Keeping in Step with the Spirit: Finding God in Life's Turning Points

We all face turning points in life - those moments when everything changes and we must decide which path to take. These turning points can be challenging, exciting, terrifying, or all of the above. But how do we navigate them as followers of Christ?

In our journey through the "Turning Point" series, we've already explored Paul's dramatic conversion from persecutor to missionary and witnessed how Lazarus's sisters found God in their grief. Now, we turn to the Galatian churches who faced their own critical turning point - a choice between holding true to the gospel they first embraced or following false teachers.

Understanding the Context of Galatians

Before diving into Paul's powerful directive to "keep in step with the Spirit," we need to understand what was happening in Galatia:

• Paul wrote to several churches in the region of Galatia (modern-day Turkey)

• Unlike his usual warm greetings, Paul begins this letter clearly upset

• The issue wasn't obvious sin like idolatry, but something more subtle - legalism

• Jewish Christians were insisting Gentile believers adopt Jewish practices like circumcision and festival observances

• This threatened to undermine the gospel of grace by suggesting human effort was needed to earn God's favor

Paul saw the dangerous path ahead if the Galatians continued down this road. They would devalue what Jesus had done for them, start trusting in their own righteousness, and create divisions between Jewish and Gentile Christians. The bedrock of the gospel - salvation by faith alone - was at stake.

What Does It Mean to "Keep in Step with the Spirit"?

In Galatians 5:25, Paul offers this powerful directive: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

This isn't a casual stroll. The Greek word Paul uses paints the picture of soldiers marching in formation - disciplined, purposeful, and unified. When you keep in step with the Spirit, you:

• Move where He moves

• Go where He goes

• Keep pace with Him

• Follow His lead in perfect alignment

This advice applies to every turning point we face:

• When difficult decisions arise - keep in step

• When facing new temptations - keep in step

• When your marriage is falling apart - keep in step

• When you receive a difficult diagnosis - keep in step

• When life disappoints you - keep in step

But this principle isn't just for the hard times. We also need to keep in step with the Spirit during positive turning points:

• When you get a promotion - keep in step

• When you become a supervisor - keep in step

• When your child starts school - keep in step

The Spiritual Battle Within Us

Throughout Galatians, Paul paints a stark picture of the spiritual war happening within every believer. When we come to faith in Christ and receive the Holy Spirit, we enter a battlefield where our old nature pulls us toward sin while our new nature tries to follow Jesus.

As Paul explains in Galatians 5:17: "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 opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other."

Have you felt this tension? Even as committed believers, we sometimes feel pulled toward things we know we shouldn't do or say. That's our old nature calling.

How Do We Win This Spiritual Battle?

So how do we ensure our new nature wins? How do we keep in step with the Spirit when our old nature keeps trying to pull us in another direction?

Galatians 5:24-25 provides the answer: "Those who belong to Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives."

The process is twofold:

• Put to death the old nature through the victory of Jesus' death and resurrection

• Put on the new nature by following the Spirit's leading

We cannot be the people God created us to be without the Holy Spirit's control in our lives. Just as you can't have a roaring fire without first having a flame, we can't produce the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) without the Spirit's presence and power.

The Hard Truth About Following the Spirit

Here's a challenging reality: it's nearly impossible to keep in step with the Spirit if we don't first have an awareness of the Spirit in our lives. Before we can expect the Spirit to lead us in wisdom and steadfastness, we must:

• Surrender our desire to control our lives

• Acknowledge that our natural inclinations often contradict the Spirit's leading

• Clear our hearts and minds of distractions that drown out the Spirit's voice

The good news is that the Holy Spirit isn't something we have to earn. When you proclaim faith in Jesus Christ, you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit immediately. You don't need to reach some advanced level of Christian maturity first - it's a gift given at salvation.

The Freedom of Spirit-Led Living

There's tremendous freedom when we allow the Holy Spirit to take control. Let Him have the driver's seat in:

• Worship

• Parenting

• Being a student

• Marriage

• Decision-making

• Leadership opportunities

The fruit of the Spirit only manifests in your life when the Holy Spirit is present and in control. Shouldn't our lives look distinctly different from those who don't have the Spirit guiding them?

Life Application

The central truth is this: No matter what turning point you're facing - good, bad, or ugly - God has given us the Holy Spirit as a gift to guide us into all wisdom and understanding. We never walk through life alone because we're keeping in step with the Holy Spirit.

As Paul wrote to the Philippians: "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6).

This week, examine your life and identify areas where you're still clinging to control:

• What are you spending too much time stressing over?

• Is there an upcoming change you're trying to manage on your own?

• Are you facing a sin struggle you haven't invited God into?

• What beginning or ending are you trying to navigate without the Spirit's guidance?

God wants to be with you in every turning point. He's inviting you to give these things to Him. Keep in step with the Spirit by inviting God into every decision you make today.

Ask yourself:

• In what area of my life am I resisting the Spirit's leadership?

• What would it look like to surrender control in that area today?

• How might my response to current challenges change if I truly believed the Holy Spirit was guiding me?

• What practical step can I take this week to become more aware of the Spirit's presence in my daily life?

Remember, we don't have to earn God's presence or be "good enough" to deserve His guidance. We simply need to be with Jesus, saved by faith in Him alone, and willing to keep in step with His Spirit.

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