Walking in the Holy Spirit – Dr. Charles Stanley

one of the most neglected subjects in

the Bible is the work of the Holy Spirit

in the life of the believer you would

think that as important as that subject

is that more people would be talking

about it more people be referring to the

Holy Spirit but there are millions of

people who sit in church week after week

after week year after year never hear a

single sermon dedicated to the Holy

Spirit in his work in our life when it’s

so crystal clear from the scripture that

you cannot live a godly life you cannot

serve the Lord adequately unless you

understand how he works in your life and

you certainly cannot understand the

truth of God’s Word apart from the Holy

Spirit one of his primary

responsibilities is to interpret the

Word of God for us properly and yet

sometimes you think well whose fault is

that is the people who sit in the pews

of the men who stand in the pulpit and I

think primarily it is the men who stand

in the pulpit and the truth is not

anyone who preaches the gospel apart

from the Holy Spirit and the anointing

of the Spirit and then Dumon of God’s

power upon his or her life doesn’t

making us who it is apart from the Holy

Spirit it’s not going to be nearly as

effective it’s not gonna have the fruit

that that work would have were the

Spirit of God the one upon whom the

speaker was depending to get the job

done it’s his responsibility it’s the

work of the Holy Spirit and for a lot of

people it’s just sort of on one of those

subjects they just say well I’ll talk

about Jesus and God I don’t know who

this Holy Spirit is because I used to

read the Bible and it’s talked about the

Holy Ghost well I can remember growing

up and naturally we only had the King

James Version and they and it was

translated Holy Ghost instead of Holy

Spirit and I remember thinking as a kid

I’m not that Ghost business I’m not sure

how I can handle that because I didn’t

understand that and so and then of

course some people think well the Holy

Spirit’s all about tongues you have to

speak in tongues and so they just

totally disregarding the truth is and I

want to say it again you cannot

interpret the Word of God properly you

cannot live a godly life and you cannot

serve

adequately apart from the power of the

Spirit of God working in your life so

what I want to talk about in this

message is walking by the Holy Spirit

and I want you to turn if you will to

Galatians chapter 5 and I want assisant

look at a couple of verses here because

there’s so much that we could talk about

but I want to put it all in one message

because I want you to get the full

impact of how important the Holy Spirit

is in your life as a believer and if

you’ll notice in the fifth chapter of

Galatians here’s what he says in verse

16 but I say walk by the spirit and you

will not carry out the desires of the

flesh now what are the desires of the

flesh we’re talking about those desires

that find their source within that part

of us that has a desire to live outside

the will of God in other words when Paul

speaks of the flesh he’s not talking

about flesh and blood he’s talking about

part of something within us that is when

a person is saved the Spirit of God

comes into your life to dwell and so

we’re transforming a brand new creatures

in Christ but that does not remove that

propensity that tendency at times that

desires to do something outside the will

of God to stand against God and so when

a person is living in the flesh they are

expressing that inner desire to do

something go somewhere have some

attitude that is not godly we all have

to deal with it every single day of our

life and so when he says here I said to

you walk by the spirit and you will not

carry out the desires of the flesh then

if you look in the 25th verse of the

same chapter Paul says again if we live

by the Spirit that is controlled by him

dominated by him the holy spirit let us

also walk by the spirit that is if he is

really in control of air of life let us

walk by the holy spirit now well we have

to star this we have to start in first

of all answering the question will who

is he and somebody says a lot on the who

he is I know who Jesus is under who God

I don’t know who the Holy Spirit is oh

I’ve heard that he’s a person of the

Trinity well let’s start where the Bible

starts and that is in the first book of

the Bible the first chapter of the Bible

the second verse of the Bible

you found the Holy Spirit hovering over

this earth that is not totally complete

and then you find in the 26th verse God

says let us make man in our image well

who in the world is us well there’s the

Holy Spirit in that second verse us is

also the Lord Jesus Christ because if

you notice in if you notice in

Colossians for example when Paul is

talking about Jesus and who he is and

our response told him he says for by him

we’re all things created both in the

heavens and on earth visible and

invisible whether Thrones or dominions

or rulers or authorities all things have

been created through him and for him

which simply says this that this whole

creation is involved with God the Father

God the Son God the Holy Spirit all

three persons of the Trinity so also

you’ll find throughout the scripture

that the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit

and in Zechariah for example that fourth

chapter the scripture says not by might

nor by power but by my spirit says the

Lord that is that’s the way we’re to

live and that’s the way we had to serve

Him in dependence upon him now when

