But How Do I Do That?
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16
By The Spirit – We are at war, not just with a post-modern, godless culture, but with ourselves. That’s what makes it so difficult. It’s hard enough to face the fame and fortune monster that wants to make everyone an addict to self-indulgence, but it’s all the more difficult when we realize that we have an enemy within. Our own flesh wages war against us. Now, what do we do?
Paul tells us that the answer is to walk by (or in) the Spirit. We recognize the Hebrew idiom “walk.” It means to conduct yourself according to a particular way of living. For Paul, this is following the guidebook of Torah. But that doesn’t mean we blindly carry out the rules and regulations. Torah obedience requires walking in the Spirit. In fact, this is so important that Paul puts it first in the Greek text (de pneumatic peripateite – “in Spirit walk”).
Paul does not say that the opposite of being guided by the Spirit is fulfilling the desires of the sinful nature. He simply uses the Greek word sarx. In fact, the phrase is epithumian sarkos (lust or passion of flesh). In Hebrew, this is listening to and obeying the yetser ha’ra – the evil inclination. That evil inclination is built into every one of us. It is the power, passion and energy that makes us truly human when it is submitted to the domestication of God. Under the guidance of the Spirit, with the reins of the Messiah, all this human energy becomes a mighty source for creative partnership with the Lord. But without domestication, epithumia (lust) oversteps the divine boundaries and pushes the fence beyond the Tree. It brings death. All of Paul’s advice about making no provision for the flesh, being obedient to the Spirit and working out salvation with fear and trembling pushes us to see just how powerful this inner enemy really is. But this enemy can be turned into the greatest ally we could ever have. That is the goal.
How do I make this monster within me into a cooperative colleague? It doesn’t take meditation, incantation or invitation. It takes walking. Just start taking the steps of obedience. Find that place where you are out of alignment with God’s instruction book and correct it. Maybe it’s as simple as keeping Sabbath, or changing diet, or saving money for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Maybe it’s just helping someone in trouble or blessing your children or saying the Shema. Walking by the Spirit is not some deep, secret mystery reserved for angels and mystics. With open heart, each of us just start following God’s directions. And life begins to change.
No excuses, please. No rationalizations, alterations or exceptions. Walking is a way of life. It is practice, practice, practice. We all make mistakes. So what? Keep going and you will find that the Spirit has been prodding you all along. Passion becomes your partner in the practice of godly perfection.
Topical Index: de pneumatic, by the Spirit, walk, Torah-obedience, sarx, Galatians 5:16
I hope we are able to “camp out” here awhile. This “walk” in the spirit is a life pleasing to our Father. Yes.. the how to.. The very first thing I am going to do if I want to walk is to make a decision or a choice. I am going to “decide” to go for a walk. I choose. Next thing I’ll do is plan ahead. All this involves the mind. Then, there’s the “doing” of it. I’ve got to leave my comfortable compound and place one foot in front of the other, hopefully with a “direction” in mind. All this involves a “will” or a “want-to.” I want to please my G-d this very day. I have invited Him this very morning (in a quiet place) to lead,guide and direct my “paths.” I do not have a clue what today may bring forth, but I know Who brings forth this day. It is the LORD. This is the day which the LORD hath made. I have given Him permission to turn me “any which way, but loose.” Thy will be done is a marvelous prayer because His will is what we would choose for ourselves. He wants the very best for His children just as we do for ours and He loves His children more than we love ours! We also learn to walk by walking.
Yes, I am still “camping out” here, just replied to Mary, and there are so many wonderful comments on this, I started another reply to Pat on Dallas Willard’s books, had it going really good, went back to check on something from Skip’s on 17th, and came back and had lost it.
Therefore, I am needing to get some rest now, my brain is going too slow, 76 is three-fourths of a century-plus one– usually called old age; so I hope to be back to Dallas Willard again, in the morning. If the Lord is willing, and “the crick don’t rise”–the first part I will know about in the morning, but doubt the second one will happen in this very draught area of Central TX. L.B.
