Running To Win

Dave McAllister: Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and proctor of our faith. Often the most radiant believers are the ones who suffer the most. The Holy Spirit shines in the lives of many whose road has been hard. Today we take a final look at the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. Please stay with us from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is running to win with Dr. Irwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, is it true that suffering makes the spirit's work even more visible than otherwise?

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: You know, David, certainly should. I remember Charles Colson used to say that when a Christian gets cancer, an unsaved person also gets cancer so that people can see how differently they react to it. We have supernatural strength thanks to the blessed Holy Spirit. Well, I'm very excited because this is the last day of our matching gift challenge. I want to thank the many of you who have connected with us, those of you who have become a part of this ministry. But what this means is that any gift you give today will be doubled. And by the way, at the end of this month, it's really the end of our fiscal year, and we'd like to be able to end strong.

Now, I hope that you have a pen or pencil handy because here's how you can connect with us. Go to rtw offer.com. That's rtw offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. I want to emphasize this is the last day of our matching gift challenge. Right now, you can go to rtw offer .com. Thank you so much for holding hands with us as together we run toward the finish line. Now, listen carefully. You know, uh just this past week, actually it was yesterday, I read the story of a young woman sexually abused. Terrible story, but it was the story of how she came through that, experienced peace and forgiveness.

But is it easy? No. It is very very hard. But the Holy Spirit of God is there to help us. And I have to tell you, I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, his primary knife is suffering. Can be physical suffering. This morning we as elders prayed for a woman who's a very great saintly woman in this church, but going through a tremendous amount of physical pain. Sometimes it's that, and then sometimes it's other people that God brings into our life. The fruit of the Spirit, God prunes us back. Why? To finally humble us, to finally wean us from sin and all those secret agreements we have made with the flesh.

And to get rid of those so that we might be broken and humble. And then there's love, joy, peace. Wow. Now, if the works of the flesh represent uh selfishness, self, think of how the works of the Spirit or the fruit of the Spirit, I should say, represents selflessness. Let me ask you something. I do it with a smile on your face on my face. Maybe there'll be a smile on yours as well. How would you like to be married to somebody who exhibits love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, patience? I think that would be pretty easy, wouldn't it?

That's what God is after. That's what God is after. Have you ever seen a waiter carry uh you know, I think it's called a tureen. That is to say he may have a tray, and on the tray there are several dishes and they carry it even above their heads in some places. Uh you have no idea what's in those bowls as they walk by until somebody trips the waiter. And then it's very evident what's in the bowls. It all comes out. When somebody trips us, when somebody does us a bad turn, what should come out at that moment is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

That is the fruit of the Spirit. And that can't be produced by law. If you're in a very very legalistic situation where you have believed that Christianity is keeping a certain number of laws and that's all that it is, is not doing certain things which may be good not to do, but if that's all that there is, you've missed it. I remember somebody sarcastically saying about someone who is being interviewed about the possibility of a Christian position, and he said he's a good businessman, he's a good administrator, he can carry a vision. All that he lacks is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, and meekness.

May that never be said of us. You say, well Pastor Lutzer, that's fine, but how does this transformation happen? I'm very interested in helping you by the Spirit and the word in that. But first of all, I want to share with you, I think one of the most important misconceptions that the average Christian has. The average Christian says to himself uh you know, uh I I can't I can't be filled with the Spirit. I can't walk in the Spirit. I'm so defeated. I'm so broken down. Life is so hard. If I could be, you know, maybe a pastor or a missionary or a seminary president, I throw that in cuz apparently we have some here today that fit into that category.

Maybe then I would be able to attain to walking in the Spirit. What a marvelous gift that would be. These dear people, God bless them, they have it all backwards. Notice that the Apostle Paul didn't say now stop walking in the flesh and then you'll finally be worthy to walk in the Spirit. That 's not what he says. He says the opposite. He says walk in the Spirit. Is the flesh getting you down? He says walk in the Spirit and you'll not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Let me say it to you with clarity.

The Holy Spirit was not given to us because we have it all together. The Holy Spirit was given to us to enable us to get it all together. So I speak to the most defeated Christian today. I speak even to those of you who struggle with addictions. I speak to those of you who this past week failed and your conscience troubles you. I'm speaking to you today. What you and I need to do is to learn to walk in the Spirit. The spirit is given to bring about the transformation. He is the paraclete as we've learned.