you’re thinking about the Holy Spirit

somebody says well is he some force is

that some biblical force no he’s a

person and I want to show you in a few

moments if you turn to look if you will

in John chapter 14 and you’ll find that

the qualities of a person for example

that can think they can reason that has

emotion that can will that can make

choices and so forth look if you will in

this 14th chapter and the 16th verse

when somebody says well I don’t believe

in the Trinity well how do you answer

this question John 14:16

ah Jesus speaking we’ll ask the Father

and He will give you another helper and

that he may be with you forever that is

the Spirit of Truth there’s all the

Trinity right then there’s two verses in

the 26th verse look at that

but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the

father will send in my name he will

teach you all things and bring to your

remembrance all that I’ve said to you so

both of these verses give you the father

son the Holy Spirit all three persons of

the Trinity is somebody says well do you

all believe in three gods no there are

three persons of the Trinity

there is one that Godhead one God three

persons the father does his work the son

does his work the spirit does his work

and the work of the Holy Spirit is a

vital part and every single believers

life and it’s tragic that people can go

to church and listen to sermons year

after year after year and never

understand the work of the spirit and

wonder why they fail in their Christian

life why things don’t work out where I

got this an answer their prayer why they

feel so weak while they’re so tempted

while they yield and on and on and on it

goes and there is a very specific reason

for that because when you look to see

the work of the Holy Spirit and who he

is and that he’s a person of the Trinity

and that God has called him and sent him

into your life and male for some very

very specific purposes so we’re talking

about someone whom the father has sent

into your life in my life because we

could not be nor could we become nor

could we ever accomplish what he has in

mind apart from the Holy Spirit if I

were to ask you what is the Holy Spirit

who he is this what what does he mean to

you and for many people they’d have to

say well I know it’s in the Bible

because I read the Holy Spirit well is

he a person yes he is the Holy Spirit is

as much a person as Jesus because the

scripture if you’ll notice calls him he

and the Holy Spirit whom and when you

look at the work he does and what he

does in your life in my life he has to

be a person so the Holy Spirit is a

vital part of every single believers

life so I want us to look for just a

moment I’m going to take you through

some of these verses just to sort of get

you oriented here and I want to start

with this 14th chapter John and we just

mentioned a couple of them here and I

want you to see what the Holy Spirit

does in our life and the helper here in

the Greek is Parakletos which means one

who walks beside us one who is and he

calls him here our helper it is the same

word translated comforter so both of

which mean that we have someone with us

who helps us who comforts us along with

some other things he’ll notice in verse

26 he says but the help of the Holy

Spirit whom not it which but whom the

father will send in my name he will

teach you all things that is the work of

the Holy Spirit in the life of the

believer is that he teaches as the truth

unless the Spirit of God interprets the

truth for us it won’t be correct they’re

all kind of theologists and all kind of

ideas and all kind of religions out

there believe all kind of stuff because

it’s man-made religion man-made theology

apart from the work of a Spirit of God

when they’re no contradictions in this

book now listen he says not only will he

teach us all these things but secondly

he will bring to your remembrance all

that I teach you and all that I meant

for you to understand that is he is also

a reminder for example let’s say

somebody says well I’d like to witness

to somebody I’m afraid I’ll forget the

verses remember this you have the Holy

Spirit to remind you one of his

responsibilities is to remind us of the

things we need to remember and primarily

of course that is the Word of God then

if you will look in the fifteenth

chapter and look in the 26th verse of

this fifteenth chapter of John he says

again when the helper that is the Holy

Spirit comes whom I will send to you

from the father that is the Spirit of

Truth he’s often in the scripture call

the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from

the father he will testify about me that

is the work of the Holy Spirit it’s that

it’s to testify about who Jesus is what

he does in his place in our life watch

this the Holy Spirit never talks about

himself

it’s always about Jesus that is part of

his responsibility then if when you look

at this sixteenth chapter and the eighth

verse here’s another work of the Holy

Spirit you think for example that you

got saved because you chose to be say

well that’s true to some degree but

first of all what got you realizing that

you needed to be saved you got under

conviction verse eight of the sixteenth

chapter

he the Holy Spirit when he comes he will

convict the world

listen concerning sin righteousness and

judgment and concerning sin because they

do not believe in me concerning

righteousness because I go to the Father

and you no longer see me and concerning

judgment because the ruler of this world

has been judged I have many more things

