Overcoming and Walking in the Spirit

Well, brethren, on the first day of Unleavened Bread, I gave a sermon about the importance of going forward in faith, not fear. Hopefully you haven't already forgotten that sermon. Those of you who are in Tulsa, in case you have, here's a reminder. Remember this? Okay, so you probably remember that sermon, at least to some degree. No fear! Brethren, God has called us to go forward and to refuse to become immobilized by our fears. We are going to be moving forward, faithfully entering the Promised Land and inheriting God's kingdom. And that's what we need to have in our minds, that God is going to grant us His kingdom because it is His good pleasure to give His flock His kingdom. Now, brethren, we know that the days of Unleavened Bread are all about putting sin out of our lives. These days are all about overcoming sin in our lives and becoming like Jesus Christ. So as Mr. Nunn said, we are to repent of who we are, and we are to become unleavened. We are to become like Jesus Christ. We are to become unleavened in our hearts and also in our minds. So that's moving forward in faith, trusting God for strength to overcome, and also believing in the gift of repentance and forgiveness when we slip up, when we sin, when we miss the mark spiritually. Now, brethren, in less than 50 days, we will observe the Feast of Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks because we count seven full weeks from the Sabbath during the days of Unleavened Bread, and we observe the day of Pentecost on the 50th day.

This year, that will be Sunday, May the 19th. So the countdown to Pentecost, God's next annual Holy Day, has already begun. How will you live your life the next 48 days up to Pentecost? Will you always be mindful of the lessons that we are to learn spiritually from keeping these important spring Holy Days that lead up to the Feast of Pentecost? This past week, we have been diligent and vigilant in regard to putting leaven out of our homes and out of our lives, keeping the leaven out. As we went about our daily lives living in this world, we were ever mindful of the possibilities of slipping up and bringing leaven back into our homes and back into our lives. I heard from one long-time member this week that she slipped up for the very first time, at least as far as she knows, and she's been in the Church about 45 years. So that's pretty good to only slip up once in 45 years.

So I have to give her credit for that, but she bought some ice cream sandwiches. That's right, and she ate one on the way home. And then she proceeded to eat another one after she took one and put the rest in the freezer. And I think she was eating the second one when it dawned on her what she was doing. So down they went into the garbage disposal.

Now she divulged to me, or devolved to me, I guess is better, she devolved that she did do a little indulging as well, but she did divulge that her husband had slipped up many times. In fact, too numerous to name. But to her knowledge, this was the very first time. I'm sure she wishes that she'd only sinned once in 45 years.

Now this evening after sundown, we can go back to legally eating ice cream sandwiches. And by the way, I remember once during the days of the Eleven Bread, I whipped into a gas station, got some gas, sold the ice cream sandwiches in the little display case, had to have one, and ate a few bites, and then it dawned on me that I, too, was eating Eleven. So it can happen to any of us. So after sundown tonight, we can go ahead and eat legally these ice cream sandwiches again. But what about spiritually? Can we legally break God's law?

Can we sin and it not count? As Paul would say, God forbid! Of course not!

Brethren, as we overcome eating Eleven this past week, we must go forward in faith, finding strength to become unleavened spiritually. We are to actively overcome sin, and we are to actively walk in the Spirit of God rather than going on to fulfill the lust of the flesh.

So if you'd like a sermon, let's just call this one Overcoming and Walking in the Spirit. Overcoming and Walking in the Spirit, or Overcoming Sin and Walking in the Spirit of God. It basically means the same thing. Walking in the Spirit must become a way of life. Christ really does need to be formed in us. He needs to be formed in you. He needs to be formed in me. We must become unleavened. It must be something that we are doing on a continual daily basis. So we need to be vigilant all the time. Not just during the days of Unleavened Bread. We need to think about this all the time. And we must be vigilant and diligent to keep the spiritual 11 out of our lives and out of our homes. The fruits of God's Spirit are not to be just something that we produce from time to time. But we should become what they are.

We should become actually the fruits of God's Spirit. In other words, we are to become love. We are to be loving. That's the way we are to be. We are to be joyful. We are to be peaceful.

