The Goal is Whole: Live it Out L4: Walking by the Spirit

FULL STUDY:

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25)

Outworking the new creation nature by the Spirit is the way to true holiness. We do not strive to be better, or focus our energy and efforts on fighting the flesh. Rather, we recognize the victory already embedded in our new creation nature, and develop the spiritual life-skill of faith to tap into that. This is a completely new way of living, and one that brings instant results. Some have suggested that the forming of character is something that takes a lot of time, and requires many challenges. But trials do not form character, they just prove it (Romans 5:4). Perfect, holy character is already in place within us in the new creation. As a believer, we can tap the 100% holiness of Jesus 24/7 from the new creation spirit within us, and outwork His nature. It is important to realize, though, that without proper understanding and activation, believers can remain trapped in the limitations and corruption of the old fallen nature, the flesh. But they don’t have to remain there! Once this revelation awakens, the believers’ days of defeat and despair are over.

“the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Those nine "fruit" attributes frame a great description of a life lived in the character of true holiness. This is not a character that we have to build, rather it is one that we outwork. And do not be confused by the terminology of “fruit”, which for some might suggest an attribute that just emerges over time and in season (it can take many years for a fruit tree to grow and become sufficiently developed and mature to produce fruit). Rather, the word fruit is an indication that the character has a source, and that the inner nature is designed to manifest in holy behavior! The fruit of the Spirit!

In the previous study, we looked at the foundation of aligning our will, to fully identify with the victory of Jesus in His death, burial and resurrection. As we saw, this is achieved so powerfully, and initially by water baptism. Getting the will under control is crucial, but our soul also has two other powerful components – our mind and our emotions. Many of the shortfalls in the Christian life can be traced back to not bringing these attributes into subjection to the new creation life. But, conversely, where we learn to do so, they become channels of His glory! Our minds can become illumined with ongoing, exploding revelation of spiritual truth, of who God is, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And our emotions can provide energized, motivated outworking of the nature of God from the inside out. We can even begin to feel what He feels, and let this motivate us in Divine energy towards living in His will and fulfilling our calling. Our minds and emotions are not to be seen as enemies of holy living, but fuels of vibrant life! Holiness is not achieved by suppressing our faculties, but rather by engaging them with the vibrant and victorious life-source of the new creation spirit within us. Our spirit is where God Himself dwells, empowering us in His own Divine nature.

So how does this work? Essentially, it is building on the foundation of an engaged will, where we actively choose specifically what our minds and emotions are filled with. First, let us look at the mind:

“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; (Romans 8:5-7)

The life-skill of SETTING THE MIND is crucial to walking out true holiness. So many actions begin with a thought, and if we are unable to control our thought life, inappropriate living is inevitable. It is pretty simple, because it comes down to just two choices: flesh or spirit. That is, old creation or new creation. Notice the contrast in the outcomes! The mind set on the flesh is DEATH. But the mind set on the spirit is LIFE and PEACE. Which one do you want? Which one allows you to contribute best to your community? So, how do we set our minds?

It is very hard to just stop thinking something bad, because it creates a kind of mental vacuum within us. Rather, the way to gain victory in the thought life is by filling the mind with the right things. There is not room for both good and bad at the same time! Here is a great guideline that Paul gave the Philippians:

“whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8)

Run the "Philippians test" on yourself from time to time today. Is the subject-matter in your mind true, honorable, pure, etc.? If not, then your mind is not set on the spirit. But you can immediately change that as an act of choice, by re-setting your mind! Hit reboot! Simple ways of doing this include reading some bible, thinking about things you are grateful for, or praying. A powerful way of setting the mind is by speaking out loud words of truth, because spoken words instantly over-rule our thoughts. Words are the carriers of faith. Jesus said we will have what we say (Mark 11:23) so we can use words to quickly re-set the mind. James compares the tongue to the rudder on a ship (James 3:4). Even though it is a small member, the tongue can guide our whole being into life. Try speaking out strong new creation faith proclamations, thereby setting your mind on the spirit, and you will experience life and peace welling up from within.

