Walk in the Spirit!

We're going to read verse one and then we'll pick up reading in verse 13 of Galatians chapter five. Galatians five one and then to verse 13. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Verse 13, for brethren, you have been called under liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh.

But by love serve one another. For all the laws fulfilled in one word even this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if you abide and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another. This I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary, the one to the other.

So that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the spirit, you are not under the law. Now, the works of the flesh are manifest which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. Of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such, there is no law.

And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affliction, affections, and lust. 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's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word today.

Lord, please direct in the message. Please give us understanding. Please take away the distractions. Please, Lord, use your word today. The way that will conform us more to the image of your son, Jesus Christ, that will strengthen us in our faith.

That will convict us of our sin. Lord, that will challenge us in our service for you. In all things, Lord today, we ask that Jesus Christ would be exalted. For that is our utmost desire. And we pray Lord that as he is exalted, that he would do a work in our life today.

To mold us more into his image, to make us a testimony glorifying unto him. In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen. Galatians five and verse one to begin with this morning, we have Paul's exhortation. Paul's exhortation.

He says, stand fast in the liberty where with Christ hath made us free. Stand fast. The word stand fast means to stand unmovable, unshakable, to stand sure, to stand confidently. Paul says to those he writes in the church of Galatia, he said, stand fast, stand confidently. In the liberty of your salvation.

Wherewith Christ has made you free in his son, Jesus Christ, who in dying on the cross, took upon himself the punishment for your sin and nailed those things to his cross. Shedding his blood that we might be pardoned and forgiven forever. The church where I was youth pastor, we did a musical one time for Easter. The name of the musical was Forgiven Forever. Forgiven Forever.

And isn't it wonderful? To be forgiven forever in Jesus Christ, our savior. Not just forgiven today, not just forgiven for the sins of the past but to know that in Christ Jesus because his blood, his innocent, righteous blood is applied to our account before God in heaven. We are forgiven forever through faith in him. We have been given liberty from slavery and bondage to sin.

We've also been given liberty. From the law of Moses. In Christ Jesus. We walk by faith and not by sight. We live and are saved by grace and not by the works of the law.

We are not saved by the works of the law. No one is saved by the works of the law. No one can ever be saved by the works of the law. For the works of the law of Moses simply point out the fact that we are what? That we're sinners and that we don't cut it.

Ephesians two eight nine, for by grace are you saved through faith. By grace, God giving to us that which we do not deserve. Are you saved by faith? It is a gift of God not of what? Not of works, lest any man should boast.

The Bible makes it clear. We're saved by faith. We are not saved by works. Look if you would in Galatians two sixteen, the same letter here that Paul wrote. In Galatians two sixteen, he says, knowing this, that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by the faith of Jesus Christ.

Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified, that is declared innocent or guiltless by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Look if you would in chapter three verses two and three. Chapter three, we'll start in verse one. Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?

That you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently clearly set forth. Crucified among you. This only what I learn of you. He said, I only ask you this, answer this question. Received you the spirit that is the holy spirit by the works of the law or but by the hearing of faith.

He said, which is it? Did you receive the Holy Spirit? Did you receive salvation? By the works of the law or but by the hearing of faith, by faith in Christ. He says, verse three, are you so foolish?

Having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh? Paul says, the answer to verse two, the question verse two is this, and you know it. You weren't saved by the works of the law. Paul says, you were saved by what? You were saved by faith.

You knew that. He said, why are why have you allowed others to confuse you? In the believing that having been saved by faith, you are sanctified by works. Or your faith is secured or salvation is secured by works. You're saved by faith, sanctified in faith, secured in faith.

Not by works. There were those who Paul calls Judaizers who had come into the church at Galatia and were telling the people, oh that's great. Yes, you receive Jesus Christ as the Messiah but now, you have to be circumcised and follow the laws of Moses in order to be sanctified and secure in your salvation and the people were confused. Paul called this another gospel because it was adding something to faith. What was it adding?

Was adding works. So, don't be misled. Paul warns them. We're not saved by works. We're saved by faith.

