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Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.
Subject 8 : The Holy Spirit
[8-10] Live According to the Desires of the Spirit! (Galatians 5:16-26, 6:6-18)
(Galatians 5:16-26, 6:6-18)
5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
6:6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!
12 As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.
13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the Law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.
14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.
16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
18 Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
What must we do to follow the desire of the Holy Spirit? |
We must live a life that spreads the beautiful gospel of water and blood. |
The Book of Galatians is the writing of the Apostle Paul to the saints in Galatia concerning the Holy Spirit.
Especially in Galatians 5:13, it is written, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
And it continues, ‘For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”’
To summarize this message: we have been saved from sin and gained freedom by believing in the beautiful gospel.
Therefore, we are told not to use that freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but to serve one another in love and minister to others through the beautiful gospel.
Since God has saved us from sin, we must now preach this beautiful gospel.
The Apostle Paul also warned, “But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!”
For the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the Bible tells us to walk by the Spirit
Looking at Galatians 5:16, the Apostle Paul says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Also, in verses 22-26, he says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Here, the Apostle Paul tells us that if we walk by the Spirit, we will bear the fruit of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit requires us to live a life led by the Spirit. However, we are living a life in the flesh.
The human flesh, by its nature, cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit, and even if we try to follow the Spirit, we are born with a flesh that cannot be changed in its nature.
Therefore, only those who believe in the beautiful gospel and have the indwelling Holy Spirit can follow the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit through the Spirit.
The reason the Bible tells us to walk by the Spirit is that those who have received the Spirit are to spread the beautiful gospel so that others can also receive the remission of sins.
When we pursue the work of spreading this beautiful gospel, we will bear the fruit of the Spirit.
In other words, it is not about changing our character, but when we pursue the beautiful gospel, we can achieve love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and through this fruit of the Spirit, we can save others from sin and lead them to eternal life.
What Are the Desires of the Spirit and the Desires of the Flesh?
The Apostle Paul said, “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:17).
We who have received the remission of sins possess both the desires of the Spirit and the desires of the flesh, and these two fight against each other and hinder each other from fulfilling their desires.
The desire of the Spirit causes us to have a desire to serve and spread God’s beautiful gospel from within our hearts.
The desire of the Spirit causes us to have desires for spiritual things.
It leads us to do the work of spreading the beautiful gospel of the Lord so that people may be saved from their sins.
However, our flesh causes the desire of the flesh to arise so that we cannot respond to the desire of the Spirit.
This is the battle between the Spirit and the flesh.
The lust of the flesh constantly demands comfort for the body.
When a person follows the desire of the flesh, they do the works of the flesh.
These desires of the flesh oppose the desires of the Spirit, so they interfere with one another and prevent each from doing what it desires.
Then what is a life that follows the Spirit?
And what is the work that pleases God?
God said that serving and spreading the beautiful gospel is the life of following the Spirit.
God poured into those who received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit a heart that follows the desire of the Spirit, allowing them to live a life that follows the desire of the Spirit.
God commanded us to follow the desire of the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
This means to preach the beautiful gospel that saves others from their sins.
A life that follows the Spirit is the work that pleases God.
But in order for us to follow the Spirit, the Spirit must dwell in our hearts.
And for people to receive the indwelling of the Spirit, they must first believe in the beautiful gospel that the Lord gave.
If they do not believe the beautiful gospel that the Lord gives in their hearts, then there is neither the indwelling of the Spirit nor salvation from sin, so such a person cannot follow the Spirit.
Only when one has the Spirit can the desire of the Spirit arise, and only through the desire of the Spirit can one live a life that follows the Spirit.
The desire of the Spirit is the desire to preach the beautiful gospel to the souls of others, to serve God, and to live a life that glorifies God.
This desire of the Spirit comes from a heart that wants to give everything necessary to spread the beautiful gospel throughout the world.
It comes from a heart that wants to offer one’s hands and feet for the gospel, to offer time for the beautiful gospel, and to offer material things for the beautiful gospel.
For those who believe in the beautiful gospel, have received the remission of sins, and have the Holy Spirit, it is possible to live a life of offering oneself by following the Spirit—and this is the spiritual inheritance given by God.
Even those who have the Holy Spirit experience the desires of the flesh arising within them, but because they have the indwelling of the Spirit, they ultimately obey the Spirit and long for the desires of the Spirit, thus following them.
The Apostle Paul said, “Walk in the Spirit,” and what he meant by following the Spirit is to preach the beautiful gospel of the water and the Spirit given by Jesus so that others may also receive the remission of their sins.
Though we follow the Spirit, there are many times we also follow the desires of the flesh.
