Keep in step with the Spirit part 2 (Galatians 5:16-17)

Galatians 5:16-17 ‘So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.’

Christians have new choices; they can now choose whether to obey the ‘flesh’ (things that are not of God) or the ‘Spirit’ (things that are of God).

This, in particular, will be worked out in our relationships. We are constantly faced with choices to, ‘become conceited, provoking and envying each other.’ (v. 25) or to ‘serve one another humbly in love’ (v. 13).

In my experience, keeping in step with the Spirit, has become equated and relegated to seeking the more overt supernatural things such as praying for the sick, words of prophecy etc. Someone might say, "I was walking down the street and I felt the Sprit tell me to go into a particular shop, go to a particular isle, and share a particular name that God had given me with a lady in a red coat..." But, too often, Christians can be caught up with seeking the miraculous, whilst living in bad relationships – being divisive and difficult people! I know that I can be a difficult person and those who know me know it to!

It’s interesting to note that, in my experience, people often equate Paul’s command, ‘do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God’ (Eph. 5:30) with allowing the gifts of the Holy Spirit to flow freely in our meetings, when this is clearly, again, about having great relationships: ‘Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander’ (Eph. 5:31).

The flesh wants to destroy our relationships, but the Spirit’s abundant power is available to persevere with one another and build a glorious church. Let's keep in step with the Spirit! 

Read More

Keep in step with the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

We are called to ‘walk’ by the Spirit; to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’ (v.25). The outcome will be that we sin less. The Holy Spirit wants to influence us for godliness and we must allow Him to rule in our lives. 

‘To walk by the Spirit means to be under the constant, moment-by-moment direction, control, and guidance of the Spirit.’ (Ronald Fung, NICNT, Page 249)

How do I know what the Spirit wants so that I can keep in step with Him?

The Holy Spirit leads us in our conscience: A Christian will have an enhanced sense of right and wrong. This is the fulfilment of the promise given to Jeremiah,

‘This is the covenant that I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’ (Jeremiah 31:33)

Walking by the Spirit also demands that we study the bible. The bible clarifies the Spirit’s will to us. Keeping is step with the Spirit is not to be equated with ‘this just felt right’! Sometimes, what we feel is right - on decisions like our marriage, homosexuality, women’s ministry…- are actually at odds with the Spirit. As Paul says, 

'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’ (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

As J. I. Packer has said,

'The Spirit works through Means - "through the objective means of grace, namely, biblical truth, prayer, fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and . . . through the subjective means of grace whereby we open ourselves to change, namely, thinking, listening, questioning oneself, sharing what is in ones heart with another, examining oneself, admonishing oneself, and weighing any response they (those we share with) make . . .' (J. I. Packer. Keep in step with the Spirit)

Ultimately, our new holy life is empowered by the Holy Spirit. Having said what I have said, we must not equate walking with the Spirit as reading the bible and doing what it says. In fact this could leave us in the opposite place - in legalism. It is the internal power of the Holy Spirit that is transforming and empowering our lives. Yes, He will use scripture (and other means - they are vital!), but it is the Spirit himself who is changing us as we seek to walk with Him. We end with a few words from Gordon Fee, 

‘Thus the combination of the imperative ‘walk,’ joined by the dative ‘by the Spirit,’ puts the two basic things together, Ethical life is still a matter of ‘walking in the ways of God,’ but for Paul this is empowered for God’s new covenant people by God’s empowering presence in the person of his Holy Spirit.’

Read More

A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough

Galatians 5:9 ‘A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.’

A little legalism or sin will work its way through a person bringing increasing destruction to their lives. Similarly, a little sin or false teaching, will work through a church community.

A person who tolerates sin will influence those around them; they will either be an active bad influence, or they will influence by being less than they should be (through the incapacitating effects of sin and bad teaching) and so the church will lack the benefit of their God-given gifts. 

