This in the manuscript of the eighth sermon of the Christ Church Los Angeles series "Who is the Holy Spirit".
This the eighth and final sermon in our series, Who is the Holy Spirit? Throughout this journey, we have explored the Spirit’s identity as a distinct Person of the Trinity, His work in breathing new life into dead spaces, His abiding presence as our Paraclete and Advocate, His gentle conviction leading to conversion, His indwelling presence making us God's temple, His supernatural fruit growing within us, and His empowerment of the Church for its mission as witnesses in the world.
Today, we bring all of these truths into daily practice. Having understood who the Spirit is and what He does, the central question for every believer becomes: How do we live this out every single day?
Key Takeaway: Walking in the Spirit requires moment-by-moment alignment with God's will rather than running ahead on your own steam
Scripture Reading:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
Romans 8:1-17 NIV
Text:
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. - Romans 8:12-13 NIV
This the eighth and final sermon in our series, Who is the Holy Spirit? Throughout this journey, we have explored the Spirit’s identity as a distinct Person of the Trinity, His work in breathing new life into dead spaces, His abiding presence as our Paraclete and Advocate, His gentle conviction leading to conversion, His indwelling presence making us God's temple, His supernatural fruit growing within us, and His empowerment of the Church for its mission as witnesses in the world.
Today, we bring all of these truths into daily practice. Having understood who the Spirit is and what He does, the central question for every believer becomes: How do we live this out every single day?
Key Takeaway: Walking in the Spirit requires moment-by-moment alignment with God's will rather than running ahead on your own steam
The Trap of Running on Your Own Steam
There are a lot of "religious dropouts" around today. They become dropouts because they have never established a consistent pattern of spiritual growth. These "religious dropouts" are far more than mere statistics—they have become spiritual casualties.
When people try to navigate their faith without a pattern of daily spiritual alignment, predictable struggles happen:
They experience a loss of faith or a weakening of their spiritual connection.
They become more susceptible to negative influences, temptations, and burnout.
They struggle with feelings of remorse, frustration, or regret over past choices.
Often, the fault lies with the church because we fail to follow up with ongoing spiritual care and nurturing, leaving people floundering to take care of themselves. We tell people to "be good Christians," but we forget to teach them how to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit daily.
The gospel offers a radical alternative to spiritual exhaustion. Spiritual growth is not about pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps or relying on human ingenuity. The key to experiencing God’s absolute best for us is in yielding to the Holy Spirit.
I. What It Means to Yield to the Holy Spirit
Yielding to the Holy Spirit involves a conscious, moment-by-moment decision to submit your will to His guidance.
Yielding is about recognizing the Holy Spirit's authority and actively allowing Him to lead your thoughts, decisions, and lifestyle.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
— Galatians 2:20
When you put your faith in Jesus, your old, independent, self-reliant nature died with Him on the cross. The penalty for your sin was paid, and the legal claim that sin and self-will had over your life was broken.
You're no longer calling all the shots. The ego that demanded to be in charge of your heart has stepped aside, letting Jesus take over the lead.
In place of your self-reliant nature, Jesus Christ now indwells you through the Holy Spirit. God does not merely visit you as an occasional guest; through the Spirit, He takes up permanent residence within your spirit, establishing His kingdom reign inside you. Your body becomes His living sanctuary.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV says Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; [20] you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.-
Even though you still live in a physical body and face daily choices, temptations, and decisions, you no longer run on your own steam or human ingenuity.
2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV says; For we live by faith, not by sight.
Walking by faith means moment-by-moment yielding control. Instead of saying "How am I going to handle this in my own strength?", you lean into the Holy Spirit inside you, trusting Him to supply the wisdom, patience, love, and power you need for that exact moment.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; [6] in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Yielding your authority and surrendering your rights to someone else can feel terrifying if you don't know who He is. But we can safely surrender because the One who commands our lives is the One who loved us so much that He willingly laid down His life on the cross to save us.
Yielding to the Spirit is never a cold, legalistic burden—it is a joy-filled response to a radical, unearned gift of grace.
Yielding is not trying harder to be like Jesus; yielding is stepping out of the way so that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit living in you, can live His life through you.