Our lives are lived at the intersection of the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit, but one thing we must clearly understand and acknowledge is that those who have the indwelling of the Spirit must live by following the desires of the Spirit.
Only then can they live receiving the blessings God gives both spiritually and physically.
If those who have the indwelling of the Spirit ultimately deny the desires of the Spirit, they will bear the fruits of the flesh, and those fruits of the flesh are all miserable and perishable things.
Therefore, we must live by following the desires of the Spirit.
We have heard the Word, “Follow the desires of the Spirit,” but among us, there may be those who think, “What must the Spirit say within me in order for me to follow?”
And there may be times when we think that unless the Holy Spirit directly appears and speaks, we cannot know the work of the Spirit.
However, that is the thought of man, and what the Spirit desires—His desire—is a life that serves the beautiful gospel of the water and the Spirit.
As we follow the desires of the flesh, even though it is clear that the Spirit is indwelling in us, there are times when we feel as if that Spirit is asleep, and we pass by without sensing the desires of the Spirit.
Such a person is one who has received the Spirit but is following the flesh.
Such people only seek to make their flesh comfortable and to satisfy the feelings of their flesh, but in the end, they suffer because of even greater demands of the flesh.
Even those who have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, when they see people following the desires of the flesh, often rationalize following the flesh in their own hearts and consider it natural to respond to it.
However, those who yield to the flesh become slaves to the flesh.
God and His disciples have told us to walk by the Spirit.
Walking by the Spirit means living a life where you and I serve the beautiful gospel.
This life is about you and me valuing the beautiful gospel of water and the Spirit, laboring for the spread of this gospel, offering material things for this beautiful gospel, and giving our hands, feet, and everything for the proclamation of this gospel.
When we rejoice in the spreading of this gospel and live for it, that is a life following the Spirit.
We must clearly know and believe what it means to live according to the desire of the Spirit, and live such a life.
Are you now living according to the desire of the Spirit?
Can a Person Who Has Not Received the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit Follow the Desire of the Spirit?
People who are not born again do not truly understand what it means to follow the Spirit.
That is why many people in this world are seeking the Holy Spirit in various ways, thinking they can receive the Holy Spirit through such efforts.
As a result, people see acts of seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit and misunderstand these acts as being filled with the Spirit.
For example, many people gather in a church building to worship, and first, the pastor prays in a holy tone, and even the congregation joins in, calling on the name of the Lord and stirring up emotions.
At that time, they speak in tongues that neither they themselves nor others can understand, as if great fullness of the Spirit has come upon them.
Meanwhile, some people fall backward, tremble unconsciously, and say they have entered into a spiritual trance or have received the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, this heightened atmosphere becomes more intense, and people shout “Aah!” from here and there, creating chaos.
They cry and wail while calling on the name of the Lord, clapping wildly and giving thanks, and people refer to such scenes as a melting pot of the Holy Spirit.
The pastor bangs on the pulpit and speaks strange tongues, and in the midst of emotional frenzy, people cry out, “Lord, Lord.” People enjoy all these phenomena, and some even faint and claim to have seen the apple tree in the Garden of Eden or the face of Jesus, and so on. All of these things are what they claim to be the way to receive the Holy Spirit, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and what it means to follow the Spirit.
However, all of this is done with a misunderstanding of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.
“Walk in the Spirit” is a word spoken by God to those who are born again, commanding them to live by serving what pleases the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul contrasted the fruit of the Spirit with the works of the flesh.
First, the fruit of the Spirit is said to be “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
To “walk by the Spirit” means to serve the beautiful gospel and to work to save the souls of others from sin.
Then, you will bear the fruit of the Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—are all borne when you serve the beautiful gospel.
When a person serves the beautiful gospel, spreads the beautiful gospel, sacrifices for the beautiful gospel, and lives for the beautiful gospel, they truly live a life full of the Holy Spirit.
Among the fruit of the Spirit, “goodness” refers to doing very good deeds.
Goodness also carries the meaning of virtue.
Building virtue for the sake of the beautiful gospel and benefiting others is called goodness.
The good deeds that God speaks of are spreading the gospel to benefit others.
And the heart that has compassion for people is called “kindness.”
With a compassionate heart for other souls, one serves the gospel, waits patiently, and makes peace with them.
Those who walk by the Spirit feel joy when they see God’s work being accomplished, love this work, and faithfully serve out of love for souls.
Even if no one specifically assigns them this work, those who have the Spirit faithfully serve until all of God’s work is accomplished.
Those who have the Spirit can be gentle and exercise self-control.
Whoever has all these things has the fruit of the Spirit.
