If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:13-26 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. ¹⁹ 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. ²⁶ Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.

There are many in the church today who believe that we are called to walk in the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit; that like the early church, we should be workers of miracles, healings and all sorts of signs and wonders. They believe that we are to be the kingdom of heaven on earth; that we are to be those who bring the realities of the heavenly realm to situations and circumstances of earth.  I am one who believes that. I think though that perhaps at times we want the power of the Spirit without being fully yielded to the leading of the Spirit. In today’s text it says:  You were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another…  I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 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. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.   If we want to walk in the power of the Spirit, we need to first walk in the fruit of the Spirit. If we continue in the deeds of the flesh, we are in opposition to the Spirit. Look again at the deeds of the flesh that keep us from inheriting the kingdom of heaven. They are not only immoralities, but also: enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, manyof which, and unfortunately along with immoralities, are found in the church and in the very ones who want to walk in the power of the Spirit.    In Matthew 12:22-28 it says:  Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes were amazed and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”   If we walk in alliance with the flesh, we cannot expect that we will work miracles by the Spirit. We cannot expect that we will be those who bring the realities of the kingdom of heaven to earth, if we continue to walk in the flesh. In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus says:  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”   How can we expect to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and the kingdom of heaven, if we ourselves are not able to enter it?  In John 14:12-14 Jesus says:   “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”  We will do the works of Jesus, including the signs and wonders, because in truth, it is He that is doing it through us.    How can we do the works of Jesus; how can we expect that He will do it, if He does not even know us because we practice lawlessness?

Jesus words to us in Mark 16:15-18 and the resulting words of verses 19-20 help us to understand how we are to walk in the fullness of the power of the Spirit.   “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.  These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.   The signs accompany those who believe the gospel.  Jesus works with the preaching of the gospel to confirm the word of the gospel. If we want to walk more fully in the power of God, we need to preach the truth of the word of God.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and precious Holy Spirit; may I walk in the fullness of the power of the Spirit as I yield to the leading of that same Spirit. May I share the truth of the gospel, may I not practice lawlessness or walk in the flesh. May I know You and be known by You so that what I ask in Your name, You will do to confirm Your word.   Amen.