Walking in the Spirit Part 2
Intro:
In our study last time we began looking at Paul’s exhortation to us to walk in
the Spirit – so that we would not fulfill the lust of the flesh
A)We
noted in our Study last time that there is a conflict that we live in as
Believers – v.16 Flesh wars against the spirit
B)
There are only two possible views of man’s nature:
he is seen either as basically good or basically evil.
1)
The humanistic view is that he is born morally good, or at least morally neutral.
He is shaped by his environment.
C)
The Bible, however, maintains the opposite, that man is inherently corrupt and
depraved in every aspect of his being.
1)
Jesus made clear that man’s basic problem is not with what is outside of him
but with what is within him. “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles
the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts,
fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as
well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride & foolishness.
All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man” (Mk 7:20-23)
D)
James echoed this sentiment as he talked about the source of our problems -
James 1:14-15
14 each one is tempted when he is drawn away by
his own desires and enticed.15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth
to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
But
once we are born again & are walking by the Spirit we have the power to
have victory over those desires – to keep them in Check
A)Which
is why it is so important that we daily make the choice to walk in the spirit
B)
Today we want to note the contrast in characteristics between the 2 –
walking according to the Flesh results in the works of the Flesh
1)
Where as Walking in the Spirit produces the fruit of the spirit Rd v.19-26
He
begins w/ the works of the Flesh
- Now the works of the flesh are evident:
A)
Though it is an interior, invisible battle, the
results are outwardly evident.
PT . We can’t see the flesh, but we can see what it does.
B)
The List that Paul gives of the works of the Flesh can be broken down into 4
categories
1)
1st we have
the Sexual sins : Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lewdness
are all sensual sins, relating to sex.
C) 1st in
this group is adultery:
1) Adultery is violating the marriage
covenant by sexual immorality.
Stats on cheating
2nd is Fornication:
A)
Webster’s dictionary defines fornication as “Voluntary sexual intercourse between two
unmarried persons or two people not married to each other.”
B)
But in the
Grk language Fornication is broader: It is is from porneia, from
which is derived the English pornography.
1)
The term has a meaning, referring to
all illicit sexual activity—especially, but
not limited to, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, prostitution and today even Pornography
3rd
is .Uncleanness is another broad word, referring to sexual impropriety in
general..
A)
Any sexual ACTIVITY that is outside of the bounds of marriage and what God has
intended in his word –
1)
Some Bible scholars include in this category MASTURBATION
C)
4th is Lewdness: has the idea of “ready to
sin at any time.” It speaks of someone who flaunts their immorality, throwing off all restraint and having no sense of shame,
or embarrassment.
1)
The Lewd person does not care how much
he shocks public opinion so long as he can
gratify his desires.”
So
first in the category of the works of the flesh are the Sexual sins
Next
are the religious sins Idolatry and sorcery
A)Idolatry
is the obvious sin of worshiping man-made images of whatever sort.
B)
Idol can be a car / a person – a hobby – what ever holds the place of the
greatest importance in our hearts
C)
Sorcery (translated witchcraft in the NIV) refers to occultic practices
D)
It also has another dimension, revealed by the word for sorcery in the original
language Paul uses: pharmakeia, from which
we get our words pharmacy and pharmaceutical.
Drug use
E)
Mood & Mind altering drugs prevalent in occultic practices in those days
1)
Drug use opens a door for the Devil – Violent crimes – suddenly seem sane
/ Drug use –
opens door to Demonic Possession
So
the works of the flesh are seen in sexual sins / religious sins / next group Social
sins or people sins – our relationships w/ others –
A)These
don’t need much explanation - First on the list is Hatred :
Next
is Contentions :or quarrellings and
strife
B)
Then comes Jealousies “the desire to have what someone else has,
1)
Next is Outbursts of wrath or uncontrolled anger !! Blows up all the time
C) Selfish
Ambition:
1)
Now Ambition in & of it’s self is not wrong:
In fact it can be a very good thing – helps people make goals / priorities /
have direction
D)
But Selfish Ambition is when those goals become the end all – so that I will do
whatever is necessary to benefit my cause & get my way & it doesn’t
matter who I step on or who I step over in the Process
E)
The mentality where the END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS
Dissensions
or Divisions
A)Heresies We think today of heresies in terms of
wrong ideas & teachings; but the emphasis in the word is actually the wrongful dividing over opinions.
