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Sunday, July 5

“Follow The Spirit”

Galatians 5:16-26

By Jim Burnett

Do you remember as a child playing the game follow the leader? Wherever the designated leader went you went. Whatever the designated leader did you did.

Today’s lesson focuses on the importance of Christians following the leader: the Holy Spirit. To be sure, His guidance always leads us toward God and unto godliness.

Walk Behind The Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18)

Since Pentecost, the Holy Spirit of God is not only with the Christian in every life endeavor, He actually dwells inside of the Christian, functioning as a spiritual guide and compass. Our task is to daily allow the Spirit to not only be resident in our lives but president of our lives.

Paul encouraged the Galatians to walk by the Spirit and by doing so they would overcome fleshly tendencies. Walking by the Spirit simply means yielding our hearts, souls, minds, and bodies to godly purposes. Consequently when a believer is full of the Spirit, he or she will have little or no room for fleshly pursuits. There is a direct correlation between our obeying the spirit and our ability to overcome personal sin.

How do we know when we are being led of the Spirit or walking behind the Spirit? The Holy Spirit always guides us toward God-honoring actions and attitudes, never leading us to do anything contrary to the character of Christ and the standards of God.

Avoid Forbidden Trails (Galatians 5:19-21)

Paul delineated to the Galatians the perverted paths and forbidden trails they should avoid if they desired to honor God. He gives a litany of activities to be shunned by Christ followers. Perusing verses 19-21, you will see a portrait of a person who is completely out of God’s will and who shows no signs of a personal relationship with Christ. It is a character sketch of someone unattached to Jesus.

The Holy Spirit always directs believers down the pathway of holiness and the trail of truth. But when you stray from The Way, and we all do at times, the Holy Spirit will flag you down, warn you of treacherous roads ahead, and reroute you back to the narrow path of obedience.

Study Paul’s list of dishonorable activities of the godless and allow the Holy Spirit to do a character scan of your heart. If something surfaces in your life that is displeasing to God, confess it and abandon it immediately.

Display All The Spirit’s Fruit (Galatians 5:22-26)

Paul paints a perfect portrait of what a healthy, normal Christian looks like in verses 22-26. Interestingly these passages epitomize the life Christ lived while on earth. Through His words and His actions He bore all the fruit of the Spirit, and so should we.

When your life is under the direction and influence of the Holy Spirit you will love unconditionally; you will have deep joy; you will possess a peace that defies comprehension; you will practice patience; you will be kind; you will possess moral goodness, you will be faithful; you will be gentle; and you will demonstrate self-restraint. In other words, you will be a living fruit stand for Jesus, daily displaying to the world Christ-like character and behavior.

The fruit of the Spirit should generate from all Christians not just a few. The ability to produce this godly fruit has been given to all of God’s children at spiritual birth. But again the bearing of this fruit in our lives is proportionate to our obedience to Christ. Jesus said “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NIV).

As you inventory the fruit of the Spirit in your life, which characteristics are missing? Is your love for others qualitative? Are you waiting for some people to measure up to your expectations before accepting them? How are you doing in the area of joy? Have you allowed the circumstances of your life to overwhelm you and put you in a fog of depression? What about patience? Are you angry at God’s timing in your life? Check out each piece of spiritual fruit Paul mentions in verses 22-26 and determine whether or not you are displaying such fruit in your life. After all, as someone has said, being children of the King, shouldn’t we bear a family resemblance?

Burnett is pastor of Willow Pointe Church, Hattiesburg.