Disciple-Making DisciplesSample

Walk by the Spirit

Jesus has always been in the business of making disciples out of the least likely candidates and sending them out to repeat the process. One of those disciple-making disciples was a man named Paul. He was a leader in the early Church who was on the frontlines of this movement Jesus launched. He started churches, made disciples, preached the Gospel, and wrote many of the letters that we find in the New Testament of our Bible today.

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul hashes out a debate that so many of us still have within ourselves. It’s the debate of: Is Jesus really enough? Or is there more to the equation? Is there more I need to do?

This passage guides us through Paul’s answer to that question.

13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14 NLT

You have been called to live in freedom. And that is really good news, but right off the bat, we are shown that we have a choice to make. How will you use your freedom? To satisfy yourself or serve others?

When we actually believe that our deepest desires are satisfied in Christ, the One who called us to be free, then we don’t have to use our freedom to chase satisfaction, we can use it to follow Jesus.

See, the letter of Galatians, up to this point, has been Paul addressing the pieces of Old Testament Law that certain people were trying to add to the Gospel.

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus brought the Kingdom of Heaven to earth and everyone is invited in. But some people were trying to regulate who got in. “You have to observe this tradition to get in.” “You have to eat this way or worship that way…”

These people were taking some of the laws specifically given to the people of Israel and trying to say that anyone who wanted to become a Christian had to follow all of them. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be welcomed in God’s Kingdom.

This is a natural human tendency—to try and regulate and redraw the boundary lines. To decide who's in and who's out. It’s something we have been doing from the very beginning of time—trying to define what’s good and true based on what we want, instead of what God says.

So, in response to these arguments, Paul pulls a “Jesus move” and makes it really simple. He says that the entire Law can be summed up with this command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Paul is echoing the words of Jesus when He was asked what the greatest command was. He said the greatest command is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. And Jesus followed that by saying the entire Jewish Bible is based on those two commands. Loving God and loving others.

The Law’s purpose has always been to show us how to become those kinds of people. But, because we have all been infected by sin, we misuse and abuse the Law. Instead of seeing the Law for what it really is, we turned it into a set of oppressive rules to beat people down and keep people out. But there’s a better way to see people and treat people. A way defined by the example of Jesus and designed to make us more like Him.

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Galatians 5:16-17 NLT

“So I say…” In other words, because of everything we just talked about, how about we let the Holy Spirit guide our lives instead of trying to do it on our own? Because, on our own, we often end up using people instead of loving them. On our own, we can be tempted to focus on the rules and regulations instead of trusting that the grace of Jesus is more than enough. This is why we need to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. Because He has the power to transform us into the kind of person who lives surrendered to Jesus and invites others to do the same.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25 NLT

Challenge:Where are your desires leading you? Are they leading you to follow Jesus more closely and love others more sacrificially? Or are they actually leading you to deny others the grace you have received and rewrite the rules to work in your favor?

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to and give you new desires. Ask Him to remind you of the freedom and grace you have been given through Jesus, because those who really know the grace they have been given, show grace to others. Who can you show the grace of Jesus to today?