Walking in the Spirit (cont.)
We have been looking at what Paul wrote to the Galatian church, and to us, telling us in Galatians 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
As we have seen previously, it all begins when we have “crucified the flesh,” as verse 24 says here in chapter 5 of Galatians. We are to have our hearts and minds purified by the blood of Jesus and we are to be filled with the Spirit of God. It involves a surrender of our whole being to Christ, allowing Him to have complete control. From that point we can truly walk in the Spirit.
As one scholar said, “Paul’s word for “walk” is stoicheo, which means walking in a line and proceeding under another’s control… to walk by the Spirit is to put on the new way of life, to be “led by the Spirit.” It’s to be under his control and direction. It’s not just the absence of sin; it’s the presence of goodness and love and power.”
If we live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, then the Spirit Himself will continue to help us to become more like Christ, which definitely will include the fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, found in verses 22 and 23 of this same chapter in Galatians. The fruit of the Spirit in essence is what is found in the very character of Christ. So, to have the fruit of the Spirit in us and to have the Spirit help us to develop them through the circumstances and situations of life, physically and spiritually, is to experience being fashioned more into the likeness of Christ. And this should be the great desire of every single Christian.
Another Scripture we should bring in here is found in Ephesians 5:18, where Paul writes saying, “Be filled with the Spirit.” Paul had just mentioned, in chapter one of Ephesians, that they had been sealed with the Spirit. But now he is saying, “Be filled with the Spirit.” Why would he tell those who had the Spirit already to be filled with the Spirit? The word ‘filled’ can also be translated ‘be continually filled.’ Because we still are human, because we still live in a sin-cursed world, because we live in a society that produces an atmosphere of evil and debauchery and sin, it all has the tendency to cause us to be affected by it to some extent. So, Paul is saying, continually be filled with the Spirit in order to keep full and be able to live the life that Christ wants us to live. Also, as one scholar tells us, “Almost certainly, this means we’re to seek a continuous and abiding relationship with the Spirit. We can find ongoing spiritual renewal in the Spirit, and the development of Christlike character will come as we allow the Spirit to produce fruit in us.” Amen!
Paul said, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”