to say to you but you cannot bear them

down and so but when the spirit of truth

comes he will guide you into all truth

he convicts us of her sins he is a

teacher and he guides us into all truth

and verse 14 says he will glorify me

that is the Spirit of God is continually

pointing us to Jesus and helping us to

see who he is how he fits into our life

and why we so desperately need him and

so when you look at all these verses and

then you come to Romans chapter 8 so

look at chapter 8 for a moment and I

want you to notice a few verses here

that are also so very important because

in Romans chapter 8 Paul describes in a

few verses here a great deal he says for

example beginning in verse 11 but if the

spirit of him who raised Jesus from the

dead dwells in you he who raised Christ

Jesus from the dead will also give life

to your mortal bodies through his spirit

who dwells where in you every single

believer has the Holy Spirit indwelling

him so what’s this every single believer

has a person of the Trinity indwelling

us in our spirit we listen we talk about

being filled with the spirit a person is

filled with the Holy Spirit when they’re

living in obedience to him and following

him and walking in his ways and so he

says the Spirit indwells us look if he

will in the fourteenth verse for all who

are being led by the Spirit of God these

are the sons of God he not only guides

us but he the scripture says he leads us

and indwells us and in verse 15 for

you’ve 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 that is he

is the one who gives us assurance of our

relationship to the Father that is the

Holy Spirit testifies to everybody

you are you are one of God’s children

you have been adopted into the kingdom

and so we come to buy that through the

Holy Spirit and then he says in verse 16

the Spirit Himself testifies with our

spirit that we are the children of God

that is bears witness and and for

example somebody says to you well you

say you say I’m sure I’m saying why are

you so sure well you could give them a

lot of reasons but the real truth is the

Holy Spirit bears witness gives you

assurance it reminds you that you

trusted Christ as your Savior remind you

of the promises of God therefore you can

with assurance say yes I know that I’m

saved it is the work of the Holy Spirit

that does that then of course for

example if you turn to the twelfth

chapter of first Corinthians now all the

scriptures here about the gifts the gift

of prophecy the gift of exhortation and

giving and service and mercy and

administration and all the rest where

does all that come from well the

scripture says in verse 4 1st

Corinthians chapter 12 now these are the

varieties of gifts but the same spirit

it is the same spirit of God that gives

these gifts and you’ll notice in verse 7

but to each one that is to each believer

is given a manifestation of the spirit

for the common good and for adverse a

for the one who’s given the word of

wisdom through the spirit to another the

word of knowledge according to the same

spirit and so it’s very evident what’s

happening here then if you will turn

back to Acts chapter 1 for a moment and

you recall when Tom had all the works of

the Holy Spirit you recall that Jesus

had taken his disciples for three years

taught him all the things that he felt

they needed to know he performed

miracles he raised the dead he healed

bodies of all kinds of diseases he

taught them all kind of truth and then

he said them at the end of three years

after they had been so shocked by the

crucifixion and in a state of total

disarray by understanding what’s going

on now the resurrection has come and

then what he said to them he said no

look you sit down in the city of

Jerusalem sit down in the city of

Jerusalem until you are endued with

power from on high that is you’re not

ready for example

in the 24th chapter of Luke he gives us

at that part of the Great Commission and

then he says of course in Matthew gives

us a great commission and then also in

mark but an actual Accord he says now in

verse 7 he said to them it is not for

you to know the times of the seasons

which the father has fixed by his own

authority but you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you

and you shall be my witnesses both in

Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria

and the uttermost parts of the earth so

what was he saying he’s saying simply

this even though you’ve seen all this

even though you’ve heard all this even

though you’ve witnessed all the things

that I’ve done you’re still not ready to

do the work that I’ve told you to do

until the Spirit of God indwells you

then the Old Testament the Holy Spirit

would come upon God’s servants and and

depart and come at Pentecost the Holy

Spirit descended to this earth to

indwell all believers so that from that

point on every single person who is a

child of God isn’t dwelt by a person of

the Trinity called the Holy Spirit and

so when somebody says to me well I’m

just a nobody I get all excited when

they tell me that because I can’t wait

to tell them who they are

so you trusted Jesus Christ is just save

you yes then you’re a child of God

you’re indwelt by the Holy Spirit a

person the trend I just go right down

the line and by the time I finish they

changed their whole attitude listen you

can’t be on nobody and be saved with

Jesus you can’t be on nobody and be

dropped by the Holy Spirit you can’t be

a nobody with having one in you to teach

you remind you strengthen you go right

