How to Walk by the Spirit

But you, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. You were called to be free from this life that you once lived to this life that you are now alive in. That you have crucified yourself just as I have done. You have chosen to live for Christ and to die for self and that you do so by faith. And so you've made a choice to step out on the tightrope and to walk it. But sometimes as individuals, we get feeling so free and maybe we get maybe too relaxed that we think that we actually could fly. And that we could step off the rope and that we could actually survive the fall and that we could actually do really well at it. But Paul says that's not the case. You have to walk the rope. And so he talks about this battle that we find ourselves going through as Christians. This spiritual war, if you would want to call it that. This battling of what we would call the flesh and battling with the spirit. That there is especially thing that says that we can go on our own. That we can step out in the abyss without a whole lot of consequence being there. Where at the same time, Paul is saying, no, there is a better way to walk your life. That is going to give you a lot more freedom in your life. So Paul says these words. So I say walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit. And the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. And then what he does is he talks about, in my words, okay. Not in my words, the abyss. He talks about if you decide that you are not going to walk the rope. If you decide that you are going to try to fly on your own. Then there are consequences for that. And so he says what does such freedom or that kind of living in the flesh look like? And so he says the acts of the flesh are obvious, sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy, drunkenness, and orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before, those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. So he says, you know, you can choose to fly on your own. You can choose to go by the way of the flesh. And you might feel like there's going to be some satisfaction in doing so. But you need to know there are going to be consequences for that. And you may not feel the consequences right now. But the consequences are coming. And he says if you choose to live that kind of a lifestyle, then he says I'm just telling you and I'm warning you that you will not inherit the kingdom of God. You will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. You won't spend eternity with God. But someone is much worse than that. And then he says, but here's the way you need to live. But the fruit of the spirit. Here's how you walk by the spirit. But the fruit of the spirit is love and joy and peace and forbearance and kindness and goodness and faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. He says against such things there is no law. Well, why would there be any law? Because all those things are extremely positive. All these things are wholesome and good. And they can never hurt your life. They can only make your life better in every way. Those who belong to Christ, Jesus, have crucified the flesh with its passions and its desires. Since we live by the spirit, let us walk, keep in step with the spirit. Let us not become conceited and provoking and envying each other.