Would you eat any part of a cake which had even a small piece of vial contaminant? Would one drink a sip of water that had the smallest amount of poison? The thought offends our imagination; how much more does our complacency offend our holy God!

We all sin, we all have as yet undiscovered inconsistencies in our understanding. The problem is when a people has a contingent who think that repentance is not essential. Are we striving for holiness and growth in knowledge? If we are, we will become ‘yeast that works through the whole batch’ causing it to rise!

Read More

Death leads to life (John 12:20-36)

1. Jesus death leads to life

Jesus speaks of His impending death saying, 

‘The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'




God is in control of 'the hour' of Jesus' death; His death has been a part of God's plan from eternity past and now the hour has finally come.

Jesus speaks of His death as bringing great victory – the multiplication of life,

'Very truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.'

Jesus' death leads to life. He came to die the death that we all face because of our sin. All who put their faith in His substitutionary death have eternal life.

2. Our death leads to life

Jesus also goes on to apply this to how we should live,

'Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.'

We are to follow Jesus' example of dying; we are to live such radical lives for God that it is a kind of death to ourselves; God, rather than ourselves, being the Lord of our lives.

Let's be clear, it is Jesus' death alone that saves us; but our new God-centred life is evidence that we have become Christians by the power of the Holy Spirit within us; Jesus is the 'grain of wheat that has fallen into the ground and died'; His death has alone has 'produced many seeds' – you and me! True seeds take on the likeness of the original, in other words, Christians are the kinds of people who, like Jesus, lay themselves down for God. 

Remember, there is the promise of great joy as we seek to die to ourselves and live for God, even the promise of the honour of God,

'My Father will honour the one who serves me.'

How might this death look each day?

• Regularly ask the Holy Spirit to highlight any areas of sin to which to need to die.
• As you read the bible, expect God to highlight things you need to stop or start doing.
• Think about the 'big three' money, sex and power; every Christian will struggle with these to different degrees. Are you dying to yourself and living for God in each of these areas?

You can listen to this message at,

Death leads to life (John 12:20-36)

Sign up for our free podcast here

Going deeper – Personal daily study notes on John 12:20-36

Monday: Jesus’ international mission

Read John 12:20-23 and Matthew 28:19-20. John tells us about the Greeks who are seeking Jesus in order to tell us of the international nature of Jesus’ mission. We will see in the book of Acts that the gospel starts in Jerusalem among Jews and then becomes international in its reach. Jesus is still on a mission to the ends of the earth!

Tuesday: The cross of glory

Read John 12:23, 28. The cross is presented as a moment of glory for Jesus. To be glorified is to be held in the highest esteem. How does the cross bring glory to Jesus?

‘True glory is to be seen, not in outward splendour, but in the lowliness with which the Son of God lived among us and suffered for us… it is the cross of shame that manifests the true glory’  (Leon Morris)

Wednesday: Following Jesus for good or bad

Read John 12:24-26. Christians are called to follow Jesus no matter what! Here, Jesus makes it clear that we will have to, like Christ, lay our lives down. This means a complete surrender of ourselves to God and putting others first in multiple ways; in seasons of persecution it can mean a literal laying our life down for Jesus.

Thursday: living for a reason

Read John 12:27 and Matthew 6:33. Greatness demands focus. If we live for everything, we will live for nothing! Jesus has the cross as the ultimate goal, the ‘reason’ of His earthly mission. What is your ‘reason’? Let God’s will be your ultimate, subsuming, focus. But don’t let it stay general; what are you called, specifically, to do?

Friday: Dealing with doubt

Read John 12:34. Many begin to doubt that Jesus is the Messiah because He tells them He is going to die. We will all be tempted to doubt Jesus at points. Doubts arise because we judge what God should be like, should have done etc. Faith in Jesus is the only remedy. Hold on to trust, and keep praying and reading the bible.

