GALATIANS 5:16-262006 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Galatians 5:16-26

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2006. So here the Galatians are. Paul's been sharing with them much about grace and faith. And he's beginning to wrap it up now. He's concluding his thoughts and he says, I say then, in verse 16,

I say then, here's the answer. Here's what you've been waiting for. Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Now again, the Galatians, they were believers. They had received Jesus Christ. They were excited about the Lord. They were in love with the Lord. Yet they were frustrated because they still struggled and had problems with sin in their life.

The legalists came in at that point and they told the Galatians, you must follow the law. The reason why you're frustrated and that there's still sin in your life is that you don't have the whole picture. Yes, you need Jesus, but you also need to keep these rules and these laws and keep these regulations. And that's truly when you'll be spiritual and blessed and be able to stay away from sin. But Paul has been teaching us that we receive everything that God has for us by faith.

We don't have to work for anything. We don't have to determine anything. We simply receive by faith all that he has for us. And Paul says, so walk in the spirit and you will not, you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Here's the answer to your problem, Galatians. Walk in the spirit. Here's the answer to your problem, Californians. Walk in the spirit.

What you've been looking for, what you've been desiring is answered here. Here's what you need to do. Walk in the Spirit. If you're going to make a New Year's resolution, let it be this. Walk in the Spirit. Now, this command to walk in the Spirit, it's the greatest news ever. Aside from Jesus Christ dying on the cross, which we celebrated last week. It's the greatest news ever.

Because what Paul is saying here is this, that you can be free from sin, from addictions, from the habits of the flesh. It's a one-step program that God offers to us, and it's called walk in the Spirit. There's not levels you have to attain and steps you have to take. It's one step. Walk in the Spirit. Receive all that He has for you through the power of the Spirit. Now at this point...

Some might say, well, you know, I've tried that and it just really did not work. It wasn't effective. And let me share with you very plainly that if that's your heart, if that's what you say, then you are deceived because the Bible teaches, God's word says, the truth is if you walk in the spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And so if that is what you believe, then you were not walking in the spirit of

If you fulfilled the lust of the flesh. You might say, well, but you don't understand. I tried really hard. I just come to the conclusion it's not really possible to walk in the Spirit. And I would share with you that it's more than just possible. It's a command.

Hear this word to walk in the spirit. It's in the imperative tense, which means you must do it. It's a command. We are commanded by God to walk in the spirit. In Ephesians, we are commanded to be filled with the spirit over and over again. We're commanded to be in the spirit. It is possible you can receive the power of the spirit in your life and you can walk in it.

And it's by faith. It's not by laws. It's not by regulations. It's not by attaining to some level. It's by receiving and believing God at his word. That word walk, it literally means to make one's way or to progress. I like that he used the word walk because it's a word that's familiar to us. For most of us, we've been doing that for a long time. Since we were one or two years old, we've been walking. We know exactly what it means to walk.

Something we're very familiar with. We do it day in and day out. Putting one foot in front of another. It's part of our normal routine. That's what Paul is saying.

To make the Spirit that important or that much a part of our lives. To walk in the Spirit really means to include God in every step you take, submitting to His leading and His will. Including Him in every step. Submitting, surrendering to what He desires, what His will is, and where He leads. And Paul says, if you do this, if you walk and make God a part of every step that you take,

Then you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. That word fulfill, it means to complete an order. Now, of course, when I hear that, I immediately think of a restaurant, right? Well, I ordered scrambled eggs and you didn't complete my order. Well, that's kind of it. But really what this word is talking about, it's the idea of a military term. It means to execute an order.

So your commanding officer gives you an order. What are you to do? Well, as a soldier, you do that. You are obedient to it. You fulfill and you complete that order. The flesh is like that. The flesh gives out orders constantly. Our old nature, it screams and begs for us to do what it wants to do. It screams and begs for us to do the things that it says to do. Our sinful nature screams.

