LIVING AND
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT OF GOD
– by
Rev. James Pam
Being
text of teaching delivered at JOT MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL, Shaka Village, Jos.
DAY 1: 9th
Oct. 2015
Key
Text: Galatians 5:16-26
A. MEANING OF
SPIRIT OF GOD
1.
Note
that the phrase, “Spirit of God”, which appears 14 times in the Old Testament
and 12 times in the New Testament, and
the phrase, “Spirit of Jesus”, which appears only once in the Bible, and the
phrase, “Holy Spirit”, which appears 3 times in the Old Testament and 4 times
in the New Testament, and the phrase, “Spirit of the Lord”, which appears 26
times in the Old Testament and 5 times in the New Testament, and the phrase,
“Holy Ghost”, which appears only in the New Testament 90 times, all in the KJV,
are one and the same third Person of the Holy Trinity.
2.
The
Bible also makes us to understand that there are seven
attributes/characteristics in the one Spirit of God. “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices:
and there were seven lamps of
fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God”
(Rev. 4:5). “And I beheld, and, lo, in
the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders,
stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are
the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (Rev. 5:6).
The seven characters are given to us in Isaiah 11:2 - the spirit of the LORD,
the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of counsel, the
spirit of might, the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of the fear of the LORD.
3.
The
Spirit of God is the One who convicts a sinner of sin and the need to seek
salvation (This is why blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unpardonable). He
gives us saving faith (must be given
to an unsaved person – Eph. 2:8) with which to repent; He lives inside us for
many reasons – e.g. to encourage us to read the Bible, to give us understanding
of the Bible, to tell us the right thing to do in all circumstances, to tell us
the mind of God since He knows the mind of God, to empower us for the work of
ministry and to fight back temptation, to help us to pray aright, to give us
spiritual gifts, to seal us for heaven forever, etc.
4.
He,
the Spirit of God, is different from the other spirits mentioned in the bible,
like the spirit of man, evil spirits, familiar spirits, etc.
B. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WALKING AND LIVING IN THE SPIRIT
1.
Living in the
Spirit
(i)
‘Living
in the Spirit’ refers to born-again persons. The Holy Spirit lives permanently
in them. They have availed themselves of God’s plan of salvation through faith
in Jesus Christ, invited Christ into their lives and are saved from the sin
nature they were born with (Psalm 51:5; Rom. 5:15). They are therefore living in the Spirit and the Spirit is living in them (1 Cor. 3:16;
Rom. 8:9-11). Whether they walk according to the Spirit’s dictates thereafter
is another matter altogether. Such people can commit the sin unto death (Rom. 6:16; 1 John 5:16, 17), but not the unpardonable sin (Matt. 12:31, 32).
(ii)
Persons
who have not received Jesus as Lord and Saviour do not have the Spirit living
in them and are not living in the Spirit. The Spirit urges them from without to
repent. Such people can commit the unpardonable
sin, but not the sin unto death.
(iii)
Those
who are living in the Spirit, that
is, born again Christians, and are obeying what the Spirit says to them, are
the ones who will manifest (show the evidence of) the fruit of the Spirit
listed in verses 22 and 23 - love. Joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
(iv)
Those
who are living in the Spirit will be led by the Spirit (verse 18) and are
expected to walk in the Spirit
(verses 16 & 25), but they could decide to disobey the Spirit or refuse to walk by the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is therefore done by choice of Christians and
not under compulsion. But the Spirit will tell us the right choice and the
consequences of disobedience.
2.
Walking in the
Spirit
(i)
There
is a difference between ‘walking in the Spirit’ and ‘living in the Spirit’. ‘Walking’
is all about the words highlighted in our key text below:
·
walk
(follow, act in line with)
·
do
(deed, action)
·
works
(activities, behaviour)
·
manifest
(exhibit, evidence)
(ii)
“This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the
flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But
if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;
Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings,
murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you
before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit
the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:16-21)
(iii)
‘Walking
in the Spirit’ refers to the things we do, practice, focus our thoughts on and
say in our daily lives in obedience to what the Spirit of God says. When we do
things in obedience to the Holy Spirit then we are walking in the Spirit and
there will be evidence of it (it will be manifest). The evidence
(manifestation) is the fruit of the Spirit listed in verses 22 and 23 – love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
(iv)
‘Not
walking in the Spirit’ means living our daily lives not in accordance with the
word of God. The Spirit may be living in us as Christians, but we could choose
not do what He is saying to our spirits. That means, we prefer to satisfy/practice
the lusts of the flesh. Evidences of such disobedience are listed in our key
text as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings. Those people who are not born again
practice these things and they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Therefore
born again Christians should not do them.
(v)
‘Not
walking in the Spirit’ does not make the Spirit of God to depart from the
Christian, but it grieves Him. He does not leave because he is the One who
seals us for the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).
