Walk in the Spirit

Good morning. Please turn with me to Galatians, chapter five. Like me, found in your few Bibles on pages 974 and 975. Now, this morning, I want to focus our attention on really one particular verse and even one particular commandment in verse 16 of this chapter, we read walk in the spirit. And my my aim this morning is going to be to really cover three questions. One, why is that important to what does that mean? And three, how do we do it? I'd like to begin by reading the complete chapter for the context. I'll be reading from the New King James Version simply because that's the version I'm most familiar with. But we typically read from the ESV and you should be able to follow along just fine with that version as well. Galatians, Chapter five. Stand fast, therefore. In the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed, I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised, that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law. You have fallen from grace. For we, through the spirit, eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, for in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith working through love. You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind, but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased. I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty, only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another for all the laws fulfilled in one word, even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, beware, lest you be consumed by one another. I say, then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh 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. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now, the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 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. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another. envying one another. Please join me in prayer. Father, I come before you and I pray for grace to make your word known. Lord, we rejoice in the privilege it is to hear and to receive this word for it alone is the words of life and truth. Father, if we live in the Spirit, I pray that you would give us grace to walk in the Spirit. Lord, help us to be not hearers only of this word, but doers. Teach us to walk by your Spirit. It's in Christ's name I pray. Amen. All right, as we begin, Why is walking in the spirit important? And to really answer this question, we need to take a step back and consider the context of this book to the churches in Galatia. It appears that in these churches, men have come in teaching the Gentiles that in some measure, in order to be saved, they need to become Jewish. Namely, they need to be circumcised. And I think it's implied that they are probably urging much more of the Old Testament Jewish law on these Gentile converts and implying that one's status is somehow proportional to the degree to which he abides by the law of Moses and lives as a Jew. They are essentially telling the Galatians that they are missing something crucial, crucial to salvation and godliness, and that's namely the law. And the Galatians are apparently being at least somewhat persuaded by this, you know, perhaps they're thinking, well, maybe. These are the laws of God, are they not? God did say to his people that they were to be circumcised. And perhaps you're thinking, you know, what would this hurt? You know what we're doing a little bit more. What harm would it do? Why not? And yet it is striking to hear and to read the way that Paul responds to this. He starts off his letter saying, I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel. which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want you to pervert the gospel of Christ. And then he says, but even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed or anathema, as we have said to you before. So now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. I don't think Paul could say that any stronger. He is outraged by this teaching and to really understand why I think first we need to understand that in Paul's way of seeing the life of a Christian or the world, really, there are these two paradigms, these two ways of living. The first is to live by works under law and in the flesh. which will always produce bondage, unrighteousness and destruction. And the second is to live by faith under grace and in the spirit, which will always produce freedom, righteousness and life. And I just want to go through very quickly and just read some verses to help you see that language that comes out, particularly in the book of Galatians and also in some of his other epistles as well. Galatians 2, 16, he says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, for by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. Galatians 3, 2, did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Galatians 3, 11, the just shall live by faith. We can live either by means of works or we can live by means of faith. Secondly, speaking of living under law or grace, Galatians 4, 4, for God sent forth his son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law. Galatians 5, 18, but if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Romans 6, 14, for sin shall no longer be your master because you are not under the law, but under grace. You see, it's I think when it says under, it's talking about the domain or the reign of law or the domain or the reign of grace. In Romans five, he says, moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Thirdly, we can live in the motivating power of the flesh or of the spirits. Galatians 516 walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Galatians 5, 25, if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Galatians 6, 12, as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised. Romans 8, 9, but you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if indeed the spirit of God dwells in you. Romans 7 5, for when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered to serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. And there's no there's no mixing and matching of these either. In Galatians 3 12, yet the law is not a faith, but the one who does them shall live by one shall live by them. Galatians 318, but