We don't, we're not sanctified and secured by works. We're sanctified and secured by the one in whom we put our faith. Who is that? That's Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ.

Look, if you want in verse 11, he says there, but that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall what? Live by faith. We're saved by faith. We're given eternal life in Christ by faith and we're continue to live as Christians by what? By faith.

Look if you would in chapter four verses four to six. Verses four and five will be familiar to you. Verse six, maybe not quite as much but when the fullness of time was come, when the time was right, God sent forth his son. Made of a woman, Mary, made under the law. To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, and because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying, Abba Father.

Paul says to them when the time was right, when the appointed time came, God sent his son, Jesus. He was born of a woman just as prophesied all the way back to Genesis three fifteen, the seed of the woman. He was born a human being. That's the incarnation. For Jesus was both God and man.

He was born under the law that is under the law of Moses as a Jew. To redeem them that were under the law. Condemned by it. As we are all Jew and Gentile alike. To redeem them means to purchase or to buy them back.

We were bound in sin. Condemned by the law with no way of escape. But when Jesus came, he provided what? He provided that way of escape. He came to pay the penalty for sin that we couldn't pay.

Now, let's say that you decided to steal one of the cars in the parking lot and you tore out of the parking lot and police were called and they caught you. Some of those cars out there like mine, you would really be foolish to steal in the first place but anyway, you probably wouldn't get very far. My van right now, if you go more than about 20 miles, it overheats. So, you'd you'd really be in in for a shock. But the police catch you, bring you before the judge, and they say, okay, now, here's the deal.

You serve jail time or you pay, let's say, dollars 500,000 fine. Now, if that's me, I'm not having a $500,000 fine to pay. I don't have that kind of money. I can't pay it. What's my only other option?

Jail time. You see, here's the problem. We're sinners. We have broken God's law. There's a penalty to be paid.

We do not have the wherewithal to pay it. We're not righteous. We're sinners. Though we try hard to change that, we just go on what? Sinning.

We can't pay the penalty. Therefore, we have to do the time except the penalty for sin is hell and the time is how long? Forever, eternity. Jesus Christ came the righteous son of God and he paid the penalty on Calvary's Cross. He paid the penalty for all of us and if we will receive his offer of salvation and redemption.

Through him, through faith in him. Then, that price that he paid will be put in our account towards who? Towards God. So, that our penalty will be paid. Thus, we are redeemed and justified in Christ and we do not have to pay that penalty where?

In hell for all eternity. That's what Jesus did for us. And we're not saved because we're such a good person. Or we will ever be worthy of that in this life because the fact is, we will never be worthy of that. In this life.

It it were saved because only Christ is worthy and he gave his life in our behalf. Wherefore, we have received the Holy Spirit that testifies in our hearts that we are the what? We are the children of God. Praise God. God has given us the spirit.

We'll come back to that in a moment. The example that is set forth, set forth in Galatians and also set forth in Romans is the example of Abraham. How was Abraham saved? Well, was Abraham saved by the works of the law? Well, wait a second, when did the law come?

The law of Moses. They came with who? With Moses, okay? Which live first? Abraham or Moses?

Abraham, four hundred plus years. Abraham lived before Moses. So, Abraham lived before the law but yet the Bible said, Abraham was justified before there ever was the law of Moses. So, how was Abraham justified if he lived four hundred and some years before the law of Moses came? Well, he was justified the same way we are.

He was justified by faith. Turn hold your place in Galatians. Turn over to Romans chapter four. Romans chapter four. People ask me this a lot.

Said, how are people saved in the Old Testament? Same way we are. There is no way to be saved without what? Thou faith. In reference to Enoch who lived just a few generations from Adam, It says, that he was in Hebrews 11, saved by faith.

He pleased God how? By faith and without faith, it is impossible to please God. That was true for Enoch who was not for God took him. He was taken to heaven. He walked with the Lord.

Does that mean he was perfect? No. That means he walked in the spirit. He walked according to the word. He walked not by works.

He he walked by faith in the Lord. As did Abraham. Romans chapter four verse one, what shall we say then that Abraham, our father is pertaining to the flesh hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof the glory but not before God. For what saith the scripture?

