Living By the Spirit - Galatians 5:16-26

Yesterday's devo...

Our sinful nature is what God has called us out of to follow Him. When we do choose to follow Him, His Spirit comes and dwells (lives) in us. The sinful nature and the Spirit of God are not like two sides of the same person. They are enemies, they have completely opposing viewpoints, they are two different people. Who we were and who we become are completely different people. When we make the choice to live by the Spirit, we cease to be the old person. Because of this, when guilt and temptation come, we can stand firm and strong, knowing that the sin we are reminded of is no longer ours (we are new, pure, holy children of God) and knowing that God won't let us face a temptation we can't defeat. We are not the same people who gave in to those temptations, and sinned in those ways, before.

Read Galatians 5:16-26

The sinful nature (the old person; who you were; who you see yourself as, often)
- sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery [lust]
- idolatry and witchcraft [rebellion, disobedience]
- hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, faction and envy [disunity, pride]
- drunkenness, orgies and the like [excess, selfishness, greed]
Whoever lives like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The Spirit (the new person; who you are; who God says you are)
- love
- joy
- peace
- patience
-kindness
- goodness
- faithfulness
- gentleness
- self-control
*Notice it's not the FRUITS, but the FRUIT. You'll know you're growing in the Spirit when you begin exhibiting ALL of these signs... the fruit is made up of all these things. As a pear tree produces its fruit, a pear, so does a "Spirit tree" or life filled with the Spirit, produce the spiritual fruit.
When living by the Spirit, we have put to death the sinful nature, and its passions and desires, because we now have the passions and desires of the Spirit.
Keep in step with the Spirit, constantly staying with Him so that this fruit will be evident in our lives.
*Verse 26* (many people skip this when reading/talking about this passage, but I think it's important)
Don't think of yourself as so great just because the fruit of God's Spirit is showing through you, don't envy someone else the fruit they show. It is freely given by God, and it's for His glory, not ours. Focus instead on keeping in step with the Spirit, so you can show more spiritual fruit and God can be glorified through it.