Walk in the Spirit

^{In our Sunday evening worship our minister, Anthony, has been doing a study of the Spirit and how he works in our lives. We have mostly been studying from the book of Colossians. For the past few days this verse has been coming to my heart. I believe it goes along well with the study I have engaged in on sanctification. I’m sure we will come across this portion of sanctification in a future study, but it has so been on my heart that I decided to share it here.}

^{Galatians 5:24-26 NKJV
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.

This passage comes directly after the passage about the fruit of the spirit and just before that the works of the flesh. So let’s review that also.

The Works of the Flesh

^{Galatians 5:19-21
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.

The apostle Paul tells us quite plainly here that those who practice the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God. How then can one who is carnally minded be considered a Christian? He cannot. How can one who claims to know Christ and then turns again to worldly flesh be considered saved? He cannot. For Christ knows the hearts of men, and though a man may confess Christ as the Son of God, that does not mean that they have died to sin. 

The Fruit of The Spirit

^{Galatians 5:22-23
22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

So here we see that Paul is telling the Galatians that if the Spirit of God dwells within them they will produce fruit from the Spirit of God. He says that by producing this fruit there is no law that can be against such fruit. You see earlier in the book we read that the Galatians were being deceived by many false spirits, concerning the law of Moses, the law of works. We cannot receive salvation through works of our own, however through the working of the Spirit we can. But how does one receive the Spirit? Let’s continue on in the reading of Galatians, returning to the first passage that I wrote of: Galatians 5:24-26

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.

We must crucify the flesh, we must walk in the Spirit producing fruit of the Spirit. You might be thinking how does one crucify the flesh? Are we then, to be crucified on a cross and die physically?  In a manner yes, but Christ became that curse for us.

 Galatians 3:13 
 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”,

We are however to die to our sins, as He died on a cross for our sins. 

 1 Peter 2:24 
“who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

But we too must die to our sins. We are justified by faith when we choose to act in obedience to HIS WILL. We leave the desires of our own flesh and turn (repent) rather to be led by His Spirit. 

Galatians 3:26-27
²⁶ For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

You see it is through baptism that we put on Christ. Our flesh becomes His. We are no longer our own, but rather we are His. We must no longer walk in the flesh but rather we must walk in the Spirit, Galatians 5:25. 

Do you walk in the Spirit or the flesh? Are you your own, or are you living in Him? Have you heard the word of God,  Romans 10:17. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God  and have you been buried into baptism and put on Christ, Acts 8:36-38, Galatians 3:27?  Have you repented or turned away from the fleshly lusts of sin and turned to walk in the Spirit, Acts 2:38, Galatians 5:22-26? Have you confessed with your mouth before men, that Jesus is the Son of God, Romans 10:10, Acts 8:36-37, Matthew 10:32? Are you walking a faithful life, Revelation 2:10?