This article could be one of the most important or impacting that I may write.
It covers an essential, yet seemingly neglected, component of the Christian life.
If you read no other articles, please read this one. And yes, I know it is long.
(All scripture references are NASB unless otherwise noted.)
The title (and subtitle) of this article are not meant to be inflammatory. I mean them as sincere questions to consider.
What difference does the Holy Spirit actually make for you personally? Does the Holy Spirit truly impact your life? If so, in what tangible ways?
There is a lot of talk about the Spirit, and many things ascribed to Him, but how do you know it is the Spirit actually doing anything in your actual life?
I have never heard anyone ask this question, though there is nothing new under the sun. As much as I have searched for truth, I obviously haven't heard or read everything.
Yet, I find it to be a very important question in my life and in helping to determine when I am walking by the flesh vs. the Spirit.
“Walking by the Spirit” is an extremely important aspect of our Christian walk, and yet it is a severely neglected concept, at least in most teaching I have heard.
And when it is taught, it is often in the context of behavior rather than a mindset. As we will see, 'good' behavior is no indication by itself that the Spirit is involved at all.
You really need to ask yourself: how would my life be different if I was simply deeply religious (say Mormon, Jewish etc.) and did not have the Spirit indwelling me?
If you would basically be following a similar set of rules, and many of the same spiritual rituals, then in reality, would your life be much different?
I mean seriously, my fellow believers, what is the point? As believers, why do we do what we do? How is Christianity any different? Have you considered this question before?
I have actually known people who thought the LDS church followed God's laws better than Christian churches and thus left to join them. And who can blame them based on much of our own teaching?
When the teaching is mostly a condemning message of how you should rededicate yourself, try harder, and follow the rules better, then how is that different from most religions?
I get the feeling that many in our Christian communities think that a sign of successful teaching is how terrible you feel after you hear it!
This is a sign that our Christian teaching about the Gospel is woefully insufficient. Whether intended or not, people come away with the message that Christianity is about avoiding bad things and doing good things.
Based on this, it really is not much different from world religions.
Thus, some folks logically see world religions that appear quite successful at avoiding bad things and doing good things, so they miss the whole point and gravitate towards them.
There are many who live a good, full, moral life without every having the indwelling Holy Spirit. So, I think it is important to ask what difference the Spirit actually makes?
As believers, we can't just assume that our good, full, moral life is a product of the Spirit any more than the religious unbeliever who lives the same way.
I seriously ask you to consider how the Spirit impacts your daily life? Also, how do you know the ways you think He is impacting are really Him, and not just you following some rules using the power of the flesh?
Is it really the Spirit, or are you simply inspired by a “10 steps to a better life” process, much like the rest of the world? This is a way of life anyone can live.
I will address a simple technique in my next article for analyzing this question and how it can impact your daily life, but first let's examine the concept of “walking by the Spirit”.
Walking By The Spirit
If we are a “new creation in Christ”, then we are 'in' the Spirit (see my scripture discussion below).
Yet it is our choice to learn to walk by or according to the Spirit well. This is a mindset we must choose every day, hour, and moment.
I want to say upfront that if you are 'in' the Spirit (a believer), then you cannot help but walk according to the Spirit at a minimal level. As we will see later, this is an essential identity of a believer.
If a person has trusted enough to be indwelled by the Spirit, then He cannot help but make a difference, no matter how ignorant they may be. I want to emphasize that.
Much of the writing in the new testament epistles is all about the importance of a living faith. A faith that results in a person becoming a new creation.
I certainly don't want to minimize the importance of this crucial element. You cannot walk by the Spirit if you are not in the Spirit and the Spirit is not in you.
And if the Spirit is in you, then He will have an impact.
Don't Stay a Baby Christian
However, at the same time, much of the rest of the epistolic writing is about not remaining a “baby Christian”.
We always run the risk of turning everything into self condemnation. That is not the point. Walking by the Spirit is for our benefit, it is not a requirement or a new 'law'.
As Christ indicated in Mark 9:41, if all you do is give a cup of water motivated by the Spirit, then you show you have Christ. Having Christ is the main thing.
It is never meant to become an obsessive thing, where we have anxiety over whether we are walking by the Spirit or not.