We are to be patient. We are to be kind. We are to be good. We are to be gentle. We are to be faithful. We are to be self-controlled. That's the way we are supposed to be. That's what we are to become. And we are to be that way all the time. As Mr. Nunn said, we shouldn't make excuses for ourselves and say, that's just the way I am. I can't change. No, with God's help, you can change. And when you have faith, you will change. So brethren, we are to become perfect even as our Father in heaven is perfect. Matthew 5, verse 48. You don't need to go there. I just read it. Become you therefore perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect. That is our goal. That is our desire. And that is the way we are to become. So is that really the way you are right now? Are you perfect? Have you reached perfection? Are you holy as God is holy? Or at times, do you find yourself being just the opposite of the fruits of the Spirit? Do you find yourself sometimes being unloving, being miserable, not joyful, but miserable, being cantankerous, difficult, being impatient, being unkind, being nasty and being spirited, being harsh, being doubtful, being fearful, being undisciplined, and lacking self-control? Well, of course, if so, you are doing more walking in the flesh than you are walking in the Spirit. Now, we know that the Day of Pentecost pictures the giving of God's Holy Spirit. But, frankly, most of us here are baptized. We already have God's Holy Spirit. We don't have to wait to Pentecost 48 days from now. We already have God's Holy Spirit and we are to be utilizing the Spirit of God in us. Let's turn to Galatians 5, verse 16 to begin with. And we might recognize this as the fruits of the Spirit chapter, Galatians 5. Of course, this is also the work of the flesh chapter because both are contained here in Galatians 5. Let's notice verse 16.

Paul says, I say then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, for the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another so that you do not do the things that you wish. And Paul talked about that. He says, But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. In other words, you are not under the penalty of God's law because Christ paid the penalty for you. He died for you. And if you have the Spirit of God living in you, dwelling in you, then you've been sealed by the Spirit of God and God has given you a repentant heart and mind. And so, in that sense, you are no longer under the penalty of the law. If you were to die, you would await a resurrection to eternal life because you've been sealed by God's Spirit. It goes on to speak of the works of the flesh and it lists many of them.

It says, if there is anything like them, they are all works of the flesh and they will cause a person to be cast into the lake of fire. It says in verse 21 that people who produce the works of the flesh without repentance will not inherit the kingdom of God. So Paul understood what he was saying here. This is the same writer as the book of Romans where Paul talks about the things that I don't want to do or the things that I do, the things that I practice.

These are things that I don't want to do, but I find myself doing them. He says, if you practice these things and don't repent of them, then you will not inherit the kingdom of God. So Paul wasn't giving us an excuse to go on sinning, but he was describing the struggle that we all face and that we must be led by the Spirit of God and we must have a Spirit of repentance.

God's Spirit leads us to repentance. And then when we repent, of course, we are forgiven because Christ is faithful and just. He is our high priest and he forgives our sins and he makes intercession for us before the Father. Now notice verse 22, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. We already talked about how we are to become these fruits of God's Holy Spirit. That is the way we are to be. So, brethren, it is a high and a holy calling.

Verse 25 says, if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. If you have God's Spirit dwelling in you, if you live in the Spirit, then by all means, walk in the Spirit.

Make this a way of life. As you go about your daily life, as you go about walking to and fro upon this earth, then you should be walking in the Spirit. God says in Revelation 3 verse 21, that to He who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on My throne. Now think about that. What an honor that would be to sit with Jesus Christ on His throne, to rule and reign with Christ for a thousand years, and then to continue on for eternity.

I'm sure if the President of the United States would call us and want us to become the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury, we would consider that quite an honor, that we would be considered for such a position. How much more of an honor will it be when Christ asks us to share power with Him? I mean, Christ is doing that already, isn't He? Because He's the one along with the Father who is drawing us and calling us to Him and to the Father, to Christ and to the Father.

So that is a wonderful honor. It's a tremendous privilege that we've been called out of this world to become firstfruits. And again, Christ says, to Him who overcomes, will I grant to sit with Me on My throne? What can we do to help us be overcomers? What is it that we have to overcome? You've probably heard people say, you must overcome sin, you must overcome the self, and you must overcome Satan.

