which is a study of what it means to be "...in the Spirit": I presently have
three more entries to add to this posting (before we move on to the next
segment of our study of the Spirit), plus a statement of personal
testimony/application of this study to my heart & life. 9-11-'07
*************************************************
"In me, that is in my flesh dwells no good thing." Romans 7
So my flesh will only do evil.
"The carnal mind is not subject to the law of GOD neither in deed can be." Romans 8
So, my flesh does only bad things (ungodliness), and my fleshly mind is not,
and can not be subject to GOD'S law.
So,
How am I to do good and not evil?
How am I to live righteously?
How am I to be holy?
The answer to these questions lay in the understanding of the Spirit and it's role in life.
"Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh? Galatians 5
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? And how does one do that?
FIRST,
let us consider this question;
Are "walk in the Spirit", "be being filled with the Spirit", and "walk after the Spirit",
all three the same thing said in different ways, or,
are they three different principles at work in harmony with one another?
"" walk after the Spirit", Romans 8, has to do with "minding the things of the Spirit." Romans 8
It is a 'pursuit' of that which is spiritual and not physical.
"Minding the things of the Spirit is the method of that pursuit.
The Word of GOD is the "sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17).
I would think that is a "thing" of the Spirit.
Hence I mind the Word of GOD.
['Mind' means to be disposed to, or exercise the mind, or set the affection on.]
I am disposed to the Word of GOD,
I exercise my mind with the Word of GOD,
I set my affections on the Word of GOD -
I 'mind' the Word of GOD. Hence I am after (in pursuit of) the Spirit.
This would lead me to look at Proverbs 2 which admonishes us to
saturate ourselves with the Word, and tells us the result of doing so.
[A study of the 2nd chapter of Proverbs is to be found in FOUNDATIONAL
which is available from the Spirit of Life Mission Inc. at <>
FOUNDATIONAL is a study in how to approach studying the Word. It is taken from scripture
and is an Introduction to a much more extensive study of GOD'S written Word.]
Prayer is a thing of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14:15 say,
"...I will pray with the spirit...".
Here we see the lower case 's' being used in spirit
which would lead us to not think Spirit of GOD, which is a being (a personality),
but rather think spirit as an entity - a state of being - the spirit of a man,
that is not physical - IE. the thoughts and feelings,
the non-physical part of our being.
IE., I pray in or with my heart and mind as opposed to my tongue.
Most certainly we pray out loud with our tongue (sometimes),
but we are praying words - images,
which come from our non-physical being - our heart and mind.
The words are concepts which have no physical body but rather
are manifested by the physical. Our spirit is our being
which is expressed in and/or through our physical body.
"GOD is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him
in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
JESUS CHRIST is "the express image of GOD." Hebrews 1
GOD is 'indelibly stamped' into CHRIST;
CHRIST is "an exact copy of GOD";
The character of GOD is 'engraved' in His Son JESUS CHRIST.
These term are the meanings of "express image".
GOD manifests Himself in and through JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS has a body and,
"in Him dwelt all the fullness of the godhead bodily." Colossians 2:9
The spirit dwelling in JESUS is GOD - this is why we say
JESUS is 100% man and 100% GOD: The GOD-man.
He is the physical expression of The living GOD who is a spiritual being.
AND we are created in their image Genesis 1:26;
'their' being, GOD the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Spirit;
IE. body, soul, and spirit.
So "walking after the Spirit is a pursuit of the things
which are of the Spirit of GOD
through the study of His Word and prayer;
in effect it is fellowship with GOD; a relationship.
Him talking to me through His written Word
and me talking to Him (prayer) and
these are "things of the Spirit, done in spirit and by the Spirit;
He - the Spirit - "makes intercession for us for we know not
what we should pray for as we ought." Romans 8:26
"He (the Spirit) will guide you into all truth." John 16
Walking after the Spirit results in;
1. no condemnation (Romans 8:1)
2. fulfillment of the righteousness of the law (Romans 8:4) WHY is there no condemnation to them that are after the Spirit? Because the law of the Spirit of life in CHRIST JESUS has made me free from the law of sin and death 8:2). WHY does the righteousness of the law get fulfilled in those that are after the Spirit? Because those that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit.
(We ought address the law of sin and death and the law of the
Spirit of life in CHRIST JESUS, and we will but not just yet.)
So the things of the Spirit must include the righteousness of the law which tells me that righteousness is something the Spirit of GOD tends to - not man (the flesh). It is important we not miss this point , for those whose thinking is tuned to the believer does 'this' and does not 'that' OR acts like 'this' and not like 'that' are setting rules of conduct ('law') which implies an act of the will to fulfill; But this statement in Romans 8:4 tells me that the Spirit is the one doing the righteous deed(s) not the strength of "will power" of man. Galatians supports this in that it was written to believers who had corrupted the gospel (or were accepting a corrupted gospel) by adding the "rules of conduct" to the necessities of daily life. In other words teaching that we as believers - children of GOD - are suppose to do this and not do that. They were teaching a gospel that was not based on the regenerating power of the blood of CHRIST and His indwelling spirit (Spirit). They were teaching righteous living but not teaching the power of GOD'S Spirit to bring about that righteous living. They had a form of knowledge (the truth), but denied "the power thereof" (2 Timothy 3:5, cf. 1 Peter 1:5); and GOD called it a
"perverted gospel" in this letter to the Galatians (ch.1) and stated that those who would promote such a gospel should be "accursed (ch. 1).
