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Galatians 5:16 - Walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 - Walking in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 (KJV) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye 
shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 

Galatians 5:16 (EAV) But I say, walk and live [habitually] in 
the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the 
Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of 
the flesh (of human nature without God). 

CONTEXT

Galatians 5:16-26: Walking in the Spirit. [Andrews SB]

COMMENTARY

Flesh. The sinful nature is received at birth and never 
eradicated in this life. But it can be controlled by the Spirit. Walk. 
i.e., take each step of the Christian life in dependence on the Spirit 
to have victory over the flesh and its works.  [Ryrie SB]  

Living by the promptings and power of the Spirit is the key to 
conquering sinful desires (see v. 25; Ro 8:2-4). [NIV SB] 

By continually depending upon and yielding to God, the believer 
can live under the control of the Holy Spirit and does not need to 
carry out the desires that seek to hold sway over his physical body 
(the "flesh"). [New Bible Companion] 

   Love, joy, peace, patience.... The "fruit" of the Holy Spirit 
is the visible result of God's Spirit working within us. Yet there 
is a struggle going on in the heart: human nature versus the Holy 
Spirit. As a follower of Jesus, you are sealed with his Spirit. You have 
the Holy Spirit living in you, convicting you of your sin and 
effecting changes in your life to help you become more like Jesus (2 
Corinthians 3:18, August 29). But you have a choice every day. You can 
choose to follow your own desires or you can choose to follow the 
Spirit's leading.  
   Paul says, "Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives." It is 
important to allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives because he 
produces character traits that are not natural for us, but which are 
found abundantly in the nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the "true 
grapevine" (John 15:1-5, May 26). By staying rooted in the vine (through 
things like Bible study and prayer), we allow the Spirit to produce 
fruit in us.  
   Submit every aspect of your life to the Spirit's guidance, 
keep in step with the Spirit's leading, and then watch for fruit to 
blossom in your life. [The One Year Bible for New Believers re Gal. 
5:16-26] 

   Walking according to the Spirit is more a relationship than a 
regimen. Think about your marriage as an illustration. You may have 
started out relying on some rules for effective communication, meeting 
each other's sexual needs, etc. But if after several years you can't 
even talk to each other or make love without following an outline or 
list of steps, your marriage is still in infancy. The goal of a 
marriage is to develop a relationship which supersedes rules.  
   Or think about prayer. Perhaps you learned to pray using the 
simple acrostic ACTS: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, 
supplication. But if you have been a Christian for a few years and your prayer 
life is no deeper than an acrostic, you've missed the point of 
prayer. Prayer is not a formula; it's the language of your relationship 
with God. Similarly, walking in the Spirit is essentially a 
relationship with the indwelling Spirit which defies quantification.  
   Even though Scripture doesn't give us a formula, it does help 
us see what the Spirit-filled walk is and what it is not . Helpful 
parameters are found in Galatians 5:16-18: "Walk by the Spirit, and you 
will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its 
desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these 
are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things 
that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under 
the Law."  
   So how do you walk by the Spirit? If I answered by giving you 
a rigid formula, I would be putting you back under the law. The 
Spirit is not an "it"; the Holy Spirit is a "He"--a person. Walking by 
the Spirit is a relationship issue, not a legal issue or ritualistic 
exercise. It is a walk with God.  
   Father, thank You that my life in You is a relationship, not 
a set of rules.  [Daily in Christ by Neil Anderson] 

EXAMPLE

How did Enoch walk with God? He educated his mind and heart to 
ever feel that he was in the presence of God, and when in perplexity 
his prayers would ascend to God to keep him. He refused to take any 
course that would offend His God. He kept the Lord continually before 
Him. {1SAT 32} 

ILLUSTRATION OF THE BATTLE WITHIN (HOLY SPIRIT & HUMAN NATURE):

Two Wolves: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8CHjX8HauA&feature=related 

EXCELLENT VIDEO SERIES ON EXPERIENCING GOD:


http://sda.biggytv.com/watch/Revive!_-_Dwight_Nelson:_Experiencing_Gods_Grace/revive/