if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. And then also you notice the contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the spirit. And so, again, I say to you that in Paul's way of thinking, there are these two realms or these two paradigms in which it is possible to live. You can live by means of works under the reign and the domain of law and in the motivating power of your flesh. Or you can live by means of faith under the reign and the domain of grace and in the power of the Spirit. One of the two. And what Paul sees the Galatians doing is that they are turning from living by faith under grace and in the Spirit to law. And he sees them changing from one paradigm to another. And he is screaming at them, no, do not do that. It cannot be done. You cannot live by faith and by works. You cannot live under grace and under law. And you cannot live in the spirit and in the flesh. And he's telling them to turn back to the law is to turn away from Christ. And secondly, there are two devastating consequences of that. It is not it is we would to do that is to mean there is no justification and there is no sanctification. And he spends the first four chapters of this book, I think, focusing on the fact that turning to the law means not living by faith, not living under grace, and therefore there is no justification. And he spells it out in great detail and he sums it up at the beginning of Chapter five, where he says, Quite clearly, I indeed, I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become estranged from Christ. You attempt to be justified by law. You have fallen from grace. If you turn back to the law, you will not be justified. Because you are not living by faith, under grace and in the spirit. But secondly, and this I think we sometimes overlook, he's also saying that by turning to the law, there will be no sanctification either. And this, I think, is the heart that the these Judaizers, these false teachers are implying that what you need to really control the lusts of your flesh is the law. The way that you can grow in holiness and grow in your sanctification is you just need the law to come to apply some restraint, to do some works of righteousness through the law. And I would propose to you that Paul's whole point as he goes forward, he transitions to speaking about sanctification in verse 13 of chapter five, is you'll notice there is a warning. Inversely, he bookends this whole section about walking in the spirit with first in verse 15 and then also in verse 26. And he warns them, but if you bite and devour one another, beware, lest you be consumed by one another. And then in verse 26, he concludes it by saying, let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. And I think that what he is saying is if you turn to the law, you are going to be turning to living in the power of your own flesh. You will be powerless to control the lusts of your flesh. And these lusts will bear what he talks about in verses 19 through 21, the works of the flesh. And you will practice the works of the flesh and you will not inherit the kingdom of God. And you will become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. You will bite and devour one another and be consumed by one another. And in fact, if you look over in chapter six and verse 12, he points ahead to these false teachers and he's saying this has already happened to them. He says, as many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, these false teachers, they are striving to make a good showing in the flesh. And then he says they compel you to be circumcised only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. They don't want the other Jews persecuting them. That's the motivating factor. And then secondly, he says, for not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. They're motivated by pride because they want you to come be a part of their sect of religion. They want to win you for themselves to boast in it. Now, This is the crucial point for us. What I want you to see is that in this passage, Paul is talking about sanctification, he is talking about resisting the lust of the flesh and what he holds up as the key. Is right there in verse 16, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. It's not the law. The key to sanctification is not turning to the law. The key to sanctification is walk in the spirit. And if you're walking in the spirit, one, you won't be fulfilling the lust of the flesh. Right. And we know that it is the lust of the flesh, according to James, one that leads us into sin. So you won't be sinning. But secondly, if we look down at verse 22, he says, but the fruit of the spirit. is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And the clear implication is if you're walking in the spirit, you will bear the fruit of the spirit. I mean, these glorious graces will just. Grow from you that naturally it's not just superficial, it's not artificial, but really welling up from within, from your very heart, the way it fruit grows on a tree, you will bear love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. What a glorious picture of the benefit of walking in the spirit. And one other thing I just want to point out, the word for fruit there is singular. And the beauty of that is, you know, there's not all these different fruits that you sometimes show. I mean, the idea is it's all of these things together. It's not just personality traits. It's easy. Some people are just nice and they're kind of a pushover. And then other people, you know, they're all about the truth, but they kind of aren't particularly loving about it. But the beauty of this is, no, it's all of this Christlike character together. All at once. So. I hope that you feel the importance of walking the spirit. Secondly, I'd like to turn to the question of what does it mean to walk in the spirit? What does this terminology, what does this really mean? Well, first point that I think this is true in virtually all translations, but the the word spirit is capitalized and that that would be. telling you that the interpretation of the translators that this is not talking about your spirit that's within you, part of your humanity, but this is talking about the Holy Spirit of God who indwells you as a believer. And I think this