“SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT NOT DOING WHAT YOUR SINFUL NATURE CRAVES"

“SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT NOT DOING WHAT YOUR SINFUL NATURE CRAVES"

Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

1. Paul was helping the Christians in the greek city of Galatia, and for all who read the NT, and seek to follow Jesus Christ, and live for Him. Paul was specifically helping them understand, God's way for them to deal with the natural sinful desires they have.
The good news Paul shares is for each believer in Jesus Christ. So, let's take a look at what God says in regard to not doing what your sinful nature wants to do, ( and what You don't want to do either )

2. Here's the verse again, Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

(1) First of all, we are told how to live, we are to "walk in the Spirit" What does this statement mean? It simply means to live according to your new life in the person of the Holy Spirit. Or to conduct your life day by day, as the new person You are, and do to it, by "walking in the Spirit" Or surrendering yourself day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute you might say, or just throughout the day, give yourself to God, that's how to live your life. Walk in the Spirit.

(2) To walk in the Spirit, is in the present tense, indicating a way of life. To walk in the Spirit is to have daily habit of continual obedience. Paul is challenging the Galatians and us, to keep moving in the enabling power and work of the Holy Spirit.
Remember, the Holy Spirit is a person who Jesus called the "Helper", and He is God, and He lives inside of You, and He wants to help you in so many ways. And, by Your daily surrender to Him, He will take your hand as it were and lead you in the way of Victory over sin. He surely is not going to lead you into sin, and He surely has the power to help you not to sin. We need Him, and He is right here with us to help us each and every day. But, God calls for our obedience to Him. Give Him your life day by day.

(3) The promise is right in the verse.  Here it is again, only this time in the NLT Gal 5:16 So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. Two things are said here. Number one, we are being given God's instruction to live a certain way, "according to your new life in the Holy Spirit" again, that means, to surrender to Him, and let Him control your life, go the way He leads you. And, secondly, the promise from God who does not, and cannot lie.
"Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves" You might say the Holy Spirit helps us escape what our natural, or sinful natures want us to do. And, He leads us into what our new natures want to do, and what God wants us to do. Beautiful isn't it. And, praise God it's true.

3. So, in closing, this is a wonderful truthful promise from God to help us live by day in our new lives, and not live the way we use to live, and the way our flesh, or our sinful nature wants us to live. So, let's take God's Word to heart, and yield ourselves this day, and everyday to the wonderful and powerful ( more powerful then our sinful natures ) Holy Spirit and not do what our sinful natures desire. We are to live with God's help. That's one of the reasons the Holy Spirit lives in us, and why there is so much teaching in the Bible about the Holy Spirit.

A prayer:

Father, thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit. We are grateful to You for providing us with a live in Helper. He delights to do the Will of God, and He delights to help us do the will of God. Help us Lord to develop a mind and heart set of yielding to Him, and not just living on our own. We this very moment would like to pause and ask that the Holy Spirit fills us with Himself, and that He takes control of our lives as we yield to Him, and that He teaches us day by day to walk or live our lives in Him. In Jesus name, Amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia