Light Brings Salt
Volume 3, Issue 05 January 30, 2005
Dedicated to the Systematic Exposition of the Word of God
The Holy Spirit in the Daily Life
Part 3
As we noted in the
last newsletter, when the believer walks by means of the Spirit, it is
impossible for him to bring to completion, or fulfillment, the lusts of the
flesh. Fulfilling the lust of the flesh and walking by means of the Spirit are
mutually exclusive alternatives. This is the point being made by Paul in Gal.
5:16.
We need to realize
that as a believer at any moment we are either depending on the divine
provision of the Holy Spirit, or our own
innate ability that has its ultimate source in our sin nature.
Stan Toussaint (an
excellent N.T. scholar) has an interesting observation on this context.
"In Galatians
The next question
we should ask: How, then, can a believer who is walking by the Spirit sin? He must
first stop walking by the Spirit.
The promise implicit in this mandate is that as long as
the believer consciously depends on the Holy Spirit, and walks by faith he will not sin.
Once the believer
chooses to stop walking, then, and only then, does lust conceive and produce sin.
A choice must be made to stop
walking by the Spirit and to put the sin nature in rulership/dominion, then sin is
conceived. (Rom
It is obvious from
Gal.
A believer cannot
be walking mostly by the Spirit with a few occasional unknown,
or unintentional sins.
Toussaint writes
concerning this context: "In this entire epistle two alternatives are set
before Paul's Christian readers. Either they may walk under law or under grace.
These same two choices are open in Gal. 5:16-23. A walk under law necessitates a walk by
means of the flesh (cf. Gal 3:2-3;
Evidence of this
dichotomy between the flesh and the Spirit is then described in the various
character qualities listed in Galatians 5:19-23. First when the sin nature dominates in
We as believers are
to abide in Christ, and to walk by the Holy Spirit! That's to be the norm for the believer. It is
never in our
best interest or advantage to produce the deeds of the sin nature listed in
19-21 they only bring consequences.
Paul includes this
info here because as
believers we may choose
to stop walking by the Holy Spirit and
begin operating by means of the flesh, or the sin nature. These are the only
two options.
It is clear that
abiding, fellowship, (as developed by John in 1 John and John 15)
and walking by means of the Holy Spirit all look at the advancing believer's
life from the same perspective. In
contrast, not abiding, lack of fellowship, and
operating by the sin nature describes the believer living in self-dependence
dominated by the sin nature's lust patterns both the areas of weakness and
strength. It might be helpful for us to
relate these conclusions to another category of walking: walking in the light.
Walking in the Light
Numerous passages
use walking as a metaphor for the Christian life. A noun in the dative or with
an "in" (en) clause often accompany "walk." As we study Scripture we must pay close
attention to the context in determining the precise nuance and thrust the
author intends for us to understand.
In Galatians, the
nuance of instrumentality/means was necessary due to the nature of the verbs
and the description of the action.
In 1 John chapter
one, the apostle does not use a simple dative. Instead, John opts for "in the darkness" (en to skotos) and "in
the light" (en to photos) to describe the characteristics of two
opposing walks of believer's that are found (1 John 1:6,7). Further, John's
use of "in" (en) makes it clear that he has a locative connotation in
mind, that of sphere (1 John 2:9-11).
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.
Walking in the
light is connected to fellowship in these verses, and fellowship is synonymous
with abiding in 1 John. As believers we
can either walk in darkness or walk in light. Paul's development of walking in
Ephesians 4-6 supports this view.
As children of light (Ephesians 5:8).
The Christian life
is covered extensively in Ephesians under the metaphor of walking in chapter 4
- 6. Five times the apostle uses the
verb "to walk" (peripateo), three times in
Ephesians chapter five alone.
The first is to
walk in love (Eph 5:2). The Greek preposition "in" (en), may be translated as a locative or instrumental. If
locative, then the idea would be in the state or sphere of love, a more passive
idea. Yet, the remainder of the verse
suggests a more instrumental idea. The standard for the believer is Christ's
love demonstrated at the cross.
The active voice of
the verb suggests that Christ's active love for God the Father, to fulfill His
plan and to provide salvation for mankind, was the motive that kept him on the
cross (Heb. 12:2-3).
Thus, He endured
not "in love," but "by means of love." Love for God the Father enabled Him to endure
the indescribable suffering for our sins on the cross. This shows that certain means or instruments
aid the believer's walk. The Holy Spirit
is one; the active application of love toward fellow believers is another. [actually connected]
Walking by means of
love is then parallel with the next command to: walk as children of light in Eph. 5:8. This mandate follows the statement about our
former position as in darkness with our new position as light in the Lord. [Another example of You were this but now are this.]
