How do you walk in the Spirit?

Flesh

What is walking in the Spirit?

Spirit

• Humans were created perfect. When Adam and Eve sinned (exercised their will in opposition to God), they were cut off from God immediately (spiritual death) and subjected to eventual physical death. 

• God knew from before the world was made that we would need to be rescued from  the consequence of sin. He planned to send Jesus to pay the penalty for the sin of the whole world. He offers rescue from sin and death to all who have faith (trust) in Jesus.

• Those who died before Jesus who had faith will be raised from the dead unto eternal life. Those who have faith after Jesus died receive their new life immediately. This new life is made by the work of the Holy Spirit so that God lives in us. This is what is called "being born again".

• Even though we have new life in the Spirit, we often walk according to the flesh (old nature). Those who are slaves to sin (the unsaved) have no hope of being free. Those who have new life in Christ can be free from sin. The problem is that we often use our freedom to allow the flesh to turn us from walking in the Spirit to walking by the flesh. In this way we "quench" the work of the Spirit.

• This is what most people think of when they think of carnality (fleshliness). Seeking sexual and or drug and alcohol stimulations, the high one gets from gambling, and even gluttony can all define a life that seeks only its own pleasures.

• The Pharisees are cited as examples of those who justified themselves and had contempt for others. Often religious people will point at sensual people and say, "See I am better than that". What can be called a puritanical bent is often just a different manifestation of the flesh.

• Most seminaries exist to support particular franchise brands of Christianity. Most doctrines are promulgated to elevate "we are right" rather than, "this is true".

• The desire for gain can range from seeking pleasure to wanting to have power, fame, and even under the guise of wanting to do good for God. At it's core this is all about self and selfish desires.

• Selfishness is more than just admiring your own reflection in the mirror. It is about placing yourself in the center of the universe. Getting what you want, being first, being the center of attention, telling others what to do, and making others do what you want are all manifestations of the flesh. At the core, the flesh is just selfishness.

• There is a lazy type of Christianity that is based on convenience and comfort. We seek out a "Christianity" that offers us the most services, least demands, and leaves us feeling  satisfied.

• Few people work as hard at religion as the Jehovah Witnesses. However, we cannot earn our way into heaven no matter how hard we work, no matter how many rules we keep, and no matter how much we deny ourselves. 

Routine

• Many people have an idea that because they have included religion in their routine, that they are fulfilling a Christian requirement. Following a pattern or the doctrines and rituals of men is not of the Spirit and only deceives us into thinking we are "spiritual". One does not walk by the Spirit on a sort of Christian "cruise control".

There is a battle over the soul of each Christian

When a person trusts in Jesus, God sends His Holy Spirit to give that person a new birth (born again). This is a living connection to Jesus (as illustrated in the description of the vine and the branches - John 15). The power of the flesh is broken, but Satan still seeks ways to draw Christians away from their Savior and back into the patterns of the world and the flesh.

James tells us that to be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God.

Thus, also, as for you, you be constantly counting upon the fact that, on the one hand, you are those who have been separated from the sinful nature, and, on the other, that you are living ones with respect to God in Christ Jesus. Stop therefore allowing the sinful nature to reign as king in your mortal body with a view to obeying it in its passionate cravings. Moreover, stop putting your members at the disposal of the sinful nature as weapons of unrighteousness, but by a once-for-all act and at once, put yourselves at the disposal of God as those who are actively alive out from among the dead, and put your members as weapons of righteousness at the disposal of God, for the sinful nature will not exercise lordship over you, for you are not under law but under grace. - Romans 6:11-14 Wuest

Christianity has to be a way of living and not just  a weekly habit.

Being a Christian is a simple as trusting in Jesus.

Assurance comes directly from our Savior and through His Spirit as we mature and grow into the image of Christ. Most Christians never even begin this process. 

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. - 2 Corinthians 5:15

A "dragon" my be killed by cutting of a supply of blood, but the flesh is "killed" by cutting off what gives it life such as attention, provision, time, and association.

