Walking in the Spirit

By Chris Badenhorst

 

Purpose of the Christian life

In order for the Christian life to make sense, we need to understand its purpose and goal. We find this purpose in the Genesis account of our creation where God said: “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). In these succinct words we hear God declare that His purpose for man was that we be in His image and likeness.

Contrary to what many of us once believed, the “image” and “likeness” of God are not physical features, because God is not a physical being. John wrote, “No one has ever seen God” (Jn. 1:18), and Jesus declared, “God is spirit” (Jn. 4:24). In other words, God does not have a body like ours. Any biblical references to God as having “ears,” or “arms,” or “eyes” are figurative expressions and are not intended to be understood literally.

Because the divine “image” is not physical, we can conclude that it is moral and spiritual. Being designed in God’s image, therefore, means that man’s character was to portray God’s character in every aspect of his life. In other words, the character of a loving, kind, patient, faithful, gentle, just and long-suffering God would be reflected in the lives of those created in His “image.”

 

Man Today

Today, however, if we observe the image that man is projecting, and if we did not know any better, what would we conclude about God? We would have to conclude, based on the fact that man was made in His image, that God is proud, thoughtless, careless, greedy, and self-serving; moreover, He is unconcerned about love, respect, honesty, integrity and justice, and He constantly lapses into envy, hatred, arrogance, conceit, selfishness, uncharitableness, and destructiveness. 

Why do we see such a distorted projection of God’s character? Why is man, created for such a noble purpose, so debauched? Clearly, something has gone seriously wrong. If we were created to reflect the character of God, we have obviously lost the essential ingredient needed to do so. 

 

The Missing Ingredient

So what is this missing ingredient? What did we lose that makes it impossible for us to fulfill the purpose for which we were created? It is nothing other than God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit! By the indwelling Holy Spirit we would partake in God’s own life. His presence in us would be the source of our reflection of God’s character. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesian believers, diagnoses the condition of man without the Spirit of God. He states: “They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God” (Eph. 4:18). This is the missing ingredient—“the life of God”. It is this life by which we are to fulfill His purpose for us: reflecting His image.

 

Adam’s Original Sin

When Adam disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree it had two serious consequences for him and his descendants. First, humanity died. God had said to Adam: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). God was not only speaking of physical death, but more importantly, of spiritual death. When Adam sinned, therefore, by eating the forbidden fruit, the Holy Spirit departed from his spirit; he was now void of God—spiritually dead. This death is what Paul describes as “the wages of sin” (Rom. 6:23)—wages that all humanity paid in the Garden of Eden when Adam sinned. Adam died spiritually at that moment, and all of us died in him as well. 

The second consequence of Adam’s sin was that, as his spirit died, his nature also became sinful. A “law of sin” (Rom. 7:23) entered his body the day God went out. This sin principle is referred to in the Bible as “the flesh” (KJV), “the sinful nature” (NIV), “the depraved mind” (Rom. 1:28), the lusts of the heart (Rom. 1:24), and the body of death (Rom. 7:24). It is an evil bias—a satanic agency which, from the moment Adam ate the fruit, became his master. This “law of sin” from that day on governed Adam’s life, and he became its slave. 

 

Adam’s Legacy

These two consequences—spiritual death and enslavement to sin—are the legacy Adam has bequeathed to all of us. Every descendant of Adam is born bearing Adam’s image because he is our original founding father. Genesis 5:1-3 explains this reality: “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God…When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image”—and Adam’s image at that point was spiritually dead and a slave of sin. Paul said it this way: “I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin” (Rom. 7:14. See Rom. 5:12-14, 19). In other words, Paul is saying, “As a descendant of Adam, I am spiritually dead, and my body is mortal as a result of the indwelling law of sin (Rom. 8:10) because of Adam’s disobedience in Eden.” 

 

The Good News

The good news is that God has provided a way for the descendants of Adam to be brought back into a relationship with Him. On the basis of Christ’s finished work of redemption on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, believers can once again be indwelt by God through a “rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Tit. 3:5). Because of His presence in us, we now have all that we need in order to be what we were created to be. (2 Pet. 1:3). Those of us who believe in the Lord Jesus have God’s life restored to us, and now we can grow and change.