We are born
physically in the realm of darkness and only become sons of the light at the
instant of faith alone in Christ alone (John 12:36a).
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.
Failure to reflect the character of the new nature.
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 (Psa 119:105, 130.
In Him, Christ, there is no
darkness. John emphasizes that to walk in darkness breaks fellowship with God.
Dr. Dean commenting
related to the subject here said: "Some suggest that only known sin breaks
fellowship with God, or sin revealed to the individual by the Holy Spirit. Yet, how much sin violates the absolute
standard of God's perfection? Does sin
only violate that righteous standard when one is aware of it, or when he does
it intentionally? The answer is that any sin, known, unknown, intentional or
not, violates the standard of God's absolute perfection. The light of God's Word and the Light, His
Son, reveals the standard. The believer is to walk consistently with God's
Person and perfections as revealed in the light of His Word. Whenever he sins,
he paralyzes his walk."
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. Recognizes that these are
absolute states which are mutually exclusive.
The believer may imitate
God or not (5:1), walk by means of love or not (5:2), have improper conduct or
not (5:3, 4), be disobedient or not (5:6), and walk as children of light or as
approving deeds of darkness (5:7-13). 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 (
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 having impact for Christ.
Only through His
Word as the Holy Spirit illuminates that Word and therefore teaches us, can we
as believers learn what God's plan is and the procedures for life being lived
in the light of the Word.
The Holy Spirit is crucial in this process. Jesus called Him the Spirit of truth (
The role of the Holy Spirit is in the revelation,
communication, understanding, retention, and recall of the principles of the
Word of God (John
As the believer
learns under the teaching ministry of God the Holy Spirit, he develops wisdom.
Wisdom is related to application of the Word. So again, Eph. 5:15-17 reveals an
absolute contrast, wisdom, that is making wise choices
as opposed to foolishness.
Abiding, walking by
the Holy Spirit, walking by means of love, walking in the light and walking as
a child of the Light, and walking with wisdom - all represent the believer who is growing and advancing in the
spiritual life.
However, how does
the believer come to understand these mechanics and the doctrines they
represent? Can he do that on his own?
When Ephesians
The context of
Ephesians chapter five reveals a dynamic that is both parallel with the absolute state of walking in the Light and, in
itself, tantamount to walking by
means of the Holy Spirit. [of Gal.
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.
This brings us to
the command Be filled with the Spirit
(Eph
First, Paul's
imperative directed toward the believer's volition indicates the possibility of
only two options, either obedience or
disobedience. Once again this mandate fits the scenario of absolute states:
one is either filled, or not.
Second, Paul draws
his contrast with wine. The issue is not control, but instrumentality. The
Greek mystery religions, including that of Dionysus, proposed certain means for
uniting with the gods, wine being one of those means.
The Holy Spirit is
not the content of the filling, the believer does not get more of the Spirit in
the filling, but rather the Holy Spirit fills the believer with something. We
discover the content of the filling in, a parallel passage. The apostle Paul mandates, Let the Word of Christ richly dwell within
you (
The results are
teaching, admonishing, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,
thankfulness, and transformed relationships in the home and at work (Col.
3:16-24).
This
points out identical consequences that follow the filling by [agency] of the
Spirit (Ephesians
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?
No it takes choices! The
believer, then, walking by means of the Holy Spirit, applies the Word that
transforms his thinking and in turn transforms his life.
However, the
believer can choose to reject the ministry of the Spirit, to reject the Word.
This is synonymous with not walking by the Spirit, or walking in darkness at which point
sin ensues.
The believer is no
longer abiding, having fellowship with God, walking in the light, walking by
means of love, and advancing in wisdom.
Instead, the
believer is walking according to the flesh, as a fool, and in darkness. No
longer does the Holy Spirit lead him, nor does he follow in the Spirit's
footsteps.
The results of this
walk are the works of the flesh, although it may be very moral. Such a condition shuts down [stymies] the
production of the fruit of the Spirit in their life.
There is nothing
mystical or magical about this process. Any believer may learn doctrine that is
useable in his or her spiritual growth, but it has value for spiritual growth only when in right relationship with
the Holy Spirit.
Apart from the
ministry of the H/S it becomes distorted info and will be misunderstood and
applied.
This does not
involve some mystical takeover of the believer's volition, or "letting go
and letting God." That indeed would
be the result or emphasis, if Paul used a genitive of content in Ephesians
5:18. But he didn't did
he!!
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.
Emphasis on the
Holy Spirit without equal emphasis on learning and applying the principles of truth
from the Word inevitably leads the believer to a subjective mystical approach
to life.
In contrast,
emphasis on study apart from the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit leads to
knowledge for knowledge's sake, a merely academic emphasis often confusing
human morality with spiritual growth produced by the Holy Spirit.