Remember the overarching promise of Christ: His yoke is easy and light. Only the flesh wants to make this hard. It take time and truth; but it should be natural and easy.
Yet, if you want the benefits promised by God in scripture, then you will learn to walk by the Spirit. It is as simple as that. There is no condemnation from God if you fail, but you do miss out on something great in that moment.
We should not be content with remaining a babe in Christ. Maturity can be defined by an outward walk that is flowing from our new spirit, where the Holy Spirit dwells, more and more.
How much we walk by the Spirit is a sign of our maturity in Christ. It will also lead to a spiritual relaxation because we longer need to have anxiety over our spiritual status.
A relaxed Christian is a mature Christian. A Christian overwrought with anxiety over their performance, is an immature Christian.
Your spiritual relaxation status is a pretty good indicator of your maturity (assuming you are not using your 'freedom' as an excuse to give into the flesh, which Paul warns about.)
A Sad Mixed Message
Much of the teaching I have heard in the Christian church can sadly be summarized by the following statement:
“You are a sinner, Christ died for your sin. Say this prayer, and then follow this list of rules for the rest of your life that will sanctify you and make you a better Christian.”
Then the new Christian (and everyone else) is given the list of rules, some from scripture, some not, with different lists depending on the denomination.
The first part is true: humans are sinners, which caused us to die spiritually, and Christ died to bring us life, which deals with the sin problem.
However, the overall message is very harmful. And it bites both ways.
If the person has living faith, and is truly indwelled by the Holy Spirit, then this sets them up for a life of immaturity and failure, because following rules is not how you walk by the Spirit.
If the person does not have living faith, and is not indwelled by the Holy Spirit, then they think they are good to go if they are able to follow the rules pretty well. Church becomes a club with by-laws that they follow.
Often salvation is a process of learning before you truly have living faith, s is warned in nearly every epistle, but especially Hebrews and James.
Sometimes it does feel like it happens in a moment, and I do not want to ever limit God (think the thief on the cross).
But almost everyone has a history where a gospel foundation was laid in some way. And there are some who have heard the message for years yet have not truly believed it with faith yet.
Sadly many unbelievers in our churches may never get there, because they are following the rules good enough to think they are good. And since this is the main standard that is taught, they never learn otherwise.
In both cases, it is a form of godliness without the power. Either you have the power and don't know how to use it, or you think you have the power and really don't.
We cannot assume either way, so we should continue emphasizing the new creation (see Romans 10:6-10) so wherever the person is, they gain or learn about the power within.
Learning to walk by the Spirit is how we use the power of the Spirit within.
The Measure: Fruit of the Spirit
The measure for both of these situations is the fruit of the Spirit.
The unbeliever and the baby Christian may try really hard to behave, and perhaps have much success, but it will not be easy and light as Christ promised.
True fruit of the Spirit flows easily and naturally from within. If it is something you have to force, fake, or takes a lot of effort, it is not of the Spirit.
When you bear the fruit it helps you do hard things, but the fruit itself should be easy and light. It cannot be faked.
Try to fake or conjur up inner peace or joy! If you are honest, it cannot be done. There really is no substitute for joy and peace that flows from the Spirit.
And the way you bear the fruit of the Spirit is walking by the Spirit.
Walking by the Spirit is not Passive
Scripture instruction does not allow us to simply sit by and do nothing, to be passive, waiting for the Spirit to turn us into automatronic robots as He moves our limbs or brain.
Some who are critical of those who teach the pure message of the gospel of grace accuse us of teaching passivity. Nothing could be further from the truth.
But what we should be active in is often not what is emphasized.
What scripture teaches us to be active in is not the Law. This is where we often differ. We are called to walk by the Spirit, not the Law, even the so called “moral law”.
While we don't sit around passively, we still want as much of our activity as possible to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, not the flesh.
Thus, our primary activity is a mindset of dependence on the Spirit and then allowing that mindset to influence and empower every other activity.
Any effort we should make is to have this mindset of rest in the Spirit.
Activities that occur outside of that mindset may or may not be by the Spirit. We must learn to distinguish the two powers in our life.
Paul says in Romans 6 to submit your members to God. This is the same as walking by the Spirit. It is a mindset of reliance on the indwelling Spirit for living.
