To: Hebraic-Foundations@yahoogroups.com
From: "Pastor Buddy Martin" <Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org>
Date: Mon, 07 Apr 2003 17:21:52 -0500
Subject: [HF] Bible Study HF077
- Walking in the Spirit
Hebraics,
In this study we will consider what the term 'walking by the Spirit'
means in the new covenant, and how that this walk is realized in a
believer's life. Some of what I share may seem technical, but it is
vital to a believer's well being to have a better understanding of the
spiritual dynamics of the new covenant. Paul said that the new
covenant is a covenant of the Spirit, and not the letter. When
calling it a 'covenant of the Spirit,' the apostle was speaking of the
Spirit-reality of a walk with Jesus.
This is Bible Study HF077 - Walking in the Spirit.
Let's begin with a review of certain Scriptures that call attention to
a walk by the Spirit. With each Scripture portion I'll give brief
comments. We will then move further into our study.
(1) "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the
flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that
the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Rom
8:3,4)
Notice Paul says the 'requirement of the Law' is fulfilled by walking
'according to the Spirit.' What did Paul mean by the 'requirement'
of the Law. It can be summed up in one word. Paul said he who loves
his neighbor has 'fulfilled the Law.' (Rom
13:8)
This Scripture tells us that a walk by the Spirit, is a love walk,
that is, to be able to love others with a supernatural love, or the
love that is produced in us by the Holy Spirit. This kind of love is
described by the Apostle Paul in 1
Corinthians 13. (You may want
to read this chapter.) We can connect this to Romans
5:5, which says,
"The love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the
Holy Spirit who was given to us."
(2) "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the
desire of the flesh." (Gal
5:16)
Here Paul deals with the power aspect of our walk with the Lord.
We are delivered from our sinful state by the work of the cross, but we
realize our deliverance by the indwelling Spirit of Jesus. The Spirit
infuses spiritual strength into us. There is more to be said in this
regard so we'll pick up on it later.
(3) "Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also
walk by the Spirit." (Gal
5:24,25)
In this case the apostle is drawing attention to a positional truth
and an experiential truth. The positional truth is that every believer
has had his flesh life crucified with Christ. This is what Paul meant,
when he said, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer
I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life that I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
Himself up for me." (Gal
2:20)
The difference between a positional truth and an experiential truth
is that a positional truth is a divine fact. An experiential truth is
when we begin to realize the fact in our own life. No believer has to
be crucified. We were crucified in and with Christ 2000 years ago.
There is a sense in that when the Holy Spirit brought us to Jesus,
He passed us through the cross. Thus we have co-crucifixion. We
have the death side. He has the life side. We were judged at the cross. We
were made alive with Christ in the resurrection.
This is what Paul is drawing attention to, when he said, "If we
live
by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." We live because the
Spirit of Christ has effected the work of the cross in our salvation.
We live because the Spirit of Christ testifies to our spirit that we
are now children of God. But we 'walk by the Spirit' by learning to
trust the Holy Spirit to produce in our daily walk, the victory of the
cross.
............
Note: What I've shared so far is simply a brief synopsis on what
walking by the Spirit means in the afore Scriptures. There is much
more to be said, and many more Scriptures that we could view. But
let's move on to how a believer is to realize his or her walk in the
Spirit. It will help if I break things down a bit in outline form. (1,
2, 3, etc.)
(1) A walk in the Spirit begins with an identifying point, and that
point is the blood of Jesus Christ. Our salvation experience begins
the moment the Holy Spirit sprinkles the blood of Jesus on the our
heart. This is when we came alive in Christ. (The life is in the
blood.) But our walk in the Spirit will never cease to identify with
the blood. It is crucial to understand this aspect of a covenant walk.
The short side is that no one can walk a Spirit-directed life if sin
is allowed to remain, or where ungodly attitudes are retained, and
especially where pride becomes a hallmark of our life. Every
believer has experienced a 'sinking' or a 'grieving' in their spirit. This
can
be due to a contamination. Our spirit life needs cleansing. Paul
said that we are to cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and
spirit, "perfecting holiness in the sight of the Lord." (Cf.
