Walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:1-11 (NASB) from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Walk by the Spirit

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

² Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³ And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. ⁴ You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. ⁵ For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.

⁷ You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. ¹⁰ I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. ¹¹ But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.

The title at the top of this chapter in our text is “Walk by the Spirit”  Previously in his 2^nd letter to the church at Corinth Paul wrote: for we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7) So there is a parallel between walking by faith and walking by the Spirit. In the text today Paul is writing about circumcision, which in the Jewish tradition was an important symbol of the covenant of the Law. It symbolized the cutting away of the flesh and carnal sin nature. Circumcision was an act and a work of the flesh. It was part of an agreement with the Law.  Paul writes: “every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.” In our Christian culture we may not view circumcision as a sign or symbol of righteousness, yet often we as believers will hold to certain traditions or works of the flesh as critical to our salvation.

We can see this as we look from denomination to denomination and even within denominations. Certain groups of people may move the lines of what is acceptable in terms of behavior, dress and even worship styles, but wherever they determine to draw that line they hold fast. We need to understand, like the Galatian believers Paul was writing to, that our salvation and our faith comes through Christ alone, not our traditions, regulations or acts of righteousness.  Paul says: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. ² Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.”    We can say also then if we hold more to tradition and religious actions than to faith in Christ, Christ is of no benefit to us. We become slaves, yoked to those traditions and religious actions rather than free in Christ.

It is not that we are free to live unrighteously. Paul addresses that in Romans 6:1-14.    What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? ² May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life…. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, ¹³ and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.   

Because of what Christ has done, because of the finished work of the cross and the resurrection, we are free. We are free to choose what or who will be our master, whether it will be our flesh and our own desires and actions or whether it will be the Spirit, who we receive by faith in Christ. Later in this letter to the Galatians, Paul summarizes the difference between walking in the flesh, by our deeds and walking through faith by the Spirit.   

 Galatians 5:19-25:  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, ²¹ envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

We see in verses 19-21 that the deeds of the flesh are self centered, self satisfying behaviors. These are the very things our society and culture promotes. It says you should do whatever make you happy, whatever seems right to you. The Bible tells us to do whatever as well.

 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. ⁹ The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.(Philippians 4:4-9)

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ my Savior and Redeemer, Holy Spirit, my guide, thank You for setting me free. I am free from the bonds of sin and free from regulations and traditions of man. In Christ, by Your grace I am free to do and to choose whatever I want. I choose:  whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, I choose to dwell on these things. I choose to dwell and abide in You. I choose to yield to You. Empower me and enable me to live and walk by the Spirit, that my life would be full of  the fruit of the Spirit, full of  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control, today and every day.   Amen