By Stewart Topping
It’s time for honesty; are you led by the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit).
Gal 5:18 says that if you are led by the Spirit then you are not under the law.
What is the comparison between led by the Spirit and being under the Law? When we think of the Law (Moses); we are to follow some rules or regulations that govern the way we conduct our lives. If God leads us than we will do what is right. We will please God rather than our flesh.
Galatians 5:16-18 (NKJV) 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
This verse says that if we walk in the spirit we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. When we hear the term “flesh” we think “lust” and doing those things that God would not be pleased with. Well there are two natures that mankind has today; one from Adam (First Adam) and the other by Jesus (last Adam). When you hear the term walk in the spirit, be led by the spirit and walk by faith; what does it mean? Is it a new kind of faith or a different type of Church; is it a charismatic type Church.
No it is simply following God by his spirit (Holy Spirit) that he gave us when we believed. (1 Cor. 15:1-4) Let us go back to the beginning. The following verse sums up everything about sin.
Romans 5:12-15 (GW) 12 Sin came into the world through one person, and death came through sin. So death has spread to everyone, because everyone sinned. 13 Sin was in the world before there were any laws. But no record of sin can be kept when there are no laws. 14 Yet, death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. Adam is an image of the one who would come. 15 There is no comparison between {God’s} gift and {Adam’s} failure.
If humanity died as the result of one person’s failure, it is certainly true that God’s kindness and the gift given through the kindness of one person, Jesus Christ, have been showered on humanity. Sin entered the world through one person (Adam) who disobeyed God. You have to remember that no one kept record of sin, not even God. Disobedience brought with it the penalty of death. The unbelievers have walked in this world without God; they will not know the difference until the end. Sin was not accounted for until the law was given to Israel. But remember God wanted to recognize sin that already existed in the world.
If no record of sin was kept before the law and Jesus has forgiven and forgotten our sin past, present and future; then why do we care about sin today? Sin has kept us busy with ourselves and not God. When we have believed God and it is accounted as righteousness then we have a relationship with God. The old nature would not know or care about a relationship with God. If sin was to separate us from God and because of what Jesus did on the cross; we should then move on with our new relationship with God not worrying about sin.. Remember we quickened of the Holy Spirit to a new life, one where we are righteous before God.
Let’s take a look at the law; the law was a school master or a learning tool for man to see the error of Adam and the death he brought. Over a period of time mankind separated them self from any relationship with God. God had a plan from the beginning with Jesus being our savior. Now we are saved from death and can start a new relationship with God; then we have no need for the law or knowledge of sin. If you have faith (in Jesus) then you have no need of the law.
Galatians 3:24-25 (KJV) 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Now we walk in the newness of life by obeying the Holy Spirit.
Now today people try to work for their justification with God. They come up with all kinds of doctrine. Rather than just reading the Bible and believing what it says in the Bible, they find some spiritual meaning and today we have a lot of make believe Christians that are led by their own corrupt nature (Adams nature) and have not been born again. Let’s be real; there are only two natures.
- Adams sin which caused death in mankind which we inherited.
- Last Adam (Jesus) that bought Salvation through dying on the cross for us and by God’s Grace; by the quickened of the Holy Spirit in us.
God has made us in right standing without any works.
Actually, we need to be born again and have Gods Spirit; that’s the power that raised Jesus from the dead, living inside us. So what does this mean? It means that we have help in overcoming the nature we received from Adam.
1 Peter 1:23 (NKJV) 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.
Why then is it so difficult to understand that with newness of life; we have a relationship with GOD, something we never had before? We also do not pray enough to God and we think that there is another way to receive things from God.
Ephesians 6:18 (GW) 18 Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. Use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people.
Sometimes it is hard to remember that we have replaced our old nature (Adam) with the new nature (Jesus) and we actually have a relationship with GOD. You and I cannot go around saying we are Christians when we do not talk to God or pray. We must believe he has saved us or has given us a new nature; one that was has promised through the death of Jesus, the burial and the raising of Jesus from the grave by the Holy Spirit.
We must come to realize that we need to constantly improve our relationship with God. We seek signs and wonders, we seek gifts and special powers but first we must seek God and his relationship. Everything else will follow. He will not hold anything back from us.
The Body of Christ (Believers) should be a body dedicated to talking to the head of the body; Jesus. Each of us should be responsible for our own behavior. It simply means talking to God; who cares for us and wants to help us. His new nature in us needs to take over our old nature. It is time to recognize that if we can be led of the Spirit as we walk in the Spirit.
The proof of your relationship is the spirit
Galatians 5:24-26 (Wesley NT) 24 And they that are Christ’s, have crucified the flesh with its affections and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Be not desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
God Bless you…..