Those who have the Spirit must live a life walking by the Spirit.
When you walk by the Spirit, you will bear the fruit of the Spirit.
If you also walk by the Spirit, you will bear such fruit. However, if you do not walk by the Spirit, you will follow the desires of the flesh.
The Bible says in verses Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like.”
The Desires of the Flesh Are Said to Be Evident
The works of the flesh are evident, and if you follow the desire of the flesh, the first is ‘sexual immorality.’ Sexual immorality means engaging in lewd acts.
The second is ‘impurity.’ The third, ‘debauchery,’ is when a man or woman is attracted to each other’s sensuality.
The fourth is ‘idolatry.’ This is when you love and serve something more than God, and for those who are born again, this becomes idolatry.
The fifth, ‘craftiness’, refers to deceiving others with evil schemes.
The sixth is ‘enmity.’ When people of the flesh follow the desire of the flesh, they become enemies with everyone.
The seventh is ‘strife,’ which means causing fights, whether with friends, family, or anyone else.
The eighth is ‘jealousy, fits of rage, and selfish ambition.’ All these are the life of those who follow the desire of the flesh.
The ninth is ‘dissensions.’ Dissensions mean that if you only follow the desire of the flesh, you cannot follow the work of God’s church, and as a result, you eventually leave God’s church on your own.
The tenth is ‘heresy.’ Those who follow the desire of the flesh establish their own will and live to fulfill it.
However, since their life is different from God’s will, in the end, they betray the beautiful gospel.
Heresy means ‘different’ and ‘end,’ signifying that all ends are different. Because they cannot believe in the Word of God and follow only the desires of the flesh, they end up having a faith that differs from the will of God.
‘Envy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, drunkenness, orgies’—all these are the works of the flesh.
If people of the flesh only follow the desire of the flesh, this is what happens in the end.
“Walk in the Spirit.”
That is why He told us to walk according to the Spirit.
You who are born again must follow the desire of the Spirit.
For those who are not born again, there is only the desire of the flesh.
That is why they commit sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, and idolatry. False shepherds who are not born again use craftiness to make church members give more money.
They give higher positions to those who give more money.
Also, those who belong to the flesh make ‘enmity’ with others.
They say, ‘This is our denomination, that is your denomination,’ and separate from each other, saying, ‘Our denomination is the best. Yours is completely heretical,’ and fight with each other.
Strife, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresy, envy—all these are the fundamental seeds that those who are not born again possess.
If we also only follow the desire of the flesh, we will end up bearing such fruit of the flesh.
The Desire of the Holy Spirit Bears the Fruit of the Spirit
Those who are born again must live for the preaching of the beautiful gospel within the church.
Because we are lacking and cannot follow the Lord on our own, we must unite with the church and serve the beautiful gospel together.
We must pray together, gather our strength together, and become those who follow the beautiful gospel for the sake of the Holy Spirit.
Those who walk according to the Spirit live with the purpose of spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
That is, to walk according to the flesh is to live for oneself, but to walk according to the Spirit is to live for the salvation of others’ souls.
Many among us who are born again live such lives. They live for the benefit of others.
There are still many people all over the world, in places like the United States, Brazil, Ecuador, and so on, who have not yet received this beautiful gospel.
We love all people, including those living far away in Africa and in the small islands around the Philippines, as well as all people in Asia.
We love everyone in Europe, whether in Northern or Eastern Europe.
Because we love them, we want to preach to them the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
We will walk according to the Spirit.
There is no law against such things.
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Is there any law that forbids these things? No, there is not. This is the law of the Spirit that you and I must follow.
The Apostle Paul said to walk by the Spirit.
Just as our Lord gave His body for sinners, we too must engage in the work of preaching the gospel for the sake of others.
Living a life that saves others from sin is the life that walks according to the Spirit.
We must live by the Spirit.
The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:24-26, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Truly, if we want to follow the Spirit, we must live for the salvation of other people’s souls.
We must unite with one another and live a life that sets its purpose on the desire of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit given by God leads us together with Jesus Christ from within our hearts.
Because the Holy Spirit is good and the King of love, He uses us as instruments of love.
The Apostle Paul said, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
He also said that the born-again have died together with Jesus Christ.
In reality, those who are truly born again have died with Jesus Christ.
It’s just that they may not realize or recognize it clearly.
But when Jesus Christ took all our sins through His baptism and was crucified bearing the sins of the world, we were crucified together with Him.
In other words, Jesus Christ being nailed to the Cross means that you and I were also nailed to the Cross.
Jesus Christ dying means that you and I also died.
And Jesus Christ rising again means that you and I also came to life.
