What does it mean to Walk in the Spirit?

Two Questions:

1. When we try to live in a way that follows Jesus, why do we keep failing?
2. Why am I not growing in the Spirit’s supernatural gifts?

• Turn out to have the same answer:
• Walk in the Spirit!

Answers

1. The New Reality of the Spirit
   • The foundation
2. Galatians 5 - Walking in the Spirit
   • I have a handout
3. Four steps: A B C D
   • which come out of the Scripture passage today

1. The New Reality of the Spirit

• The New Creation (Kingdom of Heaven)
• Invisible realm
• Visible & Invisible
• Flesh and Spirit (why)

Romans 1:3–4

3. concerning his Son, who was descended from David
     according to the flesh
4. and was appointed the Son of God in power
     according to the Spirit of holiness
     by his resurrection from the dead,
   Jesus Christ our Lord,

• “And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” [Col 1:18]

1 Corinthians 15

45. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
47. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.
48. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
49. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.
    • so just as we inherit our physical bodies from our parents, we inherit our new DNA from Jesus

Romans 8

11. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Laws of the New Creation

• The substance of the creation is the Spirit (as opposed to flesh & blood)
• To live is to love. We live in the new as much as we love (following Jesus)
• We exist as dependent beings (can do nothing by ourselves)
• We access this new power whenever we follow Jesus by stepping out in love

Walking in the Spirit

Galatians 5:13–6:5 Handout

A. The Law of Love

1. The Law of Love
1. The Law of Love

A. The Law of Love

13 For you, brothers and sisters were called to freedom, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For the whole law is summed up in one command: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”

6:1–2 Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in some sin, you who are spiritual restore the person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay attention to yourself, so you are not also tempted.
Carry one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
6:3–5 [continues this theme]

B. Opposite to the law of love

1. The Law of Love
2. The opposite to the law of love
2. The opposite to the law of love
1. The Law of Love

B. The opposite to the law of love

15 But if you continually
bite and devour one another,
beware that you are not consumed by one another.

26 Let us not become conceited,
provoking one another,
envying one another.

C. Walk in the Spirit

1. The Law of Love
2. The opposite to the law of love
3. Walk in the Spirit
3. Walk in the Spirit
2. The opposite to the law of love
1. The Law of Love

C. Walk in the Spirit

16 I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

D. War with the desires of the flesh

1. The Law of Love
2. The opposite to the law of love
3. Walk in the Spirit
4. War with the desires of the flesh
4. War with the desires of the flesh
3. Walk in the Spirit
2. The opposite to the law of love
1. The Law of Love

D. War with the desires of the flesh

17 For the flesh’s desires are against the Spirit,
and the Spirit’s desires are against the flesh,
for they are opposed to each other, so that you do not do the things you want to do.

24 Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

E. The old Law doesn’t operate in realm of the Spirit

1. The Law of Love
2. The opposite to the law of love
3. Walk in the Spirit
4. War with the desires of the flesh
5. Law doesn’t operate in realm of the Spirit
5. Law doesn’t operate in realm of the Spirit
4. War with the desires of the flesh
3. Walk in the Spirit
2. The opposite to the law of love
1. The Law of Love

E. Law doesn’t operate in realm of the Spirit

18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

23b against such things there is no law.

F. Works of the flesh & the Spirit

1. The Law of Love
2. The opposite to the law of love
3. Walk in the Spirit
4. War with the desires of the flesh
5. Law doesn’t operate in realm of the Spirit
6. The works of the flesh and the Spirit
6. The works of the flesh and the Spirit
5. Law doesn’t operate in realm of the Spirit
4. War with the desires of the flesh
3. Walk in the Spirit
2. The opposite to the law of love
1. The Law of Love

F. The works of the flesh and the Spirit

19–21 Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, acts of hate, discord, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalry, dissensions, factions, envy, murder, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22–23a But the fruit of the Spirit is:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control;

How we do it

1. Attention! Don’t be mindless, but recognize the flesh/Spirit issues quickly
   • taking every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5) —where is that thought from?
   • I’m noticing that person really irritated me. What is going on?
2. Believe in the new reality: Cosmic & eternal. This is about far more than your little issue but the Kingdom of heaven against the old reality and will motivate you to…
3. Confidently Call in support. Ask for help, and it is there for you. Jesus defeated the enemy
   • As soon as you try doing it yourself, that is doing it in the flesh! —he has promised!
4. Dependently step out. Acting in love will access the power of the Spirit, tuning in to the Kingdom.
   • don’t wait till you feel something

John 15 – Abide in the Vine

1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser…
4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
   • So how do we abide?
10. If you keep my commandments [to love one another], you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

How we do it

1. Attention! Don’t be mindless, but recognize the flesh/Spirit issues quickly
2. Believe in the new reality: Cosmic & eternal. This is about far more than your little issue but the Kingdom of heaven against the old reality and will motivate you to…
3. Confidently Call in support. Ask for help, and it is there for you. Jesus defeated the enemy
4. Dependently step out. Acting in love will access the power of the Spirit, tuning in to the Kingdom.