Very forceful, giving orders and commands constantly. For what type of things? Well, the things that it lusts after. That word lusts, it means to desire, to have a strong craving or longing. And we understand that. I mean, you know what it's like to get a craving. You know, you just, you got to have that one thing that's going to,

I satisfy that craving. Every once in a while, man, I just get craving for just some good chips and salsa. And I'm just not satisfied. And we go to a place and the chips and salsa is just not that good. And so I'm like, man, I know we got to go over to this other place. I'm not going to advertise. We just go to this other place and they have the good chips and salsa that I've really been craving. I won't be satisfied until I get that. Our sinful nature, our flesh has these desires, has these strong cravings.

And our flesh screams at us and shouts at us and tells us, you will not be satisfied. You cannot be complete until you fulfill this longing. That's how the flesh works. It gives us commands and makes us feel as if we have to do it. Otherwise, we will die. The flesh tells us you need to have sex, even if it is outside of marriage. The flesh tells us you must get really angry over this.

The flesh tells us you must look out for yourself. The flesh tells us you need a little bit more money. It says to us that you must hate that person. The flesh tells us and gives us orders on a constant, continual basis, giving out commands for every moment that we're awake. Now, it gives the order, but Paul says, walk in the spirit and you will not obey that order. You won't complete it. You won't execute it.

You won't do the things that the flesh is telling you that you must do. And as we continue to study this, we find that the problem with sin is really a problem within our heart. The problem that the Galatians were experiencing and that you and I experience as well is a problem within our hearts. We have to choose, are we going to obey the orders that the flesh gives or are we going to walk in the spirit?

It's a choice that we have. It's a choice that comes down to my heart. It's never that I just couldn't help myself. The flesh was too powerful. It was too strong. I couldn't overcome. The Bible teaches that's not true. 1 Corinthians 10, verse 13, Paul says, There's no temptation that comes upon you that's more than you can bear. He always gives you a way out. He always provides a way out.

We don't have to fulfill the orders that are given to us by our flesh. And that's what Paul is saying. Walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. And then in verse 17, he says, 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. Here, Paul makes it very clear to us that it's one or the other.

You cannot do both. You can't walk in the Spirit and fulfill the lust of the flesh. You can't. They're opposites. They're contrary to one another. Paul says the flesh lusts against the Spirit. And that word lusts, again, it means a strong desire. But that word against speaks to us of a downward motion from a higher place to a lower place.

And we need to understand that the strongest desire of our flesh is for the spirit to be put down, for the spirit to be taken out of the way without influence in our lives. That's the strongest desire of our flesh. And the strongest desire of the spirit is for the flesh to be put down without influence in our lives. And so as you can imagine, there's this great conflict within us.

Like a big wrestling match. They're playing king of the hill over our lives. Which one will put the other down? Which one will we follow and obey? Paul says they're contrary. They're opposites. Remember when Jesus told Peter that spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak? The spirit is willing, but you're not able to complete the things that you're willing to do because the flesh is weak. Now, the flesh is weak because the flesh is powerful.

Because we take heed to the things that the flesh orders and commands. Romans chapter 7. Paul described this war a little bit. He says in verse 22, he says,

But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. So inside, I want to serve God. I have God's law. I know it's right and I want to walk uprightly. But outwardly, man, there's this war going on. Even though inwardly I want to do these things, living them out and fulfilling them, I just can't seem to find the way out.

To do it. And we need to understand. You and I, especially here in this country, we usually take a very casual position on sin in our lives. We take it very lightly. We figure, well, hey, the spirit's willing, but the flesh is weak. He said the flesh was weak, and I just have a lot of proof of that.

There's just a lot of areas, you know. It's not a big deal. Everyone has their problems. Everyone has their sin. But what Paul is sharing with us this morning is very important. We need to wake up. Paul's point is that they are opposites. When you are in the flesh, then you are not in the spirit. And when you are in the spirit, you are not in the flesh. Yes, there is a battle. But when I obey the flesh, it is only because I chose Christ.

to not be in the Spirit. I was never forced. I was never overcome. I chose to not be in the Spirit and to indulge the flesh. It's a choice. Again, it boils down to our hearts. Am I willing to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit, to walk in the Spirit, or will I obey the commands of the flesh? Verse 18, he says, But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now, the legalistic teachers...

would say that you must keep the law. Paul says, no, you can't. Now, he never said that the law is bad. In fact, he makes a great emphasis here in Galatians as well as in Romans that the law is good. But the problem with the law is not the law itself. The problem with the law is it's powerless. It's powerless.