And that's true. We must overcome in all these areas to be pleasing to God. We are to be overcomers. So that's another way of saying that you must overcome the temptation to walk in the flesh. We're all tempted to walk in the flesh because we are flesh. So we're all tempted to walk in the flesh. Satan, of course, is the great tempter, and he appeals to the self. He appeals to our selfish nature. We all have weaknesses, and certainly Satan knows our weaknesses.

He knows when and in what way we are vulnerable to his temptations. Can you think of an integral part of the sample prayer that Christ gives in Matthew 6 that relates directly to what we're talking about right now? You know the sample prayer. What does it say about temptation? Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, from the God of this world, from Satan the devil.

Satan is a roaring lion. He is seeking whom he may devour. He is our enemy, and he is our tempter and our accuser. When a person goes about his daily life, he is continually walking. In fact, I took a walk after eating so much lunch. I decided I needed a little walk, and it's a beautiful courtyard out there, and I enjoyed the walk and the fresh air.

I guess it isn't fresh, according to Mr. Dunn. Something has come in. That affects some of us more than others. But regardless, I enjoyed the walk. I know I get tired of sitting. You may be tired of sitting already, and you still have a ways to go yet. We want to get up and walk, but don't leave.

I know I get tired of sitting at my desk, in my computer. I get antsy. I want to get up, and I want to walk around. I want to go do something other than peck away at a computer. We will be either walking in the spirit, or we will be walking in the flesh as we go about our daily lives. We won't just be sitting there. We will be moving, either in the right direction or in the wrong direction.

Walking is a very active thing to do. I think one of the most difficult trials that anyone could ever have is to be a quadriplegic. You know what a quadriplegic is. Quad means four. It's talking about four limbs. Both arms, both legs. A quadriplegic cannot move either the arms or the legs. A paraplegic basically is paralyzed generally from the waist down, but a quadriplegic is paralyzed from the neck down. What a horrible state that would be. A person such as this is completely confined to his bed or a wheelchair if he's able to get up and sit, and I think many of them can get into a wheelchair. But he can't get up and walk, ever.

How close to becoming a spiritual quadriplegic or paraplegic? Perhaps are you. Have you ever considered that? We're supposed to be walking in the spirit. If you're not walking in the spirit, then you're somewhat like a spiritual paraplegic or even a spiritual quadriplegic, depending on how far you've descended into sin. So we need to think about this today. A person who's a quadriplegic can't walk. They can't move even their upper bodies. They can perhaps move their head, some, their neck.

But what a horrible state that would be. I certainly pray that none of us have ever experienced feeling that way, that we are spiritual quadriplegics. But before we came into God's church, in many respects, that's exactly what we were. We were cut off from God. We were not walking in the spirit. God was not leading us and guiding us. Perhaps He was to some degree. When He began to call us and draw us to Him, we started to be led by the Spirit of God. So we started to walk somewhat in the spirit, but we were still walking in the flesh.

We had to change. We had to overcome. We had to put things out of our lives. I know that we all changed a great deal when we really became converted. When God converted our minds and gave us His Spirit.

So we might ask ourselves, have you ever really known anyone who was a quadriplegic? I had the opportunity to know a quadriplegic pretty well, actually, in Pittsburgh. Some of you probably have heard this story. In fact, I think I gave a sermon maybe seven or eight years ago. I talked about this person. He was only 16 years old when he dove into a river and he hit a rock and he became a quadriplegic at age 16. He wasn't careful about checking out the place that he would dive into. He was careless. He was neglectful and he paid a horrible price for that. He wasn't in the church at the time, not when he was injured.

He came into the church later on. God called him into the church. But when he became a quadriplegic, it cost him his ability to get out of bed on his own power. It cost him the ability to feed himself.

It cost him the ability to even take care of his basic needs, to use the bathroom on his own. He became totally dependent on others to care for him. He had to wear diapers the rest of his life. He had to lay in bed the rest of his life. You probably remember Christopher Reeves, who played Superman. He was a very vibrant man at one point in his life. But I believe he was riding a horse. The horse threw him and he became a quadriplegic. He had many, many resources. He had lots of money. But that did not cure him. That did not help him. He had a really bad case of being a quadriplegic. I don't remember how many years he lived. He certainly did not live as long as the man that I'm talking about. This man's name was Bob Neff. He was from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I believe he died when he was about 56 years old. He went for 40 years as a quadriplegic. I visited him numerous times when I was in Pittsburgh as an assistant and associate pastor there.