The legalistic mindset performs or obeys to achieve something or avoid something. You achieve blessing or avoid punishment. You are somehow gaining sanctification by being good: a works based sanctification.
Or you are getting closer to God or cleaning yourself up in some way by doing good works or avoiding bad works. By keeping the “moral Law”.
There are hundreds of different motivations that are not of faith. Some of them sound really good, who doesn't want to be closer to God?
However the true way of the gospel is a recognition that we are joined, fused at our core, to God through His Spirit. We have everything we need for life and Godliness already because of this (2 Peter 1:3).
Act to Achieve? or Act From what Christ already Achieved?
We already have all of these things that the legalist is trying to achieve by behavior. We don't need more. We just need to learn and trust what we have. This is the true gospel mindset. A mindset that bears fruit.
The “good news” is we have it because of Christ. If there is anything we must achieve through our works, that is by default “bad news”. It is the fruit of the Spirit, not the fruit of the Law.
Our walk is about walking in the righteousness we already possess, not trying to achieve more righteousness by how well we walk. This mindset is like the proverbial cart before the horse.
Any message that promises to help you achieve those things that scripture says we already have in Christ is a false message. Period. Even if it tacks on Christ or the Spirit at the beginning, end, or as a sidenote.
However, again, I am not saying scripture doesn’t have instruction for living. Obviously it does.
Most often in scripture, walking by or according to the Spirit is given as instruction for living. Thus, it is something we learn and grow in.
I will make the audacious claim it is the umbrella concept that encompasses all of the truth we should be learning and growing in. Walking by the Spirit should be our main focus.
The Pattern for Growth
In the epistles, you will see a pattern:
There is always instruction in some form of having faith in what you have received in Christ or walking by the Spirit, before there is instruction in other activities.
The epistolic instruction is structured this way on purpose. If we try to follow the behavioral instruction without knowing how to walk by the Spirit, it always leads to harmful legalism.
Everything else in our life should flow from this activity of “walking by the Spirit.” This is walking by faith. This is learning to trust God's desires that He has implanted in our hearts.
But we can only walk 'by' the Spirit because we are 'in' the Spirit and He is in us.
“In the Spirit” is an Identity - a Gift
Being 'in' is our identity. This is gifted and performed by God through the Spirit of Christ, based on Christ's finished work. We do nothing to cause this other than open the door of our heart to Christ.
However, “walking by” is a daily mindset that allows Christ in us to work out. This is the method by which we “work out our salvation”…because God has “worked in” us (Philippians 2:12-13).
Walking by the Spirit is really the only way to walk. Thus it baffles the mind why after being in church 40+ years I rarely heard of this concept until I found it myself and then sought out those who do teach it.
When talking to other believers, I find little knowledge or understanding of this concept. Some have heard the phrase, but it is very mysterious to them, or they think by keeping the “moral law”, they are walking by the Spirit.
Yet, Paul puts these two ways of walking in complete opposition (see 2 Corinthians 3).
This is so vitally fundamental to being a Christian and walking well, it simply shocks the system that so many are ignorant of it.
As we will see, walking by the Spirit is absolutely the only way to conquer sin. Rule keeping or self-discipline will never do it. It is vital to understand this concept.
Walking by the Spirit is the “boots on the ground” of our daily life that enables us to bear the “fruit of the Spirit”, which the only legitimate goal for believers presented in scripture.
Learning how to do this well should be a #1 priority for a believer.
Quick Anecdote
I must pass on a related story before I get to the scripture. I was on a job site awhile back and ran across an older lady and somehow we ended up discussing spiritual matters.
All was going well, I was excited to find a rare kindred spirit in another believer at work, until I made the mistake of using the phrase “Holy Spirit”.
Her demeanor entirely changed and she began ranting that it was an abomination to call Him that, you must call Him the “Holy Ghost”. I eventually politely ended the conversation and we went our separate ways.
Sadly, every time I saw her again she kept trying to evangelize me and get me to come to her church (a 1.5 hour drive) so that I could learn 'good' doctrine.
Definitely a disappointing and sad commentary on how crazy some spiritual communities can be. I'm sure this was probably about a certain translation of scripture, since she also mentioned that, but I won't go there.