Because you and I cannot keep the law. We cannot approach God on the basis of keeping the law because we do not keep the law. Therefore, it's powerless. However, Paul says, if you are led by the Spirit, then you are not under the law. You're not bound to it. You're not subject to it. You are set free from it because you're led by the Spirit. So you say, great, well, how do I be led by the Spirit then?

That word led, it's a great word. It means to lead gently without violence. The idea of leading maybe like an animal, where you would lead them gently, just soft suggestions, commands, not beating, not forcing.

But just gently leading. Walking in the Spirit is just that. Being led by the Spirit is just that. It's about yielding to the quiet leading of the Holy Spirit. It's a quiet leading. It's not an overwhelming leading. It's not a forcible leading. It's a quiet leading. It's there. His leading. He gives it to you. His instruction. His commands. His power to be able to do the things that he's called you to do.

But he doesn't force himself upon you. He's there waiting for you to be led by him. Gently. There's a war that goes on between the flesh and the spirit. They war differently. The flesh screams and yells, commands us. It's very forceful. But the spirit, gentlemen, just gently leads.

And so the choice is ours. Which will we submit to? Which will we surrender to? If you want a good picture of how this works, spend some time fasting. If you've ever spent time fasting, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Very quickly, your body begins to tell you, listen, if you don't eat something this instant, I'm going to die. Haven't you ever had your body tell you that? And isn't it so funny? Because...

I could skip a meal on a regular basis and it's not a big deal for me. But if I decide I'm going to spend some time fasting and skip a meal, then all of a sudden those hunger pains are excruciating. Way worse than if I just skip a meal normally because I'm working or involved in something else. My flesh, it screams and it shouts and it tells me, listen, you better eat something or you're going to drop dead. I'm going to stop supporting you. You're not going to have any energy. You're just, you're going to die.

That's how it is. And that's how the flesh works. Yet, we know it's not true. We know if we think about it, you just ate 45 minutes ago. You're okay. You're not going to die. You can go a day without eating. It won't kill you. For the most part. Check with your doctor before you spend time fasting. But we know. We know it's not true. But our flesh cries out. And so we have the opportunity then to choose, which one am I going to obey?

It's so much easier to give in to the flesh because it's loud and forceful. But the leading of the Spirit is quiet. And it's where we find eternal life. If you choose to be led by the Spirit, listening to His voice instead of the screams of your flesh, then Paul says you are not under the law. Because the things that are produced by you being led by the Spirit are not against the law. And we'll see that in a few moments in verses 22 and 23.

But we're set free from the law because we're being led by the Spirit. Again, the issue is our heart. Are we submitting to God or are we submitting to the flesh? Which one is winning in your heart? Which one are you listening to? Which one is governing your life? Well, we can tell very easily by looking at the fruit, the evidence, the outpouring of how your life is.

And we see that here as we continue on in verses 19 through 21. Paul says, Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,

idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. Of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

He lists for us here 17 specific sins. But he ends it with the phrase, and the like, which tells us there are more. But he doesn't necessarily need to mention them because he says at the very beginning, the works of the flesh are evident. They're apparent. They're obvious. We know what they are. Now please, listen very carefully to this. Paul is trying to open our eyes

In these three verses, he's trying to pierce through the veil that sin places over our eyes, trying to pierce through the blindness that comes from living in and being involved in sin. Hebrews chapter three, verse 12, tells us to beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.

but exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you, notice, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. He says, beware, watch out, unbelief. How does it come in? It comes in through a hardness of heart that's produced by the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is so deceitful. It's alluring. It's seductive. Sounds so great, so enticing.

But what it does is it deceives us to bring us in and it hardens our hearts. And if we live in that hardness of hearts and we continue to be involved in sin, we continue to be more and more deceived and our heart becomes harder and harder to the point of unbelief. So the writer of Hebrews says, beware, watch out. Paul says, listen, you need to open your eyes. Sin is deceitful.

