Lesson 18  May 26, 2202

Paul continuously hammers home to us  that as believers we live our post-salvation life through the means, or by dependence on the Holy Spirit. Walking by the Spirit!

 

 

 

In Galatians chapter 5, believers are led by means of the Holy Spirit (5:18); are to live by means of the Holy Spirit (5:25a), and are to walk in line by means of the Holy Spirit (5:25b).

 

 

The believer is to walk by means of the Holy Spirit. That this is not automatic is emphasized in the remainder of the verse.

 

And you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

This is the strongest form of denial possible in the Greek.

 

 

Fulfilling the lust of the flesh and walking by means of the Spirit are mutually exclusive alternatives.

 

The believer at any moment either depends on the divine provision in the Holy Spirit, or his own innate ability that has its ultimate source in the sin nature.

 

 

The promise implicit in this mandate is that as long as the believer consciously depends on the Holy Spirit, he will not sin.

 

James 1:14-15 suggests the process of sin.

 

 

 

We as believers are to abide in Christ, and to walk by the Holy Spirit!

 

 

Walking in the Light

Numerous passages use walking as a metaphor for the Christian life.

 

In 1 John chapter one, the apostle does not use a simple dative. Instead, John opts for "in the darkness" (en to skotei) and "in the light" (en to photei) to describe the characteristics of two opposing walks of the believer's experience (1 John 1:6,7).

 

 

As with Paul's mutually exclusive categories of walking by the Spirit or walking according to the sin nature, John expresses the mutually exclusive walks of life as either darkness or light (1 John 1:6, 7).  Having fellowship with God is impossible while walking in darkness.

 

As believers we can either walk in darkness or walk in light. Paul's development of walking in Ephesians 4-6 supports this.

As children of light (Ephesians 5:8).

 

We are to walk in love (Ephesians 5:2).

 

Christ  endured not "in love," but "by means of love."

 

Walking by means of love is then parallel with the next command to: walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). 

 

Walking in the light, as John observed, is not automatic. As believers we can surely choose  to walk in darkness instead of living on the basis of who we are now as a member of God's family, possessing a new nature, and indwelt by God the Holy Spirit.

 

 

The metaphor of light is used two ways in Scripture:

1)   to portray the holiness, righteousness, and absolute perfection of God (1 John 1:5)

2)   the revelation of God, His Person, Perfections, and plan through the Word of God (Psalm 119:105, 130.)

 

 

In Ephesians chapter five Paul, again, contrasts the mutually exclusive walk of the believer with the results of choices made outside the will of God.

 

 

Paul shifts the metaphor of light from light as divine perfection to light as the revelation of that perfection in the Word that exposes sin in the context of (5:13-14).           

This introduces the informational aspect of one's walk-the revelation of God's Word-that informs us as believers of the directive will of God, the mandates, and provisions for living the Christian life.

 

 

 

The role of the Holy Spirit would be in the revelation, communication, understanding, retention, and recall of the principles of the Word of God.

 

 

Since the walk by means of the Holy Spirit is parallel to abiding in Christ and fellowship, we discover that the filling by the Spirit characterizes abiding in Christ.

 

 

Comparison of these two passages yields a couple of conclusions.

The Holy Spirit fills the believer with the Word of God. [does this just happen?  Choices!]

The believer, then, walking by means of the Holy Spirit, applies the Word that transforms his thinking and then his life.

 

 

 

The Spirit does not operate in a vacuum, but always in conjunction with the Word of God, the light of divine revelation. Neither works apart from the other.

 

Conclusion

 

A comparison of Galatians 3:3 with Galatians 5:16 has revealed that our  post­salvation life develops or advances by dependence on the Holy Spirit. 

Walking by the Holy Spirit and walking according to the flesh are mutually exclusive states. The believer either walks by means of the Spirit or not.

Walking by means of the Spirit happens when the believer fills his soul with Scripture, which the Holy Spirit can recall to mind for application.

Application of the truth then leads to transformed lives in which the Spirit produces the fruit of the character of Christ.