You and I must die with Jesus Christ through faith, and live with Him through faith.
You and I need faith that truly believes all of this.
This is the faith that leads us to follow the Spirit.
God has given the ability to walk according to the Holy Spirit to you and me.
Therefore, we who have received the removal of sins must live a life that follows the Holy Spirit.
Those who have received the Holy Spirit must not only be satisfied with having received the remission of sins, but must live with the purpose of spreading the beautiful gospel so that others may receive the remission of their sins.
However, even if one claims to have been washed from sin and to be born again, if he lives only according to the desires of his flesh, he becomes separated from the Church of God and becomes someone who has nothing to do with serving the Lord.
You and I must live serving the gospel of the water and the Spirit until the day Jesus Christ comes.
For the Fullness of the Holy Spirit, He Said Not to Seek Vain Glory
The Apostle Paul said, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
What is vain glory?
Vain glory refers to a life that follows the desires of the flesh. In this world, there are many people who live for vain glory.
Many people accumulate wealth for themselves, build up power, and love the beauty of the world and live chasing after it.
But these things have no truth in them; they are all lost and decay.
Those who set their purpose on such things and pursue them are the ones who seek vain glory.
Even if people obtain all these things, would they truly have peace?
All the fruits of the flesh of people are perishable and are nothing but vain.
None of these things are of any benefit to the souls of others and are only for themselves.
All these things have nothing to do with God and have nothing to do with the souls of others.
They are good only for one’s own flesh.
In the Bible, it says, “There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty” (Proverbs 11:24).
A person who is not born again withholds excessively.
Because for them the things of the flesh are everything, they have no room to consider others.
Therefore, they excessively withhold for themselves and desire a life only for themselves.
But the Word says that even if you withhold too much, you can become poor.
People follow the desires of the flesh, but in the end, it is like the one who fell among robbers; such a life is a vain life that kills both oneself and others.
All of this is the vain and futile life of people in this world that comes from seeking vain glory.
There Are Also People Who Follow the Desires of the Holy Spirit
The Apostle Paul desired to live a life led by the Holy Spirit. And he lived the life he desired.
He also teaches us through the Word to live such a life.
Furthermore, the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:6 and onward, “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
The Apostle Paul exhorted that the one who is taught should share all good things with the one who teaches, and here, “good things” refers to what pleases God—that is, living according to the Holy Spirit, spreading the gospel, and saving souls.
And those who come later are to unite with the one who teaches and live the life that follows the Holy Spirit with the same heart and the same purpose.
“To share all good things”—the best thing is to save the souls of others through the church. Therefore, he said to do everything together with the same heart, the same prayer, and the same devotion. Serving the Lord’s gospel is something we must all do together.
The Apostle Paul also says this: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Here, “mocked” means ‘to sneer at, to ridicule.’ The instruction not to deceive ourselves and not to mock God means not to make light of or ridicule God.
For example, it means not to have a faith that treats God’s Word lightly, thinking you can believe it or not as you please.
The Apostle Paul said, “For whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” This means that he who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but he who sows to the Spirit will reap everlasting life from the Spirit.
If we serve the beautiful gospel of water and the Spirit, what will we reap?
We will reap eternal life by leading people to be saved from their sins.
We will bear the fruit of souls by removing people’s sins once for all, making them sinless forever, enabling them to live eternally, and allowing them to be blessed before God forever.
But what about those who live only for their own flesh? Those who sow to please their flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, and the end is nothing but death.
After a person dies, nothing remains for him in this world. All that he had is dead.
People come empty-handed and leave empty-handed.
If we follow the Holy Spirit and do the work of saving others’ souls, we will reap the fruit of the Spirit, which is eternal life.
But if we go on only following our flesh, we will reap what is perishable.
Such a person reaps curses and spreads curses, so in the end, others also receive curses because of him.
That is why the Apostle Paul, who knew all this by faith, exhorted us not to follow the flesh.
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
The Apostle Paul was a servant of God who lived according to the Holy Spirit.
When people see that it is recorded that Paul followed the Holy Spirit, they might think that the Holy Spirit said to him, “Paul, go to the right and meet someone,” or “Do not meet them,” but that was not the case.
That Paul acted according to the Holy Spirit means that he actually did the work of preaching the gospel of salvation to others so that their souls could also be saved through this gospel.
And Paul also served the Lord in unity with his fellow workers, and they too were all people who acted according to the Holy Spirit.
Among Christians, there are also those who do not act according to the Holy Spirit but follow their own flesh.
Such people did not receive or welcome Paul, and instead, they opposed and slandered him.
Paul said he didn’t want anything to do with those who fought against and slandered the disciples of Jesus Christ.
