Purpose Lived

Purpose is an "intention put forth".  Setting an intention is like drawing a map of where you wish to go—it becomes the driving force behind your goals and visions, your actions and attitudes. Without an intention, there is no map, and you're just wandering in the dessert with no destination in mind. Many go through life with merely the dual intentions of self-survival and self-satisfaction – staying alive and feeling good doing it.

Too many go through life not realizing that God created humanity with a purpose and it wasn't JUST be fruitful and multiply. One source summarizes the biblical purposes of humanity as "God created humanity in his own image for four purposes: to have fellowship with, to cultivate God's garden (literally "delightful enclosure"), be fruitful and multiply, and govern the Earth and all that is in it. When we discover God's purpose for humanity life takes on new meaning and richness that the world can't offer.  

We will see that we live out our purpose as we are led by and filled with the Holy Spirit.  That said, an authentic intention cannot be forced. You can't set an intention for purposeful living that you don't believe in. The problem is that humanity has dual natures – a spiritual nature in the image of God, and a physical nature that is similar to all in the animal kingdom.

We look at Galatians 5:16-26 to see Paul advise the Galatians as they struggled regarding the relationship between the law and the gospel of Jesus. There was a tug-of-war for the Galatians between the concepts of having to follow and keep the ritualistic law and those of living by the spiritual intent and guidance of God.  This same tug-of-war continues in our own era.  

We look in this study at the greater good we do when we allow God to empower us and work through us to live through the trials that confront us daily. Paul uses the word walk to describe the journey of life that we are all on.  We are moving.  We are animated.  We are living.  We are on a walk through life.  Let's look at Paul's advice for enjoying that walk.

---

Galatians 5:16-18

16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 
17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Paul points out to us that attempting to live in accord with a number of external do's and dont's is to look outside of ourselves for the joy that must be internal to ourselves. Why is joy not external to our selves? Joy is the feeling of pleasure and delight. As all of OUR feelings arise from within us, so to must the source of joy.  Paul tells us that as we move through life we need God's Holy Spirit inside of us to equip and empower us to live according to God's standards.  

Relying upon any aspect of human nature, internal or external, won't cut it.  The human nature can never get close to the God nature.  Human nature by itself will almost always seek the benefit of the self over anything.  God nature always seeks the good in everything.  If we rely upon human rules, human teachings, human ambitions, human anything to bring us joy in life we will instead find only an external task list that we forever struggle to meet, or that is limited in the amount of joy it may provide. But if we internalize relying upon God guidance, God teaching, God ambitions God anything as we live our life's purpose, we internalize joy as we find joy in the active fellowship with God, interaction with God, and as we listen to and learn from God daily.  

The only way any of us can habitually do what is right is when we habitually walk by the Spirit. We must be intentional in how we live.  We need to practice moment-by-moment dependence upon the indwelling Holy Spirit.  Paul uses the terms walking by the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, living by the Spirit, and keeping in step with the Spirit.  We must actively seek the input of the Holy Spirit of God.  The best say to actively seek such input is to ask.  The Spirit seldom intrudes upon your individual sovereignty over yourself.  But when you as "the captain of your soul" ask for God's input God will provide it.  It may come instantaneously or it may come over years or longer, but God will provide you your answer.  

Paul teaches us that through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit we are able to reject our human nature's desire of self-preservation, self-gratification, self-glorification, self-sufficiency and any other self-attribute that we can imagine.  Through the Holy Spirit we are now ABLE to live according to our new SPIRITUAL nature, what Paul calls the new self. This new nature allows us to pursue God's standards rather than human standards.

How can we know if we are being led by the Holy Spirit or by our human-nature?  

Paul helps us to recognize some of the differences between our natures by listing some of their attributes.  First the actions of the flesh, or human nature.

---

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 
21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before​—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Being the word-guy that I am lets briefly look at the meanings of each of these:

sexual immorality – "not right" behavior relating to sex

moral impurity – polluted standards of "right behavior"

promiscuity – (moral standards) that are mixed chaotically and confusingly

idolatry – a mental or physical image of a worshipped deity

sorcery – seeking to "line up" fate or fortune for one's own purposes

hatreds – passionate aversion

strife – discord

jealousy – derived from ancient word ya, indicating to seek, request, desire, jealous is to be passionately zealous and suspicious.

outbursts of anger – a bursting forth from irritation, annoyance, or provocation.

selfish ambitions – an inordinate desire for the honor or preferment of self.

dissensions – a disagreement in opinion, especially heated disagreement

factions – dividing into classes or parties of persons for identification and association

envy – to hold grudges, jealousy or ill will 

drunkenness – to be overcome by a poisonous substance (an intoxicant) 

carousing – to drink freely and revel loudly

Paul says "I am warning you about these things...those who practice (repeatedly or habitually engage in) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (will not adhere to the rulership of God).

What do each of these human-nature characteristics have in common?

Next Paul describes the character traits of the Spirit.

---

Galatians 5:22-26

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 
23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Again, let's look at the words involved:

love – caring, desirous concern for another

joy – feeling of pleasure and delight 

peace – an agreeement of binding together in security

patience – long suffering of offenses

kindness – courtesy, noble action

goodness – state of being excellent, fine, valuable, desirable, favorable, beneficial, full, entire, complete

faithfulness – full of trust and confidence 

gentleness – the state of being of the same family (of God)

self-control – self regulation through the guidance of the Spirit

These are  the godly behavior the Holy Spirit produces in the believer. The first three characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit are related to the believer’s heart and mind. Love (agape) is key in the life of the Christian. The love God pours into the believer enables the Christian through the power of the Holy Spirit to love God and others with this same love. Joy (chara) is the inward experience produced by the grace of God that enables the believer through faith to celebrate life in Christ no matter the temporal, external conditions of life he or she may be experiencing. Peace refers to an inward condition of wholeness and well-being. 

Patience, kindness, goodness. The second three characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit are related to the believer’s relationships with others. Patience means that the believer has a long temper (as opposed to a short fuse). Those who walk by the Spirit are slow to anger, like God Himself. Kindness means being helpful and honest with others and treating them well. Goodness refers to the generous attitude believers are to have toward others. It involves acting in good ways toward others, even when they do not deserve it. 

Faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The final three characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit are connected to the believer’s conduct. Faithfulness means to be trustworthy and reliable. Gentleness describes a person who has a submissive and teachable spirit in relation to God and expresses humility and consideration toward others. A person who has self-control has mastery over his or her emotions, impulses, desires, and passions, be they positive or negative.

While the law may hold penalties against the performance of the works of the flesh, the law doesn't usually penalize the fruits of the spirit.  This is another indicator that living by the guidance of God is superior to living by the penalties of the law.  Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, believers are transformed so that they are able to live in accordance with God’s law

Paul's message to us is that since, through Jesus, we have become aware, awakened and have chosen to pursue life through our spiritual natures that our old human-natures are now dead to us.  But, like zombies, sometimes we regress and become the walking dead.  But if we remember the the Spirit of God is within us and we have but to ask and pursue God's standards, if we keep in step, in march, with the Spirit's walking then we may find the going easier. 

Paul closes by encouraging us not to think better of ourselves than of others, not to provoke others  and not to envy the successes of others.  I paraphrase it as "quit being babies and infants and grow up!"  You may pursue this by investing time. Walking by the Spirit requires setting aside time for Him. Determine when and where you can meet God each day. Make it an unwavering habit to spend time with God every day.  Let the Spirit redirect your thoughts often. Begin the habit of relying on the Spirit to guide you through the daily trials of life.  

Try it, you'l like it!