Walk in the Spirit

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that

provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

People give their lives to Christ for many reasons. Some want deliverance from

evil spirits, so they come to Christ. Others need physical healing and call out to

Jesus. Some want their marriage to be restored and so they turn to the Lord. I

came to Jesus because I wanted to be free from the load of guilt I felt for my

sins and my shortcomings. I was so delighted to understand the Gospel. For me,

it truly was good news. As I read the New Testament and attended youth

meetings at my church, I learned that Jesus had died for my sins and longed to

help me find forgiveness. He wanted me to be reconciled to him. I could

hardly believe it. Soon I gave my life to Christ. I repented of my sins and put

my trust in Him. I was so happy. I was so relieved. I felt so free.

But I quickly learned that sin was an ongoing problem in my life. I found myself

asking for God’s forgiveness again and again. I memorized the truth of 1 John

1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our

sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” But I didn’t just want to be

forgiven; I wanted to stop sinning. I hated my sin. I hated offending the God

who loved me so very much. But what could I do?

Then I learned the truth of Galatians 5:16, Paul told the Galatians, “But I

say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” I

thought to myself, “Wow, I really need to learn what it means to walk in the

Spirit and to be led by the Holy Spirit of God. If I can walk in the Spirit, I won’t

carry out the desires of my sinful nature.”

I don’t have time to tell you my whole story, but here is what I learned about

walking in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit, we must trust that God is good,

that God loves us completely and unconditionally. But walking in the Spirit is

much more than just believing in the goodness of God. To walk in the Spirit we

must trust him; we must trust that God’s will for our lives is completely good.

To walk in the Spirit, we must crown Jesus as king of our life. When we trust

God fully with our life and we consecrate our life to obey Jesus in every

circumstance, we can be filled with his Holy Spirit.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a momentary experience that can be

repeated. But walking in the Spirit means to be filled by the Spirit in a moment

and then living in dialog with the Holy Spirit minute by minute, day by day.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

To walk in the Spirit is to trust that God is with us moment by moment. It is to

be continuously conscious of his presence. To walk in the Spirit is to live life in

prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us. To walk in the Spirit is

to trust him to empower us to do his will and to testify of his goodness and

power. God longs for each of his sons and daughters to walk in the Spirit day

by day. If we sin, without delay we should confess our sin, repent, and continue

in obedience walking in his Holy Spirit. So here is my word of encouragement

to you today, “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the

flesh.” 

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this

encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #WalkInTheSpirit