Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh Galatians 5:16-. The person of the Holy Spirit is debated among Christians. The debates are frequently along the gifts and the move of the Holy Spirit in these present days Although there are debates about the ministry of the Holy Spirit, at minimum we should agree that one must be filled with the Spirit to walk in the Spirit. However, what does it mean to walk in the Spirit. This is an extensive topic so I will only highlight a few points since this is a blog.
First, I would like to encourage you that there is a relationship with the Holy Spirit beyond His gifts! I believe we have only tested but a pinch of the Holy Spirit. His gifts and manifestations are just for status. We should step beyond talking in tongues, the shakings, the crunches, the gold dust and goosebumps to a more personal relationship where we really get to understand His nature and His heart. You see the heart and nature of the Holy Spirit is the heart and nature of God; this is the Trinity.
It is possible to have the manifestations of the Holy Spirit without having a relationship with Him-that’s dangerous. I believe this why Jesus warned that many will come in His name citing what they did, and He will deny them (Matthew 7:21-23). so, quoting scriptures, miracles and prophesies should not be the gage for being spirit filled and spirit formed.
Galatians 5: 25 says that If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Establishing a relationship with the Holy Spirit is walking with the Holy Spirit. When you walk with Him, guaranteed His nature and heart will soon rub on you. This will be evidenced by:
- Bearing the fruits of the Spirit-These are very important. You realize that although many, collectively they are called FRUIT (single), not fruits(plural), meaning they stem from ONE SOURCE-the Holy Spirit. This alone is very helpful in discerning the character of a person and the spirit they are operating under. (Galatians 5:22-26, Matthew 7:15-23)
- Being prompt in Obeying and doing what He tells you- Jesus was a perfect example of this. First, He was obedient to the end. Second, He only did what God told Him. Remember, Jesus was immediately filled by the Holy Spirit when He was baptized in water. May I also add that obedience in “walking with the Spirit” applies to obeying all i.e. the Bible, the law of the land, your employer’s policies, obeying traffic laws, obeying local township ordinances and your church procedures. To the born-again Christian obedience is full cycle- there is no compromise (1 Samuel 15:23, 1 Peter 2:13-25)
- Resisting Sin– Sin is to be resisted no matter how tempting it is. The same Holy Spirit will help us overcome temptations of sin, as well as fight on our behalf where warranted. However, this requires partnership with the Holy Spirit (Genesis 4:7, Galatians 5:16; 1 Corinthians 10:13, Isaiah 59:19)
- Partnership with the Holy Spirit-We can achieve a lot with less human effort if we partner with the Holy Spirit. Partnership means that we invite Him in everything we do and allow Him to take the lead and run the show with us. Don’t leave the Holy Spirit hanging, He likes being involved ( John 14:25-26)
- Following God’s commandments- The Holy Spirit will never go contrary to God’s word. So, if someone says the “spirit told me this” please measure that word against Scripture then judge if (a) it is accurate, (b) your spirit (inner man) attests to it (Acts 17:11, John 14:15, 1 John 4:2-6)
- Being a doer of the word of God – why, Scripture was written at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit- The same Holy Spirit will give you revelation of each scripture and its application in your present life. Put into practice what you have read from the Bible and what the Holy Spirit tells you (James 1:22,
- Knowing and Listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit-God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit. This varies in the mode the Spirit feels best for you. Among them are through revelatory gifts; words of wisdom, words of knowledge, discernment of spirits, prophesy, dreams, visions, seeing (Joel 2:28-32, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
- Being open and adaptable to His teachings, guidance and following through on what He has shared. In other words, stewarding well what He has shown you. (John14:25-26, John 16:5-15)
- Surrendering ALL aspects of your life to the Holy Spirit– Total surrender is required to the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Nothing should be kept away from the Holy Spirit; including the secretive aspects of our lives. God sees all, it only makes sense to give Him all
Finally, the first and foremost key to walking in the Spirit is to have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is sent to us helper who is available at all times. Good friendships are stablished through communication and communion. The secrets, treasures and the heart of God cannot be known from a superficial level. It requires creating time to develop then relationship followed by ongoing interaction. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we leave Him untapped and unattended to. He often waits on the sidelines for an invitation. He will never impose Himself on us (Genesis 6:3, Ephesians 4:25-32); but He certainly responds grandly when invited. One of the ways to foster intimacy with the Holy Spirit is to pray more in tongues or prayer language.