The Power Of Discipleship

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law" (Gal. 5:16-18).

Each of us is serving someone today. Who are you serving?

We are either serving our sinful nature, influenced by Satan, or our spiritual nature, influenced by the Holy Spirit of God. One produces death; the other produces life.

We must realize that sin is not only doing that which is wrong; it is also doing that which we think is right in our own strength. Being led by God's Holy Spirit is the only way God intended for us to live. If we are not walking in the Spirit, we will gratify the desires of our sinful nature.

The problem of walking in the Spirit is not how to walk, but how to keep walking in the Spirit. It's not hard to tell anyone how to walk in the Spirit. In fact, it can be taught in three simple points:

1. Fully come to terms with, accept, and forever settle in your mind what God says took place on the Cross of Christ regarding you and your old man – your old nature is dead and your new nature is in Christ Jesus; you were bought with a price, your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit - who is in you - whom you have received from God, and that you are not your own.

2. Yield to the indwelling life of Jesus Christ who has come to live in you through the Holy Spirit.

3. Expect Him to live His life through you and moment-by-moment walk in the Spirit. This is a both an active choice and a discipline that bears much fruit.

The degree to which you are walking in the Spirit can be measured by the degree in which you manifest the character traits of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, be careful not to confuse your subjective feelings with the Spirit's leading. As a born-again believer, being led by the Holy Spirit involves:
• obeying God’s Word and the Holy Spirit – they will always be in agreement – there are no exceptions to this standard;
• your desire to hear and obey the Holy Spirit;
• learning to discern the Holy Spirit’s voice and your feelings – one is objective, the other subjective.

If we rely on our own wisdom, common sense, or emotions we will not make Kingdom of God choices. If we try to follow the Spirit by our own human effort, we will fail. The only way to freedom from evil desires is through our learning to discern His Holy voice, obeying His Word, and being empowered by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; Ephesians 4:23, 24; Colossians 3:3-8).

We are to live each day controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Fruit of the Spirit
The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22,23) is the spontaneous work of the Holy Spirit in you - these character traits are found in the very nature of Christ and are the result of Christ being in control of your life. For instance, as hard as you might try, you can’t produce Holy Spirit empowered patience - you are either patient because Christ is in control, or you are not. If not, then the patience you are presenting is a counterfeit expression and will always fall short of God’s intended purpose. To fully develop these character traits, we must: “Remain in me [Jesus], and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 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 15:4,5 – brackets mine)

If you are a born-again believer, there should be an ever-increasing measure of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in your life. As a new creation in Christ you will continue to wrestle with your sin nature. You will, however, continue to grow in grace and become more like Jesus. Ultimate perfection and freedom from sin will only come when you finally stand in the presence of the Lord.

Works of the flesh
All Christians have evil desires and they simply cannot be overlooked. There is only one means to realizing true freedom and that is to crucify those desires (Galatians 5:24). Jesus tells us that it is from within, out of our heart, that evil thoughts flow: “For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'" (Mark 7:21-23). This also includes sins such as gossip, jealousy, strife, division, selfish ambition, and hatred. Those who ignore such sins or refuse to deal with them over time reveal that they are not walking in the Spirit.

It is simply incongruous to say you are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit if you practice acts of the sinful nature such as sexual immorality, impurity, lust, hatred, discord, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, dissension, arrogance, envy, murder, idolatry, witchcraft, drunkenness, wild living, cheating, adultery, homosexuality, greed, stealing, and lying.

Because you are saved, every area of your life – physical, mental, emotional, social, home, ministry, and work – should show it.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).

Live Christ Deliberately!

Doug Morrell