Notes of Faith May 9, 2026
Pastor’s Pen Pulpit
January 26, 2003
“WALKING BY THE SPIRIT”
Galatians 5
Walking by the Spirit is an essential and fundamental characteristic of the Christian life. In this study, three features of the Spirit walk will be outlined: the Definition, The Involvement and Life Evidences.
What is the Spirit Walk as defined in Galatians chapter 5?
• It is a freedom walk. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” v. 1. Christ set us free, so that we would be free! Free from the bondage of sin.
• It is a cooperative walk. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” v. 16. If we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, we will walk free of the desires of our humanness.
• It is a directed walk. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” v. 18. The Holy Spirit desires to lead us day by day. When we allow Him to do this, we do not subject ourselves to the dictates of the law. We are not under law, but under grace!
What is involved in learning to walk by the Spirit?
• Walking by the Spirit is as natural as learning to walk physically.
• The Christian learns to walk by walking! We must get involved in life.
• The Christian learns to walk by falling. No one ever learned to walk physically without falling. It is a natural part of the process of learning to walk. Christians fall, but the Holy Spirit is right there to set us on our feet!
• The Christian learns to walk responsibly. Taking chances builds our responsibility. Taking chances in serving, witnessing, letting God stretch us!
• Walking involves details. Life is filled with details – making decisions, planning, etc. Each decision needs to be preceded with prayer.
How will walking by the Spirit be characterized in terms of life evidence?
• There will be a decreasing frequency in the activity of sin in the life vs. 16-21.
• There will be an ever-increasing presence of the fruit of the Spirit in the life vs. 22, 23.
The Bottom Line: God’s presence is in our lives. He wants to make that fact evident. However, it requires our working together with Him to make it happen.
Let’s make a pact with God today – a pact to cooperate with Him. God bless.
In Christian Love,
Pastor Charles Covington
The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead is alive in you.
We talked some about how to let the Holy Spirit work in our lives last night at small group and this morning I was reminded of Luke 8:43
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
The power was there inside Jesus and yet that power was not activated by all the people that touched him while he went through the crowd. It was her faith combined with action that activated the power of the Holy Spirit.
That same power is living in us and can be activated the same way.
Thank you to Andy Anderson for his comments on our church small group study from the previous sermon given by Pastor Jeff Reynolds!
Ps 1:1-3
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Ps 5:1-3
Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation.
2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
Phil 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Acts 1:8
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Acts 13:52
And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor 6:19-20
do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
2 Tim 1:14
Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
Titus 3:5-7
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Jude 24-25
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Pastor Dale