The ensuing question of Galatians was "Having begun in the Spirit are you now made perfect by the the flesh? We (you, I) were saved, regenerated, ie. "born again" by the Spirit coming into our heart, was I now going to be perfected in my walk with the LORD by the efforts of my flesh to submit itself to the law of GOD, [which is an impossibility (Romans 8:7]? I could not save myself from sin and death and only the Spirit can conform me to the image of CHRIST(for which I was predestinated - (Rms. 8:29). These 'things' - prayer, the Word, righteousness, etc. etc. etc. - belong to the Spirit, they do not belong to you nor I. They are His things. He has sole ownership, they are His traits if you will, His personality, His personal standard of living, His beliefs and convictions : In me "that is in my flesh" "dwells no good thing". I do not contain within my being - my flesh - the holiness, the righteousness, the peace, the joy, the love, the longsuffering nor temperance, and meekness,and gentleness: There is no natural desire - bent - for these things, which are the things of GOD, within my carnal being. Whatever desire I have within me is the Spirit's desire and He is in me and thereby that desire is in my heart. Take the Spirit out and the desire for GOD'S things goes with Him: Why?
Because it is His desire that is in me - He owns it - it belongs to Him - It is His nature residing in my most "deceitful and wicked" heart.
"Walking in the Spirit" has to do with a state of existence:
A state of having caught up with the Spirit and being consumed by Him.
A state of complete immersion in the things of the Spirit.
We say such things as "He is a man of prayer", or , "a man of the Word".
When we say that about someone we are saying he is a man (or woman)
whose life is consumed by the Word and prayer.
We are in effect saying a man eats, sleeps, breathes the WORD and prayer.
He has the close intimate fellowship with the Father which consumes his (or her) life.
He or she is always minding the things of the Spirit - 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.
What does Psalm 1 say?
"Blessed is the man who walks
not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor sits in the seat of the scornful,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
but
his delight is in
the law of the LORD
and in His law doth he meditate day and night."
[day and night - that is all consuming!]
------------------"Blessed is the man who walks
not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor sits in the seat of the scornful,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
but
his delight is in
the law of the LORD
and in His law doth he meditate day and night."
[day and night - that is all consuming!]
Let us look at some statements concerning the Spirit GOD makes in the letter (epistle) to the Corinthians in chapters 2/3
He speaks of the
* "things of the Spirit"
* the "things GOD has prepared for them that love Him
revealed to us by the Spirit."
* "we speak with the words the Holy Spirit teaches us to say
not with the words of man's wisdom but hidden words
words in a mystery."
* the things of GOD can only be understood
by the spirit which is from GOD.
* GOD has given us (the "believer") that spirit
so we can discern His things, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual things
* to the natural man the things of the Spirit of GOD are foolishness
because he cannot understand them - they are spiritually discerned.
[He has eyes but he cannot see, ears but he cannot hear the things of GOD.]
* spirituality - that is to say, living in the Spirit,
is a mature state of being.
{You will note that none of GOD'S teaching concerning His Spirit has
any mention of 'law' (rules of conduct) being related to,
nor being a part of spirituality. To live under rules of conduct (law)
is in fact a childish view of Christianity (1 Cor. 1/2/3). Carnality is a
state babies live in and living by rules of conduct, or law,
is a carnal life and is evidenced by envy, strife, and division.}
So let us summarize:
1. The spiritual world is an unseen world - a mysterious world,
hidden from the eyes and ears of the natural man. It is a world
that can only be seen and known by the spirit which is from GOD
I.E. His Spirit The 'believer' has that spirit in him (or her). That
spirit of GOD knows the deep things of GOD and reveals them
to us. To walk in the Spirit is to live life, in this world, learning,
knowing, meditating on (thinking on ) and following
"the things of GOD."
2. This is a dedicated life that brings about unity - not strife, envy,
and division. It is maturity, whereas 'carnality' (living by rules) is
'babyhood' and seeks the "milk of the word" and not the "meat" (Heb. 5/6)
and it produces envy, strife, and division. This life of living or walking
in the Spirit is a life of total commitment to knowing, intimately,
He who created us, redeemed us, and adopted us. It is not a casual,
non-chalant affair with a person I feel obligated to, and hence,
seek out fulfillment of that obligation at certain [predetermined]
times and dates. The life of walking in the Spirit is a life of being
absorbed into, or by, the very heart of GOD - to be consumed by
His Spirit (spirit). (note cf. Luke 14:26)
SO THUS FAR WE HAVE
a pursuit of GOD'S Spirit (His things) - that is, a walking after...
and a consumption by GOD'S Spirit - that is, walking in...
