The Leadership of the Holy Spirit

It is a tragic fact of life that somewhere in the world there is a war. At the time of this message, there are major conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Congo, and Liberia.  There are tensions and rumours of war between North and South Korea,  Palestinians and Israelis, Indonesian separatists and the government, Pakistan and India, and many more. These wars can last for decades and the inherent conflict for centuries.

Would you believe there is also a war that has been going on for thousands of years?  It is not reported on television or in the newspapers.  It the war for control of your life.  See if you can identify with this statement by the Apostle Paul almost 2,000 years ago:

It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong.  I love God's law with all my heart.  But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind.  This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me.  Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? (Romans 7:21-24, NLT).

Keep in mind -- the Apostle Paul wrote these verses after 20 years of following the LORD Jesus.  It was not written when he was a new Christian.  This same sentiment is echoed in the second half of the book of Galatians, our Scripture passage for today.  More importantly, the Bible provides us with the key to Christian freedom.

Main point:

The Christian is to walk under the leadership of the Holy Spirit to win the war against desires of the flesh.

Scripture Passage:

Galatians 5:16-26

Outline:

1. The War for Control Over You (Galatians 5:16-18).
2. Your Life Without Control (Galatians 5:19-21).
3. Your Life Under Control (Galatians 5:22-26).

 

1.  The War for Control Over Your Life.

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Gal. 5:16-18, NKJV)

 

• There is a war going on inside you - battle of desires - desires of your body & mind versus the desires of Holy Spirit.
• Every person has "sin nature" or a predisposition to sin, a tendency toward selfishness, pride, lust, etc.
• If you doubt that, just remember that no one teaches a baby to cry selfishly just to get attention.
• No one teaches a 2-year old child to say with great defiance, "NO!"
  

•  Even the Christian is not exempt from the power of the sin nature.
• Penalty for sin has been paid 
• Power of sin to dominate your life has been broken.
• Presence of sin will be removed at the resurrection (Heaven).
  
• Nevertheless, today the sin nature is still there -- goading us moment by moment.
• Sin nature has great power over our lives, and the Devil is right there to push the wrong buttons.
  

• Thankfully, the Holy Spirit dwells within the Christian (See Eph. 1:13-14) as your Comforter (just like Jesus, ref. John 14:16).
• The moment you believe, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
• Holy Spirit is One who inspired writing of Scripture -- will not lead your astray.

• Sin Nature - Holy Spirit are "contrary to one another" 
• Totally opposed to one another.
• Only one can win
• Rules of conflict management do not apply
  

• Bible says the solution is to "walk in the Spirit" 
• Live your life under the leadership of the Holy Spirit
• Go where He leads, when He leads, and How He leads
• "led by the spirit" means you are not under the Law of Moses

• Issue for the Galatians was from the Judaizers (Circumcision Group):
• Believe in Jesus and obey the law of Moses to be acceptable to God
• Paul said by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone.
  

 

2. A Person Without Control.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; 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. (Gal. 5:19-21, NKJV)

• The Law reveals that all these things are serious sins with specific remedies.
• Law interpreted incorrectly by either one extreme (Legalism, which was a problem in the Galatian church) to anitnomianism (Anarchy, bound by no law).
• Basically a person without the Holy Spirit has no control and will evidence these things in their life.
  

• Q: Now it is testimony time.  Everybody hold up their hands and keep holding them up -- now as I read through vv 19-21, you can put your hand down if you ever experienced this.  We will see how long this group lasts.  If you have ever had a problem with thoughts, words, or deeds in the following area:
• adultery - Jesus said lust in your heart for another is the same as committing adultery; also that divorcing your mate just so you can marry another is adultery.
• fornication - all forms of sexual immorality
• uncleanness -  moral impurity 
• lewdness -  an open shameless display of sexual immorality/obcenity
• idolatry - anything you will sin to get, sin if you do not get, or sin to keep is an idol
• sorcery - witchcraft 
• hatred - plural form, primarily hatred between groups (bigotry)
• contentions - the result of hatred between groups or individuals (problem in the Galatian church)
• jealousies - self-centered resentment for another person's success
• outbursts of wrath - uncontrolled anger
• selfish ambitions - wanting to lift yourself up by putting others down
• dissensions - strong disagreements with others
• heresies - factions or cliques, usually resulting from dissension
• envy - an evil desire for what another has, wishing that other person did not have it.
• murders - which Jesus said start with anger toward your brother (Matthew 5:21-22)
• drunkenness - 
• revelries
• and the like
  

• If you did not lift your hand for any specific item in the list, then surely you had to in the last item, "and the like."
• This covers any thought, word, or deed that is not holy or pleasing to the LORD.
  

