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Walking In The Spirit



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.
Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV)

"Walk by the Spirit!"  What other command can we live by that guarantees that we will be doing exactly what God desires of us in life?  I cannot think of one!  If we walk by the Spirit, Paul tells us that we will not gratify the desires of our flesh.  These desires are the desires that stem from the sinful nature that we were born with and are constantly at battle with and they are completely opposite of what the Spirit desires for our lives.  So we're left with a big choice to make in our daily lives.  

Will you choose to walk by the Spirit and obey God's will for your life or will you conduct your life according to your own sinful desires, instincts, and actions?  

We live in an "anything goes as long as you're not hurting me" world, but that is not the type of living that God calls us to!  As followers of Christ, we are called to live according to the Spirit.  We cannot cave into the ever-changing whims of our culture.  We cannot give in and accept the sinful desires, beliefs, and actions of our culture today as the norm.  No!  We must walk by the Spirit so that we are not able to do whatever we want according to our fleshly sinful desires, but only what the Spirit desires for us to do.

As followers of Christ, walk by the Spirit.  Your walking by the Spirit will be a testimony to the world that is toiling under the weight of its sin and living in darkness.  Be light in this world by showing it what it means to walk by the Spirit today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your life.

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