Walking in the Spirit

[ChristisGod]

That's how I see these various lists in the Bible. Law, "these shall not inherit", the fruit, the love, all of these, give us a mirror to see ourselves in.

I see two key ways I think God is working in me, one is by walking in the Spirit, which for me is a time of communion with God, and of peacefulness of heart, and that my conscience is clean, and I just move from doing one thing to the next, absorbed in the work of God in that particular moment, whether doing dishes, writing this post, helping customers at work, whatever it is.

And then there are times that I realize I've allowed fleshy thoughts or feelings distract me, and I don't catch it, and I find I'm back into the struggle to maintain and overcome, wondering what I should do next, concerned over what may come.

Much love!

Nice a very practical application of abiding in Him and yielding yourself to the spirit in you.

 

[Zachariah]

When I stopped running and sat with my inner darkness. When I had nothing else to live for anymore as the world had chewed me up, I came to the water. I was drenched in death, sitting there and nowhere else to go. But slowly, as I embraced it, became one with it and learned to live in its presence, it slowly changed. For the darkness I had been running from was the very foundation in which to live. Slowly, the darkness became light, the death became life, and my water become wine. Now I live in a place of rest from this moment on. I am the light in the darkness. A living sacrifice. I am the living water.

Praise God.

 

[marks]

This has an uncomfortable ring of legalism. We invite the Spirit into our lives (once) when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. The above list is salvation by works.

Absolutely, we receive the Holy Spirit in our regeneration. But we don't necessarily live according.

To my understanding, we can walk in the Spirit by faith, and there are things which I do to open up that faith. I remind myself of God's promises, and believe them, that God loves me, that He is right now here with me. He is actively participating in my life, working everything for my good. I'm at peace with Him at all times, being reconciled to Him in Christ Jesus, and not of myself. It's Jesus, the cross.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Wow Jim. Legalism is what the Pharisees do. They didn't show love to God and Neighbor as I suggested you do. Nope, it's the truth Jim. We repent with works. And when we act in repentance, the spirit is there. Not to mention it shows we follow and love Jesus and the Father. Idle people get very little spiritual interaction. But you did remind me to add "obey the commandments" to also invite the Holy Spirit.

I'm as big on salvation by faith alone, as anyone, I think! Even so . . . when I decided to become a Christian, I accepted my sister's invitation to be baptized with her, my first act of obedience to my new Lord. And while I don't believe we are saved through water baptism, I think that was the moment I was reborn, as I demonstrated my decision to believe.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Wow Jim. Legalism is what the Pharisees do. They didn't show love to God and Neighbor as I suggested you do. Nope, it's the truth Jim. We repent with works. And when we act in repentance, the spirit is there. Not to mention it shows we follow and love Jesus and the Father. Idle people get very little spiritual interaction. But you did remind me to add "obey the commandments" to also invite the Holy Spirit.

I think the personal commitment towards actually Doing Something can be what brings our faith to the forefront. As we endeavor to serve in God's power, and then step out trusting Him to guide, and bring His results.

Not that we are expecting that He will do something because we are, but positioning ourselves towards obedience as we seek to walk in His Spirit.

Much love!

 

[Waiting on him]

17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Colossians 2:14 KJV
[14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
The flesh has been removed….. he bails it to the cross.

 

[marks]

Romans 5:1-2 KJV
1) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The same faith by which we are justified, that is the same faith that gives us access into the grace in which we stand. That faith is in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We are reconciled in Jesus Christ, and not in ourselves. We are reconciled to God by Jesus' righteous act of obedience, and not by our own obedience, which does not qualify. It never did.

Trusting in Jesus for our reconciliation means we always have peace with God. In my experience, feelings of condemnation after even a minor lapse will quickly extend that absence from walking in the Spirit.

Much love!

 

[dev553344]

I'm as big on salvation by faith alone, as anyone, I think! Even so . . . when I decided to become a Christian, I accepted my sister's invitation to be baptized with her, my first act of obedience to my new Lord. And while I don't believe we are saved through water baptism, I think that was the moment I was reborn, as I demonstrated my decision to believe.