B)Envy doesn’t so much want what someone else has (as
in jealousies), but it is bitter just because someone else has something and
we don’t.
C)
Murders: Last because all of these things in
this list of people sins can culminate in the murdering of someone
Now
this is an interesting list: At first glance think all – Guilty – all doomed –
but note the word Practice
A)Idea
is that of Habitual on going behavior – Team practices – part of their daily
& weekly schedule – part of their lifestyle
B)
Do Christians get Envious ? jealous ? Dissensions yes
–
C)
But a true Christian is not going to walk in those things for the very fact
that the HS in his life – make him / her miserable
1)
So When confronted – we repent – Me w/ Denise – argue – miserable
But
this list of what we might call everyday occurrences in our society should wake
us up the potential for destruction that is in each one of us
A)As
well as getting our attention to show us the
importance of walking in the spirit
B)
See here is the thing that we need to understand – everyone of us have areas
that are places of struggle – tendencies that we
are drawn toward
1)
JEALOUSY – struggle – they are aware of it – Know need to keep it in check
C)
Also – Sex – “Attracted to women” – ok – great
I am glad – not attracted to men – but you are married - Keep self in Check
D)
The problem is when we are not walking in the spirit – we are in a vulnerable
position – this tendencies – not kept in Check – take over
1)
Become out of control in our lives – major problems
E)
Instead of just being something that I know I can struggle w/ - it becomes that
which is going to take over my life !!!
Well
after the People sins – Paul mentions the sins that are in the realm of drink –
Drunkenness & revelries & the like
A)Drunkenness
We must not think that only being “falling down drunk” only as a sin; but being
impaired in any way by drink is sin,
B)
Revelries- It means unrestrained
partying.
V.21 The danger and the destiny of those
who live in the works of the flesh.
Of
which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those
who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
A)Inheritance
speaks of future – talking here about heaven !!!
B)
Those who’s lifestyle & continual behavior are marked by these things
It
doesn’t matter how much a person goes to Church or professes Christ – if the
dominant Characteristics in a persons life are the works of the flesh
C)
You must wonder if that person is really born again at all !!!
Well
after talking about the works of the flesh – Paul list the fruit of the Spirit
-
A)Now
it is Significant that it is the fruit of the Spirit set across from the works
of the flesh. Works are works, and fruit is fruit.
B)
Fruit has several important characteristics.
• Fruit isn’t achieved by working, but is birthed by abiding.
• Fruit reproduces itself. • Fruit is attractive.
• Fruit nourishes.
C)
The Bible has much to say about fruit, which is mentioned some 106 times in the
Old Testament and 70 times in the New.
1)
Jesus declared in John 15 – the father is glorified when we bear fruit
D)
Fruit is the natural by product of abiding –
Not striving straining –
1) Walking in the Spirit – abiding or
planted in Christ – the result is Fruit
Here
Paul tells us what that fruit looks like – Note though the word fruit is
singular – not the fruits of the spirit but the fruit
A) The fruit of the spirit is love –
Highest Christian virtue – faith / hope and love – greatest
is love
B) All the commandments summed up in
this Love God
….. strength
Love each other
C) Love – AGAPE
– unconditional self-sacrificing love – love that puts the needs of others
above my own – Love that gives /serves/
1) Best description of this love is
found in 1 Cor 13
1
Cor 13:4-8 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love
does not parade itself, is not puffed up;5 does not behave rudely, does not
seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;6 does not rejoice in iniquity,
but rejoices in the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things. 8 Love
never fails.
D)
I used to get depressed when I read that list because - I saw how far I was from it
1)
Now I get
excited because I know that is what the Spirit of God is seeking
to do in my life – as I yield to Him
E)
I see the results – already – I used to be a very cynical person – see the
worst in others not the best –
1)
Now I see the best – Paul – Know no man
after the flesh – New Creation Spirit does – hopes all things / believes all things /
bears all things
So
the fruit of the spirit is love – the virtues that are listed afterwards are
different manifestations of love in a person life
A)Joy is
loves rejoicing / Joy is different from Happiness – Happiness is based on
happenings Circumstances – raises etc
B)
Joy is the deep-down sense of well-being that abides in the heart of the person
who knows all is well between himself and the Lord.