Because the Holy Spirit is in us, believers are now equipped to “grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18)  while simultaneously being “transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). Because the Holy Spirit has made us spiritually alive, we realize God’s promise that we are “predestined to be conformed to the likeness of (God’s) Son” (Rom. 8:29). Moreover, we now see that God’s purpose in saving us is the same as it was in creating us—to create humans who would reflect His image. As born again believers, we no longer reflect Adam’s image. We are now God’s adopted sons and daughters instead of Adam’s descendants, and now we are restored to reflect His character instead of being in slavery to sin, a condition which all of us inherited from Adam.

 

Two Barriers

God cannot restore us to reflect His image, however, until He removes two barriers that stand in the way of our being united with Him.  

 

The First Barrier

The first barrier is sin itself. We continually sin against God in thoughts, words and deeds and are guilty before God for these. Moreover, we are accountable to Him for their penalty which God says is death (Rom. 1:18-3:20). Our situation is hopeless; we are condemned to death by our very nature as Adam’s offspring (Eph. 2:3). 

The solution to this problem is clear: we need to be acquitted by God, the One against whom we have sinned. This acquittal, however, is not possible unless the payment God demands is met. Amazingly, God paid His own debt in the person of God the Son. Jesus redeemed our debt of guilt by paying the atoning price with His own human blood (Rom. 3:23, 24, 5:9). God credits, or imputes, the payment of Jesus’ blood to our account when we believe, and then He wipes out our sins (Rom. 4:1-8; 1 Jn. 1:9; Acts 3:19). Not only does He credit our account with Jesus’ payment for our sin, but God now declares us not guilty as previously charged—and He does all this without violating His justice (Rom. 3:25, 26)! The believer now stands “holy in his (God’s) sight, without blemish and free from accusation” (Col. 1:22. See Rom. 8:31-39). 

 

The Second Barrier

The second barrier to our reflecting God’s image is our sinful nature—the “law of sin” (Rom. 7:23) that we have inherited from Adam and which governs our being, causing us to sin (Rom. 7:19, 20). While under the dominion of this evil principle, we are slaves to it (Rom. 7:15-17) and cannot serve God, for Jesus said man cannot serve two masters simultaneously (Matt. 6:24).

The solution to this problem is also clearly stated: man needs to be set free from this evil power (Rom. 7:24). The good news is this: Jesus not only died for the sins (plural) we have committed, but He also “died to sin (singular)” (Rom. 6:10). In other words, Jesus’ death not only paid for the sins we commit, but He also “became sin” for us (2 Cor. 5:21) so we can now be dead “to sin” (Rom. 6:2) through faith in Christ. When we receive Christ’s death on our behalf, we die to the “sin principle” in us. Therefore, “anyone who has died to sin has been freed from sin” (Rom. 6:7)—freed from its dominion over us (Rom. 6:14, 17, 18). 

When we believe in the Lord Jesus and His death for us, we are set free from our inherited bondage to sin and receive a new life through a new birth from the Holy Spirit. This new life gives us the ability, for the first time, to say “No” to the law of sin and to serve God “without fear in holiness and righteousness” (Lk. 1:74, 75. See Rom. 6:4, 17, 22). 

 

The Holy Spirit 

The Holy Spirit indwells every believer as the representative of Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus promised all His people: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you for ever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (Jn. 14:16, 17).

As Christ’s representative the Holy Spirit does not speak of Himself (Jn. 16:13). Rather, He reveals the Gospel and the Lord Jesus to us—His finished work on the cross, His resurrection from the dead, and His ascension to the right hand of the Father. Then, after He reveals these truths, He gives us faith to believe them. When we believe, the Holy Spirit applies Jesus’ finished work to us personally so our salvation becomes a dynamic experience in our lives: a cleansed conscience (Heb. 9:14), deliverance from the dominion of sin (Rom. 8:1, 2), and a new life through a new birth (Rom. 6:14, 1 Pet. 1:3). In other words, the purpose of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in us is to transform us by applying Christ’s finished work to our lives.