C. HOW TO WALK
IN THE SPIRIT
1.
Genesis
5:24 says, “Enoch walked with God: and he
was not; for God took him”, without telling us how it is that Enoch walked
with God. But Hebrews 11:5-6a tell us why
God did this honour to Enoch. “By faith
Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because
God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that
he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him ...” It
was Enoch’s faith that pleased God very much. Therefore, it is our faith in God
that enables us to walk in the Spirit.
2.
But
what is faith? Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the substance and the evidence
of those things that we are looking forward to having from God. This means:
(i)
We
must hope for certain things.
(ii)
Those
things must be expected from God (not from any other source or by any other
means).
(iii)
Those
things must have been promised by God in His word.
(iv)
God
must see some evidence that we have faith – faith without works is dead – the substance of the things hoped for and the
evidence of the things that cannot be
immediately seen – in our lifestyle, in the choices we make, in the words we
speak and that we are consistent in all these. Our actions (works) based on
God’s word is proof of faith. No action (works) – no faith. (James 2:17, 18, 24,
26).
3.
How
do we get faith? Based on what faith is as explained in (2) above, we can only
get faith through reading/hearing the word of God.
(i)
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 KJV). The NIV renders it as, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the
message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
(ii)
The
word of Christ simply heard but not acted upon, will not please God. Hebrews
4:2b says, “... but the message they
heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with
faith.”
4.
An
individual who is being led by the Spirit (instructed by the Spirit) and is
walking in the Spirit (obeying) and is pleasing God will display some evidence
(bear fruit of the Spirit) for others and the person to see. This evidence is necessary
so that if we don’t display them, we can check ourselves. It is also necessary
so that others can know that we truly belong to God and be encouraged too.
Without this evidence we could be living in error and deception.
D. PURPOSE OF WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
1.
The
purpose of submitting to the dictates of the Spirit of God is so that we may please
God. Remember that we are on earth solely to do God’s will and thus please Him
(Ecclesiastes 12:13). God is happy when
we walk in the Spirit.
2.
Proof
that the sole purpose of man on earth is to please God in seen in Enoch’s
experience. Enoch must have listened to what the Spirit of God said and acted
in obedience to it. God was so pleased with him that He did not allow him to
experience physical death but took him to heaven alive (Hebrews 11:5). It
therefore means that it is an honour from God not to experience physical death
because death was prescribed by God as punishment for sin and sin means disobedience
to God. On the surface of it, we would have thought that God would bless Enoch
with very long life on earth because he pleased Him. Afterall, Enoch’s
contemporaries like Jared, Methuselah and Lamech lived on earth for between 605
years and 969 years. Enoch lived for just 365 years. But life in heaven with
God is far better than long life on earth. Apostle Paul said it was far better
for him to die and be with Jesus in heaven than to remain alive on earth for
long (Philippians 1:21.23).
3.
Those
who allow themselves to be led by the Spirit of God please God and He adopts
them as His sons and daughters. Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
To be adopted as a child of God, one must receive Jesus as his Lord and
Saviour. John 1:12 says, “But as many as
received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believed on his name.” Christians are now the sons of God (1
John3:2).
DAY 2: 10TH OCT, 2015
LIVE ACCORDING
TO GOD IN THE SPIRIT
Text:
1 Peter 4:6
INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
1.
The
words in today’s topic of discussion may appear similar to the main theme for
this year’s biblical teachings, which we discussed yesterday, but the two
topics are not related.
2.
Our
text for discussion today is arguably one of the most difficult scripture
passages to understand in the whole Bible. It could be given many different interpretations.
In fact it could have as many interpretations as there are interpreters.
3.
In
view of the lack of consensus among Christians regarding its meaning, we should
be careful about basing any Christian doctrine on it. Those who use it to
support the doctrine of Second Chance
(that those who never heard the gospel in their life time will be preached to
[have another chance] after death) should take note.
4.
Several
rules of hermeneutics (interpretation of the Bible) have to be applied in order
to try and get its meaning. These will include, but not be limited to: (i) The
main theme of the writer), (ii) Historic-grammatical method (that is, a study
of the history around the story and the grammar of application of Greek
grammar), (iii) Context (setting of the
statement – time, place and issues prevailing when the writing was done, who the
writer’s audience was), (iv) Original language meaning of key words in the
passage, and (v) the Questions and Answer method.
INTERPRETATION OF 1 JOHN 4:6
A
simple comparison of this verse in different Bible translations reveals to us
that even trained professional Bible translators did not agree on its meaning:
1.
For for this
cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be
judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. (KJV)
2.
For this is the
reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they
might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to
God in regard to the spirit. (NIV)
3.
For the gospel
has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they
are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the
will of God.
(NAS)
4.