1)
As Nehemiah declared, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh.
8:10). THE LORD REJOICNING OVER YOU !!!
C)
Trials will come my way / challenges will rise against me but there is Joy in
knowing my life is in the hands of the Lord !!!
1)
So joy is loves rejoicing
A)
tranquility of heart This peace is peace with God, peace with people, and peace
even in the mist of difficult circumstances
B)
Phil 4:7 Peace
that surpasses all understanding – that guards your hearts and minds
C) longsuffering is
loves patience / “Longsuffering is that
quality which enables a person to bear adversity, injury, reproach, and makes
them patient to wait for the improvement of those who have done him wrong.
1)
Kindness. relates to tender concern for others. It is the genuine desire of a
believer to treat others gently, w/ grace just as the Lord treats him.
E) Goodness is Loves Virtue /
has to do with moral and spiritual excellence that is known by its sweetness
and active kindness
F)
Faithfulness is loves Dependability
1)
Faithfulness. is the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit that pertains to
loyalty and trustworthiness. FLAKY BECOME FAITHFUL
Gentleness is Loves Meekness / The word has
the idea of being teachable, not having a superior attitude, not demanding
one’s rights.
A) Self-Control – Loves Discipline
1) The world
knows something of self-control, but almost always for a selfish reason.
B) It knows the
self-discipline & denial someone
will go through for themselves,
1) but the self-control
of the Spirit will also work on behalf of others.
C)
That is what the H.S. is seeking to do in our lives
– Make us into people
that love unconditional / people who give Sacrificially
1) Those who’s Lives are marked by Joy / Stability /
Patience & Grace/ Virtue & Dependability / Meekness
& Self-Control
So
what must we do to control the lust of the flesh and to bear the fruit of the
Spirit? Paul gives us a brief answer in
v.24-25 { Read
A)Here Paul tells us that 2
things are a part of it – 1st is the Crucifying of the flesh w/ it’s
passion and desires
B) Those who are Christ have crucified the flesh – { Something
we do Explain how in a minute
1) The first it involves the Crucifying of the flesh – 2nd it involves walking in
the Spirit – and being led by the Spirit
C) Walk here is to walk in line w/ - Led = to be directed &
empowered
To clearly
understand this picture { lets turn to Rom 6
A)V. 6 Knowing this: Old man
Crucified w/ Christ – This is what was done for us –thru our union w/ Christ –
B) Power of the flesh has been rendered inactive – [Katargeo] -Not annihilated
But Paralyzed –
no power –- unless we give it to him - just a voice
1) First Paul says Know this : Position in
Christ – set free from the power
C)
V.11 He says reckon it to be so- This is where we Crucify the flesh daily – We
reckon or understand – Rendered inactive –
1) Rears it’s ugly head – we
drive the nails in deeper
D) I find it interesting that the Bible uses the Picture of Crucifixion in dealing with the flesh –
1) Interesting picture for us – of what our relationship to the
flesh should be – Note 3 things
1st
the Christians rejection of his old nature is to be pitiless
A)Crucifixion was a brutal
form of execution reserved for the worst of Criminals – { needs
to be our view of the flesh – old nature }
B) Sometimes our problem is we start to feel
sorry for the flesh – we want to take it down off the cross & nurse it back
to health
1) Crucifixion has no pity on the flesh
2nd
The Picture of Crucifixion tells us that the death of the flesh will
be painful - Very long & painful
way to die –
A) Since we battle w/ the
flesh – as long as we are in these bodies – Long and painful death
B) 3rd The
Rejection of the flesh must be decisive !!
1) Although a long a painful death – Crucifixion was a certain
death!!!
C) Stott: “The
first great secret of holiness lies in the degree of decisiveness of our
repentance. If besetting sins persistently plague us, it is either because we
have never truly repented or having repented, we have not maintained our
repentance”
D) Crucifixion paints a picture of the DECISIVENESS w/ which we must deal with the flesh
1) So when we reckon the flesh to be dead – We Crucify it again –
Rears it’s ugly head – we drive in the nail
Now
what Paul says next shows us what it means to walk in the Spirit and to be led
by the Spirit v.13 Present your bodies
A) Romans 8:12-14 – Further
insight
B) The idea is this : The Spirit has given you life – now let Him lead and empower your steps