Life by the Spirit
Galatians5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do notlet yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 13 You, my brothers,were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinfulnature[a]; rather, serve one another in love. 14The entire law is summed up ina single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 15If you keepon biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by eachother. 16 So I say, live by the Spirit,and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinfulnature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contraryto the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do notdo what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred,discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21andenvy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, thatthose who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness andself-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong toChrist Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us notbecome conceited, provoking and envying each other.
IfGod is for us, then who can be against us? If we are justified through Christ and re-generated into new creatures, thatis, adopted as sons of God then why do we persist on being enslaved to the oldnature. Why is their grumbling andfactions and the like? What will it takefor us to unify each other as the body of Christ? There are many questions that always seems tobe lessened by our own depravity; whatever that looks like by some. We are all men and we are definitelyfallible, therefore, without using the Word of God as a way of reproof in ourlives then everything else we do is for naught. Let be more specific, without the Word of God as our benchmark, prayerand petition, and accountability and trust in and only of our salvation throughJesus Christ, then we are in error. Wecannot say that something is from God if the Bible does not reproof it. Let me explain it this way: Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit totheir authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obeythem so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of noadvantage to you. Jesus put it thisway: Matthew 22:34 Hearing that Jesushad silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, anexpert in the law, tested him with this question: 36"Teacher, which is thegreatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lordyour God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a]38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it:'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang onthese two commandments."
Jesuspaid it all, once and for all, on Calvary. If you profess the name of the Lord as Savior, believed that he was bornof a virgin, died for our sins and rose again on the third day and confess oursins to Jesus and ask him to be Lord over our life, then you are saved. Your transgression are forgiven and you aremade white as snow. Also, we read inscripture that we become Sons of God. Ourold sin nature is at war with our new self and we have to either choose to liveby the Spirit or to live a life that continues to require anothercrucifixion. Why, to those of us thatcontinue to fall into the same sin, do you continue to crucify Jesus and askfor your sins to be pardon? Is the fruitof the Spirit in your life? Are youwalking by the Spirit, that is, is your life completely obedient to God and tohis Word? Do the words Stewardship,Purity and Discipleship mean anything to your daily walk? If the answer is yes, then you are walking bythe Spirit. If you answer is some of thetime, then you need to clean house and repent, and if the answer is no, then Ihave to ask are you truly saved?
Are you allowing yourself to love your brother? To love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?
Dante