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About-Him.Com Devotional 05-05-2007
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Walking in the Spirit

The book of Galatians was written to a gentile church who were being influenced by outside agitators to return to the bondage of the law.  Paul urges them to recognize the freedom that they have in Christ and to simply walk in the Spirit.  

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


We note that verse 22 begins with the conjunction,”But.” Obviously it is necessary to back up a bit and read the previous text. Paul is writing to Christians who had been crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) at repentance and who had been planted  with Him in the waters of baptism (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:11-12) to rise to a newness of life, the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38-39). They had renounced the world and the works of the flesh and they, whether they realized it or not,  were now sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). They had received the life giving Spirit (John 6:63) who leads us and guilds us and who brings to our remembrance all that Jesus commanded (John 14:26).    

Unfortunately some of them, like some of us, were not living up to their full potential. Paul found it necessary to get a bit negative and enumerate the works of the flesh.  

Galatians 5:19 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.  


It looks to me that we all would claim to be free of adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, sorcery, murders, drunkenness and such like. Good for us! However there are some other practices that are enumerated as the works of the flesh that are just as damming. They are: hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions and heresies. Paul makes no distinctions between these various works of the flesh. Some aren’t less sinful than others. The admonition that we all must take to heart is that, “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  


In other words we need to recognize who we are in Jesus.  We were bought by the blood of Jesus (I Corinthians 7:23) and sealed by His Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). Even though our flesh wars against our spirits and hinders us, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh if we walk in the Spirit (vss.16-17, Romans 8:13).  

Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 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.  


When we walk in the Spirit, we will manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Luke 6:43-44). The first of which is love.  We need to heed the admonition of vss. 14-15 to love our neighbor as ourselves (even If he goes to a different church) , for if we bite and devour one another, we will be consumed one of another.  

Psalms 51:12  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.  

When our joy is restored we have peace with God. It is the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). The world may be going to pieces all around us, but we have a song in our heart (Psalms 42:8) and a praise on our lips (Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16).  

When we are at peace with God our longsuffering is automatically increased and we are able to exercise kindness, goodness and faithfulness.  

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


Well friends, I trust that you find this devotional helpful for you, but if it wasn’t meant for anyone else, it was needful for me.   

"Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson,  Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved." 
Humor
A little boy was taken to the dentist. It was discovered that he had a cavity that would have to be filled.  

"Now, young man," asked the dentist, "What kind of filling would you like for that tooth?"  

"Chocolate, please," replied the youngster.  

Somebody Has Said
 If pride turned some of the angels into demons, then humility can doubtless make angels out of demons." - John Climacus from Christianquotes.org  

Keep Looking Up!

Don and Marie Spooner
About Him! Ministries

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