Abraham, Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now, to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also described the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputed righteousness without works. Saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

Well, how does that happen? Well, that happens when we put our what? Faith in Jesus Christ and we are redeemed and we're forgiven for how long? Forever. Forgiven forever.

As Abraham was, according to his faith. Salvation is not a matter of works of something to be earned as of debt here as he says. If you work for somebody for wages, then they owe you a debt. They owe you wages. Does God owe us anything?

No, God owes us nothing. Salvation is not by works. We could never earn it if it were but salvation is by grace. God doesn't owe us salvation. God has chosen because of his love for us to freely give it to us by his grace.

If we will but receive it. That's how Abraham was saved. That's how we're saved. We're saved by faith. And then not only are we saved by faith but our salvation is secured and perfected.

By the Lord in whom we have put faith. Look if you went over to first Peter one three to five. This is one of my favorite passages of scripture. Jeremy, you should have this on your Jeremy has a few of my passages on on quick thing. All he has to do is hit the button and it pops up because I use certain passages about once every other week.

This is probably one of em. First Peter one three to five. Here it is. Blessed is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively or living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Two, an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and that paid it not away reserved in heaven for you.

Who are kept by, what's the next word say? Bear with me. Kept by the. Power. Power of God.

Our inheritance and our salvation are kept by the power of God. Kept by the power of God through faith. Does it say through works? No, through faith. Unto salvation ready to be revealed in that last time.

We haven't, we're not standing on the shores of heaven yet. We haven't experienced the full salvation of both body, spirit, mind, soul, and body. I'm still in this body. It still craves the wrong things. We'll get to that in just a moment but one day, the Bible says, when I see him, I shall be what?

I shall be like him. I'll be without sin. On that day and I can be assured that that day will come because I am kept by the power of God through faith in Jesus Christ, his son. Paul is concerned for these new converts. Some of whom he led to the Lord in Galatia that they are being misled by those who are trying to convince them that thus they were saved by faith but they're not secure without works.

They have to live a certain way. They have to do it just this way. They have to cross their Ts and dot their Is just so or they're just not secure. That's not what the scripture says. Second Timothy 112 says, for the which cause also I suffer these things, Paul writes, nevertheless, I am not ashamed.

For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able. Paul says, I know whom I have believed. Who is that? That's Jesus Christ and I am persuaded. I know that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day.

What is it that Paul had committed into the hands of the Lord against the day of judgement? His soul. His soul. Paul says, I've committed my soul, my eternity to the hands of Jesus Christ and I know that he is able to keep me till that day. Not me to keep me by my works but he who has promised.

We're not saved by the works of the flesh and keeping of the law nor we kept by them but by the grace of God alone wherein we have been forgiven and sealed by the holy spirit of promise, he has given us as the earnest of our inheritance in heaven. The Bible calls the holy spirit in Ephesians the earnest of our inheritance. What does that mean? What's a down payment? We can know that we have a place reserved in heaven for us because he has given to us his what?

His spirit which is a piece of heaven. A piece of his own nature, of his own self, living inside of us, who has our earnest, our down payment that assures us. Of our home in heaven. That we've already received here. Do we deserve it?

No. Can we work for it? To get it? No. It's received by grace through faith.

Do we keep it by working in the works of the flesh or following the works of the law? The answer is no. It has been given to us. So, Paul says, therefore, stand fast, stand secure, stand confident in the promises and the power of God. And the spirit that he's given you.

And not in the works of the flesh. Let's say that my son, David, was 16 and and I had all kinds of money and I gave him a new car, okay? And I said, here, David, this is your car. I give it to you. And and he he looked at me and said, okay, what do I gotta do?

That nothing. He said, well, how am I going to pay you back? You don't have to. It's a gift. Here, take it.

And he stood there and he argued with me and he argued with me and he never drove the thing because he was too busy arguing with me about what he had to do to pay for it. When it was already what? When it was already paid for. You see, sometimes Christians don't get this. Don't fully understand how secure we are in Jesus Christ and they spend all their time arguing with God about what they gotta do to pay for.

