Why We Need the Holy Spirit!

Galatians 5:13-18 Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[b] 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
After a thorough treatment of the futility of trying to earn one's righteousness through the Law, Paul offers a better way.  Paul describes the "Life by the Spirit".  The Spirit is "means" or "agency" by which we live out our new life in Christ.  The opposite of legalism is licentiousness, or living our lives ruled by the "flesh".  When you see the word "flesh", just think "sinful nature". The sinful nature says, "I will do what I want and when I want to and don't stop me." 
Paul says the entire law can be summed up by one simple command, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  Paul simplifies a complex legal system stemming from the Mosaic Law to say, "If you simply apply the test of loving one's neighbor as one's self you will fulfill the law." But of course in our sinful nature we cannot do this, which is why God has given us the Holy Spirit.  Paul describes the battle between the flesh and the Spirit.  He says what they desire is completely opposite.  The flesh seeks to satisfy its desires at all costs, and the Spirit leads us to obey the greatest commandments to love God and one another!
It is not by accident that when we are acting out according to our sinful desires it usually has an ill effect on others, even if indirectly.  Sometimes we make the Christian life way too complicated and subtly introduce legalism.  For instance in can manifest itself with things like, how long we should read the bible or pray each day.  Or, how much should we give to the church either in money or time spent volunteering.  
These disciplines should flow out of the freedom of the Holy Spirit as we seek to please God and love our neighbor.  I.e. We read the bible to learn more about God, and pray to develop a personal relationship with him.  The Spirit led life drives us to know God deeper and love others more unconditionally.  It is what hte Christ-life is all about. 
Thank God for the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit we are "dead in the water"!  

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