Paul writes in Galatians 5:25 that if we live in the Spirit we should also walk in the Spirit.
Before we can learn what it means to walk in the Spirit we must learn what it means to be alive in the Spirit.
In my prior blog I explained what it means to be born again. You can read that blog here.
When we are born again we are made alive in the Spirit.
Jesus said in John 6:36
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
In other words, the physical body without the Spirit which includes the mind, the will, and the emotions, do not profit or produce life. Jesus said that his words were Spirit and therefore they brought life.
According to the Oxford dictionary to be alive is to be alert, active, or animated.
To be alive or have life is defined in Britannica as ‘capable of performing bodily functions such as eating breathing. To move or grow by reproducing and responding to external stimuli.’
That being said being “made alive” in the Spirit operates in the same way. Once we are born of the Spirit we become alive unto God. We live and move and have our being in him. (Acts 17:28)
Paul explains this phenomena in Romans Chapter 6.
I will paraphrase.
Paul says that our old man or Adamic carnal nature died with Christ when he was crucified. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are new Creatures in Christ.
The born again person has been redeemed from the law of sin and death.
Sin no longer has any power over the person made alive unto God by being born again of the Spirit. The born again person is crucified with Christ and made alive with Christ because of his death and resurrection.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. 1 Peter 3:18
Those born of God are made alive in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
For in that the old man is dead the new man is made alive in Christ. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6: 6-13
This reality of being alive in the Spirit or alive in Christ is positional. In other words it is a done deal.
However, because many Christians are ignorant of this fact, they still live under the control of the old man.
No judgment because I was one of them. Also, I am not perfected in this regard either but when we have been given revelation knowledge about a matter by the Lord we are accountable to abide by it.
Positionally those born again have been set free from the power of darkness and made alive unto God. The new man or born again person is made alive in the Spirit.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:13,14
This means that sin has no more dominion over the born again person. For we they are ‘dead’ in Christ (in his death on the cross) and made alive in Christ. (through his resurrection)
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-7
Positionally the born again person has been made alive in Christ by the Spirit and is positionally seated with Christ in heavenly places.
That means the born again person is positionally in Christ.
While it is true that this position in Christ refers to forgiveness, eternal life, and sonship, it also refers to our position in Christ in this life.
Peter tells us in 2 Peter Chapter 1 that Jesus’ divine power (Holy Spirit) has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
This life in Christ which is positional is obtained or worked out “through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”
In other words the life we have in Christ is made known to us through the knowledge of Him (revealed by God) who has called us by his glory and virtue or moral standards.
Life in Christ is positional. A fact obtained by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to the born again person.
God has called us to a high calling in Christ Jesus to walk in the Spirit because we have been made alive in the Spirit. In other words to walk in what we know to be a fact or true.
These facts are revealed to us in scripture.
Peter tells us in 2 Peter Chapter 1:4 that those born of God have been ‘given exceedingly great and precious promises.’
These promises are revealed to the born again person in God’s word. The Bible.
Through these promises of the word of God, the born again person partakes of the divine nature or becomes like Christ. Escaping or being delivered from the corruption that is in the world and the lustful evil desires of the carnal nature.
For example the word says to the born again person.
I am a child of God united with him in the Spirit. (Galatians 3: 26, Galatians 4:6,7, 1 Corinthians 6:17)
I am sanctified and set apart as Holy. (1 Corinthians 6:11)
I have been delivered from darkness and am translated into God’s kingdom. (Colossians 1:13)
I am strong in the Lord and the power of his might. (Ephesians 6:10)
I am more than a conqueror in Christ who loves me. (Romans 8:37)
The word of God is the key to walking in the Spirit. (I will talk about that in my next blog)
Those in Christ, the scriptures say, (Gal 2: 20) ”have been crucified with Christ.’
The old man or carnal nature is now dead. The new man or new creation lives by faith in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Herein is the difference between a religious person and a child of God born of the Spirit, made alive unto God.
A religious person can perform by imitation religious functions that seem godly but there is no Spirit life in it. Their words do not produce life. Paul says some have a ‘form of godliness’ but deny the power. Not being born of God the words the religious person speaks actually produce death. Even when they speak God’s word, it brings death and condemnation to others.
(God) who also has made us able ministers of the new testament — not of the letter, (logos or written word)but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit giveth life. 2 Corinthians 3:6
You can read more about that here.
https://www.bibleref.com/2-Timothy/3/2-Timothy-chapter-3.html
In conclusion, those born of God have been made alive in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Positionally the born again person is dead to sin, crucified with Christ and seated with Christ in heavenly places.
Through God’s word, his precious promises, the born again person is being changed into the image of Christ.
The born again person is now God’s workmanship created by him to walk in the good works he has ordained. (Ephesians 2:10)
The born again person is being changed by the Holy Spirit from glory to glory through the precious promises of God’s word! 2 Corinthians 3:18
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