down the list of all the things that we

talked about and the reason I read that

list is because I want you to see there

it is in black and white in the Word of

God this is who he is and this is what

he’s doing in the life of his followers

and so he intends for us to walk by his

spirit now a lot of people for example

who say well now I think I try to do the

best I can I think about Sunday School

teachers who take this on the school

lesson book or maybe the Bible and then

read the lesson and they get this get it

down pretty good and they go to some

school class and they teach the lesson

who’s the teacher the holy spirit who’s

the equip the holy spirit who gives

interpretation the Word of God the Holy

Spirit listen it is the power of the

Holy Spirit within you that’s why he

told them you’re not ready until the

Spirit of God has come upon you and then

it is the authority of the Spirit the

power of the Spirit the unction of the

Spirit that teaches through a Sunday

school teacher through a pastor through

an evangelist sings through a musician

you name it God intends for all of us

that do our work in his power in his

energy in his strength and by his

authority what is done apart from the

Holy Spirit is flesh it’s man’s own

human effort we can never carry a

spiritual work God’s work in the flesh

in our own energy apart from the Holy

Spirit that is one of the primary

reasons he sent the Holy Spirit you may

be a person you think will now study and

I pray and and God gives me a message

and I just get up until it and you

ignore the Holy Spirit you’re not

relying upon him for wisdom you’re not

relying upon him for courage you’re not

relying upon him for inspiration you’re

not relying upon him for motivation

you’re not relying upon him for

interpretation you’re not relying upon

him for power you’re not relying upon

him for authority you cannot do what God

has called you to do

the way he intends for you to do it

apart from the Holy Spirit that’s who he

is that’s why I came there’s no

substitute for the Holy Spirit you can’t

put on a PhD each th-these RFDS any

other kind of these behind anybody’s

name and make them adequate to do the

work God’s called them to do you cannot

do it and so I remember one of the most

significant times in my life and I’d

only been in seminary a year and I was

in my second year and I had a place over

the corner where I prayed and in the

living room and in a very small

apartment and so I was praying one night

and the Lord just spoke to my heart

crystal clear I’ll never forget it

whatever you accomplished in life you

will have to accomplish on your knees in

prayer

not by education but not by talent not

by gifts

oh by calling out to me crying out to me

it has to be on your knees and God knew

that that meant for me total dependence

upon the Holy Spirit because you see

when you’re not praying right he’s

involved because one listen one of his

responsibilities is in Romans chapter 8

26 when he says the Holy Spirit prays

for us and through us intercedes for us

because we don’t even know how to pray

sometime

haven’t you been on your knees and

crying out to God for somebody you

didn’t know what to ask you just knew

they were in trouble

you didn’t know what to say you just

said God help them Lord I’m just

trusting you to work in their life the

Spirit of God takes your prayer and

interprets it listen personally

perfectly before the father because he

knows our heart personal eternity knows

all things about all times situations

and circumstances and so when I look at

what he does and the awesome power

available to us I think how foolish for

us to try to do anything apart from the

Spirit of God now that’s who he is

that’s what he does and the issue now is

what does it mean to walk by the spirit

how do we walk by the spirit well I want

to put a definition up on the screen

here and I want you to write it down

because every single one of us needs to

understand this listen to walk in the

spirit or by the spirit either way you

want to call it is to live moment by

moment now not today and maybe tomorrow

moment by moment what independence upon

him sensitive to his voice in our life

and in obedience to him those three

words dependency sensitive to him and

obedience so if I’m walking in the

spirit

you’ll notice that I’m not doing that on

Monday and then on Thursday next and

maybe make some Sunday but how often

come on tell me how often

moment-by-moment

that is every day of her life as a

believer I am to walk aware of the

Spirit of God in their life you say well

no how can we do that how’s that

possible well I want to talk about that

but what it’s really saying is I’m to

live a godly life you can go to church

every Sunday you can pray a little bit

every once in a while you can give a

little bit you can read the Bible once

and walk

that’s not the Christian life the

Christian life is living submissive to

the holy spirit who indwells you for the

purpose the primary purpose of Jesus

Christ living his life in and through us

that’s why he came he came to do in us

and through us and for us what you and I

could never do ourselves and so to walk

listen to walk by the spirit is the ward

moment-by-moment but depending upon him

sensitive to his voice in our life and

as a result of that what’s gonna happen

we’re gonna live a godly life we are we

gonna live a life of obedience so I hope

you wrote that down

that’s what walking by the spirit that’s

that’s the Christian life because would

you not agree that if a person goes to

