Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh. That is a spiritual statement. We may hear the flesh tempting us, which, however, is not the sin. We now hear the Spirit and as we listen it becomes louder. We can have this victory. The WORD of God says so. Let’s not be deceived by Satan who is ready to whisper in our ears that we can not overcome this or that. That is a lie from the pit of hell and we need to remember that. VICTORY is ours and we CAN HAVE IT! Christ died so we could have it. He stated that kind of victory in the last few chapters of the book of John, when He told the disciples that he MUST go so the comforter could come and that HE (the Holy Spirit) would guide them in ALL TRUTH.

In verse 25 the first word is "IF". "If we live in the Spirit". That shows us we do have a choice. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He will not force us to follow. He speaks to us and we have a choice to follow. If we are believers and we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior then we are living in the Spirit. We have a new direction in life. If we are living in the Spirit we CAN walk in the Spirit. We can be lead by the Holy Spirit. We must, however, decide to do that. If we are walking in the Spirit we will obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit. As a believer, walking in the Spirit, following the lead of the Holy Spirit we will not become conceited, provoking others or envying others.

Word Definitions

Spirit – the noun (Hebrew: ruach) literally means "to breathe" or "to blow". It can mean breathe, wind, air or disposition or our mood. It can refer to an evil spirit or the Spirit of God. There is the Spirit of Life, which is God’s gift to all "creatures"(Eccl. 12:7). The giving of God’s Holy Spirit is a special gift given to "believers". This brings "Spiritual Life" to the believer (Psa.51:10 -11). A new life, a new inner life, which involves God renewing us and creating in us a clean heart. This gives us power, wisdom, understanding and revelation from God, which leads to a better understanding of His Word and His ways (Isa. 61:1-3)

Flesh – in the Greek – sarx meant the human body. It was used this way in several passages in the New Testament, however, the Apostle Paul expands its’ meaning when he pits the flesh against the Spirit in his writings. He portrays them as two diametrically opposing forces. The unbeliever is basically is guided by the flesh, however, the believer is guided by either the flesh or the Spirit. Paul often encourages the believers to overcome the deeds of the flesh by following or walking in the Spirit.

Action Assignment

Ø First: Pray! Pray! Pray! Ask God to open your heart to see HIS WILL for your life.
Ø Re-evaluate your life. See if there are times when you are walking in the flesh. Keep a record for a day or two making notes when we see or feel a rising of the flesh within you. To identify those times / occurrences is the first step in eliminating them.
Ø After re-evaluating your life ask yourself this question: "Do I want to walk in the Spirit?" If you answered that question "Yes" then you have the first ingredient to change, it is submitting to the will of God and LETTING the Holy Spirit lead you on a daily bases.
Ø Next: Pray! Pray! Pray! Ask God to speak to you to lead you daily by His Holy Spirit; to show you how to walk in the Spirit and NOT in the flesh. Ask God daily to keep your heart soft, i.e. teachable. He IS faithful and HE WILL ANSWER!

Scriptures:

Galations 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17( For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, (21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (26) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (KJV)

Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (KJV)

Psalms 51:10-11 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (11) Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.(KJV)

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; (2) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (3) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

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