For this is why
the good news (the Gospel) was preached [in their lifetime] even to the dead.
That though judged in fleshly bodies as men are, they might live in the spirit
as God does.
(AMPLIFIED)
5.
After all, the
Good News was told to people like that, although they are now dead. It was told
to them so that they could be judged like humans in their earthly lives and
live like God in their spiritual lives. (GOD’S WORD).
6.
That is why the
Good News was preached even to those who have died--so that although their
bodies were punished with death, they could still live in the spirit as God
does.
(NLT).
7.
Listen to the
message. It was preached to those believers who are not dead, and yet even
though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life
that God has given in Jesus. (THE MESSAGE)
A.
SETTING
OF 1 PETER
The
setting was most likely in Rome when the great persecution under Emperor Nero
began. Peter himself was eventually executed by crucifixion upside down.
Throughout the Roman Empire Christians were being tortured and killed for their
faith. The church in Jerusalem was therefore scattered throughout the
Mediterranean area.
B.
THEME
OF 1 PETER
Peter
wrote his first letter to the Jewish Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor
who were suffering for faith in Christ. He comforts them and urges them to
remain faithful to Christ in the midst of their trials. (1 Peter 1:7).
C.
PETER’S
BACKGROUND
He
was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. Remember also that Jesus Himself changed
Peter’s name from Simon (meaning a weak blade of grass, easily tossed around by
water currents and wind) to Peter (Petros
in Greek, meaning a pebble, or solid piece of rock). Jesus also said that Peter
had revelation knowledge upon which Jesus would build His church (Matt
16:15-19).
1.
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWER METHOD
Let’s
try to answer the following questions. The answers should take us closer to the
true meaning of the verse at the end of the exercise.
i.
For
which cause was the gospel preached to these dead people? Is the reason found
before the statement (in verse 5) or after it (in verse 6)? (compare to Gen.
2:24. Was the reason for man leaving father and mother and cleaving to his wife
given before or after the statement?)
ii.
What
does ‘gospel’ mean to in the passage? It can mean the Good News (message) of
salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? It can also mean the gospel (message) of
something like peaceful co-existence, or APC’s gospel (message) of Change?
iii.
What
does ‘preach’ mean in the passage? It could have two meanings – to preach the
gospel of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ OR simply to make any declarations/announcements, like preaching
peace or forgiveness or change? (See 1 Peter 3:19 where some Bible versions use
‘proclaimed’ or ‘proclamation’ instead of ‘preached’.
iv.
What
does ‘dead’ mean in the passage? Is it a reference to spiritual death or
physical death?
v.
If
it refers to physically death, were these dead people righteous-dead of the unrighteous-dead?
vi.
Who
were these dead people? (All dead people, saved and unsaved? Martyrs only, who
were killed for their faith? Only those who never heard the gospel in their
lifetime?)
vii.
At
the time of writing, where were the spirits of these dead people?
viii.Was the gospel
preached to these dead people while they were still alive on earth or was it
after they had died?
ix.
What
was the intention of preaching to these dead people’s spirits? Was it supposed
to lead them to salvation after they had died? (Does it mean that there is a
second chance to receive Christ after death?)
x.
All
men will be judged according to Heb. 9:27, but what does it mean to be judged
according to men in the flesh and why? (Read v.5 which says that Jesus will
judge both the living and the dead)
xi.
Who
was doing the preaching and where? Was it Jesus? Was it in hades?
xii.
What
is the meaning of “live according to God in the spirit?”
xiii.Is the ‘spirit’
referred to in the passage the Spirit of God (capital S) or the spirit of the
dead men (small s)?
xiv.Has the passage
a corollary anywhere in the Bible that can help to explain it? (See 1 Peter
3:19 where Jesus preached to dead people in hell who didn’t believe the prophets
of old when they were alive in Noah’s days.)
2. GREEK
GRAMMAR:
There are three
verbs in this verse:
εὐαγγελίζω =
Aorist Passive Indicative (3rd person singular) = "the gospel was
preached"
κρίνω = Aorist
Passive Subjunctive (3rd person plural) = "they may be judged"
ζάω = Aorist
Active Subjunctive (3rd person plural) = "they may live life"
The indicative
mood indicates certainty ("the gospel was preached sometime in the
past"), and the subjunctive mood indicates possibility ("they might
be judged") and ("may live").
IMPLICATION TO
MEANING:
1) That the
gospel was preached (while they are physically alive on earth and they accept
it)
2) That they will
be judged according to what they did when they were men on earth (they have
died and will be judged as scripture says but it's what they did on earth that
shall be looked into)
3) That they will
live according to God’s spiritual standards (because they accepted Christ while
earth, their spirits will live on like God lives in spirit form and they shall
be with God. In other words, the judgement will favour them.)
