Walking in the Spirit

Driving home from a Bible study the other night, a fog had settled in as I navigated my way through the back country roads around 9:30 at night. Without oncoming traffic, I shifted my lights from low to high beam and marveled at how the beam of light resembled a knife slicing through layers of white smoky cloud. It was a warm visual reminder to me of what we had just been discussing among the brethren – and that is that when we walk in the Spirit, we navigate our way without sin.

As is often the case, a lively discussion ensued among us, as we debated what exactly “walking in the Spirit” means. Although each of us expressed the idea differently, we were all pretty much in agreement that “walking in the Spirit” means obeying His voice (whether expressed in the Word or directly through the Holy Spirit in us).

“…in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” – Romans 8:4

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” – Galatians 5:16-17

Not unlike the high beams through the fog, our discussion brought clarity to me that true born-again believers will not dismiss sin casually or accept it lightly.

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.” – 1 John 3:8-9

Not that we are saved through our obedience, but that it is a sign and reminder to us that the Spirit is alive within us and as God’s children, we will indeed respond out of love for our Father, His Son, and the Spirit who tells us these things.

“My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” – Proverbs 3:11-12

“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. .” – Hebrews 12:7-10

What a privilege to be disciplined by Him! What a travesty if we do not heed His reproof!

Incidentally, according to the on-line Encyclopedia Britannica, the word “travesty” means: “the treatment of a noble and dignified subject in an inappropriately trivial manner.” I was merely double-checking my use of the word to see if it fit, and it appears all the more a propos to me.

We can, of course, choose in our flesh to ignore the Spirit, but His sheep who recognize His voice cannot do so for long – otherwise they will be miserable. Those who are truly His will be neither content nor satisfied if they continually choose to not walk in (obey) Him.

“Do not quench the Spirit.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

I do not believe that His Spirit ever leaves a New Testament believer, but I do believe that we can choose to not walk in (obey) Him and thereby not be continually filled with Him.

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” - Ephesians 5:18

This affirms to me that obedience to Him, aka “walking in the Spirit,” is absolutely vital (in the true “life-giving” sense of the word “vital”) to our ongoing sanctification. I have read testimony on non-Reformed blogs to the contrary – suggesting that obedience is not required (unto salvation)– essentially making little of the exhortation of the Spirit in Scripture to the fulfillment of the flesh, while holding onto the ticket of salvation as their way into heaven.

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:19-25

These aren’t idle words to be taken any less lightly than the rest of Scripture. Scripture says we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves of God. Although sons and daughters of the Most High, the Ancient of Days, and the great I Am, we are nonetheless purchased – at the highest of prices by the most precious of beings. We are no longer our own, but His and are therefore – once bought – required to be obedient, the way a slave is. If we as His slaves forsake that requirement, woe unto us!

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” – Romans 6:22

We are not saved by our obedience, but true believers will either obey, be miserable, or be called home. When the Spirit stirs the hearts of those who are His, they cannot resist for long.

“Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” – 1 John 3:24

To be doggedly obedient

As I sat in Sunday evening service, I felt increasingly convicted that I shouldn’t have brought those John Piper books during his recent two-day $5.00-a-book
(-and-Bible) sale.

Awwww, maaaaaannn! I thought I had pushed that guilt deep enough it wouldn’t surface until at least the next similar temptation I encounter.

Alas, as our minister pleaded on, exhorting his flock to be totally surrendered to God – that niggling thought kept rising: “You are under authority to your husband, by the sanction of God to such order in the family in His Word, and you told your husband that you wouldn’t buy anything he doesn’t expect from you – nothing but food and clothing for your daughter. When you said anything this did not exclude John Piper and other books for religious edification, no matter how much it seems ok at the time. And did it really seem ok at the time?”

This was particularly annoying since just that morning I had nodded wholeheartedly (more whole headedly) in agreement throughout the pastor’s entire Sunday School lesson on why Christians submitting to all God-sanctioned authority in Scripture – in family, church, and government – is necessary.

Yup! There I sat – Christian in church, in word, in deed – oh, except for that little matter of those books I wanted.

Hey, they were John Piper books! On sale!

Sigh.

I knew in my heart that I must confess this to my husband. And slowly I began to realize that it was ultimately (and not just ultimately, but primarily) against God whom I had sinned.

This is a part of Scriptural understanding that had heretofore long evaded me, but perhaps I am slowly beginning to understand:

“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment." – Psalm 51:4

Although it was my husband to whom I promised not to spend beyond his expectations and that of my own initiative, it was the Lord who set my husband’s authority over me – and against God and His standards I transgressed. Because God set this authority to be the rule of my home, it is He Who I disobeyed.

Interestingly, even before I confessed to my husband, my father and I were conversing in the kitchen when I mentioned how it has been a difficult transition for me – having been in the workforce since high school. Even though my husband and I have long been like-minded in spending habits, frugality and aversion to debt, we each always equally had incomes, and therefore, spent freely (not liberally, but freely – without needing to check in with one another). As I explained to my dad that now as a stay-at-home (hoping-to-homeschool) mom, it’s been a transition for me to check with my husband on issues related to spending.

My dad wisely noted that even when both spouses work and bring in an income, that’s how it should be.

I confess that I’m leaning toward that understanding as well – but having been raised by an independent working mother and having worked for decades myself in a culture that promotes self-reliance and shuns submission, I didn’t think much about surrender or accountability to my spouse. We were just always like-minded and that was sufficient for both of us. But God is changing me.

It seems like it’s taken me a very long time (only 46 years, actually, and counting) to get this through my thick skull, but I’m beginning to realize that whatever I am to be – to obey – to do – it is all as unto the Lord. And more than as unto - it is unto my Lord.

Whatever I do or am that is not in line with God’s Word, it is against Him and Him alone because it is His Lordship (and I say and I mean that in all due reverence, not as Free Grace uses the term) – it is His Lordship to which I am beholden.

I am so because I was bought with a price. I am no longer my own. But every day that I awaken and begin my day with my own thoughts before submitting to Him, I thereby choose to feed the old man and quench the Spirit who sealed me as a purchase of my Lord.

In so doing, I am more prone to walk in the flesh that day and serve her, succumbing to wants and desires that although seemingly innocuous are treacherous because they deny His Lordship over my life.

I am beginning to see this as an extremely dangerous place to be – saved without submission, born again but not broken, forgiven but still feeding the flesh. I think it venomous.

If I choose not to walk, talk, live and breathe 100 percent – total and absolute – daily surrender and obedience to my Lord first, then I sin against Him and Him alone, maybe trampling or hurting others in my wake, but ultimately and primarily rubbing (flavorless) salt in His wounds, missing the mark, and grieving the Spirit. And to what end, but my own? A dead end indeed.

Christian, the smallest infraction that you know is serving self before your Lord is rebellion and therefore not small.

I am convinced that there is no Christian growth or sanctification without repentance and obedience.

There is no Savior without Lord.