Effie Darlene Barba

Paul very clearly wrote: “This I say then, ‘Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Galatians 5:16-18).

So, the question arises; how do you do just that?  How does one walk in the Spirit, turning away from sin while at the same time being freed from the law?  Do you do that by working hard to constrain your own fleshly desires? Certainly, before you were saved by grace you could not do that on your own.  Neither can you of your own volition live a life of righteousness; however, you are no longer on your own if you abide in Christ.  In Christ, because of His Completed Work on the Cross and His resurrection, you are freed from the bondage of sin (Galatians 5:1 and Romans 8:2). Furthermore, you have the Holy Spirit indwelling you to guide you.

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are declared righteous by God.  Covered by the blood of Christ, we are cloaked in His righteousness (Philippians 3:9).  This is not a righteousness of our own.  Unfortunately, the human nature within us yearns toward self-exaltation and pride.  Therefore, all too often; we want to prove our own worthiness of this free gift of Grace we were given. We, once more; try to live this Christian life by our own power and therein we fail.  If my only hope of Salvation is by grace through faith; so, is my walk.

 

The Flesh Versus the Spirit

 

There is a war that goes on within us.  Paul wrote in detail about that war in Romans 7.  Our only hope to live forth this righteousness which we are so freely given is by yielding to the Spirits control in us, putting to death our own desire to self.  We need to realize and embrace this new identity we have been given in Christ Jesus.

 

 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.  What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Romans 6:11-17

 

How do I yield to the Spirit?  How do I reckon myself dead to the flesh? I can only do that by spending time alone with God through prayer and trusting Him to complete the work He began in me.  The only way is to lean into Jesus Christ, acknowledging my utter helplessness with Him.

 

Why Walk in the Spirit?

 

Because the fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22).  Isn’t that what our hearts desire?  Does anyone want to be known by their anger, frustration, and failures?  We want to be loved; but, when our flesh is on the throne, we find ourselves in despair; believing that no one understands us.  Then, in our own attempt to win love, we are frustrated.  Yet, when we dethrone “self” and place Jesus on the throne, our hearts change from the inside out.  As we come to know Him and love Him for all He has done for us, His love and joy fills us.  We learn to abide in Him, trust in Him, and our view of the world changes us.

 

Our view of circumstances changes as we come to “know that all things work together for good for them that love God, for those who are called unto His purpose” (Romans 8:28).  No longer are we frustrated, in misery; because, we know that God “is and that He is the rewarder of them who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:8).  God is in Control as the great I AM and He has my best interest in mind.  Everything, He works together for my good; knowing exactly what is needed to transform my heart and to blot out the dark spots in my heart, so that I can find peace and joy in Him.  Dying to self, that He might live in us and through us.  Only there do we find our true Being (identity) in Him.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

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Recently released Books Available

ABIDING, STEADFAST JOY

A labor of love, this book provides you with 3 foundations of truth from the scripture which once known will provide you with abiding, steadfast joy. Undaunted by the storms of life; your joy will overflow.

 

 

 

WHEN INJUSTICE AND VIOLENCE REIGN:
Through a study of Nahum, Habukkuk, and Zephaniah; I brought their message into our modern times. Answering the questions of “Why, God?”

Providing a foundation of faith and hope; even, as we see so much evil in the world and in our nation. With so much sorrow and despair, this book I wrote to guide you into discovering God’s Perfect Plan of love; amid this chaotic world filled with life’s storms.

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©Effie Darlene Barba, 2017
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Footnotes and CREDITS

 

Photo by Hanny Naibaho on Unsplash

In a world with so many ideologies surrounding us both in society and even our churches; how, does one recognize and combat against false doctrine?  The mission of the church is to bring sinners to Christ.  As such, we want to allow in all others; yet, in doing so we must not compromise the truth of the gospel by embracing false doctrine in the name of “inclusivity.”  The Galatian church had allowed in leaders who tried to teach that circumcision was a requirement of salvation.  As such, these teachers demanded that the Christians submit themselves to the “letter of the law”; rather than the heart of the gospel.  Christ came to fulfill the law and to pay the price; that, men and women might be saved by Grace through faith. The law only revealed mankind’s inability to live a life of righteousness before a Holy God.