It's already paid for. It's already secured. Get in the car and drive it. Live your life for Jesus Christ. It's already paid for.

You don't have to pay for it. The fact is, you can't pay for it. That's why he paid it for you. So, we see Paul's exhortation. Stand fast.

Stand confident in the liberty where with Christ has made you free. Now, look if you would down to verse 13 Now, look if you would down to verse 13 of Galatians five. He says, for brethren, we have been called under liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another. Paul says, stand fast in the liberty where with Christ hath made you free.

We're saved by grace. We live by faith and not by the works of law but this also comes with a prohibition. We have the exhortation stand fast. Now, here we have the prohibition. Yes, you are saved by grace through faith.

You have been set free. You are at liberty from the law of Moses but please, I beg of you. I plead with you. Don't use that liberty to satisfy the lust of the flesh. Don't use that liberty to give an occasion to the flesh to reassert itself in your life.

And to live to fulfill the lust of the flesh rather than to fulfill the will of God. I've said this before. I say this now again. We're we are saved from sin and hell. But God didn't just save us.

To save us from sin and hell. He saved us to be glorified in our life where? Here. Else, we would already be where? We would already be in heaven.

We would already be in heaven but we're still here which means God wants to be glorified in your life and in mine. He has a will for your life. Which now belongs to who? Belongs to him because you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit which are his.

First Corinthians six nineteen and twenty. Only do not use, Paul says, that liberty or the grace of God whereby you have been freed and allow the flesh an opportunity in your life. Turn if you would to Romans six. Romans six. Paul addresses that same issue here.

The Romans or somebody had said to him, well, if you're saved by grace and you're saved by faith and not by works and you're secure in Christ Jesus by grace through faith and his power, that means you can do whatever you want. And it doesn't matter. You ever heard that? I've heard that many times. People don't find out I'm a baptist.

One of the first things they ask me. Well, if you're secure in Christ, if you can't lose your salvation, well, that means you can do anything you want. It doesn't matter. Well, people ask Paul that same question. So, let's see how Paul handled the answer to the question, alright?

Let's look at verses one and two. He said, what shall we what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein?

Look if you would down to verse 11. He says, likewise, reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield you your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but you'll yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. We could continue in the passage but Paul's argument basically is this, before you were saved, you were dead to God and alive to what?

Sin and you served sin. Your instruments of your body were used to fulfill the lust of the flesh and of sin. But he said, when you got saved, you were made alive to who? God and you are to reckon yourselves what? Dead to what?

Sin. Before we were saved, our master was the devil in sin. Now that we're saved, our master is who? God. We serve a new master and so now that you serve a new master, it only makes sense that we should do those things that are his will and that bring glory to him.

Let's say that you had a job and a first job, you worked for, oh, I don't know, a restaurant. And you worked in this restaurant and you were told to cook things this way and serve people this way, okay? And but you left that job for a better job at another restaurant. So, you went to this better job at this other restaurant and now at that restaurant, you're told to do things a different way. What are you going to do?

Are you going to continue to do things the way you did at the other restaurant? Are you going to change the way you do things to do them now the way that your new employer tells you at this restaurant? Well, it's an obvious answer. If you want to if you want to do a good job, be a good employee, you're going to do those things that you're told here because you have a new what? A new boss, a new job, a new master.

Well, in Jesus Christ, we have a new what? We have a new master. We have a new life. That illustration I gave far falls very far from illustrating what we have in Christ Jesus. And who we are in him.

We're a new person and it only makes sense that as a new person with a new master, a new opportunity that we now do those things that are the will of God and that bring glory to him. Not because we have to earn the right to be his child or have to earn the right to stay his child but because we are his child. You see, David and Joshua were born into my home. They are my children. Did they have to earn that right?

Do they have to earn the right to remain my children? No, they don't. They are my children. They will remain my children and I will love them as my children. They don't have to earn that.

Well, the same thing is true of us. When we enter God's family by faith and are born again. We become his what? His children. And now as his children, we don't have to earn the right to stay his children but as his children, do we have responsibilities?