Not only that, Jeremiah 17, 9 tells us that our hearts are deceitful too. And so we tell ourselves that we're okay, even though we may have these works evident in our lives. These things that Paul lists. We may have these things, but we tell ourselves, we're okay. It's all right. Everybody has their weakness. Everybody has their sin, their stumbling. It's okay. We take a casual position on the sin in our life. But we do not approach God on the basis of our works.

Or how well we stay away from these things. So we can't say, well I don't do this and I don't do that and I don't do that. So now I can come approach God and have right standing with God. No, we approach Him by faith. What Paul is saying here is that if these things are being practiced in our life, what that means is that we are not walking in the Spirit. Because if you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

And Paul, again, he's trying to open our eyes and pierce through the blindness, the hardness of heart that's caused by sin. And he says, listen, you need to wake up and you need to pay attention because those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Don't take a casual position on sin. Don't take it lightly because the Bible says,

God's word says, if you practice sin, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Practice, it means to do and to keep on doing. If you keep on doing these things, Paul says, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, this is heavy. We need to wake up and stop excusing our sin. Not that we apply the law and become legalistic like those in Galatia. But remember, the law is powerless against

But it is not pointless. It has a point. And what is that point? It's to point us to Jesus Christ. And so we cannot take a casual position and excuse our sin, but we deal with it not by applying law and more rules and regulations, but we do it by running to Jesus Christ, receiving in faith what he has for us, and walking in the Spirit.

If you live in these things, Paul says, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. We need to stop kidding ourselves. We need to wake up. Open your eyes. If you say that you are in the spirit or walking in the spirit, but you're living in adultery, those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Living in fornication, sex outside of marriage,

You cannot say that you're walking in the Spirit. Paul says they're contrary. They're opposites. You can't have both. It's one or the other. And if you're practicing these things, Paul says you're not in the Spirit. It's the works of the flesh. And you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Lewdness. Lewdness speaks of one who acknowledges no restraints whatsoever. The list goes on and on. Idolatry, sorcery, hatred. Hatred. If you're living your life,

And practicing hatred. Continuing on in hatred towards people around you. Contentions, problems and jealousies and fights that go on. Outbursts of wrath. You cannot claim to be walking in the Spirit and be living in the Spirit if you're practicing these things, is what Paul is saying. Again, we need to open our eyes. He's trying to pierce through. Yeah, this is heavy, Jerry. This is pretty harsh. How can you be saying these things? This is...

This is difficult. That's not easy to receive. This is not a good, you know, peppy New Year's Day message that I wanted to hear. I wanted to be excited, but you're telling me about all these things and selfish ambitions and dissensions and heresies and envy and murders and drunkenness and revelries. Listen, you cannot claim to be in the Spirit if you are practicing these things. They're contrary. They exclude one another. Even notice areas like drunkenness, addictions and problems.

You can't claim to be in the Spirit and be living in these areas and the like and be living in sin. You can't claim to be walking with God and have these be a characteristic of your life, a lifestyle that you're living, or any of these on your list for New Year's resolutions are really going to do better in this area, 2006. Paul says, don't do better. Stop by walking in the Spirit, by allowing the power of the Spirit to work in your life.

Because if you don't, if you practice these things, if this is your lifestyle, Paul says, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. Why? Because of the sin? Not really, actually. The sin's been paid for. Christ, he died for all of the sin when he died on the cross. It's been paid for. But you do not inherit the kingdom of God. Because these, being practiced, being lived by you, demonstrate you're not in the spirit, you're in the flesh.

It's a work of the flesh and not of the spirit. It's the automatic fruit that results from deciding not to be in the spirit, not to walk with God, not to include him in every step. The fact that you are living in these demonstrates that you're not living in the spirit, but in the flesh. It's the evidence. It's the outpouring. It's the fruit. It's the proof.

That you're not right with God. You're not walking in the Spirit. Romans chapter 8. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. So if you're in Christ, you have the Spirit. And if you don't have the Spirit, then you're not in Christ. And if you're walking in the Spirit, then you're not walking in the flesh. And if you're walking in the flesh, then you're not walking in the Spirit.