is supported by Romans 8, 14, where it says, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. This leading of the Spirit, it's the Holy Spirit. Secondly, the language itself, we read in verse 18, but if you are led by the spirit, we read in verse 25, if we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit or if you have to keep in step with the spirits or in Ephesians chapter five, it says, and do not be drunk with wine in which is dissipation, but be filled with the spirit. And the idea here is that the spirit is to be a leading and a guiding and a controlling influence. You know, it's contrasted with drunkenness. Don't be drunk with wine, don't be controlled by alcohol, but be filled with the spirit, be led and be controlled and be empowered by the spirit. Thirdly, to walk in the spirit, it implies walking with or abiding in something. It connotates this under this idea of fellowship. It's saying walk with God in relationship, in union with God. And so to walk in the spirit would be to walk in the power, be in the power of God, in the will of God and in relationship with God. I love when we read about Enoch, a very mysterious figure from the very early days of the earth, but says after he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were 365 years and Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him. The only other thing we know about him is that he had this testimony that he pleased the Lord. It's just that picture of walking with God. And that is our privilege. As sons of God on this earth, we can walk with God. Or secondly, you know, the greatest example of all we could point to is our Lord Jesus Christ. Who we read about in Luke, chapter four, after he was baptized, it says, then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the spirit into the wilderness. being tempted for 40 days by the devil. And here we're reading about walking in the spirit to resist the lust of the flesh. And we know Jesus led in the spirit into the wilderness, resisted the temptation of the devil. And then he comes back, returning in the power of the spirit to Galilee and news of him went out through all the surrounding regions. And as you study the life of Christ, you see him constantly telling his disciples things like my food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. He is constantly directed and led by the will of God, by the spirit of God walking in the spirit. And so, again, what a high calling it is and what an amazing privilege it is And what a great result it has. But the the question I want to focus our attention on for the remainder of our time is the question, how do we do it? How do we walk in the spirit? And I would like to present to you four F's. There's some alliteration here, four things that we must do in order to walk in the spirit. And they are, first, we must fight a fight. We must walk in faith. We must walk in freedom. And we must walk in fellowship. So fighting a fight, walking in faith, walking in freedom, and walking in fellowship. Those four. We're going to walk through them one by one. You will see there is a great deal of overlap. It's not like you can do one without the others. They go together. But I think it'll be helpful to think about each of those four things individually. So first, in order to walk in the spirit, we must fight a fight. Look at verses 16 through 18 of our passage. Paul writes, I say, then walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 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. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law now. First of all, I think this sets forth very clearly that there is an internal battle in the heart of every believer. There are two influencing and motivating powers within the flesh and the spirit. And I think we already talked about what the spirit is. I think when Paul says flesh, he's using that to describe the the seat of all worldly, carnal and sinful desire residing in your heart. And these are in direct contradiction to one another. You know, first point to make this isn't to say there is no battle in the heart of an unbeliever. Sometimes people say that. And I think to myself, at what age were you converted? Because many of us who who became believers later can remember that there is a battle, but it's a different in the unbeliever. I would say it's the flesh versus the flesh and the flesh does have self contradictory desires. You know, the flesh wants the esteem of men, but the flesh also wants the things that cause men not to esteem it. There's there's self-contradiction that the unbeliever still has a conscience which accuses him and brings guilt. The unbeliever can still want to escape hell. And yet and so therefore, they want to keep the law of God, but they can't bring himself to carry that out and fulfill it. But here. When Paul is talking about the battle within a believer, there's a distinction, there's a difference. It's not a battle between flesh and flesh. It is a battle between the flesh and the Holy Spirit. It's not a battle between two competing interests which can somehow compromise because they have the common goal of the good of self. But it is a battle between two polar opposites which have no fellowship, no accord and absolutely nothing in common with one another. And so there can be no compromise. This is a battle in which both must necessarily be seeking to destroy and kill the other. It's that kind of battle. Secondly, we should recognize the degree of the fallenness of our flesh. I think there's a there's a tendency sometimes in verse 17 there when it says so that you do not do the things that you wish. is it sounds like we instantly we think of that in the context of, well, I have all these good desires to glorify God and to love other people. But my flesh is constantly preventing me from carrying those out. And I think that's true. But I don't think that's the main point Paul's making here, because in the context of what he's talking about is the spirit. Preventing us from fulfilling the lust of the flesh. I think the main focus here is Paul is saying that even you, even as a believer, your flesh still hates God, your flesh still loves the things of this world, your flesh still is proud, your flesh still desires things that are evil. And. And the