Saturday: The constant choice of Darkness and light

Read John 12:35-36. Jesus tells them to trust in the ‘light’ (Himself) whilst He is with them in the body. We will never see Jesus in the body this side of heaven, so what do these verses say to us? We see the light of Christ in the scriptures as they tell us what we need to know about Him. The Holy Spirit, as we read, gives a reality to the words and so we can know Jesus, the light of the world. However, there are times when God seems distant and the bible uninspiring. At such times we must continue to be faithful to walk in the light that we have, believing in the light over the darkness of our melancholy. 

Read More

Still excited about what the King might do ? or ! (John 12: 9-19)

Depiction of a Roman triumphus parade


STILL EXPECTANT OF WHAT THE KING MIGHT DO ?or !


The Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was the King coming to die!
The crowd was expecting some sort of overthrow of their Roman oppressors and the re-establishment of the glory of Israel; they were to be disappointed at what this king would actually do. 

A military triumph would have been quite something, but nothing that they, in their history, had not experienced; Jesus' death for our sin was something altogether unheard of - God dying for sinners! - and would lead to the ultimate victory over our sin, death and the devil. 

Jesus still has much to do in this world. The Triumphal entry shows us His commitment to saving many! 

so, are you, 

Still excited about what the King might do?

or,

Still excited about what the King might do!

Let Paul's faith speak into your spirit (speaking of the imagery of a Roman Triumphas parade, as the victorious army led a convoy of spoils and captives through the streets) 

'But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.' (2 Cor. 2:14) 

You can listen to this message at,

STILL EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE KING MIGHT DO? OR ! (JOHN 12:9-19)

Sign up for our free podcast here

Going deeper – Personal daily study notes on 12:9-19

Monday: The victory of Jesus

Read John 12:9-13 and Revelation 7:9-12. Waving palm branches signifies a great victor and victory. Do you live with a sense of the sublime greatness of God; that He loves you and His church and is working out His victory in our lives and the world?

Tuesday: Blessed king

Read John 12:13. ‘Blessed’ speaks of heaven’s favour and joy over Jesus. He is beloved of heaven; when we worship Jesus, we are joining in heaven’s song. Let’s make worship a habit in our lives.

Wednesday: War to end all wars

Read John 12:14-15 and Zechariah 9:9-10. John quotes this Old Testament prophecy to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah. If you read that quote from Zechariah, you will see that the next verse speaks of the international peace and rule that will be brought about by King Jesus. On the cross He has fought a war on sin; and it is a war/victory that will end all war in the end.

Thursday: Spirit and truth

Read John 12:16 and John 16:12-13. Only after the disciples received the Holy Spirit did they understand what Jesus had done for them. The Holy Spirit has inspired the bible to be written (See 2 Timothy 3:16); He also inspires us as we read it. Make it a habit to pray for the Spirit’s grace each time to read the bible or pray for the preacher when they stand up to speak from the bible. 

Friday: You are a witness to the miracle

Read John 12:17-18. The crowd that saw Lazarus raised from death (John 11:38-46) were convinced that Jesus was the Saviour, King, the Messiah, and their enthusiasm could not be kept to themselves. When we are excited about something we have to share it! Are we sharing the good news about the miracle of the death and resurrection of Jesus? There are many ways of doing this but it starts with being astounded; pray that God would restore your joy in Jesus.

Saturday: Living with victory whilst being attacked

Read John 12:19. We have spoken a lot about victory this week. We will live in a restored world free from sin, suffering, death, and all that is opposed to King Jesus. This victory has been won through the death and resurrection of Christ and is assured to us because of His greatness and faithfulness.

But, this passage, as the entire book shows, that during this age their will be a range of responses to us and to Jesus: some will believe, some will be polite, some will be murderous!  Many in this adoring crowd will turn on Jesus and will call for His crucifixion, stay silent or run away. Their expectations of an immediate victory are wrong and they will not be prepared to live for Jesus in the face of opposition.

Let’s be those who are confident in the victor, confident of His final victory, although we may face disappointment and have to suffer before the end comes.

Read More