church and listens to sermons even takes

notes goes to work the next day and just

curses somebody out well you left

because you probably known a few folks

like that that’s not correct that’s not

Christian living now I didn’t say they

weren’t saved but it’s not Christian

living because the Christian life is in

life

in whom the Holy Spirit is dwelling and

through whom the Holy Spirit is

expressing the life of Jesus so that

comes to the whole question here of

being filled with a spirit what does it

mean to be filled with a spirit to be

filled with spirit means then I’m

totally submitted to him that he has his

way in my life moment by moment it’s his

way not my way now here is a big point I

want you to get this how do we walk by

the spirit that is we know he’s

indwelling us we know that he is doing

all these things and teaching and

guiding and leading and filling and

empowering and convicting and enabling

and all these things well so what’s my

responsibility it comes down to this and

that is if I’m going to live a

moment-by-moment in the power of the

Holy Spirit I must listen I must be

sensitive listen to the initial

promptings of the Spirit now what do I

mean by that simply this now let’s take

for example let’s say you’re a Christian

and all of a sudden you see something

that gets your eye or gets your

attention and you know

as soon as you see that all you look

that way or whatever it might be

something inside and says don’t go that

way

don’t head in that direction who is that

that’s the Holy Spirit or have you ever

been driving and you going some some

particular direction and all of a sudden

you get this strong feeling take a right

right here or whether that come from

well there’s nobody in the car but you

that’s the Spirit of God warning of

what’s about to happen which was a wreck

and the other ones you turn right listen

the Spirit of God within you speaks to

your spirit that is with strong

implications and strong incarnations the

Spirit of God arouses us to think and to

think his way the Spirit of God is an

active person in our spirit giving

guidance and direction shall we to live

because he said what did he come to

guide us to lead us and to empower us

and to reveal to us and to impart truth

and the truth of God’s Word to us and so

when I think about this whole idea of

him prompting us in the way he prompts

us he does so by strong inclinations now

somebody says well suppose I don’t

suppose he prompts me and I just keep

going well what would you call that let

me ask you this if you’re a 12 year old

boy you said your trip year old son take

the trash out now he says I’ll take it

out

but I got something else to do right now

I’ll tell you that later what would you

call that

that’s just pure disobedience in other

words that’s disobedience and here’s the

way many people live and you don’t

realize this if the Spirit of God

prompts you to do something obedience is

that you do it when he says do it

rebellion is when you do it when you

want to do it or you don’t do it at all

in any way you cut it it’s disobedience

in other words if the Spirit of God

prompts you to do something and you

don’t do it give me any other words that

best describe

what you did the disobedience and

rebellion it’s not doing what God says

do that’s what it is sense rebellion

against God so when he prompts us to do

something how does he do that he speak

to our conscience and to the spirit

within us now watch this the spirit of

God’s never gonna tell you not to do the

right thing it’s always the right thing

at the right time in the right way

listen the Holy Spirit is not the no

obligation to explain to me why well why

should I turn right here I should not

turn because there’s some things you and

I can’t see we can’t foresee he’s

protecting us in his listen it is

foolish not to live moment by moment by

the Holy Spirit because he’s there for

our benefit listen by the way God

doesn’t need any of us he doesn’t he can

get his work done without any of us but

he loves us enough to sealed us as a

child of God and one of his works is to

seal us under the day of redemption he

says that in first in Ephesians chapter

1 verse 13 he the Spirit of God seals us

now watch this that means when you

trusted him as your Savior the Holy

Spirit came into your life to dwell and

not only does he come to dwell but he

seals you as a child of God that is you

are forever a child of God and as I say

to my friends who do not believe that

and I’m sorry they don’t believe it

here’s what he says in him you also

having listened to the message of truth

the gospel of your salvation having also

believed you were sealed in him that is

in Christ with the Holy Spirit of

promise now what’s the promise here’s

the promise who has given us a pledge

now listen if I if I promise you

something and I pledge that to you you

expect me to fulfill it but when God

gives you a pledge and he sells you he

gives you a promise he has awesome power

to do anything and everything he’ll keep

his promise so here’s what he says he

seals us in Christ who is given as a

pledge of our inheritance that is the

Holy Spirit comes in your life in my

life in his presence in your life watch

this is God’s seal

your life saying to you I promise you

forever and ever and ever you one of my

children you may send and I’ll have to

chastise you for forever you wonder my

children now if the Spirit of God is the

one who seals us and seals us within

who’s gonna break the seal now for

people who do not believe that they are

