The Satisfying Spirit

Passage: Galatians 5:16-26.

Point:
1. We should walk by the Spirit so we will not gratify the flesh because the flesh draws us away from what we want to do.
2. The works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
3. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Let us walk in the Spirit.

Personalize
There is a constant battle raging within our lives. It is the battle for the control of our thoughts, purposes, and actions. The battle rages between two factions: the Spirit and the flesh. Before Christ ruled and reigned in our lives, our direction was determined by the want of the flesh and it's desire to be satisfied. We pursued things of life that would bring prosperity, power or position. The flesh promised a tangible satisfaction that could be measured based on human standards and efforts. This control leads to a life of physical and personal effort to obtain satisfaction.

The pursuits of the flesh always lead to excessiveness because it is never satisfied and never rest. The flesh continues to thirst for more. Because of its unending hunger and thirst for more it leads to "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these". These are contrary to the Spirit's way of doing business and stands in the way of the rest and peace the Spirit can bring. The Spirit always quenches our thirst and leaves us full and satisfied. As Jesus told the woman at the well, when you drink of the Spirit, "you will never thirst again".

The control of the flesh has now been challenged. It is challenged by the satisfying presence of the Spirit. The Spirit always quenches our thirst and hunger. When we walk in the Spirit we walk in contentment because our needs are fully met. Because we walk in the Spirit we are satisfied and the results are: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control". As Paul states, "if we live by the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit". The inner transformation brought about by the Spirit should result in an outer transformation of the way we walk before others.

Prayer
Lord may we discover the hunger filling and thirst quenching of the Spirit that results in our walking in the Spirit before others. Lord may Your Spirit be evident in our lives as we demonstrate: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control".

Created 4 months ago