If we want to act according to the Holy Spirit, we must live for the gospel and serve the gospel.
This kind of life is what it means to live according to the Holy Spirit.
Paul was persecuted by the circumcision party.
In Galatians 5:11, it says, “And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the Cross has ceased.”
The claim of these advocates of circumcision was, “Even if you believe in Jesus and are born again, you must still be circumcised. If you do not undergo physical circumcision, you are not a person of God.”
These people persecuted Paul.
Why was the Apostle Paul persecuted by the circumcisionists?
The Apostle Paul believed that being cleansed from sin before God, attaining holiness, and receiving eternal life was accomplished by faith in the baptism Jesus received from John and the blood of the cross.
The faith by which a person is justified is to know the way of faith and to preach it by faith.
Paul’s faith highly valued the way of faith in water and the Spirit.
He believed and preached that those who know this way of faith and have received the circumcision of the heart can follow the Holy Spirit, so there is no need to add physical circumcision.
However, the circumcisionists believed that even if you believe this, you must add physical circumcision for it to be a complete saving faith.
But in the written Word of God, it is recorded that there is no other gospel besides this gospel, and nothing should be added to it or taken away from it.
The Apostle Paul, in walking according to the Holy Spirit, was most ignored and persecuted by his fellow people, the Jews.
“As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. For not even those who are circumcised keep the Law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:12-15).
The Apostle Paul said about the circumcision advocates: “As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.”
The Apostle Paul rebuked those who follow the desires of the flesh by saying, “That they may boast in your flesh.”
These people were truly those who followed the desires of the flesh, and even among those who were born again, there were many such people, but Paul cut off such people.
Paul said in Galatians 6:14, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and the reason was that Jesus Christ took on all the sins of the world by receiving baptism and died on the cross, thereby saving Paul.
Paul says in Galatians 6:14, “by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Paul saw it this way by faith.
Paul, who was considered dead to this world, said that he lives again through Jesus Christ.
We have actually become those who are dead in Jesus Christ.
However, there are many times when we forget this fact.
But we must believe this truth.
Because we lack faith in this truth, we become bound by the desires of our flesh and by our fleshly families, making it difficult to follow the Lord by faith. Our flesh is weak and cannot help even our own family perfectly.
Only God can truly help them and give them life.
And we have become dead to this world by faith.
How can those who are dead be bound to those who belong to this world?
Those who are dead to this world cannot be bound by the things of this world.
Jesus Christ has risen.
For us, the resurrection of Jesus Christ speaks of our spiritually reborn new life.
In this way, for us who have been born again, new things, a new family, and a new hope have come into being.
We are those who have been born again.
Should a butterfly crawl around like a caterpillar?
We have been entrusted with the work of proclaiming God’s gospel as soldiers of heaven who give life.
The Apostle Paul confessed in faith that, because he died in Jesus Christ and was made alive again in Him and became one who follows the Holy Spirit, he had nothing to offer physically, but only became one who helps others to receive salvation before God spiritually.
We, too, must become those who can make such a confession of faith like the Apostle Paul.
The Apostle Paul says in Galatians 6:17-18, “From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.”
The Apostle Paul said he bore the marks of Jesus.
For the Lord, and to follow the desire of the Holy Spirit, Paul even lost his health.
Paul’s eyesight became dim so that he could not even write.
So when Paul spoke, brothers and sisters next to him wrote it down, and many Scriptures were recorded this way through dictation.
Even though his body was weak like this, Paul wrote, “Though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day,” and rejoiced that he could follow the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be people who follow the Holy Spirit.
He also said, “Living for the gospel is a life that follows the Holy Spirit.”
You and I must know what it means to live by the Spirit, not pursue vain things, and serve and live for the gospel.
Let us live the rest of our lives by faith, following the Holy Spirit.
Serving the gospel is following the Holy Spirit.
Now, you and I, by believing in the gospel of water and the Spirit, have the Holy Spirit indwelling within us.
Now, if we cooperate and pray for the gospel, the Lord will be pleased and will answer us.
Bearing the fruit of the Spirit by following the Spirit means that, by serving the gospel, we gain souls who have become holy and sinless by faith.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—all these fruits are borne when we serve the gospel by following the Spirit.
We must be patient, endure, and show mercy for the proclamation of the gospel of water and the Spirit.
You must do perfect good deeds.
The fruit of the Spirit is not about an individual who is born again receiving solutions to problems or good things from God, but about benefiting others by preaching the gospel that brings the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, saving their souls from sin.
This is the fruit of the Spirit. This is the fruit of the Spirit and the life of following the Spirit.
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