The Holy Wind
In the Greek, the word 'pneuma' means spirit, wind, or air. So, I suppose we could call Him the “Holy Wind”. But I digress…
Whatever you call Him, He is a member of the Triune Godhead, and is the One listed in scripture as acting within us to give us life, making us new creations or 'saving' us.
He is called the Spirit of Christ or God because He is the one who indwells us permanently, giving us the life of God, making us partakers of the Divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
The general topic of the Holy Spirit could be volumes, but I want to stay focused on walking by the Spirit and why that matters.
One more thing to point out is the word 'pneuma' is also used for the human spirit. Only if the word 'holy' is attached (or another context) do we know for sure the member of the Trinity is being discussed.
In passages where “walking by the spirit” is discussed, it could be our own new spirit. But since we are fused and bonded to the Holy Spirit, then this is a distinction without much difference.
Whether we are walking by our new spirit, fused to and inspired by the Holy Spirit, or directly from the Holy Spirit power, it is still the same Divine power, it is not our own power.
The point is, we have an inner place, our true being, connected to and inspired by the Triune God, from where we can live and walk.
The power is not of us, but now we can live and walk from it.
Some Relevant Scripture
I want to quote several relevant scripture passages with a brief (or not so brief) comment after each one.
2 Corinthians 3:17 - “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
It is the Spirit who gives us freedom from the Law and sin. The entire context of this chapter is how we are free from the curse of the “letters engraved on stone” - the ministry of death and condemnation.
The ministry engraved on stone and the ministry of the Spirit are clearly put in direct opposition in this chapter.
I will ask you, which commandments were “engraved on stone”? You can read the chapter and come to your own conclusions about which ministry we should put ourselves under.
I put myself under the ministry of law (rules and obligation) for much of my life and the results spoke for themselves. You will never convince me to go back to that destruction.
Galatians 4:6 - “Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!””
As both of these verses delineate, He is the Spirit of Christ or the Lord. Also called the Spirit of God. We are joined to the Trinity in heart just as Christ prayed for in John 17 (another passage I rarely hear taught).
The Spirit never has a different agenda for you than Christ or the Father. They are all on the same page, with the same nature, and that nature looks like Christ (see John 1 and Hebrews 1).
Note also that being a child of God is directly tied to having the Spirit of God in our hearts. We have the Spirit, all of Him, no need to beg or seek for more. Just trust what we have and that He is enough.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 - “But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.” (ESV)
Notice sanctification by the Spirit is a vital part of salvation. This is not an ongoing experience we perform through works. It is Spirit based sanctification, not works based.
We can only act in a sanctified way because we are already sanctified (1 Peter 1:14). It is Christ’s holiness within that makes us holy and empowers holy living.
Again, any message that says “act this way” in order to obtain something, even sanctification, is a false message. This is truly a distinction with a huge difference. Your inner sanctification motivates your outer actions.
But how can you trust your inner sanctification if you don't know it or believe it? And this is the point Paul and I are trying to make.
If you think you must sanctify yourself by doing good works, then you will automatically be using the flesh to do them. We will see an example of this below.
Belief in the Truth
Paul also emphasizes that what we believe matters. In the context of salvation, he means believing in Christ and His work on our behalf.
But even after we are saved, our main responsibility is to seek truth and believe it more and more.
And what did Christ say about the Spirit in John 16:13a: “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;”.
Yes, this was spoken to His disciples, several of whom ended up writing scripture, yet this is still a major role the Spirit plays in our lives as we learn to walk by Him.
With so many interpretations out there, we must rely on the Spirit well. And as Paul indicates in Romans 14:5b: “Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.”
First Fruits
They were the 'firstfruits' because they were the early church. Some of the first humans to hear the gospel. They were literally among the first “new creations” to exist. This is not directly related, but a cool point.
Romans 7:6-8 - “6-But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
7-What then shall we say? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have been mindful of sin if not for the law. For I would not have been aware of coveting if the law had not said, “Do not covet.”
8-But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.”
It baffles my mind how anyone could read verse 6 and still think we are under the Law. “…we have been released from the Law, having died to it…” How do you explain around that one!
