Title: Let Us Walk in the Spirit
Text: Gal 5: 25-6:3
Date: Sept 12, 2019
Place: SGBC, NJ
Subject: Let Us Walk in the Spirit
Galatians 5: 25: If we live in [and by] the Spirit, let us also walk in
[and by] the Spirit
Brethren, if we live in and by the Spirit
it is because from eternity, God the Father chose us in Christ freely by his
grace, not based on anything in us. Therefore,
the Son of God took flesh, bore all our burden of sin, justifying us freely by
his precious blood. Therefore, God the
Holy Spirit gave us life, creating a new man in us in the righteousness and
holiness of Christ our Savior by forming Christ in us. So now we live in and by
the Spirit of God.
Galatians 5: 25: If we live in [and by] the Spirit, let us also walk in
[and by] the Spirit.
Depending entirely upon the Spirit of God,
let our outward walk be in the fruit of the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love”
therefore let us walk in love. Let us
walk in “joy”. Let us walk in “peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness”
Let us walk by “faith.” Let
us walk in “Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law (Gal 5: 22). Paul is speaking of walking in the fruit
of the Spirit as opposed to walking in our flesh which is what he says next.
Galatians 5: 26: Let us not be desirous of
vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
False preachers had come declaring the lie
that in addition to Christ, believers must keep the law. And
the preaching of the works of the law does nothing but feed man’s sinful flesh:
producing a prideful, holier than thou attitude which is harsh toward those who
stumble in sin. The flesh desires
vain glory: to be praised by men as being holier, wiser, for separating themselves
from the sinful. This provokes and
promotes envy. This is why Paul
told them earlier, “But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye
be not consumed one of another” (Gal 5:15).
Brethren, we depend upon the Spirit to walk in the Spirit to put
off the old man. But scripture says we can “quench the spirit” (1 Thess 5:
19). He is not speaking of God the
Holy Spirit; he is irresistible; we are sealed/preserved by the Spirit unto the
day of redemption. But we can cause ourselves
to grow weak in the fruit of the Spirit by feeding our flesh, by setting our
affection on things below. We need the
Spirit of God to make us put on the new man.
But scripture also says we are to “stir up” the gift within us by
setting our affection on things above (2 Tim 1:6).
Every morning before we walk out the front door to meet the day we
get dressed. Brethren, we should be as afraid to leave our
house each morning without first putting on the new man, setting our hearts on
Christ, as we would be to walk out the front door without putting on our
clothes! Without having our heart set on
Christ, we will not recognize and gain spiritually from the things God brings
before us throughout the day. We may profit carnally in things but if we gain
nothing spiritual we profited nothing! Christ
said, “Abide in me and I in you for without me ye can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).
Spiritual mindedness is especially needful so that we walk in the
Spirit when a brother is overtaken in a sin.
That is Paul application of this exhortation.
Galatians 6: 1: Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which
are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering
thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2: Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ. 3: For if a man think himself to be something, when
he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Proposition:
If we live in the Spirit, let us endeavor to always be spiritually minded so when
a brother/sister is overtaken in a fault, we will walk in the Spirit rather
than our flesh.
RESTORE THE FALLEN
Galatians 6:
1: Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore
such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
To walk in the spirit is to
restore the fallen in the spirit of meekness.
“Brethren, if a man”—if
a brother or sister in Christ. This applies to us as the family of God: in the church,
in our homes and if we work with brothers and sisters.
“If a man be overtaken in
a fault”—if a brother or sister fall
into some sin, even it be against you and offend you, forgive them and restore
them, even it be seven times in a day.
Christ said, “If he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and
seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive.
(Lu 17: 4) How many times does
Christ forgive me in a day? Does
he set conditions? Only repentance!
Grace and love gives brethren
the benefit of the doubt. Law looks upon
sins as crimes to be punished. Grace and
love looks upon them as weaknesses needing our help. Is there any condition when a brother needs the
love of a brethren as much as when overtaken in a sin? We weep with a brother when their loved ones
die or when they lose a job. How sad if
our sympathies die when they are overtaken in a sin! No matter how offensive my brother’s sin may
be, even against me, Lord give me grace to look upon it as a weakness needing
my help.
“Ye which are spiritual,
restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.” This is a more
specific way of saying what he just said, “if ye live in the Spirit, let us walk
in the Spirit, not desiring vain glory, provoking one another, envying one
another.” Every believer born again
of the Holy Spirit is spiritual. We live
in and by the Spirit. But we do not always
walk in the Spirit. Even the most mature
believer is not always spiritually minded due to our sinful flesh. If I am not in a spiritual frame at the time
my brother is overtaken then in my dealings with him, I, too, will walk in the
flesh—especially if he has sinned against me.
