Good day people of God. Hope you are up ready for the new week living each day in the realities of God’s grace. I am excited to post another edition of “Vignettes of Grace”.
We are gradually getting to the end of the epistle of Paul to the Galatians, we’ll consider a very popular verse in chapter 5 in this piece:
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” Galatians 5:16 King James Version
The Galatian Christians had begun following the law and had started obeying some rules and regulations in an attempt to gain righteousness. One of the traps of such a system is that it produces a false sense of sanctimonious piety. There is usually an external garb of “holiness”, some kind of superficial morality which is produced in people who practice this strict adherence to the law.
But all through in this epistle, God through the penmanship of Paul had been opening their eyes (and our own eyes I believe as we have progressed in the series) to the fact that such a system is no longer relevant because Jesus Christ has ushered in a new era of grace. This must have thrown up a very pertinent question for the Galatians as regarding their practical Christianity: “if strict observance of the law is now a thing of the past, what then will ensure righteous living?”
To ask the question in another way and situate it appropriately in our own lives, if our lives as believers in Christ Jesus are no longer to be governed by a code of conduct dictated by the Law of Moses, what will regulate our lives and keep us in line with God’s desires? This is the question Paul answers in this new section of Galatians beginning at verse 16. We will pick at the surface today and continue along the same line the next time.
Living by the Spirit is the answer. This is the only fail-proof way of not succumbing to the desires of the flesh. Experiencing victory over the flesh does not come by simple human philosophy. It is not achieved by mere human resolutions (have you wondered why so many “new year resolutions” don’t really work?). It is not attained by the force of education (our most learned men still indulge in the worst of vices) and definitely not by human legislation (the best of societal laws only prevent some people from public/open displays of their inner evil desires). In this new life in Christ Jesus, God gives us practical victory over the flesh as we keep yielding ourselves to the influence of the Holy Spirit.
The term “walk” used in our verse in focus is a metaphor for a habitual conduct and not a momentary, fleeting attempt to exhibit some “mystic” attributes. Dear friends, make it a habit to yield to the influence of the Spirit of God and you will find that you will not need an external code of conduct to keep you in line with God’s desire.
Is there any particular sinful action or habit that has held you captive? Is there anything in your life that you have accepted as “the sin which so easily besets” (Hebrews 12:1)? Look no further than the resources the grace of God has provided. Allow the influence of God’s Spirit within you to help you overcome any and every challenge you may be facing. Walk in the Spirit.
In the next few episodes we will consider this thought a little more. Remember, the victorious power we experience in our lives through the influence of the Spirit of God in our lives is yet another facet of the astounding grace of God.
My song for the week is “Greater” by MercyMe.
Have a lovely day and a beautiful week.
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