Does he have a will for us? Do we owe him in that? Do should we bring glory to him who has given us life? Yes, we should. So, the answer is, well, if you're saved by faith and you're kept by faith and you're eternally secure in Christ Jesus, you can do whatever you want is this, if you're secure in Christ Jesus, you're saved by faith, you're a child of God, you're part of God's family now, you have a wonderful privilege, opportunity, and responsibility.

To live for him. And if you're a child of God today, you know this. You didn't have to be taught it. You know this and you desire to please him. Sometimes, the desires of the flesh get in the way but in your heart, you desire to do the things that bring glory to your Lord and not the other.

And Paul reminds them here, he says, yes, stand fast in your liberty but don't use that liberty as an opportunity to bring dishonor to your Lord. Look if you would in first Corinthians chapter six. First Corinthians six, look if you would in verse nine. First Corinthians six nine. He says, know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Be not deceive neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkers, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. Those whose lives are defined by these terms before almighty God will not go where? They will not go to heaven. These who practice these things whose lives are defined by them in the eyes of God cannot enter heaven because sin cannot enter heaven but look if you would in verse 11 and such were what? Some of you.

This is these things define who you were before you came to Christ but but you are washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. You are sanctified. That means set apart unto God through faith in Jesus Christ, your Lord but you are justified. You've been declared guiltless in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the spirit of our God. He said, you were these things.

These things no longer define who you are. You are redeemed in who? You are redeemed in Christ Jesus and you are secure in him. And he goes on to say, here in other places, now that you have been redeemed and you have been washed and you have been sanctified, don't live like those who are not. Don't live like those who are not.

Walk in the spirit that God has given you. And not in the flesh. Although the flesh is a defeated foe, it will not go down without a fight. It opposes us every day in doing the will of God. We must not yield to it.

Look if you would in Romans seven fourteen. Romans seven fourteen. Let's see here. Yeah, Romans. I'm in first Corinthians.

No wonder it didn't look right. Romans seven fourteen. Paul writes, for we know that the law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin. For that which I do I do, I allow not for what I would that I that I do I not but what I hate that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent under the law that it is good.

Now, then, it is no more I that do it but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now, if I do that, I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

I find that a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind, I, myself, serve the law of God, but the flesh, the law of sin.

Paul writes here of his own struggle. The flesh is a defeated foe but the flesh will not give up without a fight and while our heart which has been redeemed and our mind tells us we need to do this to please God, our flesh opposes us in that endeavor. And praise God that the only victory that we have is in Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can give us victory over the what? Over the flesh And will one day give us ultimate victory in heaven.

When the flesh will no longer only be defeated foe but will be a gone forever foe. Because of Jesus Christ. You see, the lust of the flesh, the flesh is contrary to the will of God and the spirit of God. That's what it says back in Galatians chapter five. It says, the flesh lusteth against the spirit.

This is verse 17 of Galatians five. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would. The flesh and the spirit, they're at odds. They fight each other. The flesh, the lust of the flesh cannot be reformed.

It will not conform to the will of God. It will always stand in the way. Therefore, it must be defeated. It must be overcome. It must be denied.

You're not going to wake up one morning and all the and the sin and have no more sinful desires until you wake up where? Until you wake up in heaven. Until then, you're going to wake up tomorrow and the same struggles you've had today are same likely to be the same struggles you're going to have what? Tomorrow. When I was a kid, I thought, you know, when I graduate from high school and go off to college, I'm not going to have these problems and then I thought, when I get married, I'm not going to have these problems.

When I become a youth pastor, I'm not going to have these problems. They're just going to vanish overnight. No more struggles. Does it work that way? Do you wake up one morning and now you're 30 years old and you have no struggles?

No, it don't work that way. At 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 90, 120. My my have an ant that's almost there. It doesn't matter. It's only going to change when we stand before Christ in heaven.

Until then, we're going to have struggles because we are in the wild. We're in the flesh. Praise God. We've received the inheritance, the holy spirit. The earnest of our inheritance in heaven and he's with us to help us but the struggle will remain until we reach the shores of heaven.

