Walk In The Spirit - Part 11

This week we wrapped up our teaching series entitled "Walk In The Spirit." The purpose of this teaching series was to increase our spiritual awareness. In looking to the Scriptures, we have discovered and strengthened our ability to walk in the spirit. We have had two main passages of Scripture that we have used for this series and they are -

Galatians 5:16 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Galatians 5:25 - If (since) we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  

The message paraphrase states Galatians 5:25 like this, "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. To me this rendering of Galatians 5:25 really puts into words the purpose of this teaching series. Again, we have taught on this subject for 11 weeks so if you missed any of the messages or you just want to go back and review the messages are linked below or you can download our app from the app store or google play store just search Faith Family Church Billings.

Through this message we have looked at the following truths:

1. We are instructed in the Word of God to walk in the spirit.
2. God is Spirit and s
3. We looked at how to develop spiritual awareness through these principles.
   • The transformation of our thinking.
   • Drawing near to God.
   • Prayer and fasting.
   • Worship.
4. Finally, we looked at how to develop a strong spiritual walk through these principles.
   • Feeding on the Word of God.
   • Practicing or being a doer of the Word of God.
   • Giving the Word of God first place in our lives.
   • Obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit within our spirit.

In part 11 we wrap up by looking at the last 3 points in section 4 of this series, "developing a strong spiritual walk."

First we looked at the importance of practicing or being a doer of the Word of God.

Scripture:  James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. NKJV

Other Translations:

James 1:22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. AMP

• In the church many times we have people who talk about the word, they sing the word, they pray the word, they get excited about the word, but they don’t do the word of God in their daily life. Purpose to practice being a doer of the Word by doing in all circumstances what the Word of God tells you to do.
• Ask yourself in every situation, what does the Word of God say about this situation?
• There is no secret formula to being a doer of the Word, just decide to do what it says.
• I think that it is obvious that hearing the Word of God is important because we know from Romans 10:17 that this is how faith comes. But unless hearing is followed by obedience, the consequences can be very destructive. We see this truth from the teaching ministry of Jesus in (Matthew 7:24-27) - 24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." NKJV. Being a doer of the Word of God makes you strong spiritually.

Another way that we can develop spiritual strength is through giving the Word of God first place in our lives.

Scripture:  Prov 4:20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

Other Translations:

Prov 4:20 My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. AMP

Prov 4:20 Dear friend, listen well to my words; tune your ears to my voice. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Prov 4:20 My son, pay attention to my words. Open your ears to what I say. (from GODS WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

Attend (7181 Qashab) – This word means to be attentive and to pay attention. It means to give head or to mark well.

Incline (5186 natah) – This word means to stretch down toward. This word is used of letting a pitcher down into a well to fill it with water.

What do we see?

• The picture that the Holy Spirit is giving us is one of a person being attentive to the Word of God, it is someone who is putting the vessel of their life down into the well of God’s words and His sayings in order to be filled with God. This is someone who is giving the Word of God first place in their life.
• A person who does this will have a strong spiritual walk in this life.

21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;

Other Translations:

Prov 4:21 Keep my message in plain view at all times. Concentrate! Learn it by heart! (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Prov 4:21 Do not lose sight of these things. Keep them deep within your heart (from GOD'S WORD Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations Bible Society. All rights reserved.)

Prov 4:21 Keep these thoughts ever in mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart, TLB

Depart (3868 luwz) – This word means to be lost from view.
Keep Them (8104 shamar) – This word means to guard or to protect or to retain, to treasure up within the memory. It means to watch over or to attend to.

What do we see?

• So, the picture being given to us about the Word of God is a person who does not lose sight of the Word of God. It is a person who is attentive to protecting or retaining the Word of God in their lives.

Adam Clarke's Commentary:  Let them be wrapped up in the very center of your affections; that they may give energy to every desire, word, and wish.

• The person that gives the Word of God first place in their life will be strong in their spiritual walk.

Finally let’s look at the importance of instantly obeying the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The human spirit has a voice. The world has developed phrases to describe it through the years, phrases like “conscience,” “intuition” or a “hunch.” People say things like, “I just knew in me that something was up.” What is this, it is the voice of the spirit man. Every persons spirit saved or unsaved has a voice.

The human spirit as we have looked at in previous points in this message is who we truly are. We are a spirit man on the inside of our physical bodies. The Bible calls our spirits, “the spirit of man” (Prov. 20:27), “the hidden person of the heart” (1 Peter 3:4), “the inward man” (2 Cor. 4:16). This inward man is the primary way in which the Lord will lead us by the Holy Spirit. Learning to hear and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in this way will strengthen our ability to walk in the spirit.

Let’s look at a Scripture that reveals this truth to us.

Scripture: Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, NKJV

Bears Witness With (4828 summartureo) – This word means to testify jointly, to corroborate by evidence.

Other Translations:

Rom 8:16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. AMP

Rom 8:16 God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

• I would call this a knowing or a nudging of the Holy Spirit to our spirits.

Rom 8:16 For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Rom 8:16 For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we really are God's children. TLB

What do we see?

• If the Holy Spirit bears witness with us in our spirit that we are children of God then it stands to reason that he can bear witness with us concerning other things in our life as well.

Here are some Scriptural examples of this in operation:

Luke 1:3 it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, NKJV

Acts 15:25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, NKJV

Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: NKJV

Acts 15:34 However, it seemed good to Silas to remain there. NKJV

Rom 9:1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, NKJV

For the child of God, it is normal to walk in the spirit, this is a normal Christian life. If we are going to live the victorious life that Christ has provided for us we must continue to develop living from our spirits. Just as a word of encouragement, it will take some time to develop in this way of living if it is new to you or if you have known these truths but never developed in them over the years don’t let discouragement or failure stop you from continuing in obedience to the Word of God.

If you and I will be doers of what we have learned and not hearers only we will progressively year over year walk in the spirit in greater and greater levels. As was stated at the beginning of this series, “Those who walk in the spirit walk with God,” we will as the Lord told Joshua, “make our way prosperous and have good success.”