It is easy to see the lawmonger walk in the flesh, who thinks he
fulfills the law and wants all to see. In
his dealings with the fallen he seeks vain glory—to be seen as better, as wiser,
as holier by his harsh condemning words, by separating himself from the fallen. It is sinful flesh that wants to separate from
the fallen so others will see them as holy and hating sin. “Pharisee” means separate ones. There is only one place “holier” is used between
one sinner and another. God said of
sinners who said such things, “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to
me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that
burneth all the day” (Is 65: 5). But judging and condemning only provokes and stirs up
envy—biting and devouring one another
But brethren it is not just the legalist, if
we are in a fleshly mind, then when a brother is overtaken in a fault, especially
if we are offended we will seek vain glory.
We will provoke and envy. Brethren, this is why at all times, we
should “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Mt 6: 33). This is why we should “set our affection on
things above, not on things of this earth” (Col 3:2). So at all times we can help a brother
overtaken in sin.
“Restore such a one”—the flesh always wants to divide; the new spirit which
is of God, by the grace of God, endeavors to keep unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace. When a son or daughter
or family member has broken a bone, we do not whip them. We try to comfort them while we take them to
the physician. That is what we are to do
to a fallen brother. Speak kindly. While restoring them to the great Physician.
“In the spirit of meekness”—
the spirit of humility. It is the Spirit of our Lord. Our Master said, “Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Mt 11: 29). We find these two phrases together several
places in scripture such as “With all lowliness and meekness” (Eph 4:2) It shows us they are synonymous words.
In the beatitudes (Mt 5: 3-5)
our Lord said first, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” The Holy Spirit gives a sense of my
insufficiency and nothingness. Then
“blessed are those who mourn”; with a poor spirit comes sorrow over my sins
against God. Then “blessed are the meek”; the one in whom the Spirit of
God has produced a sense of nothingness is brought into the dust before God in humbleness
of spirit.
That
is why Paul defines it with this next word in our text, “Considering thyself
lest thou also be tempted. Notice
verse 3, “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he
deceiveth himself.” This will help me be
spiritually minded, let me consider I am nothing; let me consider how sinful I
am, how easily I am overtaken in sin, lest I be tempted to exalt myself to the
seat of a judge and master. James said, “My
brethren, be not many masters…For in many things we offend all” (Ja 3:1,3). Let me consider how Christ deals
with me—in mercy, grace, longsuffering, kindness, forgiveness—"be
ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ’s sake hath forgiven” (Eph 4:32).
Let me consider that brother and I are one with Christ as members in
Christ’s body so that what I do to him I do to Christ!
Brethren,
if we are not in a spiritual state of mind, then we would do well to stop and
consider to remind ourselves that we are nothing; remind ourselves we are
sinners saved by grace, freely forgiven for Christ’s sake; remind ourselves our
only righteousness and holiness is Christ; remind ourselves the only reason we
are not in the fault too is by God’s keeping hand; then Christ’s love will constrain
us to be gentle in dealing with the fallen.
BEAR THE BURDEN
Galatians 6: 2
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Paul says to those in Galatia
who desired to be under law, “Do you want a law to be under? Then here is the law for the believer to be
under, the law of Christ, the law of love which bears the burden.” Christ bore the burden of all my sin and shame. He bore its punishment, the wrath of God,
forsaking of God. And not just my sin
but all God’s elect.
1 Peter
2:24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.
Why did Christ bear such a
heavy burden for all his elect?—“Love beareth all things!” (1 Cor 13:
6,7)
1 John 4: 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought
also to love one another.
Galatians 2: 19: For I through the law am dead to the law, that I
might live unto God. 20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21:
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the
law, then Christ is dead in vain.
The man who wants the world
to see that he lives by the law, claiming zeal for Christ’s glory, when he uses
the law to lay heavy burdens on a fallen believer, to whip and condemn and
separate himself, shows that he has not even begun to keep the law.
Galatians
5: 14: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself.
By God’s grace, if we live in
the Spirit, then we are under the law of Christ—
John 13: 34 A new
commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another. 35 By
this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another.
Love doesn’t have to have laws written out in the
letter, love is written on the heart. Love
needs no taskmaster. Love is its own rule—the
love of Christ constrains us. The love
of Christ in the heart controls our whole body making us bear whatever burden
necessary for brethren with whom we are one!
Their suffering is our suffering so we do unto them as we would have
them do unto us!
“For,
brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an
occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” As brothers
and sisters in God’s family and in our own—"If we live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in the Spirit. Let
us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Let us take time to consider
ourselves so as to be spiritually minded then let us bear our fallen brother or
sister’s burden of sin as our very own. Let us minister to their needs in
meekness as our own flesh and blood. Let
us not give them conditions but let us forgive their faults even as God for
Christ’s sake has forgiven ours—seventy times in a day! Let us
help one another to be restored to Christ.
In other words, let us love one another, as Christ also loved and gave
himself for us.
Amen!