Grace: One Step at a Time, Part 2
To “walk” the talk of our faith, we must regularly consume the Bread of Life, the Word of God. Pastor Chuck Smith urges us to feed the needs of our spirit through Bible study in his book, Why Grace Changes Everything. Follow our series based on the book here.
Walking Our Talk
There are many who claim to have a relationship with God, who throw around all the right Christian buzzwords and catch-phrases, but who simply aren't walking with God in any practical way. It is crucial that we learn to “walk our talk.” Our lives must be consistent with the calling, the blessings, and the profession we make concerning our new relationship with God.
The question is: How do we manage this? How do we avoid being carried away by the allure of the world? Paul had an answer in Galatians 5:16, KJV: This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh (emphasis added).
The Greek word translated “walk” in this passage is a term used to describe the dominant characteristic of a person's life. If someone were to have a reputation as a real miser, he would be known as a person who “walked” in greed. If a person characteristically was concerned and helpful, he would be known as someone who “walked” in kindness.
To walk in the Spirit means that we allow the Holy Spirit to exercise control over our lives. Every day we are presented with the option of living after the Spirit or after our own fleshly desires. Our mind is the battleground where we will decide which will have dominion.
It is helpful to remember that God has designed the human mind to work much as a computer does. A computer can only produce that which has been programmed into it. In like manner, our minds are being programmed daily. If our input comes from the flesh, our lives will be characterized by the flesh. If we begin to program our mind with the things of the Spirit, our lives will begin to reflect the priorities of the Spirit.
How easy it is to fall into the trap of making a bold profession of a vital spiritual life when our Number One priority is seeking to please the flesh! Certainly, the power that our fallen nature can hold over us is one of the biggest problems we face in life. How can we be free from seemingly unconquerable bondage to the flesh?
The simple yet profound answer to this: Don't fight the flesh; strengthen the Spirit! Don't fight against the darkness; turn on the light.
To do this, we must first recognize that we have both a spiritual and a fleshly side to our nature. If we are to walk in the Spirit, we must feed the spiritual man. We all know what it means to feed the physical side of our nature. If I miss feeding my body, it is not subtle about reminding me of its needs.
Someone once told me that after three days of fasting, the hunger goes away. I have found the opposite to be true. Three days into a fast, my mind is busy dreaming of the most luscious concoctions imaginable. This is simply my body's emphatic way of reminding me that its needs must be tended to. And so, we feed our bodies. We exercise and take vitamins so that we might grow strong physically.
Becoming strong in spirit requires a similar regimen. We must regularly consume the Bread of Life, the Word of God.
Taking in the Word
How ironic it is that our consumption of the Word is often the last thing we get around to. “Of course, I need to spend time in God's Word,” we say, “but I just don't seem to have time right now.” In essence, we are fasting in the Spirit. Our spiritual side often gets fed irregularly, spasmodically, and in an unbalanced way. We neglect a regular, systematic study of the Word for a “let's flip open the Bible and see what catches our eye” approach. Often, we have no consistent practice of Bible study or personal growth. We end up dutifully feeding the areas of our flesh but neglecting the needs of the spirit. As a result, the spiritual man becomes weak, and the flesh begins to dominate.
If I want my spiritual man to be strong, it only stands to reason that I must sow to my spirit. I can't be sowing to the flesh and hope that I'm somehow going to produce a spiritual crop. In order to walk in the Spirit, I must begin to feed the spirit. That means I must make it a point to get more and more into the Word of God. Job said, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12b, NKJV).
It is important to see God's Word as the essential that it is. Jesus claimed that His words were spirit and life, so a regular, systematic time in God's Word is essential if we are to walk in the Spirit.
In our next installment, Pastor Chuck encourages us to pray and enjoy communing with God.
Follow the series, “Grace: One Step at a Time” at Part 1
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