Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 64 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; walking by means of the Spirit.

Title: Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 64 - Essential qualities of leadership: The filling of the Spirit; walking by means of the Spirit.

 

Announcements / opening prayer:  

 

 

Principle: By faith we chose His way and walk with Him and He empowers us in the works or the fruits of that journey.

 

GAL 5:16 But I say, walk [peripateo - lifestyle and conduct] by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

 

Walking with someone freely is not being dragged by that someone. To walk with the Spirit you must desire His way and walk with Him. This is all done by faith and not works.

 

GAL 5:17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

 

GAL 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

 

The only thing that the flesh can do is stated before the fruit of the Spirit.

 

GAL 5:19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

 

GAL 5:20 idolatry [idols in fame, wealth, pleasure, or power], sorcery, enmities [hatred], strife [contention], jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes [faction], dissensions [division], factions [self-willed opinion or heresy],

 

GAL 5:21 envying, drunkenness, carousing [rioting], and things like these [there are more], of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

It may be that a person may profess to be a Christian, but has not believed in Christ as his Savior, and so he is still under the rulership of the flesh and so does the deeds of the flesh. There may be a number of reasons why a person would profess to be a Christian, but is not. Paul's meaning may also mean loss of reward at the Bema seat of Christ. From this epistle as well as the Corinthian epistles, it seems pretty clear to me that a believer can walk in the flesh, meaning, he has a lifestyle of the flesh.

 

GAL 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

 

1CO 3:1-3

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?

 

ROM 5:20

And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more

 

This fact of the reality of the carnal Christian must be stated and not hidden because a spiritual leader fears that those who follow will fall into carnality. Shall we continue in sin that grace may increase? If a pastor or any other taught that a lifestyle of sin means that a person is an unbeliever then the Christians who believe that and go through a tough stretch of reversionism or back-sliding may think that they are not really sons of God who are loved by Him unconditionally, which is the true source of recovery. These Christians find themselves seeking salvation again, walking down the aisle in order to rededicate themselves, and some of them come to the conclusion that salvation is by works. Salvation is by faith alone and a saved person can present his members as instruments of unrighteousness.

 

ROM 6:12-13

 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness

 

Certainly, God's discipline and the conviction of God the Holy Spirit within are designed to correct his thinking since such a believer is ignorant of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

 

What we can say for sure from the passage in GAL 5:19-21 is that the deeds of the flesh are filthy, dishonorable, and horrible. The more a believer matures, the more obvious this becomes.

 

This is why God does not use the flesh at all. It was laid aside through the baptism of the Spirit at salvation and we must leave it there and recover again when we don't and leave it there. We leave it there by choosing to walk by means of the Spirit. By this choice we will be so occupied with the things of God that we cannot set our minds on the things of the flesh. This is constantly adjusted in the believer's life.

 

Each of the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, if traced throughout the word of God, will show that they are always divine characteristics. When they are truly experienced we are drinking the wine of heaven.

 

In the scriptures we read that the reasonable service and the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, is rendered when the child of God presents his whole body to God. Such yielded believers need little exhortation, for the Spirit works mightily through them, and He will employ every available faculty and resource of their lives.

 

The NT makes it clear that the root trouble in the spiritual life is carnality or walking by means of the flesh. Satan attempts to use it as an agent behind enemy lines.

 

The desire for carnality, or lusts of the flesh [both self-righteous morality and immorality] must be cured through Spirit filled, scriptural rehabilitation. Knowledge of the truth from Bible class must become understanding. When it does the eyes of the heart will be enlightened, and although never sinless, the believer will be cured by the power of the Spirit and the Word, of his lusts for carnality and worldliness.

 

It is possible to filled with the Spirit when immature in growth. As such it is imperative to concentrate in Bible class and not grieve or quench the Spirit while learning so that immaturity will transform into maturity through understanding.

 

Since the Spirit is our teacher, it is imperative that we remain teachable. We should be willing humbly to hear His word and to hear His instruction from His word in all situations.

 

The Spirit promotes praise and thanksgiving in all things.

 

1TH 5:14 And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men.

 

1TH 5:15 See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all men.

 

1TH 5:16 Rejoice always;

 

1TH 5:17 pray without ceasing;

 

1TH 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

 

1TH 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit;

 

1TH 5:20 do not despise prophetic utterances.

 

1TH 5:21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;

 

1TH 5:22 abstain from every form of evil.

 

The Spirit leads and teaches and empowers.

 

ROM 8:15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!"

 

ROM 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

 

ROM 8:17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.

 

The Spirit teaches our human spirit that we are the children of God and what it means to be a child of God, the benefits or inheritance of the child of God, and how to live as a child of God.

 

[Chafer] What spirituality is and what it is not. It may be said that a spiritual Christian is a Spirit-filled Christian in whom the unhindered Spirit is manifesting Christ (to him and through him) by producing a true Christian character, which is the "fruit of the Spirit"; by energizing true Christian service through the exercise of a spiritual gift; by personal instruction in the Word of God; by inspiring true praise and thanksgiving; by leading the believer in an unbroken walk in the Spirit; by actualizing into celestial heart-ecstasy that which has been taken by faith concerning the positions and possessions in Christ; and by inclining, illuminating and empowering the believer in the prayer of intercession.

 

What would not hinder the Spirit in a Christians life? Choices for the things of God and not against [not grieving] and submission or yielding to the will of God [not quenching].

 

Will the Spirit produce divine character in a believer who doesn't choose for it … if the believer doesn't desire the fruit of the Spirit will the Spirit produce it? If the believer is not thankful and doesn't praise God because he is ignorant or uncaring about the things that God has done for him, will the Spirit force thanksgiving and praise from him to God? If the believer does not desire prayer with His Father, will the Spirit force him? Walking with someone freely is not being dragged by that someone. To walk with the Spirit you must desire His way and walk with Him. This is all done by faith and not works. By faith we chose His way and walk with Him and He empowers us in the works or the fruits of that journey.