One of the privileges I have as a pastor is being with people as they lay dying. You might not think it is a privilege, but when someone has lived a Christ-filled life, and they are going to be with the Lord, it is a time of great peace and joy, as well as sorrow. We don't need to wait until that moment to be with the Lord; we can be with Him all the time, right now and know it!
"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5:16
There is a wonderful, loving, gracious plan God has for all of our lives, yet so many of us feel like God is so far away. Paul challenges us to "walk in the Spirit." We have super-spiritualized that phrase so that we have made it impossible to accomplish, but Paul is giving us a command that he expects us to follow!
The word "walk" is a Greek word that means to habitually walk around in one general vicinity, the implication being "live" in the Spirit. The idea is this, if you are habitually going and doing the same things over and over, it becomes second nature, it is normal, you know it so well there is no doubt where you are going. You have walked this way so much that you could do it blindfolded.
Paul's challenge is; keep focusing on life in the Spirit of God so much, you are living in the Spirit like it is your natural state. You have learned to hear from the Lord so well, you know and are comfortable in His presence. This takes time, practice, and desire. It takes failure to know what "not" walking in the Spirit is like. As you keep at it, you will find yourself walking in the Spirit daily.
What does that look like? First, it is not spooky; you don't have to tell people you are walking in the Spirit, they will know. It is living out the fruit of the Spirit. It is walking humbly, looking for opportunities to be used of God to serve Him and others. Allowing the Holy Spirit to move through you to bring just the right words at the right time (he is the encourager), speaking a healing and delivering word and moving in the power to do both. Most of all, it is loving people the way Christ loves them, that is truly walking in the Spirit of truth! We are then not just living out the fruit of the Spirit but also living in the fruit of the Spirit!
Paul chose, daily to "live" in the Spirit, we will defeat the flesh and allow God's power to move through us. The flesh hopes for our bondage, God's Spirit is always working for our freedom! As we determine to and practice living there, we can live in His presence now, and heaven will be just a deeper extension of living in His presence here. Paul goes on to say, "not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Our flesh wants to do anything but serve the Lord and others. As we chose, daily to "live" in the Spirit, we will defeat the flesh and allow God's power to move through us. The flesh hopes for our bondage, God's Spirit is always working for our freedom! As we determine to and practice living there, we can live in His presence now, and heaven will be just a deeper extension of living in His presence here.
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