Focal Passage: Galatians 5:16-26
What is God’s purpose for your life? Many Christians often worry over this question. The New Testament, however, is clear on God’s desire for the believer. Galatians 5:16-26 teaches that God calls Christ’s disciples to live a life in the Spirit and to turn away from walking in the desires of the Flesh.
Walk by the Spirit and not the flesh. God’s purpose for believers is that we live by the Spirit rather than the flesh. This is God’s will for your life. In all of our decisions in life, we must live by the Spirit. We must make decisions based on what will most glorify God rather than how it will most benefit ourselves. That is the difference. Living by the Spirit is a key theme of the New Testament.
The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8, “Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace” (v. 6). God’s main desire for your life is to repent of a mindset of the flesh and to turn to a mindset of the Spirit. The beauty of Galatians 5 is that Paul outlines the characteristics of each lifestyle in great detail. Always remember that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8).
Moore
The works of the flesh alienate humanity from God. The first step to walking in God’s will for your life in the Spirit is to identify and beware the lifestyle of the flesh. A prevalent problem in Christianity today remains the inability to distinguish the flesh and the Spirit. Unfortunately, there are myriads of “believers” today who are living predominately fleshly lives.
The New Testament defines the flesh as the desire to find fulfillment, purpose and significance without God in our own strength and sense of self-importance or self-righteousness. This desire manifests itself in many ways. Idolatry, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, anger, hatred and envy are all by-products of a prideful life that says, “I don’t need God and I can use others to accomplish my own desires for my life and sense of self-worth.”
A life that seeks pleasure and fulfillment outside of God also turns to evil deeds outlined by the Apostle Paul. A life focused on the flesh is a life of sexual immorality, promiscuity, drunkenness and carousing. These characteristics may be highlighted on social media and on television as the “high life,” but they lead only to death and eternal separation from God.
The fruit of Spirit displays Christlike character that pleases God. God’s will for your life is to live out the fruit of the Spirit. These characteristics are not individual traits toward which we strive to achieve, but rather all add up to a life that is wholistically patterned by the Spirit of God.
What does life look like when we are filled with the Holy Spirit? Galatians 5:22-23 is the answer. What is God’s will for your life? His desire for your life is to live like Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. That life will shine forth with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This is life in the Spirit. It is God’s ultimate purpose for you today and forever. Live it out! B&R