And the flesh is not going to give up. Therefore, it must be defeated. It must be denied. We are advised in scripture to be circumspect. That means to be on guard against the flesh and the devil.

They're they're like an enemy that's that's going to rob your house or take your car if you don't lock it. You need to be on guard. It's like an animal of prey like a lion is is Peter depicts the devil himself. A roaring lion roaming about seeking whom he may devour. We are instructed to put off the old man in his ways and to put on the new man of Jesus Christ.

In his ways. We are warned against being conformed to our former ways and to the world around us but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. We are to be we are commanded to cast aside the unfruitful works of darkness. We are directed to lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. We are told to cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge and the will of God and bring into every thought into alignment with God's will.

So, Can we just do whatever we want because we're saved by grace? No. No. No. Paul says, yes.

You're not under the law. You're under what? You're under grace but a matter of fact, being under grace and the holy spirit doesn't relinquish us from doing the will of God. No, it empowers us to do. The will of God but not by the constraint of the law but by the inward power of the what?

Of the holy spirit which he has given to us. Not by the works and the power of the flesh. But by the power of the spirit. Paul elaborates on the works of the flesh. Look if you would in Genesis five nineteen.

Genesis five nine. Genesis, what I'm saying, Galatians. Galatians five nineteen. He elaborates on the works of the flesh. So, you think that you're going to be able to please God by the works of the flesh, think again.

Here are the works of the flesh. He list them. Adultery, illicit behavior involving married people to whom you are not married, fornication, illicit behavior involving unmarried people, uncleanness, moral impurity, lasciviousness, wantonness, lewdness, indecent behavior, idolatry, worship or veneration of graven images, witchcraft, use of incantations or potions or magic, hatred, enmity and hostility towards others, variance, conditions, fights, disputes, discord, emulations, that means jealousy, wrath, unbridled anger, uncontrollable temper, rage, strife, self seeking, selfish, gossip, seditions, divisiveness, dividing friends, being disloyal, heresies, things contrary or unscriptural teachings resulting in competing factions, envyings, feelings of ill will toward others in response to their blessings, murders, drunkenness, revelings which means wild and unrestrained revelry or parting and he finishes with the word and what? And such like, okay? And such let let's find it here.

And such like. Yeah, that's how he finishes the list. In other words, Paul is saying, here's the list but this is not a what? This is not a full list. This isn't a comprehensive list.

You say, oh, good. My sin's not on here. Well, Paul says, I've got it covered and such like, okay? These are the works of the flesh. The works of the flesh do not produce the things that bring glory to God, do they?

The works of the flesh only produces things that are contrary. To the will of God. So, if you think you can please God in the works of the flesh, you're wrong. There's many a person who has tried through many different religions and many different things in their life to try to conform and to reform their flesh to do those things which they believe are to be the will of God and they will never succeed without who? They will never succeed without Jesus Christ.

They will never succeed without his spirit. They will always fail. Jesus said, without me, you can do what? Nothing. And even as Christians, when we are trying to please God in the power of the flesh, we will not succeed.

If pride is the motivation, we will not succeed. If money is the motivation, we will not succeed. If fame is the motivation, we will not succeed. If we're doing it in the power of the flesh, we're not taking time to walk with the Lord because as brother Al pointed out in Sunday school this morning, Christianity is not a religion, it is a what? It is a relationship with a person.

That person is Jesus Christ. If we're not spending time with that person, we will what? We will fail. If there is something between us and that person, we will what? We will fail in the flesh because the flesh will not produce the fruit that is glorifying to the God who has saved us.

Thus, what is the solution? We see the exhortation. We see the we see the prohibition. Don't war walk in flesh. And we see the solution.

The solution is this, walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Walk in the spirit that is alive. In the power and live, that means to live in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit that dwells within you. If we walk in the power of the spirit, we will have victory over the lust of the flesh. Reap the rewards and bring glory to who?

