The Preacher Says....  
  101      WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT     ca 1950     CHRISTIAN LIFE
&
 
     
  Ephesians 2

There is therefore now no condemnation
To them which are in Christ Jesus,
Who walk not after the flesh,
But after the spirit. 


So said Paul in Romans ( 8. 1).   He drives home the point in verse 4:

That the righteousness of the law
Might be fulfilled in us, who walk
Not after the flesh, but after the spirit. . .

When you are led by God’s spirit, you are a child of God, he says, and so become a joint heir with Christ to share in his  glory.   To walk after the spirit is  essential to  salvation.  Is this a magical, mystical state?  Do we look for a visitation by God ?  Let’s analyze.  It’s not difficult to understand.  The word ‘spirit’ is used in opposition to the ‘flesh’.  God is spirit, Jesus is spirit; we are flesh.  There is a natural body and a spiritual body (Cor 15.44).    We learn further along in Corinthians that this corruptible must  put on incorruption, this mortal must put on immortality.  This occurs at the judgment where death is swallowed up in victory, our imperfect flesh made perfect–immortal.  Adam was made a living soul, and Christ, the last Adam,  a quickening spirit, a pattern drawn by God for us to follow.

How does this happen?  How can this corruptible put on incorruption?  It  begins when we are baptized.  We are baptized into Christ’s death.  Buried with him, as it were, into his death.  As he was resurrected, so will we be raised to walk in newness of life.(Rom 6. 3 - 8).  It ends with the resurrection at the last day.  Now we see afar off the goal that is set before us and now  consider ourselves dead to sin,  always trying to walk after the spirit
To walk after the spirit means to overcome evil with good-- not to be overcome with evil–a motto so easy to say, but difficult in execution.  Forces surround us that weaken our ability to discriminate.  It’s possible to fail by becoming totally non-judgmental.  As a matter of fact, deep down don’t we feel we’re not ever really overcome with evil?   After all, we’re not guilty of the obvious crimes.  We love our families just like the rest of society.  But to walk in the spirit demands so much more.


How do we adorn the body then?   In his exhortation to the Ephesians, Paul tells them to walk not as some in the rest of society, who in the vanity of their minds, are without understanding, alienated from God through ignorance and blindness.  He urges us to be renewed in the spirit of our minds-- ‘to put on the new man’.  (Eph 4. 17 - 24).  Verses 31and 32 are key:

Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger,
and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away . . .
And be ye kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, even as God
who for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.

A Christian is not bitter, does not speak evil,is happy, strong in faith, and always thankful.  What he has done, in fact, is take on the whole armor of God.  Because

 the man who follows after the spirit

  • is a minister to others, is not ministered to

  • is righteous without being self righteous

  • is in control of himself

  • is a  light shining among men

  • is heroic–a strong and silent

  • is one who seeks to win the battle of good over evil

    Truly my soul waits upon God
    from Him cometh my salvation;
    He only is my rock and my salvation
    He is my defence
    I shall not be greatly moved.