It is important, however, to realize that the Holy Spirit will not work in our lives independently of Christ. In other words, we do not go to the Holy Spirit directly in order to benefit by His ministry apart from faith in Christ. This fact is important to understand because ignorance in this regard could expose us to serious deception. No, we go to Jesus directly and put our faith in Him. Only then will the Holy Spirit minister in our lives by applying in us what Jesus did for us two thousand years ago. The Holy Spirit’s ministry in our lives comes to us by means of our fixing “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:2), not by seeking power from the Holy Spirit directly.     

 

The Human Aspect

In this matter of walking in the Spirit it is important that we emphasize both the divine source and the human aspect. If we emphasize the Holy Spirit’s side and disregard the believer’s side, we run into the error of quietism or mysticism. On the other hand, if we emphasize the human side and minimize the Holy Spirit’s side, we run into the error of human moralism or legalism.

In order to avoid these pitfalls, it is crucial to understand that the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer is not substitutionary as was Christ’s work on the cross for the believer. Often people say, “Let go and let God.” “The Lawgiver on the throne must become the Law-keeper in your heart.” But the New Testament knows nothing of this kind of passive walking in the Spirit.  

The work of Jesus was substitutionary. As our Substitute, He stood in our place under the judgment of God and was wounded for our transgressions so we could be acquitted. He rose again from the dead so we could receive a new life through a new birth. He ascended to the right hand of the Father as our Representative and Surety.

These glorious events were done for us, outside of us, and without our effort or aid. God uses this incredibly good news to create faith in the heart of man to passively accept Christ as personal Savior and Lord. 

The same thing cannot be said about the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the life of the believer. His work in us is not substitutionary as was Christ’s work on the cross for us. The Bible teaches that faith is the gift of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:8) and that good works are the fruit of the Spirit’s working in the life of the believer (Eph. 2:10). But the Bible does not teach that the Holy Spirit does the believing and good works for us. It is the human agent who does the believing. It is called “your faith” (2 Thess. 1:3; Phil. 2:17), not the Holy Spirit’s work of faith in you. The apostle Paul commends the Roman Christians saying, “your faith is being reported all over the world” (Rom. 1:8). 

The Holy Spirit gives the believer the gifts and attributes of God. Further, He inspires, motivates, and empowers the believer to a life of good works, but He is not presented as the One who does the good works. On the contrary, the Bible attributes the actual deeds to the believer. For example, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). “Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Cor. 9:10). “…your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3. See also 1 Jn. 3:7). Paul again commends the Roman believers saying, “Everyone has heard about your obedience” (Rom. 16:19).

So then, as we live by the Spirit, God’s grace does not substitute for our cooperation. Paul appealed to the Philippian believers: “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Phil. 2:12, 13). We are called to work out what He works in. That is our responsibility. Paul states it as follows: “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation (a responsibility)—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Rom. 8:12, 13). Clearly, it is the believer’s responsibly to say “no” to the misdeeds of the body. But how are we to do this? There is only one way, and that is “by the Spirit”. We trust Him at the moment of temptation instead of rationalizing.

Paul uses other similar expressions that point to the believer’s responsibility. For example, “Since you died with Christ…Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly (sinful) nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed…” (Col. 2:20; 3:5). “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips” (Col. 3:8). “…each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor” (Eph. 4:25). “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col. 3:12). Again we ask, “How do we fulfill these exhortations?” Paul would answer, “By the Spirit” (Rom. 8:13)! Trust Him instead of rationalizing.

Paul tells the Galatian believers, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature” (Gal. 5:13) because “those who belong to Christ Jesus have (by the Spirit) crucified (put to death) their sinful nature with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24). “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (Gal. 5:16) because “by the Spirit” we say “no” to them (See Tit. 2:11, 12). 

In other words, there are certain things the Holy Spirit will not do for us believers because they are our responsibilities. For example, when an undesirable program comes on TV, the Holy Spirit will convict the believer but will not switch off the TV or turn to another channel. This action is the responsibility of the believer. When a believer succumbs to the temptation to look at pornography, the Holy Spirit will convict him but will not remove it from him. It is the responsibility of the believer not to look. The Holy Spirit will convict the lazy believer to go to church on Sunday morning but will not kick him out of bed. To get out of bed and go to church is the responsibility of the believer.