Galatians 5:25 NIV says Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Living by the Spirit' simply means the Holy Spirit gives you new life and makes His home inside you." Through faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit has given you a new spiritual birth and He has taken up permanent residence inside you.
2 Corinthians 5:16-17 NIV says So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. [17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
But Having spiritual life is one thing; actively following the Spirit's guidance in your day-to-day decisions is another. Because the Holy Spirit is the source of your new life, your daily conduct should reflect His influence. The Holy Spirit is not just your inner life source—He is your daily guide. You don't have to navigate life on your own steam; you simply yield to His leading step by step.
2. Releasing Personal Preferences
Yielding often involves surrendering personal desires, preferences, or self-reliant plans that conflict with God's will. It requires laying down our own agendas so that Christ’s kingdom priorities take precedence.
When you try to navigate life, overcome bad habits, or manufacture virtues like peace, patience, or love through sheer willpower and human intellect, you inevitably run into a wall.
Human effort alone leads to one of two outcomes: 1) pride when you think you are succeeding, or 2) exhaustion and despair when you inevitably fail.
Leaning on your own understanding is like treating faith as a self-directed self-improvement project. Human effort cannot fix or resurrect what is fundamentally broken or dead; true life requires power from God.
The promise that "He will make your paths straight" does not mean life will be free of trouble, but rather that God Himself will direct, align, and empower your life.
You don't have to fabricate peace in a storm or force love for a difficult person; when you yield control and trust Him, the Holy Spirit straightens your path by producing His supernatural fruit directly through your daily choices.
“[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ” Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
3. Patience and Forbearance
Yielding means relinquishing self-reliance, stopping the exhausting "fix-it" project, and allowing the Holy Spirit to flow through you. You do not have to manufacture patience or endurance on your own steam; as you yield, the Holy Spirit produces His supernatural fruit inside you.
We just read what that fruit is;
“[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ” Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
When you try to force your own timeline or take matters into your own hands, you operate out of the self-centered ego ("I") and human effort.
True patience and self-control only come when you stop rushing ahead of God, yield your tight grip on the outcome, and rely on the Spirit's timing and strength instead of your own.
The Divine Discovery
We do not discover God's plan through human effort or clever schemes. God shows us His divine will and purpose for our lives as we yield ourselves to His Holy Spirit dwelling within us. As Zechariah 4:6 says So he said to me, 'This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.
II. Life in the Spirit vs. Life in the Flesh (Romans 8:1–14)
Our scripture this morning from Romans 8:1-17 gives us the sharp contrast between two ways of living:
One Way is Life According to the Flesh:
Romans 8:5-6 NIV says Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Setting the mind on fleshly desires leads to death, strain, anxiety, and defeat. It is the result of trying to manage life on your own steam.
The other way is life According to the Spirit:
Setting the mind on the Spirit yields life and peace. Because there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, we are set free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2 NIV says Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. -
When you yield your life and lifestyle to the Holy Spirit, you discover the divine plan and purpose God has outlined for your life.
Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV says For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. -
III. My final point is that we are to Be Continually Filled
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 5:18-20 NIV
In the original Greek, "be filled" implies an ongoing, repeated action—keep on being filled. Being filled with the Spirit is not a static, one-time event at conversion; it is a daily habit of yielding control. Being filled with the Spirit means allowing His wisdom, presence, and love to shape every conversation, decision, and step you take.
If you are sitting here today feeling spiritually worn out, dry, or running on empty, remember that God does not ask you to manufacture your own spiritual vitality. The same Spirit that hovered over the dark waters of creation, the same wind that breathed across Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones, is ready to restore what has been lost. You don't have to clean yourself up to receive Him; you simply need to yield and surrender. Let go of the self-improvement project, open your hands to the Father, and let the breath of God bring new, eternal life to your heart.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the incredible gift of Your Holy Spirit. Forgive us for the times we have tried to run ahead on our own steam, relying on human ingenuity rather than yielding to Your divine guidance.
Holy Spirit, we yield our lives, our choices, and our daily routines to You today. Take authority over our hearts. Align our steps with Your perfect will. In Jesus' precious name, Amen.
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