It was really very inspiring to visit with him. Because even though he was a physical quadriplegic, he had learned to walk in the spirit. He was a shining example of someone who was changing his heart and his mind to become like God. It was really very inspiring to visit with him. Obviously, it would be very sobering to visit someone who couldn't ever get out of bed. Actually, he was able to get out of bed. In fact, he was an amazing person because he could sit in a wheelchair and he was able to work a computer with a device in his mouth. It was like a rod that was in his mouth and I think it blew air. He pecked away on the computer and then he had ways he could blow into it and it would do certain things. He was actually a lot more knowledgeable about using a computer than I was. He had read the Bible a number of times on the computer. He would sit at his computer for hours and search the Bible. He was really quite an inspiration. I'm looking forward to seeing Bob Neff in the resurrection. He died in 1995. In fact, Bob Neff was one who stayed faithful to the truth of God. He was in 1994 and 1995 in the worldwide Church of God when the doctrines were being changed, when they were being watered down and dismantled. Bob Neff was sharp spiritually. He was walking in the Spirit and he was not being duped one bit by what was being said and what was being written. Bob was a shining example of someone who was going to remain faithful to God's truth. I remember certain people who were buying in to the doctrine of changes. Bob was trying his best to steer them away from that way of thinking, but some did not listen. They went off in a bad direction. It was sad to see that, but I was certainly very, very glad to see that Bob was not being duped and that he was continuing to walk in the Spirit. He was continuing to allow God's Spirit to guide him and to direct him. God called Bob out of his physical condition and gave him a real hope for the future. That's what kept the man alive all those years. God called him, I think, in his early twenties or maybe his late teens. I don't remember the exact story, but he was in the church a long time. It could have been in his twenties, later in his twenties. I don't recall, but by the time I knew him, he was already in his fifties. He had been in the church a long time. God gave him real hope for the future. He gave him hope for a much better life in a much better world. A world where Bob could not only walk and run again, but a world where he could even fly like Superman, only better and faster. Kryptonite would not hurt him. Not in God's kingdom. Nothing could hurt him then. I thought that was intriguing, that the person who played Superman became a quadriplegic.

I sometimes wonder if there wasn't a lesson in that for everyone to realize that none of us are really Superman in the flesh. We all have to repent of walking in the flesh. We need to learn to walk in the Spirit, because that's what will really make you happy in this life, is walking in the Spirit. When you're led by the Spirit of God and you're walking in the Spirit, then you will be much, much happier than when you are walking in the flesh. In God's kingdom, Bob will be able to leap over buildings in a single bound. He would not only be able to crash through solid walls, but he'll be able to walk right through them.

It's very inspiring to consider what God had in store for a man who had his life taken away from him at a very early age. Bob believed in the promises of God and his kingdom. Bob lived for the promises of God and his kingdom. Bob would get very excited when he would talk about God's way. Like I said, I was always inspired when I would come and visit. I was humbled greatly by his example. In fact, I remember praying one time that God would help me think of Bob the rest of my life, that I would think of him every day. I can't say that I've done that, but I remember praying that, and I didn't do my part because God certainly would have done his. But his example was that powerful for me. I really wanted to remember him, and so I share this example with you again. I remember praying that I would remember his example, his situation, his zeal, his enthusiasm, and his remarkable accomplishments every day for the rest of my life. I really haven't benefited enough from my association with Bob. I feel very blessed to have known Bob. Bob, I need to remember him more, and I hope that you will think of him often, and that your memories of this sermon and this story of a quadriplegic will be a springboard for you to be inspired personally. If someone who is flat on their back can remain faithful for 40 years, surely with God's help, we will as well. In some ways, I think it was easier for Bob, though, because Bob didn't have all the distractions that you and I have. It's kind of like a prisoner who's stuck in prison. They have a certain way of life, and they get used to it, and they have restrictions on them. It's easier for them in many ways when they're in prison, but we find out when they get out of prison that it's more difficult. It's more difficult to walk the straight and narrow path when there are so many choices in front of you. So, in some ways, I think Bob had it a little bit easier than we do, because Bob was more focused than we are at times. Certainly, I would hope and pray that it would not take something like that to wake us up to the importance of walking in the Spirit. Brother, we really need to walk in the Spirit.