saved forever and they saved today and

miss tomorrow let me just say something

if you understood the work of a Holy

Spirit you would not believe that I’ll

tell you why you claim to be a Christian

I don’t question that and you read your

Bible and pray and you may sing and cry

in orchestras or I’ll teach Sunday

School lesson all those things and you

just lose your temper and I mean you

just have it out with somebody so let

them have it

they did you wrong according to what you

believe you suddenly broke the seal

you’ve lost your promise and you lost

and on your way to separation to God oh

well now what I said wasn’t real all a

bit more wait a minute now sin is sin

and disobedience is disobedience the

promise the pledge of holy God is that

once he sees you as one of his children

you are forever a child of God you say

well I’m not and nobody’s perfect

nobody’s talking about perfection we’re

talking about being obedient to God and

what I want you to see is this God’s

seal is God’s seal it in my seal you

can’t you can’t break somebody else’s

seal your sealed forever and the Spirit

of God has equipped you to live a godly

life and we do that by moment by moment

doing what getting our focus right on

him now I wanted to say that all that

because it’s so very important but

people who genuinely want to do what’s

right they think this safe today and

lost tomorrow you know what when I was

growing up in that kind of a church I

was afraid every day that I probably did

something that was wrong and maybe I

forgot about it and I’d I’d go to hell

that’s what they said and the day I

learned the truth of what God said in

his word I wanted to shout right in the

middle of a class in a Greek class

because I understood for the first time

that I was forever

a child of God you got judges sin he

chastises the sinner he punishes the

unbeliever but for the child of God

the seal is there forever and it’s the

work of the spirit because it’s his

promise now with that in mind we think

about there is gonna be conflict

we got three enemies every morning you

wake up with three enemies the world the

flesh and the devil the world system in

which we live look at it what a mess

it’s in the devil for example and the

flesh that tendency within you that it

wants to do wrong at times in your life

it’s that’s gonna be there until you die

and so we have three enemies so so how

do we handle these three enemies well

Paul talks about resisting the devil for

example he talks about being filled with

the Holy Spirit and so here’s what

happens when that tendency comes to

think in the wrong direction watch this

now somebody says he can’t help myself

let me tell you something the devil

can’t make a single child of God do

anything he cannot make you he will lead

you he will guide you entice you tempt

you but he can’t make you so to walk in

the spirit means moment by moment what

moment by moment we are doing what we’re

listening to the Holy Spirit he’s our

guide but if someone says really you

mean to tell me that I can live without

sinning how long can I live without

sinning can you live five minutes

without sinning amen four people can

now let’s just think about what’s the

truth talk about four of you said you

could live you know what if I asked you

if you could live ten minutes without

sinning there wouldn’t be ten people

stand up do you mean to tell me you said

every five minutes that’s what you said

you said five minutes what about one

minute you can live a lot longer than

that without sinning you know why

because you have God living within you

guarding you leading you and if you will

listen if you will yield to the

promptings of the Holy Spirit of God

he’s always going to lead you to do the

right thing I’m not saying you always

will but I’m simply saying we have the

Spirit of God that’s that’s what walking

by the spirit is about it’s sending our

mind in a direction because we’re at war

and we’re always gonna be being attacked

by your friends by what you see what you

read what you hear all the things that

are going on the devil is there to

mislead us and to misdirect us and to

cause us to rebel against God but

because we have the Holy Spirit living

within us and we do I do understand that

we have a conflict now the issue is this

what do I do about the Holy Spirit so

turn back if you will to Romans chapter

eight and I want us to look in some

earlier verses in Romans chapter eight

and I want you to notice what he says in

this passage let’s begin in verse five

now watch this very important for those

who are living according to the flesh

that is there living by those desires

that they have within them that are not

of God and those desires can be one of

the many things so for those who are

living according the flesh watch this

set their minds on things of the flesh

but those who are living according to

the spirit they set their mind on things

of the Spirit now watch this every

single one of us sets our mind now

listen carefully what I’m saying we all

have a

said that some people get up every

morning with a mindset I’m I’m gonna do

my best today somebody else sets up on

the mindset I’m gonna do as little as I

can today somebody says I’m gonna I’m

gonna reach the top if I have to step on

them and mash him in other words

everybody has a mindset of some sort he

says that those who are living according

to the flesh that is that internal

feeling I want to act outside the will

of God they gonna live with the flesh

those who by the spirit you’ll live with