2 Cor 7:1)
John spoke of this, when he said, "But if we walk in the Light as
He
Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and
the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have
no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us of our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1
John 1:7-9)
So, to walk in the Spirit, we must be humble of heart, and where we
recognize our need for a continual cleansing. I am not speaking of
a works-righteousness program, but of an attitude of life where we
keep on the altar of our heart a constant communion with Jesus. The is
our walk in the Light. (Jesus is the light of the world. The one who
follows Him will not walk in the darkness.)
The plus side here is that the Holy Spirit actually effects this
cleansing work. And this is why the apostle said that no true
believer can continually practice a walk of sin. It hurts too much. Any
spiritual contamination in a believer's life will affect him deeply.
No person on the earth has a conscience as sensitive as that of a
true believer. A sinner sins by nature. When a believer sins, it is
contrary to his nature. He must have cleansing.
If you wish to know how to pray a prayer that deals with this aspect
of cleansing, I suggest that you read Psalm
139, and conclude by
praying what David said in verses
23 and 24; "Search me, O God."
(2) The second issue is to understand that 'walking in the Spirit' is
a walk of Truth, which translates into a walk of freedom, which
further translates into a walk of the Presence. Thus the Psalmist
said, "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence
is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever."
(Psalm
16:11) The apostle defined the kingdom of God as
righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
Therefore to walk in the Spirit is to walk in the reality of God
Himself. The Holy Spirit takes the things of Jesus and makes them
real to us. This is why it is so important to have a heart for Truth. Be a
'seeker' of the true things of God.
Jesus explains it this way: "But when He, the Spirit of truth
comes,
He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own
initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will
disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of
Mine
and disclose it to you." (John
16:13,14)
Here is where we simply open our heart and let it be known to the
Lord that we want to walk with Him without any preconditions on our
part. Begin praying 'Abba! Father!' prayers. We have our example in
Jesus, when He prayed, "Not My will, but Yours be done."
Note: Keep in mind that Truth is not a religion, or a denomination.
Truth is a Person. Walk with this Person, and you will have a walk
of the Spirit.
(3) This is also where the sacred writings play an important role in
our learning to walk in the Spirit. There is no book on this planet
like our Bible. It carries in it the very presence of the Lord. The
best place to meet the Lord daily, and I recommend a morning
devotion, is to meet with Him in His Word. Consider your Bible a garden of
delights. Don't read it like a newspaper. Read it like you are looking
into the eyes of God. Seek for Jesus.
David gives insight into this, when he prayed, "Open my eyes, that
I may behold Wonderful things from Your Law." (Psalm
119:18) The
term translated Law in Hebrew, is Torah, which simply means
'instruction.' But when David said 'Wonderful things', you can be sure He
included God's Messiah. David was a man after God's heart, and the heart
of God is His Son. Isaiah later said that God's Messiah would be called
'Wonderful Counselor.'
Finally (for now).....
(4) There is no substitute for believing in the Lord. In this case
faith is not a doctrinal belief. Faith is the spiritual connector
between ourselves and the Lord. It is the glue that makes us one
with Him. People who are strong in faith enjoy a walk of the Spirit. You
cannot separate the two. And this is why the enemies greatest
attacks are always against our faith in Jesus.
There is a key to the faith we are called to live by in the new
covenant. The faith we are called to does not originate in
ourselves. It originates in, and is energized in us by the Holy
Spirit. In this case we have a joining of our faith with the faith
that comes out of God Himself. This is what drinking from the
fountain does. And this is also what it means in saying that Jesus is the
author and finisher (developer) of our faith. Our instructions? Fix
our eyes on Him.
Let's take the spiritual faith-walk to the place where
walking in the
Spirit takes on its supernatural nature. Jesus said, "My sheep hear
My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John
10:27) See the
connector? A true new covenant spiritual faith walk is the Lord
speaking into the life of a believer. This is what the believer is
called to live by.
There is much more, but I don't want to write a book. Feel free to
make your own observations or ask questions. The study is open.
Shalom in Christ,
Buddy
Lawrence E. (Buddy) Martin, HF Host
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.christianchallenge.org/
"See to it that no one comes short of the grace
of God; that no root of bitterness springing up
causes trouble, and by it many be defiled." (Heb12:15)