Bob's body, frankly, should have shut down a long time before it did. It was really quite remarkable that he didn't get bed sores. Or, I think he did get some bed sores, but for the most part, they were easily managed, and he didn't get a lot of infections. He was okay in that regard, and I'm sure God answered a lot of his prayers.

One thing I remember about Bob, though. Bob wasn't perfect. In fact, Bob could get into some attitudes at times, and I talked to some of those who took care of him. In fact, Bob could be very demanding at times. He could be downright nasty, actually, at times with those who were taking care of him.

So he wasn't perfect. None of us were perfect in this life. But it is something that was very inspiring, because Bob would repent of those times. He would ask them to forgive him. He was sorry for being short-tempered, for treating those who were taking care of him in a way that he knew he should appreciate all that they were doing. Bob wasn't perfect by any means. He did have to struggle with his circumstances. I think there were times when his caregivers wanted to strangle him, but thankfully they didn't. I know he had to struggle in his mind about why God did not intervene for him more quickly at certain times, when he was especially suffering. Bob had a bit of a carnal side, a fleshly side, about him as well. Again, he could be brash and insensitive. Some of you remember the cat I talked about a few weeks ago? Remember the nasty cat? I told you about this nasty cat that is actually the neighbor's cat, who was pregnant when she came to my house. She moved right in. I had some other male cats, and she ran one of them off. At least he disappeared shortly after that. She was as nasty as she could be, and I remember saying that that was her nature. She scratched me recently when I was trying to protect one of the other cats. She always has to eat first. She's very selfish.

She is unlike the other cats. She is a lot nastier. Now, she was pregnant, so I do know that pregnant women, pregnant...

Now, this is the honest truth. There is another pregnant cat, and she's also nasty, but not near as bad. Certainly more nasty than the other cats. I think it's a maternal instinct that they've got to get their food.

They've got to take care of those babies, so they've got to eat first. I don't know what it is. Not that human beings are that way. Not by any means. But anyway, this nasty cat... Remember I told you I ran her off, and I actually picked up a few stones and encouraged her to leave?

She was gone for a few days. Actually, I ran her off for a couple days straight, and then she was gone for a few days. I hope that she got the message. But then she came slinking back, and then she had her babies. So she comes back skinny and kind of pitiful looking, and guess who's feeding her again?

I really am somewhat of a soft touch, but God is also very forgiving to us. God has a soft heart. When we come back to Him, when we repent, when we're not so nasty... She hasn't been as nasty either. So I think she'll probably get that way as long as I keep feeding her.

She'll probably get that way again. Anyway, I'm going to give her another shot.

When getting back to the subject of Bob Neff, I think what kind of an example could we find that would be a better example of someone who learned to walk in the Spirit?

Someone who could not physically walk at all. He really did learn to walk in the Spirit, and he was a shining example. And when he died, it was standing room only. This man had made quite a reputation for himself. He left quite a legacy in his small town that he lived in, out in rural Pennsylvania.

I've never been to a funeral home that was as packed as this one was. I had to stand outside in the doorway and listen in, because it was really a packed house.

Almost everyone in the community came. He owned, actually, I guess you'd call it a pool hall, but it wasn't a seedy pool hall.

It was a billiard room where teenagers would come and play pool and other adults would.

And so he did have an impact on his community. And I know the Gospel was preached that day, to some degree, at that funeral for the whole community. And Bob had preached that example, or he preached the Gospel through his example, for many years.

And I think there were a few that came into God's Church because of Bob's example. I know there was at least one or two that started coming to Church because they knew Bob and they knew the changes. They knew his faith. They saw what a difference it made in him. So I know that God did call a few people and used Bob Neff as an instrument in that way.

So, brethren, I think we all have to be careful that we don't get distracted by this world. Because there are so many distractions in this world that it's so easy to walk in the flesh and not walk in the Spirit. Let's go to Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, verse 1.

