Take a Walk

Sept. 29

Read: Gal. 5:16-26

Take a Walk

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh…But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (5:16,18)

There is a pretty intense battle that is being waged within each and every Christian…It is the battle between our “flesh” and the Spirit of God. Our “flesh” is opposed to the Spirit in everyday: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (v.17) This is the reason that we are often hindered or “stopped” from doing the good things that we desire to do. The law and the flesh correlate to one another. The Law came about precisely because of our sinful flesh…”Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made…” (v.3:19) So what does it look like for us - as Christians - to live out our Christian life in the midst of this battle?

The first step in the victorious Christian life is this: you must “walk by the Spirit”. (v.16) If our eyes are set on the Law, we are already playing by the rules of the “flesh”. We must learn what it is like to “walk in the Spirit”. Walking is genuinely a form of “controlled falling” when you think about it. We lean forward and lift up or feet enough that for a moment you fall until you are caught once again by your foot. One tiny surrender and fall after another… this is “one step at a time”… or “one foot in front of the other”. To walk in the Spirit is to willingly stop seeking to support yourself with the proverbial “foot” of your own understanding and ideas, and to let yourself “fall forward” into what the Lord has for you. It is “walking by faith” not by sight… trusting that the Spirit will catch you and lead you. (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7) We must begin to look to and listen to the Spirit of God within us, otherwise we are walking by “sight”… by “the law”… by the efforts of our flesh as opposed to the Spirit of God. Our flesh will NEVER birth anything of genuine spiritual value. When we try to walk by “the flesh” we end up exposing ourselves it the desires of the flesh and they take over. To be “led by the Spirit” is to NOT be led by the law / under the law. (v.18)

The lists of what the flesh looks like and what the Spirit looks like are pretty clear. Read them and I don’t think you will have any questions about what they are. (v.19-24) If you long for more of the fruits of the Spirit and less of the desires of the flesh… that is a pretty good sign that you are in Christ! And here is some more good news: “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (v.24) Jesus is putting to death our fleshly desires within us! He is changing our hearts and minds. He is transforming us into his likeness. We take confidence in this as we surrender… one tiny trust fall at a time… and walk in the Spirit.

One final thing… the Spirit has a “rhythm” … a cadence or pace if you will. have you ever tried to walk “with” someone? It is kind of hard, isn’t it? One person goes faster than the other… another person goes slow… the length of each step can be different… it is just complicated. It takes real intentionality to walk with someone. Sometimes it means SLOWING DOWN. Other times it means SPEEDING UP! I bet you all know what the Spirit is calling you to do today. Some of you need to pick up the pace and others need to rest and slow down! Whatever the case may be, we are seeking out and looking for the rhythm of the Spirit for us in our lives. That is why the scriptures say: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”(v.25) We have to keep in step! We have to keep moving. This language is NOT static… but active. We are MOVING IN STEP with God’s spirit. If we occupy our time seeking the Spirit, looking for HIS rhythms / steps, and walking with him… we will find ourselves less and less entrapped by the desires of our flesh! Here is to taking a walk… Here is to “repeated tiny trust falls” into the presence, direction, and purpose of the Spirit within us. Love you guys. - JDP