Walking in the Spirit

Romans 8:1-8 “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

I read a devotional today on the subject of “walking in the Spirit’ that pointed out that this promise by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8 is followed in a later Pauline epistle by two distinct commands in the letter to the church in Galatia.  “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh“ in Galatians 5:16, then again,  “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit “ in Galatians 5:25. These are a couple of my favorite passages, because they explain the stark contrast distinction between living in sin against God and living in righteousness with God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). Galatians 5:16-17 clearly says, “ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another. We cannot willfully sin against God fulfilling the lusts of the flesh continually as a way of life and be “right with God”. Galatians 5:21 proclaims the consequences plainly, “The works of the flesh … of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The article made an interesting point, that although the two Galatians verses that speak to “walk in the Spirit” appear to be the same command in English, there is a significant distinction in the original Greek language in which the Apostle Paul penned the letters. Both the Romans 8;1 and the Galatians 5:16 passages use the word perepeto, which carries the connotation to ‘walk around” and to “be at liberty.” The second iteration in Galatians 5:25 uses stoicheo, which means to “step precisely”, to “march”, or to “go in procession” - same command but different emphasis. The context of Galatians 5 stresses the difference between an out-of-control lifestyle of sinful fleshly behavior and a life controlled by the Holy Spirit. They meet in the state of “at war” with each other, not “at peace”. The “fruits of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit” are diametrically opposed. They cannot exist together; they are not harmonious. We both “mind” and tend to the things of the flesh or the “things of the Spirit”.

The daily devotion concludes that the Christian walk has great liberty (Romans 8:21), but that liberty must “step precisely” in honesty (Romans 13:13), good works (Ephesians 2:10), and in truth (2 John 4-6). Our walk is expected to be by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), and we are to conduct a spiritual warfare in the Holy Spirit’s power (2 Corinthians 10:3-5), protected by the full armor of God (Ephesian 6:10-18).  This is walking in the Spirit  and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

In Christ, Brian