• This shows what we are up against -- we did not even finish up the list before all hands were lowered.
• Warning against those "who practice such things"
• Not talking about occasional lapse but habitual pattern.
• Not talking about one who does this and feels great remorse toward God but one who does this and rejects feelings of guilt about it.
• Not talking about Christian losing salvation but one who gives evidence of not even being a chld of God at all.
• Warning is significant for Christians because we all have issues with these things in our lives at some point.
• These are works of the flesh not the work of God in our life.
• Another way of saying: these things are the result when I follow "Me" instead of following "Christ"
  

• It should not surprise us when we fail or when other Christians fail.
• It should grieve us but not surprise us.
• In chapter 6 of Galatians, we will cover what to do when your brother or sister in Christ fails.
  

 

 

3.  A Person Under Control.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Gal. 5:22-26, NKJV)

• Notice that the contrast is not what one does (external) but what one becomes (internal)!
• A tree does not suddenly display fruit -- a tree bears fruit.  Some fruit trees that take many years to bear fruit.
• This is true of the Christian life as well -- the Holy Spirit bears fruit in your life over time.
• The Holy Spirit does not work these qualities in you one by one but works in all these areas simultaneously.
• Inner qualities of love, joy, peace
• Relational qualities of patience, kindness, goodness
• Discipline qualities of faithfulness, gentleness, self-control
• If you feel like you fall short in any of these areas, certainly take this before the LORD:
• Ask Him to help you bear this particular fruit.
• He will not laugh at you, nor will He ignore your earnest request.

• If we live in the Spirit -- and all who have committed their lives to the LORD Jesus Christ do live in the Spirit -- then let us walk in the Spirit -- that is, keep in step with God the Holy Spirit.
• My wife Mary tells of her childhood.  Her father had a large garden that all the children were expected to work during the summer months.  As her father tilled the soil, his boots would leave a deep footprint in the dirt.  Mary used to follow along behind her father stepping in each of the large footprints, one-by-one.  He took a step, she took a step
• That is a picture of what it means to walk in the Spirit -- taking the steps as He leads us.
• This is critical direction for your life -- too often we want to drag God along with us on our various plans and schemes
• Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. (John 12:26, NIV)
• Jesus did not say, "if you follow me you will serve me" but "if you serve me, you must follow me"
• Jesus did not say, "where my servant is, I will be" but "where I am, there my servant will be"
• Walking with the Spirit means to be where God is at work.
  

• You cannot see the Holy Spirit but His job is to point you to Christ, lead you in understanding and applying God's truth, and help you along the way to do what is good, decent, and right:
• "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me."(John 15:26 NKJV)
  
• "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; ..."  (John 16:13 NKJV)
  
• "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper..."  (John 14:16a NKJV)
• Though you cannot see Him, you can certainly feel His presence as He impresses upon you the need to do or not do certain things.
• Mary and I were at a fireworks display at a local shopping center.  We brought our chairs to sit back and watch the show.  As we were walking along, we both noticed an elderly couple get out of their car and walk toward the area where we were sitting.  They had no chairs.  Mary and I had the same thought, "Let's offer them our chairs!"  I took the chairs over to them and after mild protests, they took the chairs.  The wife, in particular, was very grateful because she could not stand for very long.
• This mutual impression that Mary and I had was simply the Holy Spirit leading us to do something good, decent, and right.
  
• Of course, you can also feel a supreme pizza even though you can't see it anymore -- we test all things, including feelings, against the truth of God's word.  If your impression is to do what goes against the word of God, then you are not being led by the Holy Spirit because it is He who inspired and superintended the writing of Scripture.
  

• As you live in the Spirit and keep in step with Him, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, the Bible says you will not break God's law.
• "Against such there is no law"
• You can not fulfill the Law anyway but Christ has fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17).
• You just don't have to worry about "The Law" when you are following Christ.
• That is tremendous freedom for you.
  

• As you live in the Spirit and keep in step with Him, bearing the fruit of the Spirit, the Bible says you will not break God's law.
• 
  

• So, how do you win the war against the flesh?
• You must SURRENDER to the Holy Spirit!
• The paradox of faith is that surrender to the Holy Spirit brings you freedom in Christ.
  

• Christian freedom does not mean we are free from all commands but, rather, we are free to operate within the sphere in which God created us to be.  In Christ, you are a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• Without Christ, one cannot truly love God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, nor can one love another the way Christ loves us.
• Just as a train can only operate at maximum speed when it is on the train track, a Christian can only operate at maximum speed when we keep in step with the Spirit.
• You will not do Christ any good when you walk selfishly or to please people.
• Follow Christ and enjoy the freedom of operating in the place you were created to be.
  

Our Creator God loves you and wants you to know Him! If you would like to contact this ministry for further information or questions, please send your e-mail to:
Email: ministryrequestzz@WordTruth.Com
Web Site: WordTruth.Com

©  Copyright 7/13/2003, Randy Lariscy.