Men's Group Study Guide
NIV Notes by Kelly Link
Introduction
Many men come to know Jesus Christ by simply trusting God with their life. That is they give God their life and God gives them His. It is a real simple transaction that takes place when they believe and entrust their lives to God. They are crucified with Christ and it is no longer themselves who live but Christ who lives in them. (Galatians 2: 20) All of a sudden they are not cussing, lying, stealing and doing the evil things they used to do on a regular basis. But then the honeymoon wears off and they begin to experience their old sin nature starting to rear its ugly head again. Pretty soon their joy is gone and they live under a cloud of depression and defeat.
There are many warnings in the Bible about falling away from Jesus Christ. In this weeks study we will look at how a man can walk in victory over his old nature. How he can discern which nature he lives by and where he really stands- under grace or under the law.
STUDY NOTES: verses 16-26
V16. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. – Here is the key to having continual victory over areas of weakness and sin in our lives. It is to walk in the Spirit or as this version says to ‘live by the Spirit’. Many times our sin becomes the focus of our daily lives. The result is a guilty conscience, depression and a fixation on our sin. This just leads to us living in sin. There is no freedom here. God’s solution is real simple- walk with Him in a personal relationship daily and moment to moment and you won’t be fixated on your sinful desires. (Romans 8: 4-5)
V17. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. – Here is a truth that many of us know all to well. It is only when we bend our knee to the Lord and ask Him for help that we experience rest and freedom from the tyranny of sin. We will never experience freedom from sin by setting up laws for ourselves to live by. Setting up rules and regulations to live by is not having faith in God. In order to experience freedom, we need to live by our new nature. We have a new operating system to live by. You would never use two operating systems on your computer would you? I have never seen someone running Windows and Mac at the same time because they are incompatible. So it is with the law and the Spirit. Freedom comes by a personal relationship with God that is through the Holy Spirit. It is living by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Psalm 19: 12-13), (Romans 7: 15-19)
V18. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. – We just read, you can’t use both operating systems at the same time. If you are walking and abiding in a personal relationship with God, then you are not under law. Remember, you died and were buried with Christ by faith. (Romans 6) The law has no legal right to someone who is dead. You are alive to only God now and so the life you live you live to God. (Ezekiel 36: 27), (John 16: 13)
V19. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; - Paul says the acts of living by your sinful nature are clear. Verses 19 through 21 define acts of the sinful nature. Let’s define them according to the original Greek words. Moicheia “adultery”- sexual intercourse between a married person and another not the spouse; Porneia- “fornication”- sexual intercourse between unmarried persons; Akatharsia- “uncleanness”- being immoral or obscene, mixed with foreign matter; Aselgeia- “lasciviousness”- characterized by or expressing lust (John 3: 6)
V20. idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions– Idololatreia “idolatry”- excessive devotion to or reverence for some person or thing; Pharmakeia “sorcery or witchcraft”- the use of an evil, supernatural power over people; Echthra “hatred”- a strong dislike or ill will; Eris “strife”- contention, fight or quarrel, struggle; Zelos “malice”- desire to harm another; Thumos “wrath”- intense anger, rage, fury; Eritheia “contentious”- a point argued for; Dichostasia “sedition”- stirring up of rebellion; Hairesis “heresy”- a religious belief opposed to the orthodox doctrines of a church (Deuteronomy 18: 10), (1 Samuel 15: 23)
V21. and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. – Phthonos “envying”- discontent or ill will over another’s advantages, possessions, etc.; Pheno “murder”- to take another’s life; Methe “intoxication”- drunkenness; Komos; “rioting”- wild or violent disorder. Paul says that those who practice these things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6: 9), (Ephesians 5: 5), (Colossians 3: 6)
V22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, – Fruit is established by the nature of the tree. If there are apples on a tree then the tree is an apple tree by nature. The apple tree doesn’t have to strive to produce apples, it just happens as time goes along. If love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control are the fruit of your life, then you are a Christian by nature and you are walking in the Spirit. (Psalm 1: 3), (Hosea 14: 8), (Matthew 12: 33)
V23. gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – The fruit of the Spirit is agreeable to God’s law. And since this fruit is found only in God the person who possesses this fruit has nothing to fear because they are not under law. (1 Timothy 1: 9)
V24. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. – Crucified here is in the past tense. When you came to know Jesus Christ your old nature was crucified with Him on the cross. (Romans 6: 6) The work is finished. The old nature’s power has now been broken. However, even though positionally our flesh has been crucified by the Spirit, practically our flesh is still alive and so we need to recon it dead daily for God can produce in us the fruit of the Spirit. (Romans 8: 13)
V25. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. – Here is the secret to having a life worth living. If we will just walk through life following the Lord on a daily basis our lives would be exciting, adventurous, loving, and filled with joy. Think about it. Is there anything more fulfilling that sharing an intimate relationship with the creator of all things and having His power to live? This is why many people loose heart is because they fail to abide. (Romans 13: 14)
V26. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. – There is no reason for pride in our Christianity because we didn’t receive anything because of our hard work. Everything we have is due to God’s goodness and grace. (1 Corinthians 4: 7)
TRUTH APPLIED:
Q. 1 Please explain how a man can walk in the Spirit.
Q. 2 Explain how the law might tempt us to sin. How does our mind play a role in how we behave?
Q. 3 Please explain what happens when we fix our mind on our sin. Please explain what happens when we fix our mind upon the Holy Spirit?
Q. 4 Christ’s blood washes away our sin but what does the cross help us deal with? What is God’s plan for your flesh? Will our flesh be with us in heaven?
Q. 5 Do you walk in any of the acts of the sinful nature? If you do walk in the sinful nature what does Galatians 5: 21 say about where you will go if you die today?
Q. 6 Can you crucify yourself? What is the only response for those of us who are trapped in sin?
Q. 7 Who are those who belong to Christ? Have you really been crucified?
CONCLUSION:
Remember it is for freedom that Christ set us free. But are you really free? In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul shared with us that when God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, they were all saved and drank from the same spiritual rock which was Christ. Yet very few got to enter into God’s Promised Land. Most of them perished in the wilderness in the trials of life.
It is critical for Christians to know that there is a war going on within them. This war is between the Spirit and the flesh. We are powerless without God’s help yet many are unconcerned because they have had an experience with God and have been taught once saved always saved and this means they can do whatever they want. We need to understand that the grace that brings salvation teaches us to live upright and godly lives in this present age. (Titus 2: 11-15) This is only possible as we walk with the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. Please take some time to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. (1 Corinthians 11: 31)
Grace and Peace to You,
Kelly Link