point is that It is the law has no power to prevent that, but the spirit does. And so I think there's two. Oh, I also wanted to point out and notice. The works of the flesh. I mean, the the most godly believer on the face of the earth still has desires in his heart, which, if allowed to play out in works, would be the things in that list. I think that's the implication of what Paul is saying here. That the godliest person in this room still has the capacity for the worst evil. And I think there's two great pitfalls if we underestimate the fallenness of our own flesh. The first is some see their sinful desires and become so overwhelmed with guilt and the lack of assurance that they are stifled in their Christian walk. It's as if they expect that, well, once you're a believer, your flesh is just totally gone. And the reality is your flesh will be with you until the day you die. Do not be surprised by sinful desires, but you must fight against them. You must put them to death by the spirit. That's the solution. not to fall into this world of doubt and despair. Secondly, some, because they underestimate the flesh, are careless with the things they watch and hear, the places they go and the company they keep, as if they were immune to worldly snares or as if their flesh itself could be redeemed. And that would be the second pitfall. If we underestimate our flesh and we think we are above these works of the flesh, we will put ourself in situations, we will feed our flesh, we will allow ourselves to fall into places where we will stumble and we will sin. Scripture never speaks of redeeming or training or transforming our flesh, but of ruthlessly killing, starving and crucifying it. And if you look down at Galatians 5, 24, it says very clearly, and those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. In Romans 8, 13, it says, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. In Romans 13, 14, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires. And I think that verse is very helpful. You can picture if you're going to go on a backpacking or camping trip, you would make provisions for yourself. Right. You would bring along the food and the water you need. You bring provisions, says make no provisions for your flesh. Take nothing that your flesh can feed on. Don't look at things that are going to feed your flesh. Don't go places that are going to feed your flesh. Don't be around people that will feed your flesh. Anything in your life that's eating the flesh. Cut it out. Cut it out. And secondly. Not only do we remove it, but we replace it in verse 13 of Galatians 5. Paul says, for you, brothers, have been called to liberty. Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. One of the greatest ways to starve your flesh is to commit yourself to in love, serving others. Commit yourself and love to serving others. And finally, as we as we think about fighting this fight, recognize that it is not a fair fight. Many times there are folks that they picture the Christian as if he were Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as if the Christian was composed of these two equal but opposite natures in this battle and as if it were this equal fight. Brothers and sisters, that is not the picture we're given in the New Testament. Verse 24, those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. It's not a fair fight, the Holy Spirit is almighty God. He is greater and more powerful than your flesh. Now, when it says those who are Christ have crucified the flesh. It obviously doesn't mean that the flesh has no ability to that we have no more desires that that I think is established in verses 17. But I think what it does mean is that the death spike has already been driven. The victory is already won this life, the battles wage on, but the war is won. Christ really did win it all at the cross. And we are fighting a winning battle. Like the kingdom of God, I think there is an already but not yet aspect to this. And we need to see it that way. And we need to know that that God has given us the resources and the power to resist our flesh and to win this battle. It's a battle that will rage on until you die, but it is a battle which you have the resources to overcome fleshly desires. Secondly, how is this fight? To be waged in first Timothy, chapter six, we were told, fight the good fight of faith. So to walk in the spirit, we must fight a fight, but we also must walk in faith. At the beginning of Galatians five, he says, you have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law, you have fallen from grace for we through the spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus, neither circumcision or uncircumcision avails anything but faith working through love. And the first thing we need to realize is when we're thinking about walking in the spirit. Ask yourself the question, well, how did you receive the spirit in the first place? And if you look over in Galatians, chapter three, Paul is having this conversation with the Galatians, and he says, beginning in verse one, Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified. This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain? Therefore, he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Brethren, the way we walk in the spirit and the way the spirit was received in the first place and the way the spirit is continued to be supplied. Is not by the works of the law, but by the hearing of faith. And so if you are going to walk in the spirit, I would say that the the first thing you must do is when you open up this word. Hear it with faith, don't ask yourself, what great thing do I need to do so I can somehow start walking in the spirit? All you must do is hear this word from God and receive it by faith. And just as the spirit came and regenerated your heart and made you new and indwelt you when you became a believer. So the spirit comes as we open the word and we hear it by faith. And I would ask you just briefly three questions. Do you view God by faith? Do you really believe? that God loves you the way he says he does. And don't think to yourself, well, I'm so spiritual because I see how terrible I am and therefore God couldn't possibly love me. Brethren, that does nothing but minimize God. When God says he loved you so much as to