-----------------
IN PURSUIT OF? -------A. flesh------B. Spirit
The pursuit of -------------- *the flesh -or--*the Spirit
The substance of
that pursuit --- *the things of the flesh -or--* the things of the Spirit
the mindset
of that pursuit ------* carnally minded--or--* spiritually minded
the result
of that pursuit-----------------*death--or--* life
the relationship
to GOD---------------* enemy of GOD--or--* pleasing to GOD
What constitutes being in the flesh verses being in the Spirit?
Romans 8:9
If the Spirit of GOD dwells in me I am in the Spirit and not the flesh.
If CHRIST is in me, then and only then
(1) the body is dead. Why is the body dead? Because of sin.
(2) the Spirit is life. Why is the Spirit life? Because of righteousness.
He speaks of the
* "things of the Spirit"
* the "things GOD has prepared for them that love Him
revealed to us by the Spirit."
* "we speak with the words the Holy Spirit teaches us to say
not with the words of man's wisdom but hidden words
words in a mystery."
* the things of GOD can only be understood
by the spirit which is from GOD.
* GOD has given us (the "believer") that spirit
so we can discern His things, comparing
spiritual things with spiritual things
* to the natural man the things of the Spirit of GOD are foolishness
because he cannot understand them - they are spiritually discerned.
[He has eyes but he cannot see, ears but he cannot hear the things of GOD.]
* spirituality - that is to say, living in the Spirit,
is a mature state of being.
{You will note that none of GOD'S teaching concerning His Spirit has
any mention of 'law' (rules of conduct) being related to,
nor being a part of spirituality. To live under rules of conduct (law)
is in fact a childish view of Christianity (1 Cor. 1/2/3). Carnality is a
state babies live in and living by rules of conduct, or law,
is a carnal life and is evidenced by envy, strife, and division.}
So let us summarize:
1. The spiritual world is an unseen world - a mysterious world,
hidden from the eyes and ears of the natural man. It is a world
that can only be seen and known by the spirit which is from GOD
I.E. His Spirit The 'believer' has that spirit in him (or her). That
spirit of GOD knows the deep things of GOD and reveals them
to us. To walk in the Spirit is to live life, in this world, learning,
knowing, meditating on (thinking on ) and following
"the things of GOD."
2. This is a dedicated life that brings about unity - not strife, envy,
and division. It is maturity, whereas 'carnality' (living by rules) is
'babyhood' and seeks the "milk of the word" and not the "meat" (Heb. 5/6)
and it produces envy, strife, and division. This life of living or walking
in the Spirit is a life of total commitment to knowing, intimately,
He who created us, redeemed us, and adopted us. It is not a casual,
non-chalant affair with a person I feel obligated to, and hence,
seek out fulfillment of that obligation at certain [predetermined]
times and dates. The life of walking in the Spirit is a life of being
absorbed into, or by, the very heart of GOD - to be consumed by
His Spirit (spirit). (note cf. Luke 14:26)
SO THUS FAR WE HAVE
a pursuit of GOD'S Spirit (His things) - that is, a walking after...
and a consumption by GOD'S Spirit - that is, walking in...
-----------------
IN PURSUIT OF? -------A. flesh------B. Spirit
The pursuit of -------------- *the flesh -or--*the Spirit
The substance of
that pursuit --- *the things of the flesh -or--* the things of the Spirit
the mindset
of that pursuit ------* carnally minded--or--* spiritually minded
the result
of that pursuit-----------------*death--or--* life
the relationship
to GOD---------------* enemy of GOD--or--* pleasing to GOD
What constitutes being in the flesh verses being in the Spirit?
Romans 8:9
If the Spirit of GOD dwells in me I am in the Spirit and not the flesh.
If CHRIST is in me, then and only then
(1) the body is dead. Why is the body dead? Because of sin.
(2) the Spirit is life. Why is the Spirit life? Because of righteousness.
I am going to stop here for now, I think we have much here
to digest and/or consider whether it be truth or not
according to what GOD has revealed to us in His Word.
We will pick up latter this very large topic,
this very important knowledge to our understanding of our life with GOD on this earth.
The Spirit is no small topic and extremely difficult to comprehend,
but we will continue to explore the Word for knowledge and understanding
from the Spirit, of His being.
to digest and/or consider whether it be truth or not
according to what GOD has revealed to us in His Word.
We will pick up latter this very large topic,
this very important knowledge to our understanding of our life with GOD on this earth.
The Spirit is no small topic and extremely difficult to comprehend,
but we will continue to explore the Word for knowledge and understanding
from the Spirit, of His being.
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