Yield Sign
Read Galatians 5:16-25
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.
19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Big Idea: Every day we yield self to the lead of the Holy Spirit.
The purpose of a yield sign is to assign the right of way on the road- it tells both drivers who goes first. The driver with the yield sign has to slow down, stop, or wait depending on the other car’s movement.
Followers of Jesus YIELD to the Holy Spirit. We yield by letting Him go first in all things. In our words, actions, and attitudes- we lay down the right to go first. We yield in surrender to follow Him.
The opposition to this pursuit is SELF. Self puts me first. My needs, my wants, my desires, and my plans. Self follows the temporary desires of the moment over the purposes of God.
The Spirit-led life yields control and ownership to the Holy Spirit. It yields to Him over self, nailing those desires to the cross. It acknowledges a new master, leader, and Lord who isn’t self- but God Himself!
As believers we never finish traveling this road until heaven. We yield every day, throughout the day, putting self behind the will and desires of God. Living under His Lordship and leading for His glory and pleasure. And as we do, the Holy Spirit produces in us fruit that honors God and reflects His nature to the world.
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