Dance with who brung ya Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Dance with who brung ya ------------------------------------- Date: 4/4/2002 Keywords: "Spirit" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. For the fourth day, we continue the series in the New Testament book of Galatians, the "Magna Carta of Christianity." Paul’s goal for the Christians who reads this letter is that they find freedom in Christ. May God use these studies to bring you freedom from the grip of porn and freedom to love and serve, all to the glory of God! Passage: Galatians 3:1-7* 1. You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2. This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3. Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4. Did you suffer so many things in vain — if indeed it was in vain? 5. Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6. Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. Question 1. What was the operative force that brought the Spirit’s presence and power into the lives of the believers in Galatia? (see vv. 2, 5)   2. What were the Galatian believers being tempted to view as the reason for their "perfection" (v. 3)?   Practical help Most any basketball team will score on their opponent over the course of a four quarter game. The difference between a team that is successful over the long haul and an inferior team is this: The successful team understands what has brought them success. They rely on teamwork, tough defense, each shooter taking his best shot, quick and sure passes. The inferior team depends on "fly by the seat of your pants" strategy. They don’t really know what helped them score that last bucket. They hustle, but not in a smart way. In the same way, Christians who struggle with porn (or with any other wrong or addictive behavior) will have victory from time to time. They will rely on will power, will allow themselves to be guilted into right behavior, will do the right thing because of pressure from their Christian peers, will abstain from sinful behavior because they think that they are gaining more love from God. Paul calls Christians to re-think strategy in the passage quoted above. If you want long term victory over temptation, rely on the Power Source that has gotten you this far. Who has supplied you with power to this point? The Holy Spirit! He brought you to conviction and drew you to see your need for Christ. He caused you to be born again. He indwells you. He fills you. He provides you with His Word (the Bible). At the moment of temptation, the Christian who wants to win against sin doesn’t rely on will power alone. He/She turns by faith to the Holy Spirit and relies on Him. As that Christian relies on the Spirit, the Spirit changes thinking patterns, re-orders priorities, brings about spiritual fruit, and brings victory over temptation to sin. When playoff time comes around, the old coaches used to say, "Dance with who brung ya." Paul says the same thing. "The Spirit got you started; the Spirit will keep you growing." eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2002 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission." ---