What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?

Being in the Spirit means belonging to Christ all the way. When this happens, the Holy Spirit is dwelling in your heart 24 by 7 and you are fully born again. And then you are kinder and gentler and patient with others. This is not to say that you cannot sin or are beyond sinning, but that you have a mighty helper to help you, as long as you want this help. But it must remain your choice. This text, probably more than any other sums this up: "However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." Romans 8:9 NASB. Paul indicates that we can judge whether we have the Spirit of Christ or not: If we truly belong to Christ we will have the Holy Spirit in full. But if we have the Holy Spirit, we will also possess the fruits of the Holy Spirit and will not practice the deeds or the lusts of the flesh. Galatians 5. Jesus also says that we are to know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16, 20.

If we belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit helps us to be good and more like Christ, and our life will bear the Christian fruit at all times, or we will be sorry when we fall short and pray for more strength to overcome. If this is not true, we are not fully born again and have not yielded our heart completely to God yet, if at all. Being good is a work completely beyond our human nature; only God can provide this for us. Without God's help we are simply unable to be good. But if we truly have God's Spirit, we can't help but be good, as long as we abide in Christ and stay connected to Him, the true vine. This is how we can have the Spiritual life that God requires all Christians to have if they want to enter the kingdom of Heaven. John 15:4,6; 3:3,5. This is what is meant to be 'walking in the Spirit'. But we must always compare our life to the life of Christ and to the standards in the Bible, to make sure that we are living a life of obedience, because we have a wily foe, that old serpent the devil, who is trying to steal our crown of righteousness away from us. Then if we have proved faithful to God, we can also say with Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8 KJV.

We can also know that if we, or someone else, is 'in the Spirit' here by what Paul has said here: 'those who are in the flesh cannot please God.' Romans 8:8 NASB. To quote A. T. Jones, a godly writer from the late 1800's: "And of course sin doesn't please God." (This is quite profound when viewed by today's lax standards of right and wrong held by many in total contradiction to the Bible.) If someone makes the claim of being 'in the Spirit', but are not living a loving, Godly life, or are living in sin with no confession or repentance, or if they don't want to keep God's commandments, then they are a liar and the truth is not in them. 1 John 2:9, 11; 3:15; 4:20; 2:4. This test must always be brought to bear by all who love God, to make sure they are not being deceived into thinking that they are good, when they are not. The only way we can be good, is if the Holy Spirit is dwelling in our heart at all times, and we must always want to obey God. Acts 5:32.

This is our response to Evolution is a Hoax user in Disqus.com in the discussion: What does it mean to walk in the spirit?

We would like to thank him again for an excellent Disqus discussion question. He wanted proof, so we are also giving it, but this is what we want to do always anyway, because our beliefs should be founded solely on the word of God, not opinion, wishes, or the teachings of men.

By John Foll, written between 3/12/2017 and 3/14/2017.  

© Copyright John Foll 2017

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