You're either walking with God or you are not. Paul says if you practice these things, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. You cannot say and claim to walk in the Spirit, yet still have these as a part of your life. They are contrary to one another. These are the result of the flesh, not the Spirit. These are the result of allowing the flesh to rule, of having a hardened heart, of being deceived by sin. That's why this passage is so great and so wonderful. Because...

He shares these things to open our eyes. Not that we would be condemned. Not that we would say, well, I give up. I can't do it. But to tell us the great news, this means you and I, we can be set free from those things. Completely free. We don't have to walk and live in them any longer.

The things that he lists here and the like. By walking in the Spirit, we can be set free. There is no sin that the Spirit cannot deliver me from. There's no sin that the Spirit cannot deliver you from or anybody else. Again, it's a one-step program. And it's not even a program. It's just a step walking with God in His Spirit. Coming to Him. Allowing Him to lead and guide. Submitting to His will and

and not the will of our flesh. But we need to open our eyes and see the need and not take such a casual position on sin in our lives. Because the outpouring of it is evidence that our heart is not right, that we're not walking in the Spirit. But if we are walking in the Spirit, if we are spending time in relationship with God, there will be

And automatic evidence for that as well. It's called the fruit of the spirit. And we see it here in verses 22 and 23. It says this, but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. The result of the spirit in our lives is much different than the result of the flesh.

If we will walk in the spirit, if we'll be led by the spirit, if we're submitted to the spirit, the automatic result will be this fruit. It'll be evident. It'll be automatic simply by us walking in the spirit. Now, what I do not do is look at these fruits and say, OK, that's what I need to aspire to. I'm going to work on that. I'm going to work on having more joy this year. I'm going to be working. I'm going to work on having more peace.

Or being kinder, having more goodness or faithfulness. Now we're resorting back to resolutions. Paul says, no. You don't fix your eyes on that and that's the goal and so that's what you determine to do. You can't produce these things by determination or by good intentions. You can only produce it by walking in the Spirit. It's a natural product of spending time in the Spirit. Spending time in relationship with God.

Again, if you walk in the Spirit, this will be the fruit. If you do not walk in the Spirit, the fruit will be what we saw in verses 19 through 21. It's very clear. We can easily see which one's dominating in my life. Which one is ruling and governing my life? Am I walking in the Spirit? Am I being led by the Spirit? Notice as you look at these results or the fruit of the Spirit that they're characteristics of God.

As we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we find that He's making us more like Him. He's conforming us into His image. These are characteristics that God has that we need that are only produced by spending time with Him. We can't produce these on our own. We cannot. So we can know that if they're a part of our lives, then we are in the Spirit. Love.

It's the word agape. We know it well. It's the word that's used to describe God's love for us. It's perfect love, selfless love, self-sacrificing love. No strings attached. Same love that God has for us. It's a love that only God can give to us by which we are able to love others. Joy, not happiness, which is based on circumstances, but joy. Joy only comes from relationship with God, from knowing God, from spending time with God. Peace.

Speaking of peace within, as well as without, peace with those around us. Peace can only come from God, by spending time with God. It's a natural fruit, product of us walking in the Spirit. Long-suffering, which is patience. Of course, in Southern California, that's tested and tried continually. But that's okay, because it's a natural product of me walking in the Spirit.

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. You get the idea. You get the picture. These things are the result, the fruit of us spending time walking in the Spirit. Now, he gives us these lists, the results, where your heart is, will be demonstrated by, in your life, what's predominant? Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control, or adultery and fornication, and the list goes on and on.

These lists were not really meant for us to compare and say, well, I think I have more things on the spirit side than on the flesh side, so I'm probably okay. Kind of, you know, the spirit outweighs the flesh type of things. No, that's not what these are for. That's not how it works. It's the automatic result of where our heart is with God. The flesh and the spirit, they're contrary things.

Either you have the fruit of the Spirit in your life or you have the works of the flesh in your life. It's one or the other. Now, we do all stumble and we all fall. Not only that, but we are all growing. So none of us will be perfect in any of these. But a good question is, which are you known for? What's dominant in your life? What's the characteristics of your life and the lifestyle? If you ask those around you, Paul says, open your eyes.