Importantly, we must remember that our salvation is secure because of Jesus’ finished work. Once we are saved, however, we learn to live by the Spirit as a joint venture. The Holy Spirit enables, but the believer must act. The Holy Spirit’s refining power and the believer’s obedience “in putting to death” whatever is of his sinful nature are two sides of the same coin. The Holy Spirit provides the power for the believer to move from “I can’t” (settling into a mediocre life void of victory) to “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” The Christian life, therefore, is not just a matter of being a passive channel for the Spirit. Rather, our participation is necessary in the great work of building a character that will reflect God’s image for His glory. Learning to live by the Spirit is the most important work that any human being is called to do, but it is only possible after we are already saved.

There is one more defining note about living by the Spirit: it is practical and uncomplicated. The same thing cannot be said of many books on the subject which promise to give one the “keys,” “secrets,” and “steps” to the higher spiritual life that is supposed to make one a member of the more spiritual elite! But the type of life which Christians are called to live is clearly stated in the most straightforward manner. There are no “secrets,” “mystery keys” or “special steps” here. Living by the Spirit is plain and uncomplicated.

 

Its Duration

“…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Growing in grace (2 Pet. 3:18) under the governance of the Holy Spirit has relevance only to this life. The angels and those redeemed ones who are already in heaven do not need the exhortations given in the Scriptures which apply to believers who still reside in mortal bodies. 

Walking in the Spirit is a continuous growth into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it will not be complete until we are in His presence forever. Paul writes, “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (1 Cor. 3:18).  

The Scriptures are clear that sanctification by the power of the Holy Spirit will never be complete until glorification (see Rom. 8:17-25). Said the apostle Paul: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:12-14). 

As long as we live in mortal flesh, however, we will be learning to submit our desires and temptations to the Lord Jesus and leaning on the Holy Spirit’s power to “put to death the misdeeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13). This ongoing sanctification, though, is only possible for those who are born again. Those who have not placed their faith in Christ’s finished work do not have the indwelling Holy Spirit, and they are not delivered from the sinful nature to which they are enslaved. 

 

Epilogue

The glorious news of the gospel is that not only are we acquitted and set free from the control of sin by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, but we are born again in our spirits and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live as “a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). At Pentecost the disciples of Christ became the Spirit-filled body of Christ. Since that day the church lives and functions by the action and power of the Holy Spirit. All that the disciples needed, and all we as believers need today, came on the day of Pentecost. God’s people are those who are led by the Spirit (Rom 8:14); they live by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16); they are taught by the Spirit (Jn. 14:26; 1 Jn. 2:27) and they are empowered by the Spirit (Rom. 15:13, 19; 1 Cor. 2:1-5). 

The Holy Spirit is constantly available to Christ’s followers, showing Christ to us, forming Christ in us, guiding us into truth and empowering us to live for the glory of God by reflecting His character in every aspect of our lives. Paul contended that we are new creatures in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17), “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24), renewed according to the nature of him who created us (Col. 3:10). This is the reality of the Christian faith. 

Galatians 5:13-6:10 clearly articulates the work of the Holy Spirit as Christians are exhorted to “walk in the Spirit” (5:16 KJV). They are promised that those who do so “will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” On the contrary, they bear “the fruit of the Spirit…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22, 23). 

Walking in the Spirit means that the character of Christ (the fruit of the Spirit) is being reproduced in our lives if we are believers. In this way the Spirit enables us to live Christ-like lives in this world. In summary, the Holy Spirit’s main purpose is to glorify Christ by showing Him to us and forming Him in us. We experience this increasing reality by living according to Paul’s exhortation: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25). †

 

Chris Badenhorst is a retired civil engineering technician who still works part time on one of South Africa’s oil refineries in the city of Durban on the east coast. He is married with three step-children and one grandchild. His wife is also a former Adventist who shares his enthusiasm for the gospel of God’s grace. Although they are not members of a particular denomination, they attend a local Baptist church for worship and fellowship.