send his son to bear your sin and to die for you, Do you believe that? Do you honestly believe that God loves you as he says he does, do you believe that God rejoices over you to do good? It's not a burden for him. He doesn't do it begrudgingly. He does it with joy because he loves you. If you live by works or by sight, you can't believe that. But when we live by faith, as it says in Romans 5, the love of God is poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. The Holy Spirit will come and will assure you that's true. God does love you as much as he says he does. Secondly, do you view yourself by faith? And I would just challenge some of you, if you think that who you really are is a sinful wretch. You're going to live like one. And one thing I'll point out just from this passage is there's some Bible translations that instead of the word flesh, they translate it sinful nature. And personally, I don't I don't think that's a good translation. I don't I don't like that terminology, because when we speak about our sinful nature, it connotates identity. And one of the things that I would challenge you to look for as you read the New Testament. Clearly, believers, we sin. Clearly, we are responsible. But that sin does not define you. You have been given a new identity. You know, when when when the epistles are written, Paul doesn't say to the sinners at Ephesus or to the forgiven sinners at Ephesus, he says to the saints. and all the charges to live a holy life. They're not grounded in saying, you know, well, you're a bunch of sinners, but you need to live like saints. They're always grounded in. Let me see if I can find my reference here. They're always grounded in things like, therefore, as the elect, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, meekness, etc. Be who you are. Reckon yourself to be dead indeed to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Realize the truth of who you are by faith. Don't look by sight at the things, you know, that this sin that still clings to you, but by faith, realize that that is a temporary reality that is passing away, that the outward man is passing away and the inward man is being renewed day by day. And who you really are as a son of God, a daughter of God now live like it. View yourself by faith, and secondly, we need to view one another by faith. Spouses view your your husbands and your wives by faith, not do not view them as being the way they're acting, but as being who God has made them to be in Christ. Third, do you view the world by faith? I used to greatly struggle with anger. Losing, especially in sports, brought it out the most, but also frustrating circumstances. And for me, realizing God is sovereign and God is working everything and intending it for my good. I mean, if you struggle with anger when you're you're stuck waiting for a train to pass, you're trying to get home from work. I mean, think for a moment, God's sovereign. For all you know, God had that train there. So the drunk driver didn't hit you and paralyze you. I mean, honestly, counsel yourself with the truth. There is a sovereign God working in all these circumstances. You're good. So to walk in the spirit, we must walk by faith. Thirdly, to walk in the spirit, we must walk in freedom. And this is a central theme throughout this chapter. Paul says, stand fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made us free and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. He says, every man who becomes circumcised is a debtor to keep the whole law. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty, he says, but if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. And they said the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law. And so to walk in the spirit means to walk in freedom, and in particular, it means freedom from the law. Now, it is not a freedom for licentiousness or freedom in the sense of antinomianism. Clearly, in verse 13, for you, brethren, have been called to liberty, only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh. In fact, it is a freedom to fulfill what the law demanded all along. Verse 14, for all the law fulfilled in one word, even in this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And then down in Galatians chapter six, verse two, he says, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. But at the same time, it is freedom from the mosaic law. He says, if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. He calls the law of Moses a yoke of bondage. In chapter five, verse one in chapter four, verse twenty four, he says, for these are the two covenants, the one from Mount Sinai, which gives birth to bondage. And and he says, Clearly in Galatians chapter 3 verse 12 speaking of the Mosaic law that the law is not of faith but the man who does them shall live by them. And I would answer you that as believers we are under a new law a new kind of law. It is it is a law that is a law of faith a law of grace and a law of freedom. You see this coming out in different places in the New Testament. James one, we read about the perfect law of freedom. So speak and so do it. And so do as those who will be judged by the law of freedom, a law in which mercy triumphs over judgment. And I think, as Paul puts it in Romans, chapter six, verse 14, for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law. But under grace. And brethren, we are under a new realm where there is freedom, and I just want to very quickly, I know we're we're getting late, but I want to run through some of the practical differences here. So one, when we are under the domain and the reign of grace instead of the domain and the reign of law, there is freedom from condemnation. It's not from expectation, but from condemnation. Romans 8 1, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. In in first Corinthians, chapter six. We read, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. But catch this, he says, and such were some of you. Brethren, such were some of us. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. You see, under law, there is a fearful and a certain expectation of judgment. But under grace, there's the glorious liberty of forgiveness. Secondly, there's freedom from guilt. In the realm of the law, you must make past wrongs right. You have a record which follows you. Under grace, there is no more record of wrongs. And some of you, you may know I'm forgiven, but you're still carrying this guilt. But the reality is that it was paid for, it wasn't just overlooked, it wasn't just forgiven, it was paid. Christ really did pay it all. You do not have to make up for it. Don't carry this debtor's ethic, which makes you think I have this record of wrongs, I somehow need to make right. They have been made right. They've been paid for. Paul can say, brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do for getting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I pressed for the goal for the prize of the upward call of God and Christ Jesus. What a liberty and a freedom. You can forget those things that are behind, but press forward to those things which are ahead. Thirdly, there is freedom from self-justification. Under law, the focus is on you, your performance, whether or not you measure up to a standard. Under grace, the focus is on others. You are already accepted. You are already secure. You are free to focus on others. For you, brethren, have been called to liberty, only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. There's freedom to serve others because we do not have to worry about justifying ourselves for there's freedom from failure. Under law, your performance dictates your identity. Under law, we are held in bondage by failure because it defines us. I think a great picture of that, if you've ever read the book, The Scarlet Letter. Under law, when you fail, there's a scarlet letter that goes with you. Under grace, your identity has nothing to do with your performance, but with what God has done for you in Christ. What a glorious freedom in that. Fifth, there is freedom from fear under law. You are constrained by fear of judgment. Under grace, you are constrained by love. Under law, the constraint is an external code of principles. Under grace, you are constrained by a loving relationship with the one who loved you and gave himself for you. You see, there is still fear. in sin, even under grace, but that fear is not driven by self-love and the fear of judgment, but that fear is driven by the love that Christ has for you and the fear of doing anything that would damage that relationship. So there's a freedom from fear. Six, there is freedom from the power of sin. Under law, there is weakness in the flesh. Under grace, there is the power of the spirit. You are not in slavery to sin anymore. Jesus can say whoever commits sin is a slave of sin, but if the sun sets you free, you shall be free indeed. In Romans 8, for what the law could not do and that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. So to walk in the spirit, we must walk in that freedom for which Christ has set us free. Fourthly and finally. Fellowship. To walk in the spirit, we must walk in fellowship. And as I said before, I think the very essence of walking in the spirit is walking in fellowship with God. And I would just challenge you, first of all, day to day, are you focused primarily on just doing the right thing? Or are you focused on serving and pleasing and knowing the person of Jesus Christ? Is it just about doing the right thing today? Or do you wake up in the morning and think, Lord Jesus, I want to please you and I want to serve you and I want to know you. And I confess, sometimes I open up his word and it's just about learning things and just about studying topics. But do we really expect to hear from God? Do we really believe this word is living and active that as we read it, God himself will speak to us. He will guide us. He will lead us. And when we pray, are we just focused on praying for our needs or are we ever just focused on being with God and just seeking to be with him? Next, I would say, are you committed to knowing God himself or just discerning his will? You know, it's really hard to figure out God's will for your life and where you're going to go to school and what job you're going to do and how you're going to raise your family and all these other things if that's all you're focused on and if you don't know God himself. But the more you concentrate on focus and focus on knowing God, the more you will know his will. As it says in Romans 12, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The more your mind is transformed by a knowledge of who God is, the more you will know his will. And finally, when or thirdly, when the spirit does direct and lead you or convict you, do you listen? Do you trust and obey the promptings of the spirit in your life or do you quench the spirit? Do you ignore it when the spirit is telling you and you know what he's telling you, but you don't want to do it because of your flesh or are you sensitive to the leading of the spirit? Do you trust and obey? And finally, I want to point out walking in fellowship with God requires walking in fellowship with one another. And first, John, we read this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. And then it says, but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all sin. And so to walk in the spirit requires and demands walking in the light which is in fellowship with one another. It requires transparency, it requires vulnerability, and it requires relationship not only with God, but with God's people. And the primary thing that the spirit will be leading you to do will be to be serving your brothers and sisters in Christ in love. to be bearing one another's burdens, to be confessing your sins and restoring one another in a spirit of gentleness, to be doing good to all, especially to those who have the household of faith. That's what the spirit will be leading you to do. And so to walk in the spirit requires walking in fellowship with one another. We need one another. So finally, brothers, let us give ourselves to walking, to fighting a fight, to walking in faith, to walking in freedom and to walking in fellowship, that we may walk in the spirit and that we may glorify God in all in all ways. Let's pray. Father, we do. Thank you, most of all, that we have been born of your spirit. And that we have this great privilege to walk in your spirit, I pray, Lord, that you would give us grace that we may do so. It's in Christ's name, amen.