Lesson 68 November 17, 2002
5:18 The Walk by the Spirit related to the Law.
Intro:
5:18 But if
you are aled by the Spirit, byou are not under the Law.
This
compliments what he said in vs:16
The
present tense says that this leading
is to be the habitual pattern of the Believers life.
The
passive voice says that this leading
is the result of the Holy Spirit's ministry in the life of the believer.
The
indicative mood points to the reality of what Paul is saying
here; along with 1cc if.
- The
guidance is realized through the renewed mind/norms and standards which makes
up the new man's frame of reference, the capacity for discernment.
Summary 5:18
1. There
are 2 patterns of life indicated here and they are diametrically opposed to one
another.
#1. Normal Christian life being led by the
Spirit.
#2. Living
under a system of law, legalism as the Judaizers were attempting to get them to
do.
2. In the context Paul has linked the flesh and
the law together.
3. We have
been freed from both and they both lead to slavery not to the freedom that is
ours in Christ.
4. There is
no law system that is able to handle the problem of the sin nature and its
desires.
5. Since
all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit from the point of salvation, being
led by the Spirit is to be the normal pattern of life for the believer.
6. The
normal Christian life is not lived by conformity to a set of external rules, it
is a supernatural life, a relationship with God empowered by the Holy Spirit.
7. This
verse is consistent with what Paul said in vs:16; If your walking by means of the Spirit, your walking in the counsel of the Word of
God, that is by faith, His will and so your being led by the Spirit in your
life.
8. Some
implications that flow from being led by the Spirit.
a. Since He
is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17; 15:26)
then His leading is tied to being obedient to the truth revealed to us.
.
b. His
leading means to allow God's word to so permeate our lives, our thinking so that
the Holy Spirit is able to lead us and to guide us so that we are able to live
in the sphere of God's will.
c. It is
the Holy Spirit who aids us through His ministry of illumination of the message
of Scripture to understand that message and to appropriate its truth into our
lives.
d. One
thing we must always remember, that the Holy Spirit never at anytime leads us
in contradiction to the revealed written Word of God.