Galatians 5:15-17(NKJV) 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.
There is a parallel between the Israelites’ possession of the Promised Land and Christians’ taking hold of the abundant life God has given us. They both need action and obedience to enjoy the land and the fruit of the abundant life. Therefore, we need to have the spirit of a conqueror. There are things we need to conquer and overcome in our lives. We are saved by grace and will enjoy eternal life with God, but we must rein in the flesh to experience the abundant life of love, joy, and peace. Our breakthroughs can also lead to breakthroughs in the lives of others.
We must not allow what once caused us to live miserably or the sins that enslaved us to continue holding us captive. As born-again Christians, we can walk in the Spirit because we live under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. We have the indwelling and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Nonetheless, we need to deal with the lust of the flesh just like the Israelites had to drive out the inhabitants of the land.
God has given us the right to be free moral agents, with the ability to choose between obedience and disobedience to His Word and instructions. Disobedience will lead to painful suffering. God told the people of Israel that if they didn’t drive out all the inhabitants of the land, those people would be like a snare, a whip, a thorn, and a trap for them (Joshua 23:13). In fact, the suffering caused by their disobedience would last up to 300 years. Similarly, some consequences of the decisions made in disobedience to God can cause us to suffer for months, years, or even decades.
Lewdness or licentiousness is a shocking disregard for sexual and moral boundaries, an unrestrained indulgence of lust. It overlaps with excess in drinking, crude speeches, cohabitation, and the practice of fornication. It could be an inappropriate relationship—an affair or an adulterous relationship. We must sever inappropriate soul ties because there will be long-lasting consequences of physical, emotional, and mental pain resulting from these choices.
Selfish ambition refers to the attitude of the heart that prioritises selfish desires, personal status, and factional interests over obedience to God. It can become an idol in our lives. Many are called to full-time ministry, yet many choose to pursue their own selfish ambitions rather than respond to God’s because their personal pursuit of status has taken precedence over obedience to God. We become jealous of others’ success. If we don’t deal with the idol of success and selfish ambition, outbreaks of wrath and anger will appear in our lives, and those who suffer most will be the people closest to us.
As Christians, we are saved by grace and will enjoy eternal life with God, but we must rein in the flesh to experience the abundant life of love, joy, and peace.
Sermon Series: Resolution for 2026
你可以得胜，并且胜过
加拉太书5:16–17 我说，你们当顺着圣灵而行，就不放纵肉体的情欲了。因为情欲和圣灵相争，圣灵和情欲相争，这两个是彼此相敌，使你们不能做所愿意做的。
以色列人得着应许之地，与基督徒领受并活出神所赐丰盛生命之间，有着明显的平行之处。两者都需要行动与顺服，才能真正享受那地和丰盛生命所结出的果子。因此，我们需要有得胜者的心志。在我们的生命中，有一些事情是必须去征服、去胜过的。我们因恩典得救，也必与神一同享受永恒的生命，但若要经历那充满爱、喜乐与平安的丰盛生命，就必须制伏肉体。我们的生命突破，也常常会带来他人生命的突破。
我们绝不能让那些曾使我们活在痛苦中的事，或曾捆绑我们的罪，继续辖制我们。作为重生得救的基督徒，我们可以顺着圣灵而行，因为我们活在基督耶稣里赐生命之灵的律之下。我们里面有圣灵的内住与能力；赐生命之灵的律，已经使我们脱离罪和死的律。然而，我们仍然需要对付肉体的情欲，正如以色列人必须赶出那地的居民一样。
神赐给我们自由意志，使我们能够在顺服与悖逆祂的话语和指示之间作出选择。悖逆必然带来痛苦的后果。神曾告诉以色列人，若他们不把那地的居民彻底赶出去，那些人就会成为他们的网罗、鞭打、荆棘和陷阱（参约书亚记 23:13）。事实上，由悖逆所带来的痛苦，甚至持续了长达三百年。同样地，我们在悖逆神中所作的一些决定，也可能使我们承受数月、数年，甚至数十年的痛苦后果。
邪荡（放纵、淫乱），是对性与道德界线的公然漠视，是对情欲毫无节制的放纵。这通常与酗酒、粗俗言语、同居以及淫乱的行为相互交织，也可能表现为不合宜的关系——例如婚外情或通奸的关系。我们必须果断切断这些不合神心意的“魂结”，因为这些选择会带来长期的身体、情绪与心理上的痛苦后果。
自私的野心，指的是一种内心的态度，把个人的欲望、地位和派系利益，置于顺服神之上，甚至使之成为生命中的偶像。许多人蒙召进入全职事奉，却因追求个人的成功与地位，而选择忽略神的呼召；个人的野心取代了对神的顺服。结果，我们开始嫉妒他人的成功。若不对付成功与野心这个偶像，忿怒与暴怒就会在生命中爆发，而受伤最深的，往往是与我们最亲近的人。
作为基督徒，我们因恩典得救，必与神同享永恒的生命；然而，唯有制伏肉体，我们才能真实经历那充满爱、喜乐与平安的丰盛生命。
讲道系列：迈向2026：立定心志，跟随主