Last Sunday, we continued our study in Galatians with a message titled, WALK IN THE SPIRIT (Gal. 5:14-18). We discovered in this passage that the Law today is actually “fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4, etc.). This is done through us when we love God first (Deut. 6:4-5) which then enables us to love others“as ourselves” (Gal. 5:14; Lev. 19:18; Mark 12:28-34, etc.).
The “flesh” (Grk. sárx) can mean one’s physical body which is neutral (e.g. Gal. 2:20), but in this passage of Scripture,“flesh” represents the “sinful nature” that all humanity inherited from Adam (see Rom. 3:23; Gal. 5:13, 16-17, 19, 24; and 6:8, etc.). Christians still have this sinful nature, also referred to as “the old man,” to deal with in this life (Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:8-9, etc.), but “if” (i.e. Gal. 5:18) we let the Holy Spirit control our lives, we are promised “to no longer be slaves of sin” in a present-day sense (Rom. 6:6, Gal. 5:1; 2 John 1:4; 1 John 1:9, etc.).
Walking in the flesh is evil as in it “nothing good dwells” (Gal. 5:15, 17, Rom. 7:14, 18, 23; 1 Pet. 2:11; James 4:1; Matt. 26:41; Jer. 17:5, etc.). Instead, we are called to “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, etc.). The Greek word here for “walk” is peripatéō, and it literally means, “keep on walking”—day by day, moment by moment, step by step (i.e. Rom. 12:1-2, etc.). This is our call as believers- to constant dependence on Christ in faith (John 15:5, Gal. 5:22-23, etc.). When we do this, the sinful nature loses (i.e. it “shall not [be] fulfilled…”), and we experience the present-day abundant life and freedom God calls us to (Gal. 5:16b; John 10:10, etc.).
Pastor Dave
My passion is to protect and promote the truth, and teach others to do the same through the faithful teaching of the Bible.
Gospel means “good news.” While we can have good news throughout our lives in many forms, the good news God shares with us is the forgiveness of sin through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
My cell is 208-597-1508, or you can also reach me at pastor@springhillchurchspokane.org