KEEP IN STEP

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Galatians 5:24-26

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Anyone who knows me knows that I served in the military for a large part of my adult life, nearly 30 years of it. As I think back to the early days, I vividly remember my boot camp experience where I was transformed from a regular civilian citizen to a United States Navy Sailor.

There was obviously a lot to learn during the eight weeks I spent in San Diego and one of the main things was marching in ranks. We were in a company and the company moved together from place to place by marching in formation with one important element always needed.

Every single person had to keep in step.

This means that as everyone was stepping, each person had to touch down with the same foot, at the same time. To ensure we did this in rhythm, a person called out a cadence. I’m sure you heard something like this as you may have watched a military movie or had the military experience yourself personally.

Left, (pause), your left, your left, right, left. Your left, (pause), your left, your left, right, left.

This would be repeated over and over again, and again, the expectation was that no one would be out of step. If you were, you could expect a sharp reprimand by one of your company commanders.

When a company learned how to march in step routinely, it was a thing of beauty as a large group of people marched together in perfect unity and precision.

As we look at the final verses from Galatians 5, we find the Apostle Paul exhorting the Christians to keep in step, not from a physical standpoint like marching, but rather spiritually with the Holy Spirit. Because a Jesus believer has had their sins crucified on Calvary’s cross, they are set free from the sinful ways of the flesh, sinful ways that may include conceit, envy, and stirring up strife through provoking behavior. Instead of transgressing, Christ believers are free to obediently carry out the will of the Lord and to accomplish this, they walk in step with the Holy Spirit, producing the wonderful fruits we looked at over the past three messages.

If you feel like you are sliding into a place where the desires of the flesh are starting to call out for you, stop and get to walking in step with the Spirit. He will always get you back to the place you need to be, the place God wants you.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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