“…released from the Law…” And what sweet release it is. No obligations, only a loving enjoyment of Christ. As the old hymn says: “Free from the Law, O happy condition…”
Notice, aha, the commandment in the Law Paul references is coveting, one of the ten commandments. Thus, apart from the coveting law, that sin will be dead for you. Not because of it.
This is a clear distinction of the new covenant way of living by the Spirit. Paul is saying that when he was under the Law as a devout Pharisee, it produced sinning of every kind. Thus, he had to learn the way of the Spirit to finally defeat sin.
The Law itself is not bad, it is just an insufficient way for humanity to deal with sin, both cosmically and in our daily walk. In our churches we easily recognize this cosmically, but then we often turn to rules for our walk.
The way of the Spirit supercedes the Law. We are widows or widowers from the Law (or the conscience for Gentiles), married to Christ. Paul uses a marriage analogy on purpose in the preceding verses.
Notice the Law makes humanity aware of sin. That is it's purpose, to show depraved humanity (unbelievers) their slavery to sin and need for Christ.
Once we come to Christ, and He makes us new creations, perfect forever (Heb. 10:14), then we no longer need the law (Gal. 3:24). The Law never worked anyway; but the Spirit does. Why turn back to that which failed?
Romans 8:9 - “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
Notice that having the Spirit is a requirement for salvation. This sets our identity…we are no longer in the flesh, but in the Spirit or in Christ.
This is our new spiritual geography -this is now where we abide or live.
When Christ admonished His unsaved audience (before the cross and resurrection) in John 15 to abide in Him, this is what He meant. As believers, we are branches in Him - the vine.
This is a fact, not a work. It was Christ's work that gifted this, not our own. We abide because we are 'in'. We are in because of Christ's gift of life.
This is an amalgamation. Scripture indicates that we are “in Christ” or “in the Spirit”, but also that Christ and the Spirit are “in us”.
Thus, our spirit is joined to the Holy Spirit which makes something totally new. Hence, “what matters is the new creation” (Gal. 6:15 HCSB).
You will most easily walk from the place you believe you are in.
Much teaching makes it seem like we are still in the flesh, but somehow we must discipline ourselves, overcome our sinful nature, and obey an external entity called the Holy Spirit.
But that is not how scripture presents it. We are in the Spirit, not the flesh.
You walk based on what you believe. Believing you are in the Spirit, safe and secure, is the first step towards walking by the Spirit.
Romans 8:1-4 - “1-Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2-For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
3-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,
4-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.”
First, we just established that being “in Christ”, “in the Spirit”, and salvation are all the same thing. This is also what makes us new creations in Christ.
This passage is tricky. It could make you think “walk according to the Spirit” is a required work to enable the Law to be fulfilled. Yet, this would be the same as the old covenant, just different self-effort based requirements.
This passage could easily confuse my article, but I deliberately included it. We should never ignore scripture, simply seek to find context.
In verses 3-4, Paul is justifying verses 1-2. But this is an identity passage, not a walk passage.
Identity vs. Walk
I know, he uses the word walk, but hear me out. We must always strive to identify walk vs. identity passages, even the less obvious ones.
Identity passages show us what we already have in Christ inwardly; walk or instruction passages show us what walking in the Spirit (our identity) will produce outwardly.
Confusing these will cause us again to try and produce, using our walk, that which only Christ can provide, and has provided. We cannot produce; only receive and reflect what Christ has produced.
Conversely, if we confuse walk instruction with identity, then we will ignore what our identity should be producing: the fruit of the Spirit.
Paul warns about this when he says to not let your freedom be an excuse to give into the flesh.
Equally important is the flow of these. Walk always flows from identity. If you try to follow 'walk' or instruction passages before you understand your identity, then it produces walking by the flesh, not the Spirit.
An understanding and belief in who you are in Christ, who He made you to be, is fundamental for walking by the Spirit.
But yet again, if we never walk from our identity, then what is the point of understanding it?
Requirement of Law: Perfection
But let me show you why this is an identity, not a walk, passage.
What is the purpose of verse 4: “so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us”. What is the requirement of the Law? Perfection. Perfect behavior, like God, from the beginning of our existence into eternity.
Both James and Paul emphasize this: if you keep the whole law, and stumble in one point, we are guilty of them all. The Law requires you to keep it perfectly. Only one abrogation means it has failed for us. And we have all failed. Period.