Much love!

I've read the bible and dissected the ideas. And to accept all of the bible I had to draw the conclusions I have drawn. Works cannot save us, but without them God will not save us. There are two sides to that. One is we cannot save ourselves, only God can. But the bible makes it clear that without repenting one is not saved, which then we provide works meet for repentance to demonstrate our love for God and our neighbors.

 

[dev553344]

I think the personal commitment towards actually Doing Something can be what brings our faith to the forefront. As we endeavor to serve in God's power, and then step out trusting Him to guide, and bring His results.

Not that we are expecting that He will do something because we are, but positioning ourselves towards obedience as we seek to walk in His Spirit.

Much love!

Yes faith without works is dead.

 

[Enoch111]

We have the power to deny sin, deny the flesh, the "mortal body".

We should not forget to include Christian baptism, which is a part of Romans 6. Baptism tells the believer that he or she is "dead to" (done with) sin, and "alive to" (walking in the power of the Spirit) to God. If you are dead to something then you are finished with it. The old life is dead and buried. So for those who have not been baptized by immersion, they should do so immediately. And then the focus should be on righteousness and good works. Those who are engaged in Christian good works will be too busy to get involved with sin and evil. And those who rebuke the works of darkness will automatically avoid them.

 

[Enoch111]

Yes faith without works is dead.

Good works will automatically follow after salvation. If they do not then one needs to question their faith in Christ, who went about preaching the Gospel and doing good works.

 

[dev553344]

We should not forget to include Christian baptism, which is a part of Romans 6. Baptism tells the believer that he or she is "dead to" (done with) sin, and "alive to" (walking in the power of the Spirit) to God. If you are dead to something then you are finished with it. The old life is dead and buried. So for those who have not been baptized by immersion, they should do so immediately. And then the focus should be on righteousness and good works. Those who are engaged in Christian good works will be too busy to get involved with sin and evil. And those who rebuke the works of darkness will automatically avoid them.

That is something I wish I had now being too disabled to engage as I once used to. I had much interaction with the Holy Spirit back before I became disabled the way I am now. And it was a wonderful experience.

Now days I focus on watching church online daily, reading the scriptures and praying. I still do some works to invite the spirit but I can't do much anymore.

 

[marks]

I've read the bible and dissected the ideas. And to accept all of the bible I had to draw the conclusions I have drawn. Works cannot save us, but without them God will not save us. There are two sides to that. One is we cannot save ourselves, only God can. But the bible makes it clear that without repenting one is not saved, which then we provide works meet for repentance to demonstrate our love for God and our neighbors.

We are not far apart on this, or so it seems to me. What I understand is that if we are reborn, we will be different, and we will live differently. We will do those things consistent with our new life, and if we are not different, if our lives are not different, then I'd question whether we are actually regenerated.

I completely agree, repentance is a part of our salvation. If we really believe Jesus is Lord, then we've also come to believe, I've come to believe, I'm not! If I really believe He's my rightful Master, then I know to stop my stuff, and do His will. Though we grow into it, for the most part.

Much love!

 

[dev553344]

Good works will automatically follow after salvation. If they do not then one needs to question their faith in Christ, who went about preaching the Gospel and doing good works.

Yes the bible makes it clear that faith without works is dead. It also makes it clear that if you don't show love to Jesus and your neighbor you will be cast into fire. The sheep and goats makes that clear and so does the rich man and Lazarus.

But I think we can be brought into a proper church that teaches us how to walk in the spirit or we can find out for ourselves the things that invite the spirit into our lives. I've had both concepts happen to me. And perhaps they go hand in hand anyway.

 

[dev553344]

We are not far apart on this, or so it seems to me. What I understand is that if we are reborn, we will be different, and we will live differently. We will do those things consistent with our new life, and if we are not different, if our lives are not different, then I'd question whether we are actually regenerated.

