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.

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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.