What did Christ say was required under the Law to be justified in the sermon on the mount? “Be perfect as God is perfect.” This is a statement for those who would think they can be justified or sanctified by the Law (like a devout Jew).
Christ established the requirement of the Law - perfection. And no human has ever achieved this except Christ.
Perfection Comes by Faith in Christ
Thus, Paul is showing that perfection only happens by faith in Christ. This is not a reference to behavior. We have a perfect spirit, a perfect identity in Christ. Christ has gifted us what was required by the Law.
Think about this for a bit: we have been gifted God's perfection no matter how many good or bad works we do!
And this is not a bookkeeping exercise where God is pretending or overlooking our sin. Something real happened to us in our spirit or heart. We actually became spiritually alive.
Read Hebrews 10:14 and try to actually believe it: “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” God, through Christ's finished work, has perfected us and sanctified or set us apart.
This is an identity, not a work. God made us perfect in spirit by birthing us as a new creation, joined to His Spirit in a perfect way only God could do.
The new creation is a perfect creation.
When I say identity, this is what I mean. Our identity is the place of perfection within, birthed by God, but trapped within this earthly shell we call a body. The “treasure in an earthen vessel.”
Only Believers can Walk By the Spirit
When Paul says those who walk “according to the Spirit” he is identifying believers.
We are the only ones who can do that. We are the only ones with a new perfect spirit, connected to God's Spirit.
Unbelievers only ever walk “according to the flesh” as an identity. This is not tied to behavior at this point in Paul's argument.
An unbeliever who gives to charity or doesn't commit adultery is still walking by the flesh. That is the only power they have from which to walk and live.
This does not mean believers don't ever walk “according to the flesh”. Obviously we do. Just hang out with Christians for 5 minutes.
Yet, as an identity, we are joined to Christ perfectly by His work. We can now choose to walk by the Spirit. This is a unique characteristic of believers.
This is what Paul is getting at early in Romans 8 and this is the answer to Romans 7 where Paul was trapped by the Law as a devout Pharisee.
The New Creation through the New Birth = Fulfillment of the Law
The fulfillment of the Law within us happens at our new birth, at salvation. It does not happen little by little as we walk according to the Spirit.
Yet, because the Law has been fulfilled in us, making us new creations, this enables us to walk by the Spirit. This is a characteristic of believers, but not a requirement. Do you see the difference?
Giving us yet another law or requirement that we must walk by the Spirit is the same mindset or attitude as the Law! Paul is not doing this.
Once you are indwelled, you are indwelled. Once you are new, you are new. God does not abort His children. Period. We have to stop acting like He does or He might.
He also does not punish His children. The punishment was death and Christ took the punishment. This is truth; we must not water this down.
If you truly have the Spirit, how well you walk by Him is immaterial to your spiritual safety in Christ. It is a by-product, it causes nothing except for a good life.
You don't gain closeness to God, purity, more of the Spirit, sanctification, etc, by walking by the Spirit. You do gain maturity however, and all the literally out of this world benefits of the fruit of the Spirit.
As we will see, this is an amazing gift! What would possess us to not use it? This is all for our benefit! What is not to like about this salvation? Why would we think some other way is better?
Sadly, so much teaching about the Gospel ends up substituting in requirement which makes it seem so dreary and dead. The fruit of the Spirit is exciting. It make life whole and real.
It is what every human is seeking and trying to live by the fake substitutes paraded out by the enemy.
It is a stupid, fleshly mentality that ignores such a marvelous gift and seeks our own way to sanctification. Let's meet some folks who were doing this.
Galatians 3:1-3 - “1-You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?
2-This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?
3-Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
Ahh…now we see what would possess someone to not use or walk by the Spirit.
Verse 3 should run through our heads every day of our walk. Obviously if they were trying to 'perfect' themselves, the flesh was being used to do 'good' things.
These were not the Corinthians. They were not trying to 'perfect' themselves by evil, heinous looking deeds. Yet, it was still walking by the flesh and sin.
The reason these people were not walking by the Spirit is because of ignorance of the gospel and listening to those who would try to mix the Law, or requirement, into the gospel.
This is some strong language. I'm not even sure 'foolish' gets at the emotion of Paul well enough. He is distraught at what they are doing.
