Galatians 5:16 English Standard Version (ESV)

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

Some of us have seen the Three Stooges movie You’re in the Army now. In the movie Curly Joe could not keep in step with the soldier in front of him. He would stutter step over and over again until eventually he had everyone behind him in chaos. It was funny to watch but not to his commander.

Getting out of step with the spirit does not just affect our walk, it influences others. Our ability to understand and obey our Lord is seen by those closest to us. We are to be examples to new believers in walking with our Lord. Now comes the hard part.

Whose are you falling in step with?

“I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews,”

While I did not quote the addresses of these scripture, these are Paul’s writings. Look at the progression. Imitate me, imitate Christ, imitate God, be examples in the Word, and be examples in sufferings.

Have those we follow exampled the sufferings that mark those who walk in the Spirit? It was the Spirit that led Christ into the wilderness to suffer and be tempted of Satan. Do we earnestly expect that walking in the spirit is going to be a cake walk?

God shows Himself powerful in adversity.

Hebrews 6:10-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁰ For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹ And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Yesterday’s closing question was difficult. Regarding rewards, allow me to continue with this; promises are an inheritance. In this case the promises of God are towards all mankind. Good promises to members of his family through grace and mercy. For those that rejected Christ’s freewill offering, not so much.

While verse 10 implies God will reward good works in must be noted that it is love shown which glorifies Jesus Christ that is right and acceptable. While we have been over the characteristics of love in 1 Corinthians 13 many times, let it be known it is agape love. God’s perfect love cannot be duplicated in the flesh. Try as we might we cannot match His perfect love.

The whole issue of letting our “little light shine” is about allowing the love of Christ that dwells in us out. He is love and desires to love and the only thing stopping Him from doing that is our flesh. Our worries, anxieties, fears, wants and desires are counterproductive to the love of God. He loves us and will work in us before He will work through us.

Galatians 5:16-17 English Standard Version (ESV)

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ 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.

That is assuming that we want to love Christ. A word from our Lord today.

“Is my love enough for you to want to live?”