Galatians 5:16 – “So I Say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”
When we write our exams the thing that pops in our mind is ‘I wish I could listen to music’; ‘what if I watch just one movie and then study for the rest of these study holidays’? When we are at work we may think what if I put my initials on this report handed in by someone else, after all reviews are around the corner? When we see an attractive and smart person we may think what if I propose marriage so that I have someone to be with on Valentine’s day? Thoughts that are not good but which will give us more come uppance among others. This is exactly what someone did to Eve in the garden of Eden. Put thoughts in her head which she put to action. Disobedience always brings its own consequence eventually. So feeding the ego or our flesh in contrary to our spirit which follows the Word is damning.
How do we know what our spirit needs? Our spirit syncs with the Holy Spirit and we are guided in our purpose and actions on this earth. But, to have this happen we must have our frequency tuned in to the frequency of Christ and not to the world. Do you find it difficult to know when the Holy Spirit leads you?
1- Open to guidance – Do we have open hearts that listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say?
2- Obedient to guidance – Are we ready to obey what the Holy Spirit guides us to do, even if it is outside of our comfort zone.
3- Discern the guidance – Do we know the difference between our feelings and the promptings of the Holy Spirit?
If we can say yes to the above three questions, we will let the Holy Spirit guide our life.
When we keep in step with the Holy Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh because these desires are against the Spirit. Meanwhile, the desires of the Spirit keep us from doing the things that we ‘want’ to do in our flesh. We will not evidence works of the flesh: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. The indulgers will not inherit the kingdom of Heaven. When we walk in the Spirit, we will see manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
By describing the works of the flesh and fruits of the Spirit, we are told what to avoid and oppose, and what we are to cherish and cultivate. This is the sincere care and endeavor of all real Christians. 1-Sin does not now reign in their mortal bodies, so that they obey it, Romans 6:12, ‘for they seek to destroy it’. Christ never will own those who yield themselves up to be the servants of sin. 2-It is not enough that we cease to do evil, but we must learn to do well. Our conversation will always be answerable to the principle which guides and governs us, Romans 8:5. We must set ourselves in earnest to mortify the deeds of the body, and to walk in newness of life. Not being desirous of vain-glory, or unduly wishing for the esteem and applause of men, not provoking or envying one another, but seeking to bring forth more abundantly those good fruits, which are, through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God.
Teach me to do your will for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing —Psalm 143:10
