9-30-07 #Disciple Bible Study Titled: "Living In The Spirit"

[Disciple]

‘Back To School’ Series #5 ‘Living In The Spirit’
Galatians 5:25
Intro
Would you live your life differently if you knew there was someone who was watching your every move? If you knew that someone was hearing every word you ever said would you be more careful of what you say? Would you be careful not to gossip? Would you not tell certain jokes? Would you not go to certain places if you knew that someone else was watching? Are there certain activities in which you would not engage if you knew someone was watching you all of the time?
Well, let me just remind you there is someone who is watching and listening all of the time. Through the Holy Spirit, God always listens and watches. Not only does he listen to every word but he also hears every thought we have. In this final message of the ‘Back To School’ series we are going to talk about living in the Spirit.
To use a well-known phrase, this is ‘where the rubber meets the road.’ Folks it is not good enough for us to only know the fundamentals of what we believe, we have to live the life. And sadly, this is where many who wear the name Christian are failing. We know what the Bible teaches about how to live but we just are not living our lives according to God’s mandates.
ILL- I can remember in high school there was a boy who was several years older than me. He was a very slow learner and had spent several years in the same class. I think it was because of his age that the school system passed him on so he could get out of school. He had not completed any of the work because he was not capable but the school passed him on anyways.
I want you to understand that God doesn’t operate that way. God will not just ‘pass you on’ anyways-
You have to pass the test. Are you making the grade? Are you passing the test? Are you really living in the Spirit?
What does it mean to ‘live by the Spirit’ and how can I really know if I am living by the Spirit? To live by the Spirit means to live our lives day by day under the control and leading of the Holy Spirit. The KJV translates this ‘live by the Spirit’ as ‘walk by the Spirit.’ Paul uses the word ‘walk’ to describe living the Christian life. He uses this word just one time here in Galatians letter, but he uses the word more than 30 times in his other letters.
I. There Are Flesh And Spirit Conflicts
Have you ever felt at times that you are being pulled and torn in two directions when it comes to making choices and decisions about what you are going to do and how you’re going to live your life? If you’ve ever felt that way there is a very good reason for feeling that way. You feel that way because that is exactly what is happening to you. There is a continuous, on-going struggle and conflict between your flesh (your sinful nature) and the Spirit of God that is within you. The desires of flesh and the desires of the Spirit are totally different.
The flesh demands gratification. It works like this, your eyes see something that is desirable and a message is sent to your brain that says, ‘get it’ then actions begin to happen so we get what we desired. The Spirit on the other hand desires that we exercise some control and restraints over the flesh and its desires. It may not be so much that the desires of the flesh are totally opposite of the desires of the Spirit for us.
The flesh is indifferent to the desires of the Spirit. The flesh wants what it wants regardless of right or wrong. There are appropriate times and places for the flesh to have its satisfaction. We have desires for food and we need food to live and God has provided the food we need. But even we need to be careful and exercise restraint and control for if we allow the desires of the flesh to take control and rule over us it means certain death for us.
The desires of the flesh will continue to demand fulfillment even beyond what is lawful and healthful for us. Your eyes may wander and look at a beautiful woman and be attracted to her and desire her even if she is someone else’s wife. This conflict between the flesh and Spirit is so great that it keeps you from doing what you want to do in the Spirit.
Consider what the apostle Paul had to say
Romans 7:15, 18-19
So this is why Paul tells us to ‘live by the Spirit.’
Gal. 5:18
We are not under the law of sin- sin does not control us if we are led by the Spirit. It is not enough for us to just try harder to not sin and to try harder to resist the desires of the sinful nature. We must take aggressive action and make the choice that we are going to live our lives by the Spirit.
It is a matter actually of our surrendering ourselves and giving up control to the Spirit. It isn’t enough that we are able to ‘talk the talk’ We must also ‘walk the walk.’
Gal 5:25
I’m afraid that many are just holding on to living in the Spirit as a good idea but not making it an actual practice day by day. Are you truly surrendered to the Spirit so he is controlling your live?
II. Flesh-Controlled or Spirit-Controlled
In Christ we are to live by the Spirit instead of (opposed to) living in the flesh, which is being in bondage to the law and to self. The Holy Spirit of God must increasingly guide our lives as we continue to surrender ourselves and control of our lives to him.
And why is it so important that we allow him to have more and more control in our lives? His presence in us and his control over us is the evidence that we belong to God.
Romans 8:13-14
When you were baptized into Christ, you received the Holy Spirit. But now the question remains for all of us, saved or unsaved? Am I being controlled by the flesh or by the Spirit? Some will question, ‘how can I know?’ ‘is there any obvious way of knowing?’
The answer is simple, look at the outcome of your life.
Gal 5:19-21 gives us a list of the acts of the flesh.
Gal 5:19-21
These 15 items do not exhaust the list but they give us a good summary of what things are wrong in God’s eyes. These 15 sins can be grouped into four categories:
Sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, personal immorality
Idolatry, witchcraft, attempts to control the supernatural
Hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, selfishness
Drunkenness, orgies, drunken carousing
Be it known that when these things are present in your life as your continual habit of living, it is pretty obvious to everyone that you are not being controlled by the Spirit, but by the flesh. Notice the warning Paul gives.
Gal 5:21
If these things are the continual practice of your life, you are not going to get to heaven.
So what is the proof or evidence of a Spirit-controlled life?
Gal 5:22-23
Fruit is the natural product of the plant. So the fruit of the Spirit is the natural product of the nature of God in the lives of those who are living by the Spirit. Paul says there is no law against such things. you can practice as mush of these virtues as your heart desires. There is no limit. There is no unimaginable potential for growth in the Christian in these areas of his life.
III. Keys To Living by The Spirit
There are two important keys to help us after we make the choice to live by the Spirit.
First:
Gal 5:24
Every one of us who are in Christ can point back to the time when we did crucify the sinful nature in us.
Gal 2:20
We need to be reminded of this truth constantly.
Col 3:3
According to Romans 6:1-7, when we were baptized into Christ we were given a brand new life and now all things are different. Now we seek those things that are above, our loyalties and affections are changed. We put on minds of heavenly things not earthly things. Crucify the sinful nature so you can and will live by the Spirit.
Second, we keep in step with the Spirit.
Gal 5:25
If we are claiming that we are living by the Spirit, then we need to prove our claim by keeping in step with the Spirit. ‘Keep in step with the Spirit’- literally translates as ‘get in line with…’
Is the Holy Spirit your source for living? The answer is yes
If we did not have the Holy Spirit would we be hopelessly dead? The answer is yes
Is the Holy Spirit the source of your being? The answer is yes
Since these things are true, then shouldn’t we stay close to ‘life support system?’
Conc
Every one of us need to and we must determine whether we are living by the Spirit or not. If you are a baptized believer in Christ, you must determine if you are being totally controlled by the Spirit. Have you crucified your flesh? Are you in step with the Spirit? Do your outward actions match the inner power that you have through the Holy Spirit who is in you?
If you are not saved today, then you cannot honestly say that your life is controlled in any way by the Spirit. You need to repent of your sins and come to the Lord and be baptized for forgiveness of your sins. Then you can begin to allow the Spirit to control your life.
When you are living by the Spirit, you will not be satisfying the sinful nature.