Walking in the Spirit

2008-10-03

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

I often pondered what this is supposed to mean. After Paul’s exhortation to the Galatians that salvation is by faith alone and not by the works of the Law, he tells them to walk in the Spirit, and that people who do evil things do not inherit the Kingdom of God. What is going on?

Paul stresses that we have liberty in Christ. It is not what we do that condemns us anymore. We all still have sin experientially, as John says in 1 John 1:8. But it no longer condemns us because Jesus has “delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Colossians 1:13).

Walking in the Spirit involves not striving after “doing,” but in “being.” We are saved persons because of who we are in Jesus Christ. Because the flesh “lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17), we still have great capacity to obey our human nature as we did previously. But now, we have opportunity to not try to please God in our own efforts, but to rest that Jesus pleased God in His sacrifice for humankind. Our Spirit nature will thrive when we remain in this truth: that God solved our dilemma of sin forever in the person of Jesus Christ. There are no ulterior motives when we have the right mindset; we can let the Spirit do His work. Keep resting in Jesus Christ.

Notice that the fruits of the Spirit are centered on relationships. The Word says that we let our faith work through love (Galatians 5:6), but we cannot do that without other people involved! Do not forget your body of believers. God uses the Church to perfect His saints; that is, to make them more like His Son.