the spirit now watch this verse 6 for

the mind set on the flesh is death death

of the things of God the mind set on the

Spirit is life in peace because the mind

set on watch this carefully because the

mind set on the flesh is hostile toward

God to get that hostile toward yard when

you and I set our minds on doing things

and we know I’m not right here’s what he

says he says your attitude at that

moment is hostility toward you know all

no wait a minute

I love God no he says if you choose

deliberately to sin against God you’re

acting hostile toward God because the

will of God for your life is a life of

righteousness and obedience so he says

he says for the spirit set on the flesh

is death but this mind set on the spirit

is life in peace because the mind set on

the flesh is hostile toward God for it

does not subject itself to the law of

God for it is not even able to do so and

those who are living in the flesh cannot

please God so that being the case it

makes me want to know okay if that’s the

case how do I live according to the

spirit and so we have a battle now watch

this carefully every single one of us

has two battles every time we come to

some temptation first of all there’s a

battle in the mind secondly there’s the

battle in our behavior if you don’t win

the battle in the mind you’re gonna lose

the battle in your behavior because what

the mind thinks governs everything

governs what you see what you hear how

you speak walk handled you name it

the first battle and temptation is the

battle in the mind so I have to have a

mindset I choose to obey God

I choose not to walk that way I choose

not to look at that I choose not to give

to that I choose I choose not to

withhold that that is we have a mindset

and so there’s a battle that’s going on

and we win that battle as a result of

doing what yielding to and responding to

the initial prompting of the Spirit

now if the Spirit of God says don’t go

that direction and you just keep

traveling don’t go that direction don’t

go that direction don’t go that

direction you see you still travel what

you’re doing is you’re listen to this

word

you’re acting hostile toward God who

loves you and who has the best plan

available for you and you’re heading in

the wrong direction because you have

chosen to do so

it’s disobedience it’s rebellion its

hostility toward a loving God who came

to this earth and laid down his life in

all that you might be saying it’s

hostility toward God you can name it you

can camouflage it you can paint it you

can use any kind of vocabulary you want

to its hostility that’s what God says I

didn’t say it so you have to decide am I

gonna walk by the spirit above the flesh

if I want God’s best I’m gonna have a

mindset and first Peter listen what he

says he says in this first chapter in

the thirteenth verse therefore prepare

your minds for action keep sober in

spirit listen prepare your minds for

action and in Colossians the third

chapter listen to what he says to say

it’s the same sort of thing here’s what

he says therefore if you have been

raised up with Christ keep seeking the

things which above have a mind set on

things that are good righteous anole

he says where Christ is seated at the

Father’s right hand set your mind on the

things above not on the things that are

on earth we have a mindset for example

you say well how do I do that well

tomorrow let’s just take tomorrow

morning tomorrow morning before you get

out of bed and you wake up you set your

mind on the things of God today father

he’s the first one you ought to talk to

anyway father I want you to guide me

today and lead me I want to listen to

you speak to my heart make me sensitive

to what’s going on around

mean the people I meet and so forth that

is it you’ll develop your own little

message of setting your mind so what

happens you’re starting the day out with

a mind set you’ve set the direction for

your life and it’s the Holy Spirit who

is going to awaken you to remind you of

that because you know what you’re gonna

think about that tomorrow morning you

say how do you know I am because I’m

gonna pray you get so upset if you don’t

you will they have a mindset because

listen they’re people who wake up with a

mindset of adultery they’re people who

wake up with a mindset of stealing they

wake up with a mindset of lying of what

they what they intend to do that day

they’re people who wake up with all kind

of mindsets set your mind he says on the

things above where Jesus is sitting at

the Father’s right hand because we can

set our mind and the Holy Spirit will

enable us to do it it’s his will that we

do it and that’s why the Word of God is

so very very precious to us why because

this is the way we think you don’t

listen you don’t read and meditate on

the Word of God you know what you’re

gonna do listen you sit at home watch TV

program after program after program at

the only kind of propaganda at all the

things that are absolutely nothing to do

with things that are spiritual and then

you go to bed you think well I’m gonna

wake up and talk about Jesus I doubt it

you know why because you just programmed

your mind you know what you did you fed

that part of you that’s ungodly you fed

that part of you with all the stuff that

goes on why would anybody want to watch

stuff that instigates stirs them up and

arouses things within them that are

totally ungodly because there’s

something in them they want to feed and

what he’s saying is starve it to death

set your mind on the things of God on

the things that are on high the things