Let the word pierce through the hardness of our hearts and the blindness of our eyes. We need to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Verse 24, he says, those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Paul is making it so very clear to us. He's eliminating all of our excuses and the ways that we explain away our sin. He says, if you're in Christ, then you've crucified the flesh.

That's it. You've crucified the flesh. It's dead. It has no more power. Before, outside of Christ, we don't have a choice. We're bound to the flesh. We have to obey its desires. We have to fulfill the things that it commands. We're bound to it. Subjected to it. But, those who are Christ, anyone who's in Christ, anyone who has the Spirit, has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. It's dead.

It's dead. You were obedient before to its desires, but now in Christ you don't have to be. It's been crucified. It can scream. It can yell. But you don't have to. You don't have to fulfill it. The flesh, its power was broken at the cross. And praise the Lord for that. Hallelujah. God is so good that he took care of our old nature, our sinful nature there at the cross, that we no longer have to be subjected to it.

The Galatians, they were struggling. They were frustrated. How come I'm still struggling with this? Paul says the answer is not applying legalism and laws, but the answer is walking close to Jesus Christ. The answer is walking in the Spirit. Verse 25, if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. I find this verse very interesting.

Because we see throughout the rest of Scripture that it's the Spirit who makes us born again. It's the Spirit who gives us spiritual life. Before we were born again, spiritually we were dead. Ephesians chapter 2 talks about that. We were dead in our transgressions or trespasses and sins. But as we receive Jesus Christ and His work for us on the cross, the Spirit comes in and quickens us or makes us alive spiritually. He gives us spiritual life.

And so Paul is saying, since this is the case, that if you are in the Spirit, then you're not in the flesh, and if you're in the flesh, then you're not in the Spirit. Since this is the case, and since we have life in the Spirit, we live in the Spirit, let's walk in the Spirit that we may continue to have this life. John 6, verse 63, Jesus said, It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. It's the Spirit who gives life.

And so Paul says, look, we live in the Spirit. We're alive by the Spirit. And so we should walk in the Spirit. That word walk, it means to keep in step. The idea is like a marching band. Like you might watch the Rose Parade tomorrow. And you'll see the marching bands and everybody's in their spot. Everybody's where they're supposed to be. And they take the same length of steps. And they have the same timing in the steps that they take.

They're keeping in step, keeping with the parade, keeping with their group, accomplishing what they set forth to accomplish. That's the idea that's used in this word here. Paul says, keep in step. Keep up with what the Spirit is doing. Listen, the Spirit is working and moving in your life.

He's making us alive, so let's keep in step with Him. Making Him a part of each step. Following His gentle leading. Staying close to God. In close fellowship with the Lord by the Spirit. Not indulging, not fulfilling the lust of the flesh. Verse 26, Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Not indulging the flesh, having enmity and provoking one another.

But instead, walk in the Spirit. Be led by the Spirit. Since we live in the Spirit, let's keep in step with the Spirit. It's found by walking, living in the Spirit. The power of God in our lives. This morning as we come to the communion table, there's two elements to this thing that we call communion. There's the bread and there's the cup. The bread speaks to us of Jesus' body that was broken for us.

And the cup represents to us His blood that was shed for the remission of sins. And as we come to the table this morning, in light of what Paul has been teaching us here in Galatians 5, let's come with the proper understanding. His body was broken. So great. It speaks to us. His flesh that was broken for us, so that our flesh could be broken with Him on the cross. That we wouldn't be subject to its power any longer.

That it wouldn't be Lord of us. But now we could submit to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Now we could submit to God's will and what God wants us to do. His body was broken so that your flesh and my flesh could be crucified. As he said, those who are Christ, they've crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. And so as we come to the table this morning and partake of the bread, bring with you your flesh, the passions and desires.

The areas that he mentioned there in verses 19 through 21. The works of the flesh that are evident. Take them to the cross. Because that's where they're dealt with. That's where he takes care of them. Jesus Christ was crucified. His body was broken. So that your flesh and my flesh could be nailed there with him. That we would not be.