As those who want to pursue union with Jesus, we need to make good choices around what we let into our minds, and what we focus on. Reading unwholesome material, or watching movies or videos online with ungodly content will fuel our thought life with fleshly, selfish, and potentially lustful thoughts. That will unavoidably set our mind on the flesh. Listening to music with bad lyrics can do the same. The mind set on the flesh is death! Some believers try to justify watching ungodly movies or using other “recreational” content as “balanced” living, but it will always produce its own fruit! Such a person is deceived, according to Paul:

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-9)

Another area of flesh dominance in the mind can be the realm of unforgiveness. Harboring hurts and unloving thoughts is living in the flesh realm. There is no freedom or life there. Forgiveness is a choice, and begins in the thought life. Forgiveness is always our responsibility, irrespective of what has happened, or whether the other person apologizes or not. Praying blessing for a person who has wronged you, or speaking out “I forgive you” taps the victory of Jesus at the cross, where He prayed, “Father forgive them” (Luke 23:34). Forgiveness is not based on feelings, but rather is a choice.

What of the emotions? This can appear a complex topic, but there is actually a simple solution to emotional strongholds; draw spiritual life from the new nature. The fruit of the spirit referenced above includes love, joy, peace, etc. Simply engaging the spirit can rapidly transform how we feel. Again, using the powerful instrument of the tongue, a very quick and effective way to do this is to say out loud, “I choose the new nature, I choose the Holy Spirit”. This is not mind-over-matter, but a way of engaging the strongest, most victorious force in human life – the resurrection power of Jesus!

Using the gift of Jesus-focused music and song is also a great way to engage our emotions through the infilling of the Spirit (drawing spirit life through our whole soul realm):

“be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:18-19)

Notice that this can start with speaking, and can also be so powerful in a community context where this is done “one to another”. Stirring each other up! Beyond speaking, this transitions into spiritual songs, and making melody with the heart to the Lord. One good way of doing that is singing in tongues:

“For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” (1 Corinthians 14:14-15)

The incredible power in praying or singing in tongues is that it draws straight from the spirit, and makes the mind unfruitful, which is especially helpful if we are trying to re-set our minds on the spirit, as we discussed above. In this way, the purity of the spirit-life in the new creation can fill the soul realms of both the mind and emotions together.

Activating the inner life of the new creation by right choices, setting the mind on the spirit, and engaging the emotional attributes of the Spirit are the pathway to manifesting true holiness. All this is fully available to us all the time. It is just a question of engagement, and actively choosing the way of the spirit:

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16)

Notice the emphasis is on choosing the new, NOT fighting the old. Walking by the Spirit is the lifestyle of mature sonship. As we engage the new life from within, so we outwork and express the nature and life of Jesus, demonstrating that we are co-heirs with Him, and sons of our heavenly Father:

“all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God… and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:14 & 17)

In closing this study, let us briefly look at a remarkable passage from the apostle Peter, where he lists a series of faith activations he says are guaranteed to produce fruit:

“He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:4-8)

Peter lists seven attributes as out-workings of our faith walk, that allow us to become partakers of the divine nature. That is true holiness! It begins with a choice to pursue moral excellence (or the life of the spirit). To do that we need knowledge, which is why we have been exploring new creation truths from the bible in these studies. The truth sets us free! (John 8:32). In pursuing faith activations of new creation knowledge, there is the need for self-control to maintain engagement, which is itself a fruit of the spirit. Self-control fuels ongoing self-control! Continuing in this manifests perseverance, which is further energized by a worship-based lifestyle (the root meaning of the word godliness). All this leads to us manifesting the life of Jesus, liberating our character, setting us free from selfish behavior, and leading us into showing kindness to our fellow believers, and then ultimately the unconditional love of God to the world. Peter states that if we have these qualities and they are growing, we will not be unfruitful! It works!

Praise Jesus for giving us these steps for walking by the Spirit, energizing us from within into true holiness in His new creation life!