Spiritual Gifts part 205: He left everything behind and began to follow Him.

Pastor-Teacher
John Farley
Sunday,
December 18, 2011

Spiritual Gifts Part 205: He left everything behind, and began to follow Him.

GAL 5:16-17
But I say [from now on], walk [keep on walking] by [means of ] the Spirit, and you will not [no, never!] carry out the desire of the flesh.

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

We need to put the Holy Spirit in between us and the influence of our sin nature by being filled by means of the Spirit and walking by means of the Spirit.

God’s way of dealing with fallen man from start to finish is to use substitution.

God’s plan for our walk after salvation also involves substitution.

Lay aside the old… so that we can put on the new.

The word for “race” in HEB 12:1, agona, is in other places translated as a “fight”. It can mean a contest, a fight, or a battle.

The combat objective in the angelic conflict is to seize and hold the high ground of the “supergrace” life: the life of the spiritually mature believer .

We are to flee from some things and pursue other things instead.

“Flee” is the present active imperative of
feu/gw pheugo
= to run away (literally or figuratively); by implication, to shun.

to move quickly from a point or area in order to avoid presumed danger or difficulty - “to run away, to flee, flight”.
“ to escape, to avoid.”

Other verses in the NT epistles tell us to also flee fornication (1CO 6:18), idolatry (1CO 10:14), and youthful lusts (2TI 2:22).
 

“Pursue” is the present active imperative of the Greek verb
diw/kw dioko
= to pursue (literally or figuratively).

to follow with haste, and presumably with intensity of effort, in order to catch up with, - “to run after, to chase after, to pursue.”

to move quickly and energetically toward some objective - “to hasten, to run, to press forward, to press on.”

to do something with intense effort and with definite purpose or goal - “ to do with effort, to strive toward.”

Did you ever experience as a reality in your soul that you cannot do both of these at once?

2TI 2:22
Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.