We would not be bound to it any longer. It's not our master. It can order, it can command, it can scream and yell, but we do not have to obey any longer. We have a choice now. Again, it boils down to our heart. Am I willing to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh? And as you come, His body being broken, as you ask Him to crucify your flesh, then we'll also partake of the cup. His blood, which speaks to us of His forgiveness, of His cleansing,

Of his washing in our lives. Making us white as snow. We can come no matter how we've lived up to this point. Even if the works of the flesh are evident in our lives. We can come to the table this morning. Not to make some New Year's resolution to determine to do better. But to come and bring our flesh. The works of our flesh to the cross. And have its power be broken. Have its results be washed.

And we can stand before God clean and right standing with God by simply receiving what he did for us there at the cross. I want to encourage you to come to the cross this morning. No better way to start out the new year than to spend time at the foot of the cross with Jesus Christ. Let him have those things. Surrender. Let him break you. You give up those passions and desires that you do not obey the flesh.

Give it over to Him. Let it go. Ask Him to crucify it. Ask Him to put it to death. Those who are Christ's have. And so know that as you ask Him, you have it. As you receive what He did for you at the cross, your flesh, it's already done. It's not a process. There's no sin that the Spirit cannot deliver you from. There's no sin that the Spirit cannot deliver me from. And it's not...

It's not done in levels. You know, you might think, well, God's really working on the area of lying in my life. So I'm just, I'm like at level one. You know, God's just still dealing with some of the basic things. I'm really struggling with these. And then later he's going to deal with some of the other more difficult things. Man, I can't wait to get to level five and finally be done with that. God says, no, no, no. Come to the cross. Crucify it. It's dead. And receive the power of the Spirit.

You're made alive by the Spirit, so keep in step with the Spirit. Let Him work in your life. Is there areas He's speaking to you to let go? There are areas where you need to repent, works of the flesh being evident and manifested in your life. Bring them to the cross. You'll find its power broken and its consequences washed. Sins are paid for. You have right standing with God. Let's start this new year together.

By coming here to the communion table and giving ourselves to Jesus Christ as we remember what he did for us on the cross. The works of the flesh evident. Now is the perfect time. Now is the perfect time. Begin this year relationship with Jesus Christ. Luke chapter 11. Spend some time in it on your own. Jesus says, ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. And then he goes on to tell us he's talking about the Holy Spirit. If you ask for the power of the Spirit...

you will have the power of the Spirit. If you seek to walk in the Spirit, you will find the strength to walk in the Spirit. The issue is my heart. Will I ask? Will I seek? Will I come to the cross? Remember Jesus when he was about to die, he told his disciples, hey, it's better for me if I go. Because if I go, then I'll be able to send the Spirit. And so as we come to the cross this morning and remember what Jesus did for us, ask, seek for the power of the Spirit in your life.

And Jesus says, of course, it's better for you that I'm dead, that I'm crucified, because your sins can be washed away, your sins can be taken care of. But not only that, but now you can receive the Spirit. And if you walk in the Spirit, you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If you live in the Spirit, then keep in step with the Spirit. And so let's use this time to spend time with Jesus at the cross to deal with our past failures, to wash them away, and to help us walk in the Spirit.

that we would not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we do come before you this morning. We come to the cross. Lord, as we prepare to receive communion, the bread speaking to us of your body that was broken. God, we ask that you would deal with our flesh. Lord, we know that it is screaming and shouting and commanding us. But Lord, help us to know, even as we partake of communion today, and remember your broken body. Help us to know, God.

that our flesh, its power was broken at the same time because we're in you. And so as we come to you, help us to receive that, to believe that. Lord, we also come to receive the cup. And remember that your blood was shed, that we might have forgiveness, remission of sins, that we might be cleansed as white as snow, Lord, that you might consider us justified, just as if we had never sinned. Oh God, thank you for your work at the cross.

Lord, I pray that you would help us to walk in your spirit, that we wouldn't continue on, that we wouldn't practice the things of the flesh. And Lord, if there's areas in my life, areas where the works of the flesh are evident, God, I surrender that to you now at the foot of the cross. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of his word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.