Skip, I am finding that even some of the most stubborn personalities (me?) are able to see this change in them by the Spirit as they renew their thinking and make investments in the Spirit. The Galatians 5:22, 23 fruit starts to bear and they cannot explain it. The dangerous part is when they begin taking credit for it. Why do i see maturing going on in me. Is it me? Or is it the steady plodding investing in eternal things? Fortunately for us, it is about Him and not about us.
Blessings on your summer, enjoy the Son. Jeff
The old system is hard to forsake. This is where proper community is necessary. What is a Goyim to do? Starting to follow Sabbath, celebrating God’s Holy Days, (I was surprised to read in Torah that foreigners were expected to share Pesach.), obedience out of Agape is indeed expensive but worth it. Obedience to command in love is something I can do as opposed to trying to conjure up some mental notion of ‘being in the Spirit’, and trying to keep that in my thinking. Indeed, YHWH is faithful to those who seek from a pure heart and clean hands.
Bob
Ah yes, brother Jeff.. “It is G-d that worketh in us.. both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” And He also said/says “without me, you can do nothing.” I like your phrase.. “investments in the Spirit.” Our “spiritual growth” is not too far removed from our “physical” growth. Diet and excercise. What are we consuming and placing in our minds? And how are we “working out” our salvation (with fear and trembling)? Do we need a little stretching perhaps? Our “personal trainer” will see to that!! Today.. yes,amen.. we will “enjoy the Son!”
You know there are times when “the walk” must be pleasing to Abba for the walk is submissive, obedient and spiritually desired (nothing by rote) yet … yet it is sometimes hard to share in this pleasure …. if anyone understands this quandary? Sometimes shalom seems very far away when it has got to be right at our fingertips nay …. when it is already within us!
“Without me , you can do nothing” …. I suppose that the battle waged by the flesh keeps contentment away simply to bring discouragement. Perhaps I just need to let Yeshua enjoy Himself so that I can bask in this shalom!
“Enjoy The Son” …. thanks Carl ….
A comment was made this past Sunday during our men’s fellowship class. Something about reading “today’s scripture” passage from the church bulletin. You know the drill.. “through the Bible in a year” type stuff. Nothing wrong here but this.. Let’s say today’s “scripture reading” is the first three chapters in John. Ok, now we have our “assignment.” We know we are “supposed to” open our Bibles and consume G-d’s words. Let’s call this our “duty.” And aren’t we, as good soldiers of the gospel of Christ, “dutiful?” We are familiar with these words, “a call to duty.” But, as it has been said, especially when things start to get repetitive, we are easily “bored” and duty turns to drudgery. The “rot” of “rote.” Now, I am not against “holy habits”, because these can be good things, but when we approach G-d’s Words out of duty- there is a danger. Now, for the fun part.. We work out of “duty”. It is our “job.” We vote in community and national elections out of “duty”. Is it our “duty” to love our wives? Why one of G-d’s commands in the Bible is “husbands, love your wives..” And now enters the “mind of Christ”. Jesus said, “I delight to do thy will O G-d”. You seen the “evolution” of our relationship with the living G-d. From drudgery (do I have to do this?), to duty.. well.. ok.. since I should.. -to delight..thank you dear G-d.. it is a delight to do this. Can we say from the depths of our hearts.. “thy words were found, and I did eat them.. and they became unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart?” It is a proven G-d blessed privilege for me to have a “job” to go to everyday and to have the ability to provide a living for my family. It is the gift of G-d. Everything is a gift. Everything. Even our “trouble.” What we need is perspective. We need to view things differently or as Apple Computer says.. “think different.” “Repentance” is a great place to start for a change of mind. Is G-d interested in repentance? Did he run to meet the son who strayed? Let me testify and answer quickly.. He did and He does. We vitally need to remember.. “Christianity” is not a religion.. it is a relationship with the living G-d because of and through Yeshua HaMashiach. Is loving the LORD our G-d, with all our heart,soul, mind and strength.. our duty? or is it..a delight? “I delight to do Thy will.”