Bring glory to God. Thank you, Allen. If we walk in the power of the flesh, we'll never accomplish these things for the flesh is what? The flesh is weak, incapable of pleasing the Lord. And so the key to living the holy life is not returning to the law.

Not the law of Moses and not any other law. If you try to live your list by rule, live your life by a list of laws and rules. You will only frustrate yourself. Because you will never keep them. Oh.

Now, there's a place for laws and there's a place for rules but the Christian life is not lived simply by a list of rules and laws. It is lived by walking in the spirit. Walking with the Lord, listening to the spirit that he has given to us, Being led by the spirit and that means that as is said, we read last week four times in scripture, the just shall live by what? By faith. To walk in the spirit means to live by faith.

To walk in the spirit means to spend time getting to know the Lord better so that you can trust him more. Because if you do not trust him, then you will not. You will not succeed. God has given us his spirit and his word that we might know him and that he might walk with us. If we listen and if we will embrace him and if we will draw close to him.

Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh unto you. Doesn't say draw nigh to the law or draw nigh unto the risk of rules. That you judge yourself by or others. It says, draw nigh unto who? Draw nigh unto God.

Who has given us the comforter to guide us as we walk this life by faith. Where the law was weak and thus, it was insufficient because it only restricted man's outward actions. The Holy Spirit has no such weakness. For he lives inside of our heart to guide us. It's like that dog that you put inside the fence and the dog always wants to get where?

Outside the fence And he fights and he digs and he tries to find ways to get out because his instinct is to be free to escape the confines of the fence. But what is so much better is to change the instincts and heart of the dog so that you don't need the what? You don't need the fence, and he just wants to stay by his master. You see, he is the shepherd, we are the what? Sheep.

And he has given to us his spirit that cries within our hearts, Abba, Father. He said, his sheep hear his what? Voice and they follow him. God has given us his spirit. So and changed our hearts and changed our desires so that we would no longer need the what?

Need the fence, the law, but that we would desire to do the things that please him. Now, we need encouragement. We need advice. We need help. Thus, has given us his word, his spirit, and one another.

But he has changed our hearts. And we succeed and grow in the Lord as we continue to draw closer to him and to walk by faith, trusting his word, trusting his guiding, guidance, trusting his leading. Ask a question here in closing this morning. Two questions. Number one, do you have the spirit?

If you don't have the spirit, then you don't belong to who? You don't belong to Jesus. If you don't have the Holy Spirit, then you don't belong to him. There are many people who are trying very odd ways to get the spirit. There's only one way to get the spirit and that's through faith in Jesus Christ.

Not by the works of the law, not by the rights, not by the rules, not by some weird ritual, only through faith in Jesus Christ and second of all, this this morning, are you walking in the spirit? Are you depending upon the power of the flesh? Are we struggling and wonder why we can't do anything God wants us to do? Why we're always afraid and why we're always hesitating and why it is that that we seem to always be doing the wrong things and never the right things? Well, maybe because there's something between your soul and your savior that you're not willing to to deal with.

That's why the Bible says, confess your what? Sins. He is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness but you gotta confess it. David said, the Lord will not hear my prayers if I'm regarding hiding iniquity in my heart. Is there something between your soul and your savior this morning?

Are you spending time with him? If you're not spending time with him, then guess what? You're not going to have his power in your life if you're not spending time with him or do you trust him? Because if you don't trust him, then you're going to have a hard time doing what he says. The Christian life is a relationship that we have.

With God through faith in Jesus Christ, assisted by the Holy Spirit that he has given to us. Let's walk in the spirit and we will find victory. We will find help in time of need. We will bring glory to our father which is in heaven. Let's pray.

Dear Lord, thank you for your word today. Thank you Lord for the opportunity you have given us by grace through faith in your son to bring glory to you, to serve you, to do your will in our life. Not Lord because we have to earn it. But because we are grateful that you have earned it for us. And that you have given to us something that we do not deserve.

Lord, I pray if there's something here you pointed out in the life of one of your children today. Lord, something that is hindering us from walking in the spirit. I pray Lord that we would deal with that as the invitation is given. In Jesus name, amen.