that the things that match who you are

you’re a follower of Jesus our life is a

representative of the Lord Jesus Christ

listen we owe him a life he died for us

he gave us the gift of salvation and

eternal life we owe him everything

how can we involve ourselves and allow

ourselves the head in directions that we

know is not right the Spirit of God

says do not go that do not do that do

not think that don’t look at that we do

it anyway

remember this anyway you cut it it is

rebellion it is disobedience and it’s

hostility to and God you want to live a

godly life have a mindset that is godly

so that when somebody crosses you your

mindset is I’ll get you back your

mindset it’s thank you very much

laughter’s forgive them for that I’m

just gonna overlook that I won’t pay

attention of that in other words godly

people don’t live like the ungodly and

we listen when we are walking in the

spirit there is an absolute definite

difference in our life your friends may

not understand it they think well you

just thank you something no we don’t

think we’re anything we know that which

your God that’s who we are and we know

that we are inadequate within ourselves

to do anything that hasn’t real value we

trust the Holy Spirit we depend upon him

we rely upon him we’re sensitive to him

we acknowledge him we obey him why

because we’ve learned that’s the best

way to live it’s the only way to live

with real peace and happiness and joy

and contentment in your life and it’s

the way God intends for us to live

because he came to live through us that

kind of life that’s the work of the Holy

Spirit that’s who he is

and I would simply say this to you why

why did David say he loved to meditate

upon God’s Word because you see he had a

mindset and we see in his life when he

when he turned away from that mind said

what kind of trouble he got into you and

I have the Holy Spirit we have the Holy

Spirit in a way that he didn’t even

understand could not have understood at

that time you are in dwelt by a person

of the Trinity Almighty God the Holy

Spirit who is here to enable us equip us

managers guide us lead us to do anything

and everything that it is his will for

us to do in to accomplish in life you

say well I’m just the homemaker there’s

no such thing as just a homemaker you

happen to have one of the biggest jobs I

know uh if anybody needs the Holy Spirit

in their life it is a mother look what

you have to do

you have to take care of the children

plus you have to take care of your

husband sometime put up with him but in

other words you you haven’t you have an

awesome job educating your children

keeping home all the hundreds and

hundreds of tasks that you have the Holy

Spirit is just as innocent he’s just as

available ready and desirous to help you

to be a godly mother as he is to helping

the pastor preach a godless sermon

that’s who he is so here’s the choice

you have you can set your mind on the

things of God and Trust this indwelling

person of the Holy Spirit who has

promised to guide you lead you enable

you equip you give you authority on all

the other things we’ve mentioned here

you have the Holy Spirit living within

you ready to live through you the very

life of Jesus Christ which means yet

your attitude and your actions are going

to be godly it’s a choice we make he

said what do I have to do get all that

done just surrender just yield just tell

him okay god I give up my way once your

way what does he do he takes over now is

it not true that’s what you want your

children to do you want them to trust

you and obey you why because you know

what’s best for them and you know you

give your life for them he’s sort of

given his life for us to walk in the

spirit

it’s the do what is to depend upon him

totally to rely upon him to be sensitive

to what he’s saying to us and to obey

Him that is life at its very very very

best and it’s available to every single

person who wants God’s best father how

grateful we are for your awesome love

for us and to think that you’ve done so

much in preparation for our daily life

then we can wake up with you live with

you and go to bed with you every night

with perfect assurance that we have your

favor

knowing that you forgive us when we’re

weak and knowing that our hearts desire

its moment-by-moment

to walk by your spirit that is my prayer

father for every person who hears this

message let there be some radical

changing going on in people’s attitudes

radical changing about sin that they put

up with and thought the God that you

paid no attention to it and radical

right doing because they want your best

I pray the Holy Spirit seal this message

executed in every life arouse the

conviction so that all that you desire

for us will have the wonderful privilege

of enjoying in Jesus name Amen and we

give an invitation for people to express

their decision one of which for example

is to trust Jesus Christ as their

personal Savior and you do that by

asking him to forgive you of your sin

not not that well Lord forgive me of my

sins but you come to the realization

you’ve sinned against God you’re part of

what put him to the cross he died on the

cross she had his blood listen paid your

sin debt in full for your eternal life

makes it possible if you’d be a child of

God and the moment you do that and

everything else we’ve talked about can

be a reality in your life until you give

yourself to him and salvation by faith

none of this other works but it shows

there’s a choice

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