Paul says, To walk worthy. We're to walk worthy. We're to walk in the Spirit. To walk worthy of the calling. It's a high and a holy calling with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering or patience, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all and through all, and also in you all. God lives in us through the power of His Spirit. We are to walk in unity, and we are to walk worthy of our calling.

If we go down to verse 17, same chapter, See, they were walking in the flesh. All those things in Galatians 5, the works of the flesh, they were producing in their lives. Having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. Now, God has called us out of blindness, hasn't He? He's called us out of darkness and given us His marvelous light. He's revealed His Son to us, who, being past feeling in verse 19, again speaking of these Gentiles who walk after the flesh, who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness, but you have not so learned Christ. That is not the way Christ is. If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus, then you put off concerning your former conduct the old man, which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. So we are to put on the new man. We are to walk in newness of life, as Mr. Cagle said earlier. So Paul again beseeches us to walk worthy of our calling. In 1 Thessalonians 2, he again talks about the need to walk worthy. 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 12. 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 12. That you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own Kingdom. And glory, that's exactly what God is doing for all of you here. God is calling you into His Kingdom and into His glory. We are to become glorified at the resurrection. This corruption will put on incorruption. This mortal will put on immortality. And we will be immortal once Christ returns, those who are among the first fruits. So we should walk worthy of God who calls us into His own Kingdom and glory. God wants us to become like Him. He wants us to learn to walk as His Son walked. The Scripture tells us that we should walk as Jesus Christ walked. We should abide in Him. We should become like Him. In Romans, chapter 8, it shows that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit of God.

Brother, we must learn to walk in the Spirit. We must put to death the deeds of the body. We must become overcomers. If we are to be in His Kingdom, we should no longer make excuses for our weaknesses. We should come before God and sincerely pray that He will give us the strength that we need.

And then we need to have faith that God will give us the strength, because faith and obedience go together hand in hand. The reason the Israelites were so disobedient is because they lacked faith. They didn't have vision. Without vision, the people perish. We need to have the vision of God's Kingdom ever before us. Romans 8, verse 1, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. Again, there's nothing wrong with the law. The law is holy and just and good, but the problem was the flesh. The people who were not keeping the law. That was the problem. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh. Christ set the example for us. Christ came in the flesh, and yet He never sinned. So what He's saying is, follow me. Follow my example. Don't think that you have to go on in your sins. Think instead that with God's help, with faith in God, you will be an overcomer. You will put sin out of your life. Some sins are very difficult to root out of one's life. Some of those sins that we are the weakest, where we have our weaknesses, they can stick around for a long time. But don't lose faith that you will one day completely overcome that sin. That God will give you the victory over that sin. Because there's nothing too great for God. Remember, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So don't lose heart, and don't lose faith, and don't become discouraged because of your sins. Instead, fight back. Fight against your sins yourself and Satan the Devil. Engage in warfare. Go forth as a warrior with God's help and with faith in God. So, verse 4, it says that, again, Christ condemns sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. It's talking about someone who has learned to walk in the Spirit, who is no longer walking in the flesh. That's how God wants you to be. You are to become without sin. That is our goal. So let's not make it easy on ourselves to go on sinning. Let's expect greater things of ourselves in the future. These next 48 days, let's walk in the Spirit as we go forward to Pentecost. And let's be vigilant and let's be diligent to put sin out of our lives, to put that spiritual leaven out of our lives. If we're not careful, if we are neglectful, we can make choices that will prevent us from walking in the Spirit. They are choices that you make. You choose to sin. It's a choice. You don't have to make that choice. You can choose differently. Some people stay up late at night watching mindless, meaningless, or even hurtful movies. And then they wake up late in the morning, and they rush around in the morning trying to get to work on time.

They go throughout their day walking from place to place with very little thought of God. So they think they don't have much time for God during the day. Then they come home after work, and they're behind on many important things because they've wasted their time. They've thrown their time away. They know that many things need to be done around the house, so they do that instead of opening their Bibles.

Or they watch more TV. And they get into a habit that becomes a lifestyle. Where they're watching far more TV than they are studying their Bible. They allow themselves to be entertained rather than discipline themselves to do the things that are most needful for them, for their bodies, for their spiritual bodies.