I completely agree, repentance is a part of our salvation. If we really believe Jesus is Lord, then we've also come to believe, I've come to believe, I'm not! If I really believe He's my rightful Master, then I know to stop my stuff, and do His will. Though we grow into it, for the most part.

Much love!

It can be a learning process. But yes our old selves are dead to us for the most part and we have a change in heart. I see that as being born again. But we can also fall back into sin and should then repent with works.

 

[marks]

But I think we can be brought into a proper church that teaches us how to walk in the spirit or we can find out for ourselves the things that invite the spirit into our lives. I've had both concepts happen to me. And perhaps they go hand in hand anyway.

I think so. I've received of both. Mostly I've received the instruction directly from the Word, and the Spirit. But I've known those other Christians who have demonstrated for me the Spirit walk. Kind of like "showing me the target". I think it's highly valuable to have examples like that in our lives.

Much love!

 

[marks]

It can be a learning process. But yes our old selves are dead to us for the most part and we have a change in heart. I see that as being born again. But we can also fall back into sin and should then repent with works.

Simply put . . . if you realize you are sinning . . . stop, and return to works of righteousness. If we let our minds get all tangled up with condemnation over it, that just keeps us from coming back into "our walk is by faith, not sight".

Much love!

 

[marks]

I think of my soul, psyche, to be speaking of my mind, emotions, the repository of my memories, in short, the sense of self that comes from being human, a man born of the line of Adam. This is the mind and will and all that is written into these bodies, the brain, the electro-chemical processes of our life. We are born, and we being to perceive, and learn and grow.

But there's that fatal flaw, the corruption of sin. We invariably choose sin. And in every choice to sin, that choice is written into our synapses, creating neural pathways, that are etched deeper with use. We are born with the corruption of sin in our flesh, and that corruption only increases with every sinful choice, and response.

And when we make good choices, the same thing is true, we can undo some of that damage, to the extent we can. As we are raised by our parents, the wrong they do impacts us. "Adverse Childhood Experiences" are traumas which can affect neuro-development, yet more corruption, negatively impacting our "executive function", the ability to weigh consequences, or to value certain things, or to regulate one's "inner landscape", with runaway thoughts and emotions.

Sin kills, and damages all it touches along the way!

When we become Christians, and we realize, the Holy Spirit lives in me, and I can make good choices, do good things, we set ourselves to make that so. It's now what we want.

After that, God may do any number of things with us to train us up. I think His methods are as many as His children are. It's a training in faith, as I see it. He intends that we live in His power, in His will, at rest.

Doing our best to be pleasing to Him is what I think of as building our character. We make the right choices, do the right things, keep our minds and hearts on God, and as we do this, our behavior and our inner landscape are being written into our synapses. Each time we repeat our choice for righteousness, that pathway grows deeper.

Jeremiah 6:16a KJV
Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

Ask for the old path, the olam path, the everlasting path, the eternal path, the mind of Christ.

The spirit of the regenerate does not derive life from the body. We receive our life from the Spirit. And the mind of Christ, the spiritual mind, is not what is written in my brain. It's of the Spirit.

When the mind of Christ is ruling us, as we walk in the Spirit, our flesh mind is not in control, and as we walk in the Spirit, we are not fighting against those ways written into our synapses, we are living according to the Word of God, seen in Jesus, and in His written Word.

Walking in the Spirit transcends walking in the flesh. Those things which grab onto us, that we struggle against, in flesh, that's where the struggle is, walking in the Spirit, we are completely free.

We will experience the contrary things, but in trust in God we can endure through them, not get knocked off our feet, but just continue to stand, and walk in the pre-ordained words. Sharing Jesus' yoke, and resting.

Much love!

 

[GTW27]

Galatians 5:16-26 KJV
16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18) But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20) Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21) Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25) If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26) Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

In this passage, I see two types of descriptions of a person, in "the works of the flesh" and in "the fruit of the Spirit".

I see some of God's precious promises, that we can avoid fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, that we can live in liberty, that we can crucify our flesh, that we can walk in the Spirit.