He is the helper to bring it all about. But how? Now, as I was thinking about this yesterday and this morning, it dawned on me that maybe one of the best ways to explain it all is to give you three images. And I want you to wake up tomorrow morning with those images in your mind. Three images that grow out of this passage of scripture to help us a long life's journey, learning to walk in the Spirit. The first image is that of the cross. You'll notice that the Apostle Paul says in verse 24 and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

I remember a young man reading that and saying this can't be true. This can't be true. Because remember a Christian can commit a Christian can commit any one of the works of the flesh, but he will do so against the leadership, the guidance, and the nudging of the Spirit. Uh those who will not enter into the kingdom of God, they're the ones who who do this and their their conscience doesn't even bother them because they have no resistance. But as Christians, we struggle. And what does it mean that those who belong to Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires when it's so manifestly it appears to be untrue?

You know, if Paul meant that this was the end of our battle with the flesh, if that's what Paul meant, why did he say earlier on in this passage that um uh we uh are have a struggle? The spirit and the flesh are duking it out within us. Why did he say that? It's clearly not what he meant. But let's talk about the cross for a moment. First of all, when we think of the cross, we should remember that Jesus died there for sinners and provided a sacrifice for us. Those of you who know Christ as Savior will be thankful for that.

But it's not just that Jesus died for us and we uh and that's the end of it. We have to keep going back to the cross for forgiveness. Those of you whose conscience troubles you today because of unconquered sin, you need to go to the cross to receive cleansing and forgiveness and then ask God the question what do I do to make everything right regarding those whom I have hurt so that your conscience is without offense before God and man. We always need to go back and and we have to understand that each day we begin at the cross affirming the fact that Jesus is our righteousness.

When you sense sin in your life, you flee to Christ and the cross. And those of you who have never trusted Christ as your Savior, uh that's the message that you need today to believe on him that you might be saved. It's all at the cross. But follow carefully. What Paul is saying is not merely that Jesus died for me. Great though that is, what Paul is saying is I also died with Christ. God so put me into Jesus that when he was crucified there, I was crucified. And Paul is referring to this here. And Paul doesn't mean that that's the end of our struggles by no means.

What Paul is referring to is the fact that our obligation to sin is now officially ended. Because we died to the old life, however much we may still struggle with it, our obligation to obey the flesh is no longer there. We belong to Jesus. Now, our old landlord might continue to insist that we make payments to be sure. But actually we can tell him to be gone because we belong to the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and the God of all Gods. What I want you to see today is that you don't have to crucify yourself.

Paul doesn't say now you go ahead and crucify yourself. There's a sense in which we cooperate in it, but notice I want you to see it today as something that God has done already for you. There is more provision in the cross than you and I have ever experienced. It is all there for us. Image number one, the cross. Image number two, a road. A road. You say, well where's that in the text? You'll notice that Paul says, we read it, walk in the Spirit. He picks up the same imagery again. He says in verse 25, if we live by the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit.

So now I'm talking about walking. Uh walking is an image that even goes way back to the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. What a marvelous privilege to walk. But walking indicates uh progress. It indicates a goal. The Scripture asks the question, can two walk together unless they are agreed? And the answer is no. I walk because I am submissive to God. I walk in faith. To me, this is critical. The Apostle Paul said elsewhere, he says as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, how did you receive him?

By faith. We sometimes tell people it isn't a matter of feeling. You receive it by faith. And how do you walk in the Spirit? By faith. So when I get up in the morning and my soul isn't necessarily all hot for God, I I can say today I choose to walk in the Spirit. Today I choose to submit to the Spirit, and today I'm going to trust the Spirit to lead me. It is an act of submission and faith. I hope that you learn to walk with the Spirit as you and I should have the privilege of walking with God in complete agreement with God.

You see, when we are out of agreement with the Holy Spirit, he points up sin that we don't want to deal with. When we have that kind of disagreement, then we sense we're not walking in the Spirit. So it is a matter of faith. You think of the cross where we are forgiven, where the transaction has been made, and then you think of a road that you are walking along and rejoicing in the fact that you can actually walk with God. Now, there's a third image. And the third image is a garden. It's a garden.

You say, well where's that in the Bible? Well, it's in chapter six actually, a different context, but Paul is talking about something that is very important. Chapter six, verse seven. He picks up the theme of the flesh and the Spirit there. Don't be deceived. God is not mocked. Whatever one sows, that he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh, there it is, will from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let me tell you this, that the desire that you give into most often is the desire that will become the strongest of the desires.