So we have to be careful what choices we make in life. It's not easy because the flesh wants what the flesh wants. The flesh wants to be entertained. Is that not true? I find that my flesh does. It likes to be entertained. It likes to have fun all the time.

It really doesn't like to discipline itself. But that's something that I have to work on. I can't just go along with what my flesh wants to do. I've got to allow the Spirit of God to lead me and to guide me to make better choices.

I know some people play video games or get on the Internet, and they're there all night long sometimes. And they mess up their whole next day because they didn't have enough character to go to bed, to get some sleep. So they can function better the next day. The physical body needs to be treated well. It needs sleep.

It needs fresh air. It needs exercise. These are things that we all should be getting. They should be higher priorities than just entertaining ourselves. Exercise takes some discipline to get out into exercise, but it's healthy for the body. It's also healthy for the mind.

So if you're not exercising, shame on you. You really need to get some exercise, no matter who you are. Whatever it is you're capable of doing, depending on your health, then by all means get some exercise because it's better for you spiritually. It's a better choice than just vegetating on a couch, not doing something constructive and worthwhile.

Again, there's lots of distractions. There are so many choices in life. Some people like sports. Well, sports can rule your life. There's 24-7, there's sports. If you want to watch sports, you can watch a hundred different sports at any time of the day or night.

I suppose you can go to YouTube and watch a million clips on various sporting activities. I don't know. I've never really done that. But I suppose it's there. I know there's millions and millions of videos on YouTube.

It is important the choices that we make.

We all know that a true Christian needs to spend time reading and studying the Bible. We know that's healthy for our souls. And yet sometimes we neglect to do that. We don't do the things that are needful for the body.

We know a true Christian needs to spend time on their knees in prayer. Remember, Daniel set an example of praying three times a day.

Are you praying three times a day faithfully and diligently?

If not, maybe we should start doing that.

Maybe we should follow Daniel's example.

I know we realize that a true Christian needs to have God with them 24-7.

But I found it amazing that the human being has a tremendous capacity to push God aside.

We're able to do that. We can push God aside so we can do what we would rather do, rather than what pleases God.

So we should strive to do what pleases God, not what pleases ourself.

We should strive to do that. In Ephesians 2, verse 10, it says very clearly that we were created for good works.

You were created for good works, and you are to walk in them.

You are to walk in them. In other words, that should be your way of life.

Doing good works. Something that really means something. Something of value.

And there are many things that are of value in life.

And we have to decide what is really most valuable, and that's how we need to spend our time.

God's way is a way of life, and it should be your way of life. It should be totally your way of life.

God's way of life should consume your time.

Again, we all have to work and provide for our families.

And that's a good thing. God wants us to work and take care of our families.

But as we go throughout our workday, God needs to be first in our lives.

We need to be mindful of Him, and we need to be good employees.

So God really should be with us 24-7.

God wants us to enjoy our lives. He wants us to have hobbies. He wants us to have interests that we enjoy that are physically oriented, but not ungodly, not evil, not wrong.

He does want us to learn to be balanced in our lifestyles.

But brethren, balance is doing what's appropriate under the circumstances.

What is appropriate in God's sight? That's what balance is. It's nothing more than that.

What's appropriate in God's sight under the circumstances?

In other words, I like playing softball, but if I'm not praying and not studying, then softball shouldn't come before that.

And frankly, it isn't going to be softball anyway, because I don't spend that many hours playing softball.

It could be something else that I need to change. I need to stop spending my time doing something so that I can do the things that are healthy for me.

Playing softball is healthy for me, at least when I'm not getting hit by the ball and breaking an ankle and stuff like that.

But it's good for my psyche. I enjoy it. It's nice to have a hobby like that.

But I should not be neglecting my spiritual life.

Satan is the one who wants to distract us more than anything. He wants to get us off the right track, the narrow path that leads to eternal life.

God wants us to be proactive. He wants us to continually walk in His Spirit. Let His Spirit guide us.

Also, the Bible speaks of the Spirit of the Law. Christ spoke about the Spirit of the Law when He gave the Sermon on the Mount.

We're familiar with the Sermon on the Mount. Again, what is the Spirit of the Law?

For the most part, it is referring to the real intent of the Law.