 

What the law could not do; because, mankind’s heart was in bondage to sin and death; Christ came to provide the only means of Redemption.  His completed work on the cross and His resurrection set all who would believe free from this bondage to the law.  Instead of the outward circumcision required under the law; God would take the responsibility to “circumcise the heart.”  Outward circumcision could not transform men’s hearts; but, the indwelling Holy Spirit could.  The false doctrine that the Judaizers brought in may seem innocent; however, as Paul wrote: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9).  Allowing in false doctrine (however innocent it might seem) ultimately transforms the truth of the gospel into a lie.

 

False Doctrine: Legalism

Continue reading “How to Not Allow False Doctrine to Seep In”

Believing and accepting the truth that our Salvation comes by Grace Alone through faith is hard for the human mind.  We want to do something to prove our own worthiness.  All too often, even after accepting God’s Grace at the point of salvation, we fall back to then fighting our battles against the sin in our hearts by our own strength.  Our pride, our desire to raise this “self” higher battles against the very idea that our only hope of living a life “worthy of our calling” is also by Grace alone through Faith.  We could not conquer sin on our own before we were saved, and neither can we conquer sin by our own efforts after we are saved.  To conquer sin, we must rely again on grace through faith; but, how do we do that?  Paul, in writing to the Galatians, said:

 

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage…For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith” (Galatians 5:1,5).

 

Paul also wrote:

 

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace where we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5: 1-2)

Freed from the Bondage of Sin to Conquer Sin

Continue reading “How to Conquer Sin by Grace through Faith”

Paul the Apostle continues his appeal to the Galatian Church to not be pulled into a legalistic doctrine by forgetting that Grace Alone through faith brings salvation.  In his appeal, he bids them to recall when he had first come to them to preach the gospel.  “ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first, and my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God” (Galatians 4:13-14).  We are not told what the illness was that Paul refers to; but, it would appear that he was forced by illness to stop in Galatia.  They may not have even been on missionary route; but, God caused an illness to press him to stop for a moment.  While there he taught the gospel message to them.

Whatever the illness was, it was one that caused him to appear repulsive.  Still during his stay, they received him with great gladness; because of the message of the gospel.  He told them of Jesus Christ and His completed work of redemption on the cross so that sinful man might be saved by grace through faith, not of works.  Yet, now, Paul is writing them because the Judaizers had begun to teach them that righteousness could only be obtained through following the law and demanding they be circumcised.  Legalism appeals to mankind’s pride, so they were quickly allowing this false doctrine to infiltrate the church.  Paul takes them back, reminding them of his own illness; which forced him to rely on the strength of Jesus Christ and not his own.  He bids them to rely on Jesus Christ for their righteousness becoming themselves putty in God’s hands.

A Note from John Piper’s Sermon “O That Christ Would Be Formed In You”

the Son of God comes and shapes us from within if we rely on him to come and shape us. The Son takes shape in those who abandon themselves to him. Christ forms himself in the lives of those who will let go of all the forms of life in which they have shaped on their own. Christ takes shape in a life that is willing to become putty in God’s hands. Christ presses the shape of his own face into the clay of our soul when we cease to be hard and resistant, and when we take our own amateur hands off and admit that we are not such good artists as he is.

 

Here we can see clearly what faith is. Faith is the assurance that what God will make of you, as Christ is formed in your life, is vastly to be preferred over what you can make of yourself. Faith is the confidence that the demonstration of Christ’s work in your life is more wonderful than all the praise you could get for yourself by being a self-made man—or woman. Faith is a happy resting in the all-sufficiency of what Christ did on the cross, what he is doing now in our heart, and what he promises to do for us for ever.

 

So it’s clear how Paul’s message and the Judaizers’ message are opposed to each other. Their message caters to our natural pride—our desire to be “self-made” people who get glory for ourselves. Paul’s message robs us of all such pride by saying we should be “Christ-made” people who get glory for God by trusting him to shape us every day. [1]

 

Illness Can Be a Blessing

Continue reading “Can Illness Ever Truly Be a Blessing?”