That's what addiction is addiction is giving myself over to the sin and then being involved in what someone has called the blinding absorption of sin. What a incredible description. So if you feed the flesh, if you sow to the flesh, if you feed it, it's going to grow stronger and stronger and stronger. But if you sow to the Spirit, the flesh will become weaker and the work of the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit will grow stronger and stronger. But it's a matter of sowing. The person who said, you know, I have two dogs within me.

I have a good dog and a bad dog. And somebody said, which one wins? And he says the one that I feed how right he was. You see, we sow to the Spirit by reading the word of God, by connecting with a TMC community here at the church and becoming a part of it, becoming a part of prayer groups, the fellowship, the willingness to expend ourselves with other believers, the willingness to learn. In all these ways, we begin to sow to the Spirit rather than sow to the flesh. Because of the flesh, we shall reap corruption.

The Christian life in terms of the transformation that we've talked about is actually quite gradual, I have to say. It's fruit that is growing. But God enables us to do that. But we have a responsibility of sowing in the right place and sowing in the Spirit. Now, here's what I want you to do. You already know that when I wake up every morning, as I did this morning just a few minutes before 5:00, I prayed and I said, oh God, today glorify yourself in my life at my expense. I pray that every morning. I hope that you do too.

But another prayer to pray is today I choose to walk in the Spirit and I choose to sow to the Spirit and not the flesh. Make that choice early on. And the Spirit will help you as you go through the day. Want to remind you of the fact that uh the two contestants are not evenly matched. The Holy Spirit has an infinite amount of power as opposed to the desires of the flesh. The Bible says that he who is within us is greater than he who is in the world. Even Satan ultimately, who inspires the flesh and strengthens it, ultimately must bow to Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, God of all Gods.

He is the Lord and he is King. Finally, let me ask you a question. Have you really been planted by God? Have you been converted or could it be that you're faking fruit and you're not the real deal? I love to tell the story that when Rebecca was in Germany, she called me one time and I was at home and she said, did you water all of my plants? I said, yep. Did you water the flowers uh in the den? I said, yeah, I watered all three of them. Three of them? She said, there are only two.

I said, no, I'm sorry, there are three. Did you water the one on top of the credenza? Absolutely. She said those are artificial flowers. They looked like the real deal to me. Problem was no matter how long we had them, they didn't grow. This passage, like so many others, makes a distinction between those who love the Spirit, attempt to walk in the Spirit despite all the setbacks, and those who walk in the flesh. Two different roads, two different lifestyles, two different eternal destinies. Check your heart to see if you're the real deal. And if you will, let us pray.

In a moment of quietness before I pray, I want you to pray. What has God said to you today? As you think about walking in the Spirit, where are you on your spiritual journey? Wherever you are, would you call out to Christ? Those of you who have never trusted in the Savior, you may believe on him right now and be saved. Those of you who know him, you've got issues. But the spirit is there to help you. If you call on him and depend upon him. Father, we ask in Jesus' name that you'll take these words from your word and make them transforming.

May we leave here remembering the cross, remembering the road, and remembering the garden that we might grow and that we might walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Do whatever you desire in us. We expect great things in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Well my friend, this is Pastor Lutzer. I trust that you have been blessed as a result of the ministry of running to win. I'm holding in my hands a sweet letter from a mother who says, my son just started middle school and we are in a carpool early. He turned on the radio one morning and heard Irwin Lutzer.

It's now our daily routine to listen to running to win at 7:30 every school day. That blesses my heart. And the reason we here at running to win are able to minister to multi-generations in various countries is because of people just like you. And I want to thank you for your prayers and for your support. Also want to emphasize that this is the very last day of our matching gift challenge. And at the end of this month, it is really the end of our fiscal year. Anything that you now give will be doubled. And even as you pray about this, I'm so grateful for your prayers and for your love of this ministry.

Here's what you can do. Go to rtw offer.com. That's rtw offer.com. And you know, because this is the last day, I'm going to be giving you that contact info again. Or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337. We want you to know that whether you can contribute or not, we are deeply appreciative that you continue to listen to this program and that you are praying for us. At the same time, we're also grateful for the many who support this ministry. Once again, you can go to rtw offer.com. Of course, rtw offers all one word. rtw offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

Thank you for being a part of every testimony we receive. This is your ministry. It's ministering to the body of Christ.

Dave McAllister: You can write to us at running to win 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60614. Terror attacks across the globe. War, it seems, is never far away. But there's also a greater war, a cosmic conflict of the ages fought by Satan and his legions against the plans and purposes of God. Next time, we lift the veil on the invisible war, a study in the armor of God as revealed in Ephesians chapter six. Plan to listen. For Pastor Irwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to win is sponsored by the Moody Church.