God wants us to understand not just the letter of the Law, not just the words on the page or on the tablet of stone, but the living intent of God's Law.

Christ cleared that up for us so we could understand.

He said, in essence, it's not enough to just not murder someone. No, that's not enough.

It's not enough to maintain your road rage to the point that you don't run someone off the road.

That's not enough.

He's saying that you need to get to the point where you don't have any road rage.

That should not be an issue any longer.

The intent of the Law is to bring everything into subjection, all of our thoughts into subjection.

Christ says, love your enemies.

So if some idiot's out there trying to run you off the road, he's your enemy.

But just back away and let him do his own foolishness, but don't get drawn into it yourself.

Don't become a doer of his evil deeds, is basically what happens when we descend to that level.

So the spirit of the Law is to pray for your enemies.

Pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.

Certainly take care of your husband and wife. They're not your enemy, are they?

They shouldn't be.

And yet sometimes it's our own mates that we treat worse than other people, because we take them for granted.

And we don't treat them the way we should.

Christ went on to talk about our thoughts.

Even to look at a woman to lust for her is sinful.

We certainly shouldn't be committing fornication or adultery, because God says, even if we look at someone in a lustful way, we've sinned.

We've committed adultery or fornication with them.

So Christ showed us the way to live, and he magnified God's Law. He made it more honorable.

He made it better by revealing these truths to us that we could understand.

The Scripture says that love is the fulfilling of God's Law.

Love is the keeping of God's Law. If you love me, keep my commandments.

That is what Jesus Christ said. That is the fulfilling of the Law.

So love and faith and obedience are closely linked together.

Learning to love more, learning to have more faith, equals learning to be more obedient and more faithful.

We know that God says he hates divorce, and for one to seek to be divorced, in many cases, is to walk in the flesh.

Instead of seeking a divorce, a Christian should try diligently to salvage one's marriage, and first look at what it is that they are doing themselves to harm their marriage.

What are you doing to contribute to the problems in your marriage?

They should seek repentance and change themselves first.

They should get the plank out of their own eye first, that they may seek clearly to help someone, perhaps get just a speck out of his or her eye.

But it does take two people working together to make marriage work.

And there are times when God allows divorce.

When someone from the hardness of their heart will not repent and will not change.

The Bible indicates that we ought to be stirring up the gift that is in us, the gift of his Spirit.

The Bible indicates that we ought not quench or squelch the Spirit of God.

If we are stirring up the Spirit of God in us, we cannot possibly be quenching or squelching the Spirit.

If we stir it up.

So that speaks of an active day-to-day use of God's Holy Spirit.

Through prayer, through Bible study, through fasting, on occasion, through meditation on a daily basis.

In Proverbs 4, verse 27, it says, Turn not to the right hand or to the left.

Remove your foot from evil.

Stop trampling on those things which are wrong and evil. Remove your foot from evil. In other words, don't walk in the flesh, but walk in the Spirit.

So Christ said we should learn to walk in the light, to not walk in darkness.

Christ is the light. Christ is the one that needs to be formed in us. We've heard that already. Let us walk honestly, as in the day the Scripture says, Let us walk honestly in the Spirit of God.

So let God do the walking in you and learn to walk by faith, not by sight.

Let's go to one final Scripture in Revelation, Chapter 21. Revelation, Chapter 21.

Revelation 21, Verse 24.

Speaking of the glory of the New Jerusalem, it says in Verse 24 of Chapter 21, And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light. The light of the New Jerusalem. The light of God. The light of Jesus Christ.

The nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

Its gates shall not be shut at all by day, and there shall be no night there, and they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Now is your opportunity to have your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Judgment has begun at the house of God. Judgment is upon us, brethren. Those of us who have yielded to the Spirit of God and have been baptized, and have received the Spirit of God, this is our day of salvation. So this is an opportunity to be a part of the firstfruits. Again, it is a wonderful calling, and we have so much to be grateful for.

So in the time that we have leading up to the next annual Holy Day, as we close this annual Holy Day, this holy season, this spring season, let us look forward to the day of Pentecost. As we do, let us remember to yield to God's Spirit in us. Let us continue to learn what it means to walk in the Spirit.