“Spirit or Flesh”
Galatians 5:16-26
Sermon Series: “Choice”
Main Idea: The way to daily live in the freedom that Jesus gives us through the gospel is by walking in the Holy Spirit.
Warren Wiersbe has written, “Man needs to be free from himself and the tyranny of his sinful nature. The legalists thought they had the answer to the problem in laws and threats, but Paul has explained that no amount of legislation can change man’s basic sinful nature. It is not law on the outside, but love on the inside that makes the difference. We need another power within, and that power comes from the Holy Spirit of God.” In Jesus, we are designed to live in freedom and love through faith. However, that only happens as we walk in the Spirit. Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, we will either degenerate into legalism or license to sin, both of which are manifestations of our sinful flesh.
1. Walking in the Spirit means to rely on and live under the control of the Holy Spirit (v. 16). Jerry Bridges writes, “To live by the Spirit is to live both in obedience to and dependence on the Holy Spirit. There is a balance then between our wills [expressed by obedience] and our faith [expressed by our dependence]. This is the normal Christian life commanded by God for all believers. It is designed to be a continual action. That is what is meant by walking. Remember that the Holy Spirit is God personally in our lives who teaches, guides, convicts, comforts, and transforms.
2. Walking in the Spirit supernaturally results in:
A. Victory over our sinful flesh (v. 16-17).
B. Freedom from legalism (v. 18).
C. The development of the character of Jesus (the fruit of the Spirit) within us (v. 19-23).
3. The way to actually go about walking in the Spirit is:
A. The beginning of this process is trusting Jesus as Lord and Savior so that we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Galatians 4:4-6 tells us that God sent His Son “to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons, and because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father’!”
B. Crucifying the flesh. Luke 9:23 says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
C. Living under the control of the Spirit. How? It is not a formula because we are relating to a Person, but here are some steps to take in order to be filled:
-Examine our lives, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal all sin, and confess all known sin (1 John 1:9).
-Repent of sin and make things right with others if needed (2 Corinthians 7:10, Matthew 5:23-24).
-Surrender our wills to God (Romans 6:11).
-Ask in faith to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.
-Depend on the Spirit moment by moment.
-Spend time in communion with the Lord and then abide in Him.
Conclusion: Are you enjoying the freedom that Jesus secured for you through His death, burial, and resurrection (Galatians 5:1)? Is your life characterized by the fruit of the Spirit or are you stuck in sin? Are you living according to the gospel or legalism and moralism? The power of God is practically experienced in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit. He will change our lives-if we let Him have control. Let’s admit we have made a mess of our lives and trust Jesus. Let’s admit we cannot make life work in our own power and let the Holy Spirit have control of us every day.
