KEEP MOVING BY THE SPIRIT

The Spirit of God gives eternal value and fulfilment to our Christian walk. If you want to experience lasting success in life, you must live by the Spirit and fulfil His dictates.

Reference: Galatians 3:3 New International Version (NIV) 'Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?'

To move by the Spirit is to 'walk' in a way determined by the Holy Spirit. It is to be increasingly formed into the life of Jesus through the power of His Holy Spirit. While 'to walk in the flesh' means to live a life of bondage to any worldly system and idea, or idea of cultural racism and human tradition or to fulfil the lust of the flesh. 'The Spirit' in the above verse refers to the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of God, not the spirit in man. The spirit in a man is always written with lower case letter 's' while the Holy Spirit is always distinguished by the capital letter 'S'.

When we move by the Spirit, we follow the rule of the Spirit, as the Spirit directs. The Spirit of God shapes our lives in line with outer form of spiritual realities that points to God's salvation by grace alone. As Christians, we think that sometimes we need to live like the world around us in some ways so we can be accepted and at the same time please God. This was the case with the Galatian Christians who received Christ when Paul came to them with the gospel. But Paul called them foolish for behaving that way. He asked them, 'are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?' Paul's point is clear: if we received the Spirit of God when believed in the gospel, why would we think that we need to start following the Mosaic law to be acceptable to God?

Evidently today, Paul is showing us that to move by the Spirit and to live by the means of the flesh are not compatible. They can't be merged. So what are we to do? We must keep moving by the Spirit alone (Romans 8:14 ESV). Paul showed that living by the flesh is to spend our Christian walk under the dictates and desires of the flesh. Unfortunately, we can't live that way and please God because Christ already did for us what we could not do. He redeemed us from the curse of the law by paying the price of that curse on the cross, so we can move by the Spirit.

Keep moving by the Spirit because Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV) reads, 'walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.' Sometimes as Christians, we start pursuing a goal or a project by the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. As we progress and establish the project, we start forgetting how we started. Probably what started with prayer, revelation from God and constant giving, is now being sustained by human effort, carnal idea and dictates of the flesh. That's an error, which Paul also referred to as, 'trying to finish by means of the flesh'.

Beloved, moving by the Spirit is a lifetime engagement for every Christian. Its by the Spirit that you live above the lust or desire of the flesh. In other words, the prompting of the Spirit must be your guide always, and the grace of the Spirit your strength - in the course of your life continually. When you walk in the Word, you are moving by the Spirit because the Holy Spirit breathed out the very Word of God ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV). As He fills you with the breath of the Word, you'll never faint, instead you'll be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Fellowship with the Holy Spirit through daily prayer and meditation on God's Word. His fellowship trains you and positions your mind to see things from God's view point and live it out. The Holy Spirit helps you to translate the truth of the Word into action. No one can guarantee your steady success except the Holy Spirit because your true value and worth are directly related to your relationship with Him.

Scripture Reading - 2 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 5:22-24; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 2:6.

Exuberant Declaration: The indwelling Spirit of God in me grants me freedom, exhilaration and sense of fulfilment. As I move by the Spirit, I'm immersed into the great possibilities available through the power of God and I finish strong in all my endeavours. The character of Christ is reproduced in my life daily by the Spirit and He works mightily in me, giving me the desire and the power to do what pleases God. Hallelujah!