It's About Much More Than Circumcision
Some folks get hyper focused on circumcision in Galatians and say, “See, Paul is only taking about ceremonial things from the Law.”
Yet, 2 Corinthians 3, and other places, including some verses I have quoted, bely this idea. Paul uses circumcision because it is the most extreme element of how these folks were trying to please God or grow by rule keeping.
I mean seriously, think about it. In this verse, Paul is referring to believers (“begun by the Spirit”). Many, if not most, of the new believers were adults, and must obviously be men to be able to follow the circumcision law.
For an adult man to be circumcised, it is an extreme action to take, especially back then. But these troublemakers are part of the same faction trying to corrupt the Gentiles with Law keeping in Acts 15.
The Judaizer's Focus was the Whole Law, not just Circumcision
“5-But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
Notice that yes, they mention circumcision. But that is not their entire focus. They want to 'require' them to obey the law of Moses. Moses and circumcision is mentioned, so we know they mean the Torah.
When I use the word 'requirement' and indicate that it is not something that is a part of the new covenant gospel, this is a scriptural term. I am not making this up.
The only requirement is faith. And then love works it way out of true faith causing activity. This activity is a natural by-product, but it is not required.
Thankfully, Paul was there to temper their ardor, and the council said to only recommend 3 laws - no fornication and a couple of food laws.
We know this was a compromise at the time because Paul is clear about food laws in Colossians 2. Anyone who uses this recommendation as proof we are still under the Law is in error.
2:16a - “Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink…” (This is not the only place Paul indicates that no food laws need to be followed.)
Paul's point is that the new way of the Spirit completely replaces the entire Law, not just the ceremonial. Any activity that we are trying to do from the flesh is in purview in the book of Galatians, specifically trying to keep any part of the Law.
I would say that is the entire point of the book of Galatians: learn to walk by the Spirit. And you cannot walk by the Law and the Spirit at the same time.
We are saved by the Spirit and we grow by the Spirit. Growing by the Spirit leads to all kinds of good activities that are fed by the fruit of the Spirit. But doing the activities doesn't make you grow. Only the Spirit can do that.
Thus, Paul is frustrated with these folks because they were listening to folks who claimed you needed Torah + Jesus. This is a common false gospel: Jesus + requirements.
Yes, the set of rules and requirements for achieving that which Christ freely gives varies among different spiritual communities, but the underlying premise is there.
It is a common false gospel in many, if not most, churches today. I would suggest that much like back then, it may be the most common false gospel out there, because it seems so good.
Galatians 5:16 - “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”
This is definitive proof of my whole premise. There is not much left to say about it. If you want to conquer sin in your life, you must learn to walk by the Spirit. Again, this is different from keeping the Law, it is a whole new way to live.
This is the natural by-product of walking by the Spirit. If you have a lying problem, learn to walk by the Spirit, don't put yourself under “Thou shalt not lie”.
Both systems of power, Law and Spirit, acknowledge that lying is harmful to humanity and thus sinful. Yet, only one system, walking by the Spirit, can actually help you stop.
Galatians 6:7-8 - “7-Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.
8-For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.”
While I will vehemently argue that many passages in the epistles are evangelistic, (for unbelievers in the church), especially James and Hebrews, this passage is not. This is clearly for believers.
There is much confusion over “eternal life”. This is NOT our life extended.
Eternal describes something more. This is a life that has no beginning or end. We had a beginning, so 'eternal' does not describe our life.
Yet, as believers, we obtained eternal life, which will extend our life, causing us live forever. But the life we obtained is Christ's life. Eternal life describes the life of God, not our life extended. That is a by-product of God's life.
Giving us His life was Christ's entire mission on earth. John 10:10 - “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.”
God brings Life not Death
Note that the enemy (in context, this was false religion or an enemy mindset, but it certainly applies to “the enemy”), kills, steals, and destroys, not God.
Those who would claim God uses killing and destruction to punish His children are attributing enemy actions to Him. This is deplorable. I will cover this idea a bit later in another article.
Because this is Christ's life that we receive at salvation, Paul is not saying you reap salvation by walking by the Spirit. But you are able to reap the benefits of Christ's life in this earthly life - in your walk.
