Dear Christian friends:

Today we will go to the Lord's Supper again. Why? To receive the seal, Jesus' body and blood for full and free forgiveness of all sins. The Bible clearly shows as also the Lord's Supper that we are not saved by obeying the Ten Commandments but by faith in Jesus who obeyed for us and suffered our punishment upon the cross. All our good works, and deeds; all our arguments can't excuse us before God. Only Jesus saves us.

Well perhaps you think, "Fine, I do not have to obey the Ten Commandments now. I can sin all I want in two weeks I will go to the Lord's Supper again. I will have a good time and satisfy the desires of my flesh." Does Jesus want us to think like that? No!

Some of the Galatians were thinking like that so Paul writes to them in our text, "Christ has made you free from the Law, but don't use your freedom to sin." He tells them in our text to, "Follow the Spirit, and you will not do what the flesh wants." (verse 16)

All of us Christians still have our sinful flesh or nature that always wants to do evil and sin. Paul says here, "What the flesh wants is against the Spirit, and what the Spirit wants is against the flesh, because they are opposed to each other." (verse 17) So we have a very hard fight in ourselves. The flesh pulls us to sin and the Holy Spirit pulls us to follow Jesus and His good and kind ways.

If we do not fight daily, the flesh will win and we will give up the Holy Spirit. So we must give attention to Paul's admonition here:

What does this mean? It means to daily read God's Word in the Bible. It means come to church regularly. It means come to Bible Class on Wednesday evening. It means come to the Lord's Supper often. Then the Holy Spirit can tell you again and again that God loves you and forgives your sins because of His Son Jesus Christ.

Jesus' beautiful love and mercy for you because He loved you unto death, gave His holy life for you. The Holy Spirit through the Word will pull you to follow Jesus and be kind and like Jesus with love and forgiveness to all who hurt you and sin against you.

Therefore, if you follow the Holy Spirit you will fight against the bad desires of your flesh. If your flesh tempts you to become angry and hate someone and make a big quarrel you will think, "Oh, no, I am sorry I became angry. Jesus doesn't want me to be angry against that person who said a lie to others about me. I'm sorry Jesus forgive me. Help me to be patient and kind to that person. Help that person to see his mistake and change."

When you follow the Spirit you do no satisfy the desires of your flesh to hate or get revenge. Perhaps your flesh tempts you to do sex with another woman or man and not be satisfied with your husband or wife. Often our flesh tempts us to want another man's wife or husband and not be happy with our own husband or wife. That happened even to King David in the Bible.

If you follow the Spirit, you will not satisfy that desire of your flesh. You will be ashamed when that desire comes and you will be sorry and pray and resist it and fight against it. Even if you do satisfy that evil desire, you will like David be sorry and confess your sin to God and ask Jesus to forgive you. You will like David be happy and improve.

If you follow the Spirit, you will not make excuses for your sin or defend your sin or hide it and then continue to satisfy it. You will be honest and confess to God and trust His kind mercy in Jesus to forgive.

Sometimes when our flesh tempts us and we have bad thoughts and desires and in weakness do bad things we may be afraid and think God is angry and will punish us and not forgive. Then when you feel that way remember what Paul says here, "If the Spirit leads you, you are not under the Law."

He means the Law can't anymore condemn you because Jesus is your Savior. If you are sorry about your sinful flesh and believe in Jesus who died for you, you are free. God loves you and accepts you in Jesus.

Now, some church members may think that they follow the Spirit because they joined the church and pay money to Church and go to the Lord's Supper sometimes. But daily they listen to their sinful flesh and satisfy that and pooh, pooh the Holy Spirit. They do not resist temptation nor fight against it. They hide their sin, and if someone catches them they make excuses. One widow who did sex with a married man and broke up his marriage was not sorry. She excused herself by saying, "I have the sex habit and have a right to do sex with someone." Such a church member is not following the Spirit.

So here Paul lists many works of the flesh and then adds a strong warning: "I warn you, as I did before, those who do such things will have no share in God's kingdom." If you listen to the desires of your wicked flesh and satisfy them, you will be lost and go to hell. So, if you have been doing that, you better wake up and repent. It is not too late. God is calling you today to accept Jesus Christ for your Savior and following the Spirit.

But to you who have been following the Spirit, continue in that and be glad. Continue the good fight of faith. Don't satisfy your wicked flesh but follow the Holy Spirit and please Jesus and God His Father. Here Paul encourages you to continue following the Spirit and tells of the beautiful fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Read verses 22-23)

Although you are not perfect in these things and you are like the toddler on our bulletin cover when you walk after the Spirit. Don't give up trying and practicing the way of Jesus. At last we will be freed of our flesh in death. In heaven we will walk strongly, and perfectly. Let that give you hope and a goal.

Amen.