Walking in the Spirit (cont.)
As was mentioned last time, God, through Paul, who was writing to the Galatian church, and to us, tells us in Galatians 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
A few verses before this verse 25, Paul talks about the works of the flesh. He names several things and at the end of the list he says, “and the like.” So, there are other things which make up the works of the flesh along with what he mentions in verse 19-21. As one scholar said, “In the context of the New Testament, the phrase “works of the flesh” refers to those behaviors, attitudes, and inclinations that run counter to a life guided by the Spirit of God.”
The works of the flesh stem from the natural tendencies of the sin nature, with which every individual is born. The Bible says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The inherent tendency of this sin nature is to cause us to sin against God and His Word. This would include the natural inclination to satisfy one’s selfish tendencies any way they see fit to do it. It doesn’t matter how refined a person may be, as one writer said, “We can be trained to behave in more socially acceptable ways and even find enjoyment in being kind to others. However, without the power of God, we remain self-centered. We do what we do, even good things, because we receive some selfish payoff.” Along with those things which are more prevalent, as the list Paul gave, this must be included as well.
This work of the flesh, or the old man as Paul says, must be put off. And we are to put on the new man which is in Christ Jesus. Once the flesh is put away, then, and only then, can we truly walk in the Spirit. Putting off the flesh and putting on the new man can only be done through the power of the Spirit of God. We are to surrender to the Spirit, handing over the reigns to Him and allowing Him to become the ruler of our heart and life. John says if we confess our sins then God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and “to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Peter told the church that the gentiles, Cornelius and his in particular, had their hearts purified by faith. Once cleansed from unrighteousness and having our hearts purified by faith in the blood and work of Jesus, we can be a vessel the Holy Spirit can fill and we can then walk in the Spirit. We will revisit this again next time!