Sunday, August 21, 2011

Life by the Spirit. 御霊によって生きる


Gal 5:16-26. 
Paul continues his teaching as so will I.
“16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  
わたしが言いたいのは、こういうことです。霊の導きに従って歩みなさい。そうすれば、決して肉の欲望を満足させるようなことはありません
  
It has been the prayer of all of God’s People thought history to do just that: to walk blamelessly before the Father. Proverbs 11:20 “The LORD detests those whose hearts are perverse, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.”  Why is it so hard to do that? Why is there a struggle within all of us to fight the things of the Lord and, in effect, demand our own way? To desire the drives of our old nature might, at times, feel appropriate, as we have lived that way for so long.  We have had things our way for so long, the Way of the Lord might seem a real hindrance to growth.

Let’s be assured today that way of thinking is the way of error. The Scripture calls that line of thinking the Way of Balaam, son of Beor.  The way of error. Who was this character?  We read about him in Numbers 22:4-20~24:25.  Balaam loved gain from wrongdoing: see 2 Peter 2:15
See Jude 11. “Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for the profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.”
ユダの手紙 11
不幸な者たちです。彼らは「カインの道」をたどり、金もうけのために「バラムの迷い」に陥り、「コラの反逆」によって滅んでしまうのです。


(Numbers 16:1-3 1 Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent (or took men) 2 and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council. 3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?”)

Connect with John 14:6.

"I am the Way    わたしは道であり
  the Truth           真理であり
and the Life. "     命である。
Paul continues in verse

17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
肉の望むところは、霊に反し、霊の望むところは、肉に反するからです。肉と霊とが対立し合っているので、あなたがたは、自分のしたいと思うことができないのです。


17 Both the Way of the Spirit and the Way of the Flesh are contrary to each other.

Both have major conflicts with each other. The battle goes on and we are aware of it! What we do with that is SO important.  It will not just go away. Some have allowed these small seeds of rebellion in their lives—thinking all along, it is not all that bad.  But once it takes root in our hearts, we are headed for some real sour times in our walk. Rebellion in any form is rebellion against the Lord. It was rebellion for those people who wanted it their own way when Moses was guiding them and it is still a way of destruction today.  Beware of the cold heart towards God and toward the things of the Lord--so that you will not do what is contrary or opposing with what the Lord wants or desires of you. So, even Paul had this problem and it is not the end of the world when it happens to us but it still feels not good! 
Romans 7:15-25  ローマの信徒への手紙 / 7 25

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature (my flesh). For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?

How do we move from there? The key is attitude.  Paul ends this problem with 

25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!! わたしたちの主イエス・キリストを通して神に感謝いたします。!

Paul reminds the Churches in Galatia that only in Christ alone can one find that Hope for a better life.  In Christ alone!

19-21 Acts of the sinful nature are obvious-

“19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
肉の業は明らかです。それは、姦淫、わいせつ、好色, 偶像礼拝、魔術、敵意、争い、そねみ、怒り、利己心、不和、仲間争い、ねたみ、泥酔、酒宴、その他このたぐいのものです。以前言っておいたように、ここでも前もって言いますが、このようなことを行う者は、神の国を受け継ぐことはできません。


22-23 BUT the fruit of the Spirit is- 9 of them. No law against these.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
これに対して、霊の結ぶ実は愛であり、喜び、平和、寛容、親切、善意、誠実、柔和、節制です。これらを禁じる掟はありません。


24 Look again at what Paul points to!

“24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
キリスト・イエスのものとなった人たちは、肉を欲情や欲望もろとも十字架につけてしまったのです。

Do you belong to Christ? Paul writes that the action was already done—have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  Done in the past.  When in the past? At the Cross-it was paid for and at the resurrection of the Lord Jesus had sealed for all time. If we belong to Him, than the Spirit Life is ours in Christ Jesus. We MUST look to Him for it all to be realized and understood. By Faith. Not in works but by Faith!

25-26 Paul ends this section with some powerful words.

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. もし、私たちが霊によって生きているのであれば、霊によって前進しましょう。
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” うぬぼれて、互いに挑み合ったり、ねたみ合ったりするのはやめましょう。 

Christ is looking for community! “We”—not just ‘you’!  It is a Family activity.  We encourage each other by living this way.  Watching each of us keeping in step with the wishes of the Lord.  See verse 15. If the opposite keeps up, we will destroy each other. The way of Balaam is not the road we are to walk on.  That way leads to destruction but the Way of Jesus leads to life and life eternal.   Let us live the Way of Christ.  Forgiving each other and have a Life by the Spirit of Christ.