I totally appreciate your comment about the “flesh” (our body) becoming a powerful ally in obedience!! All the teaching about how awful our flesh is, never rang true to me because it was Yeshua who gave us that body. And I know all the arguments about how it was the “fall” that made our flesh so evil… Blah, blah, blah.
But think for a minute about what it means to do something “by heart”. Someone who plays piano or another instrument knows what this means. You learn a piece “by heart” and you don’t have to think about it at all. You just play it. And you can play it so much more expressively because you are not “thinking”. This come from PRACTICE! Everything is like this. Sports, speaking, typing, multiplication tables etc. As we practice something it becomes ingrained in our BODY. Our body becomes our servant allowing an automatic response to something. We are not even aware of how we do something automatically, it just happens.
As we practice goodness, (just as we practiced evil and got “good” at it) it becomes ingrained in our body (dare I say flesh?) so that when confronted with something that used to set us off in an evil rage, our practiced, ingrained bodily response is automatic instead of an automatic rage response. It is how we are “sanctified”.
We learn obedience. Some magic “spirit” does not take us over and make us obedient!! That is why Paul tells us to “practice these things”. Work on them. Think on them. Imagine yourself in a hot situation and imagine, pray about how you would like to respond. When you do make a mistake, go pray, think, imagine yourself responding differently next time. Also, Skip’s suggestion about simply start doing the Torah is practice. The more you do these things, the more they become part of you so that you can do things “by heart” instead of struggling by effort.
A lot of this comes from Dallas Willard, a really good author if you have not read him.
There is a scripture that speaks about being buried with Christ and that He will quicken our mortal bodies. Alive in Christ gives us the power to walk in the Spirit. I do want to walk in Him. It amazes me that I am able to handle circumstances that in the past would have caused me to feel sorry for my self now I do see with different eyes and different understanding. Thank You Lord for newness of life.
If I could admit something here…when I first became aware of my need to confront myself biblically and ask God to reveal what I was really like in my heart, I was appalled! I would read 1 Cor. 13:4-8 and replace the word for love with my name, I could not smile as I read that passage. I realized how great a gap in my life and the conformity to the image of Jesus there actually was. In fact, I sank into such a depression, only by His grace was I able to arise! AND I praise Him for that. I had been saved for many years, but my growth was “retarded” by a false sense of obedience to a spirit that had been revealed through lack of solid Biblical teaching. I struggled with innate feelings and old patterns that inevitably brought sin through giving in to them. But for the power of God who is able to keep me from falling, because He will NOT forsake or forgive His chosen vessels, but rather forgives because of who He is, I am able to rejoice and be glad because of His expertise in being the Restorer of the breach. And when I get a glimpse of this and His great love manifest through doing for me what I am unable to do for myself, THAT fact causes me to get up when I fail. And my desire becomes what pleases my Master and that is not grievous, but brings joy instead!
By His Marvelous Grace,
Mary
Mary, Yes, thanks for “admitting something”, it appears an honest heart before the Lord, and then to recall :
Hebrews 13 :5, “Amplified Bible-Expanded Edition” “Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money ( including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions) and be satisified with your present (circumstances and with what you have); FOR HE (GOD) HIMSELF HAS SAID, I WILL NOT IN ANY WAY FAIL YOU NOR GIVE YOU UP NOR LEAVE YOU WITHOUT SUPPORT. ( I WILL NOT.( I WILL) NOT. (I WILL) NOT IN ANY DEGREE LEAVE YOU HELPLESS NOR FORSAKE NOR LET (you) down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not! ( Josh. 1:5)
capital letters by L.B., and yes, all of that is actually in the Amplified Bible. I remember that when I first got this Bible, and read that verse about 14 years ago, I was absolutely ectastic after reading it aloud! this is one of several versions that I use, perhaps at this age (76 years) and place in life, a favorite translation. I hope you appreciate it. L.B.
Mary, I appreciate your experiential insight. I smiled as I read!