Dwight Fletcher | Walking in the covenant of grace

WE’VE HAD a lot to say on this topic of grace and the new covenant that God has made for believers through Jesus, and the work of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you have been encouraged to rely on this gift of grace rather than your works, and to submit to the transformation of the Holy Spirit daily in your life.

As we wrap up this series, I want to leave you with a few practical tips on how to operate in the covenant as a believer.

ACCEPT THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK BY FAITH

The book of Galatians was written to a church that started wanting to earn God’s approval based on their work. This is a mistake we must not make. We receive everything from God by faith. We must believe what God has said is true, expect that it will operate that way in our lives, and behave accordingly.

Faith pleases God and as we practise it, we get stronger. Like a muscle, we need to exercise and strengthen our faith through repeated use because there is a battle raging in our lives. Galatians 5:16-18 (NIV) says, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

There is a constant battle of two natures within us. But when we live in faith, submitted to the Holy Spirit, our flesh weakens. Here’s how we do this.

BECOME HOLY SPIRIT CONSCIOUS NOT SIN CONSCIOUS

The nature you facilitate will be the one that will dominate. To overcome sin, we don’t concentrate on sin, we concentrate on God. When we walk habitually in the Holy Spirit, seek Him and remain responsive to His guidance, we don’t carry out the desires of the flesh.

By faith, we must engage the Holy Spirit as part of our daily lives. We have to talk in the Spirit, respond to His leading and build a relationship with the Spirit of God. We have to create the best environment for the Holy Spirit to do His work in our lives. This is why we read, meditate on and obey the Word of God. When you are reading your Bible consistently, some of the sins that usually challenge you, just won’t bother you as much. Your spirit will gain strength. Then, we must pray to God. Think of prayer as a two-way conversation. You speak to God, but you also listen to what He wants to say to you. My book, God, Please Talk to Me, is a great resource if you’d like to grow in hearing from God.

Lastly, we must fellowship with other believers. You were not meant to live your Christian life alone. You need more than a Sunday experience to mature spiritually. A group of like-minded believers makes all the difference in the world.

BEAR THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) says, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” You don’t produce the fruit. All you do is remain in relationship with the Holy Spirit and He changes your character from the inside out. He may use community or adversity or just a gradual growth – be patient because fruit takes time.

When you live like this, grace doesn’t just cover you – it empowers you. It doesn’t just forgive you – it transforms you. And that, my friend, changes everything.