One has to be careful to do this by the Spirit. It is not uncommon for someone to use their own strength (flesh) just to exchange one manifestation of the flesh for another.

In the solitude and quiet of his home, he begins to reflect on his life and life choices. He begins to consider that his approach to his family was not what it should have been. Knowing that his years are now short, he begins to see that much of his church activity was just another walk in the flesh. He sought to keep his family from the dangers of drugs, sex, and rock and roll when all the time he himself had been in the flesh and quenching the work of the Holy Spirit.

In his regret and sorrow, he tries to reach out to his children and meets the resistance of those who have been chastised over the years and learned to turn a deaf ear to anything sounding "religious". The man persists first by acknowledging his failures and then apologizing. In the light of truth and even at the eleventh hour, relationships can be repaired.

• Jesus stands at the door and knocks. We hardly ever listen. We may have to experience grievous pain, tragedy, or heartache before we are willing to consider even the possibility that all is not right in our lives. In the example of the old man, only the weight of accumulated years and the fading away of the business of life allowed the light of truth to even be considered.

• We are not often eager to see ourselves in truth. This is sad because our Savior (Him like whom we are to become) is truth. It is the nature of flesh to "see" itself as "right" and anything contrary as "wrong". However, the Christian is supposed to seek truth and this will lead us to consider that we have been wrong. 

• Once we know that we have been wrong, we have to decide what we are going to do about it. It seems simple, the drunk should stop drinking. the religious bombast should lighten up, The lazy Christian should get motivated, and the selfish person should become less selfish. We can see in the familiar example of the alcoholic the difficulty in making such changes. 

• After we are convicted about truth, we can repent (have a change of mind). This allows us to base our words and actions on a new foundation. In the example of the older man, he is able to reach out to family members on the basis of sharing his heart instead of attempting to force conformance of behavior. The life that fed his old actions came from the flesh. His acknowledgement and appropriation of truth allows the "flesh sustaining life" to be cut off and die out.

• Most seminaries exist to support particular franchise brands of Christianity. Most doctrines are promulgated to elevate "we are right" rather than, "this is true". Denominations foster a "Hooray for our side" mentality that feeds the flesh. The Christian needs not to measure himself against those who are "wrong", but against Christ. In this we all fall short and face real humility.

• As we begin to understand the hurt that we have caused others, our sorrow and shame begins to grow. Every one of us would be completely overcome with shame if all we had was truth. In the selflessness of the Spirit we find love. We have as an example the all encompassing love of Jesus that willingly paid the price for every sin in the whole world.

• Walking in the Spirit is simply walking in truth and love. It is selflessness. There is no fear, because all trust is in Jesus. Consequence does not matter because we trust in God. Even if we are put to death, we know we will be with Jesus. Even shame begins to fade as we grow in the knowledge of the love of Jesus. This is the real experience of Christianity that so few find.

What stops us from walking in the Spirit

We do not have as clear a choice between the world and the flesh and the "narrow gate" as we think.

"Ordering" our inner life

To really put to death the works of the flesh, we have to address those internal configurations that reflexively make us resonate with the world and the systems of the world Satan has designed.

A Christian example of "ordering" the heart.

He may try to ask others about themselves and draw them out rather than assume they would be interested in him.  The man may find "success" in increasing the number of people that are interested in conversing with him. However, he still seems not to have any more "friends".

• It does not matter if we die because we will be with Jesus
• It does not matter if we are sick because God will sustain us.
• It does not matter if we lose our job because God will give us our daily bread.
• It does not matter if we are unable to care for our family because God will care for them.
• It does not matter if all men hate us because glory awaits us in heaven.

Paul writes in Philippians that he is drawn in two directions, whether to die and be with the Lord or to remain and minister to the Philippians. He concludes it is better to remain to help the Philippians. This ambivalence about the interests of self is a key perspective. It is sometimes achieved by those who consider suicide or by those who are in combat and expect to be killed.