Who has ever read Scripture, but then tended to skip over the icky bits and look for the blessings to meditate on?
So many times I have skimmed over Galatians 5:19-21 because I didn’t think that anything listed was me, yet how many of us know and love v22 which is where the ”Fruit of the Spirit” is named?
This week as I read over v19-21, I paused and reflected. I have found that as I meditate and dwell within the Spirit’s presence, He leads me to the truth, rather than my mind dismissing the desires of the flesh as a definitive ”no.”
You see, I have realised that when my mind doesn’t want to pause and have a conversation with God surrounding what I have read, then there is a part of my destiny that the enemy is trying to destroy.
I am definitely not involved in witchcraft, yet there are times when I can still feel jealous. I am not apart of sexual immorality, yet envy can happen as I look at others in full-time ministry.
Friends, our old lives can still feel comfortable, and therefore, as we read Scripture, we go into autopilot of numbness to what Paul describes as our ”sinful nature.” However, when we become a Christian, we need to keep in step with the Spirit, or in other words, we are to walk closely with the Spirit, so that in life, we are continuing to give our full attention and respond accordingly.
Therefore, we can not ignore certain Scriptures, because the evil desires are what the Spirit will highlight within our world.
Over the years, the apparent desires that Galatians 5:19-21 speak of were easy to ”crucify” (v24) but the less obvious sins that I allowed to dwell in my life, meant that the fullness of my salvation (transformation) was limited. Nowadays, I am by no means perfect, and I will never pretend to be. But, the Holy Spirit is always guiding me to God’s truth.
Therefore, I want to encourage us this morning that there is nothing wrong with the Spirit revealing something that we need to deal with within our lives – we have a lifetime with the Spirit to become more like Christ! But, when we gloss over what is revealed by God, we have stopped the very thing that we are waiting for – inheritance into His Kingdom
Categories: Galatians