Eternal life describes the power we utilize by walking by the Spirit. We possess this life within us as believers. We have Christ's life.
This life has impact now but also into eternity. It will be fully implemented in the final Kingdom of God when we receive our new body. I do not want to overlook that.
Our New Life Internally can bring Life Externally
However, those who are reading this are in their fallen body now. So, I do want to emphasize the benefits of walking by the Spirit now.
Unlike the Romans 8 passage above, Galatians 6 is not describing your identity, this is describing your walk. Sowing is an action. This is an analogy for walking by the Spirit.
However, later in Romans 8 Paul does address this another way. “11-But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
Notice it is our 'mortal' bodies that can be given life by the Spirit dwelling within us. Paul is not speaking of the future, when we receive a new body.
Walking by the Spirit is the mechanism for Christ's life within us, in our new heart or Spirit. This is able to bring us His life, here and now, as mortals, within our life and walk.
His eternal life lived through our new self and identity is the whole ballgame. We can take Christ at His word that this is why He came.
We Must Choose Life
Even though, as believers, we have the the gift of Christ's life as an identity, we continue to choose how we use that life.
This is why I believe Romans 6:23 is primarily for believers, not evangelistic. All the previous verses are describing believers, Paul did not change context for one verse. “…the gift of God is eternal life.”
Again, this follows a passage written to believers explaining that we have died to sin, but we must still submit our members (physical body) to God, not sin.
I believe Romans 6:23 is saying the same thing as Galatians 6 in a slightly different way.
Yes, of course, unbelievers still need to receive Christ's life, but in context, Paul is showing the importance of using the gift of life after you have received it.
Thus, Paul establishes how vital walking by the Spirit is to our walk. If you keep sowing to the flesh then all you get is corruption.
This passage provides the genuine new covenant reason to avoid sin. It corrupts. It is foul. It is disgusting. Bad things happen when we do it. It's stupid to give into sin’s lies.
But the gospel tells us there is no condemnation for those in Christ. This is an absolute truth. He has taken all punishment for sin. Period. No compromise. We are forgiven for all time - past, present, and future.
We cannot compromise these truths. So, why not just go out and sin then?
Why Not Sin?
Thus, what is now our motivation to turn from sin? It is no longer fear of God's punishment, though many, if not most, teachers push this anti-gospel nonsense.
As we can see in our Christian communities, this message is failing horribly. There is plenty of sin on display, as we often see in the daily news.
God is extremely practical. Even when the Hebrews begged for the Law, He knew it would never work. It was fear based. Fear has never been able to truly motivate from the heart. Fear creates a false ritualistic conformance.
Only a blooming understanding of the goodness of God, not based in fear, can provide the proper motivation to say no to sin. Fear has never worked.
If you obey because you fear punishment, then it will never be from faith. It cannot. These are mutually exclusive. This is why Paul so clearly writes “the Law is not of faith” (Galatians 3:12).
(I am not saying a fear of punishment as an unbeliever, because we realize our condition before God, will never motivate us to seek God. But ultimately we must come to see the love of God and understand the “good news” to truly have saving faith.)
I think someone said this already, if we would listen. 1 John 4:18 - “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
“Perfected in love” is another way to indicate salvation. John is contrasting believers and unbelievers in this epistle. This is clear evidence that a purely fear based motivation cannot be of faith.
Once you understand, even in the slightest way, the love of God, you will learn to stop being afraid of punishment. This only leaves the benefits of walking by the Spirit to motivate.
The benefits are the only motivation that actually works. Paul was clear, only by walking by the Spirit will we ever stop giving into the desires of the flesh.
We will never be motivated to learn how to walk by the Spirit if we don't recognize the amazing benefits. Sinning goes against our own self-interest.
But isn't that the main lie of sin? You will be better off if you do this. You really want this. Recognizing the benefits of the fruit of the Spirit is essential to rejecting these lies.
This has gotten long enough. In part two I will examine some practical ways to recognize the Spirit’s work. But I will leave you with one more of my favorite verses to cap this article.
Titus 2:11-12 - “11-For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone.
12-It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age…”
It is grace, not Law, that helps us to renounce ungodliness and live in a godly way. The truth will set you free.
Please come back and check out some practical ways I have found to actually live this way.