Part 4: Walk in the Spirit and Thrive!
Once you’ve been born again, it’s crucial that you continue in obedience to God’s Word, listening to and following after the Holy Spirit versus the flesh. God expects us to “walk” in the Holy Spirit as best we can and to grow in our application of His Word to our lives. He talks about drawing upon the strength of the Holy Spirit to mortify (kill) the deeds of the flesh, for our salvation depends on it. It’s not that God expects us to be perfect or tick a certain number of boxes. We are not under obligation, duress, or a performance quota. Rather, it’s because God knows what is best for our spiritual health, and His urging comes from a place of unquantifiable love for us.
Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
Galatians 5:16, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
1 Peter 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:”
2 Corinthians 9:10, “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;”
1 Thessalonians 4:10, “…but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;”
Romans 8:13, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”
Colossians 3:5-10, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”
However, walking in the Spirit – or being a “doer” of God’s Word and not just a hearer only (James 1:23-25) – is where many people fail. Once they initially repent and are baptized by water and with the Holy Spirit, they later “wax cold” (as Scripture describes) for any number of reasons. This warning is clear in the parable of the sower and the seed:
Matthew 13:18-23, “Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon” (immediately) “with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth” (endureth) “for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
In Philippians 2:12, God tells us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” I Corinthians 10:12 also warns us, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” Thus, it’s abundantly clear that if we want to make it to the end of our lives in a state of victory, it’s solely up to us to make the effort. The exciting fact is that “keeping the law” to us (today) is willingly disciplining ourselves (as disciples) after the life-giving “Way” of Jesus!