Not that we can do so of ourselves, but if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

How can we walk in the Spirit? How do we know when we are not? When we've stopped? How can we become sensitive to these things so as to immediately deny our flesh? How so we consistently remain walking in the Spirit?

I invite serious and meaningful responses as we develop this important topic.

Much Love!

Blessings in Christ Jesus. I hope no one minds me sharing some of my experiences with walking in The Spirit. First off, I know I am not worthy of the measure of grace that I have been given. I also know that I am the least of my brothers and sister in Christ Jesus. For me to walk in The Spirit, it must be The Lords will. It happens as He pleases, and see's fit. I can be walking in the flesh one moment and walking in The Spirit the next. It has been a little while as I am retired. But it can happen tomorrow if per chance I go out into the world. I never know before hand. And I also never know what will pass through these lips. Even on here, I do not know, but I do know from where they come, as my Father is always working. The best anology I could use is a car, since I always have been a car guy. Back when I walked in darkness, I always had the choice to drive where ever I wanted for I was alone in my darkness. Today I am not alone, and I am not in darkness. If today that car is me, there is me as Rich and The Lord(The Holy Spirit). Now I have a choice to drive my car and The Lord(The Holy Spirit) where ever I wish to go. Over these years of santification(yeh I said it) I have come to trust The Lord fully.He is the only one I trust as man can fail you. With me I trust The Lord with my life so I have handed Him the Keys of the car(my life). When He takes the wheel, it is then that I walk in The Spirit. It is me, but yet it is Him. And when it is Him, His fruits of The Spirit are manifested. When it is Him, the words flow like a river and are perfect, as He is perfect. And yes the joy and the peace and a radiance of continance.(glowing). Sorry to make it sound like a posession. I know some have had glimses of this, in here. This is how it was designed to be from before the foundation of the world. This is how it was in the early church. The cross and Jesus made it possible for The Lord to work in and through His bride. I also go into The Spirit when I am in contact with another brother or sister in Christ Jesus. You see The Spirit(The Holy Spirit) bares witness to The Spirit(The Holy Spirit) in another, and I rejoice. This is where I am in my walk and it can be believed or not believed. If one is clean(repented up) and a willing vessel(for honor) that believes they can walk in The Spirit than in it season The Lord will bring it to pass according to your calling. And when you walk in The Spirit you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.(For The Lord is Holy). And then there are the times The Lord shows up unexpectedly. And His Holiness brings me into The Spirit instantly. He has done that to restore me, or to heal me, for He is faithful. I do not like to talk about myself, for I am nothing, I prefer to bragg about The Lord(Jesus) but perhaps someone may glean something from these words and just what it means to walk in The Spirit(The Holy Spirit). To actual feel the unsearchable depths of The Lord's love for His creation is like nothing else. He truly is worthy of all Honor Praise and worship. Amen.

 

[amigo de christo]

I think the personal commitment towards actually Doing Something can be what brings our faith to the forefront. As we endeavor to serve in God's power, and then step out trusting Him to guide, and bring His results.

Not that we are expecting that He will do something because we are, but positioning ourselves towards obedience as we seek to walk in His Spirit.

Much love!

and by works , by his obediance to GOD was faith made perfect . Yes indeed my friend .
Let us follow the glorious Lord loving all things He did say .
Often the call was be DILIGENT in the walk . Stir one another up with the reminders of truth .
Heed the Spirit and march on in the Lord .
In the gospels and in the letters we see believers being stirred up to do that which is good and to flee evil .
All that the SPIRIT does it does for our own good . And all the words JESUS spoke we know WHO SPOKE THEM
and later the words the apostels left us , WE KNOW who inspired them .
The SPIRIT truly is our HELPER , our guide . Let us by that same spirit continue to exhort daily
on all reminders which do stir us up . Hit the trenches mark and let us know and understand
that every word recorded in the scripture is as good for our souls as it was for the early church .
OH just embrace the things of the SPIRIT and we know those words were inspired by the SPIRIT .
Now lift those hands up and praise , rejoice and thank the glorious LORD .