May 5th, 1962                                      “Walking in the Spirit”                                  Late Mr. N. Daniel

 

Galatians 4:29-31&5th Ch.

St. Paul is trying to ward off a great temptation that comes to the converted. Sometimes, instead of the spirit guiding you, your mind guides you. Instead of depending on the grace of God and giving all the glory to God, you take the glory to yourselves thinking it is all because of your goodness or that of your family­ training. The Galatians were departing from the realm of the spirit and coming into the realm of the body. They were proud of their observances, and their religion was becoming mental. Ours is a revealed religion, made reachable to us by the death and resurre­ction of the Lord Jesus. You must throw off the pride of your family, and confess the sins of your parents whose lives are not according to the word of God. Many people take pride in the discipline in their family. When true light comes into us, we see what is wrong. Your ancestral religion has been so contrary to the word of God. As light increases, you see that you are all sin. It is a great blessing to know that your whole being is full of sin, and you cannot depend on your mind or your ancestral religion. You have to depend on God and His word which discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. When you meditate on the word of God you will find it is spirit and life. Trust in the Spirit of God to guide you and correct you.

St. Paul makes things very clear by describing the two sons of Abraham. One was the Son of an Egyptian. The Egyptian nature was in the mother. Some want to marry hindus. They think they can convert those hindus. The Word of God forbids the marriage of a converted person with a hindu. That marriage will ruin them. Some in our Fellowship were lost that way. Hagar's son had the Egyptian nature in him. He began to mock Isaac the son of promise. Abraham had to send away Ishmael. St. Paul uses this example. It is the grace of God that keeps us and not our worthiness. “Stand fast in the liberty where with Christ has made you free.”