Walking After the Spirit Is About Faith
January 11, 2015
MF Blume
Rom 8:10-15 KJV And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of
sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (11) But if the
Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that
raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by
his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (12) Therefore, brethren, we are
debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. (13) For if ye
live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do
mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (14) For as many as are
led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (15) For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received
the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Walking by FAITH is walking after the SPIRIT.
- Whatever you walk after is what is leading you.
- So walking after the Spirit means Spirit is leading you.
- And if you are led b the Spirit then you are a mature son of God.
- Last week I taught how the leading of the Spirit that verse 14
mentions is seeing the Spirit work in your life that is mentioned in
verse 11 and 12.
- Paul just wrote about the Spirit mortifying the deeds of the body and making your mortal body alive.
- This is so we do not have to live after the flesh.
- We will die if we live after the flesh.
- That DYING is what we read about earlier in Romans.
Rom 7:9-15 KJV For I was alive without the law once: but when the
commandment came, sin revived, and I died. (10) And the
commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death. (11) For sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
deceived me, and by it slew me. (12) Wherefore the law is
holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. (13)
Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin,
that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good;
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
(14) For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold
under sin. (15) For that which I do I allow not: for what I
would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
The dying is doing evil instead of good.
- It’s like your Christianity is killed when you do evil acts.
- Everything Paul taught about how we died with Jesus are things you cannot physically see.
- You have to believe they are real, though.
- So real that you LIVE like they’re true.
- When you can change how you LIVE and LOOK AT YOURSELF because of
what you believe that cannot be seen, then YOU HAVE STRONG FAITH!
- Heb 11:1 KJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
You cannot see a thing, but you believe it has substance and is real as much as the ground you’re standing on is real.
- Everyone in Hebrews 11 changed the entire ways they lived and
actually phys8ically DID THINGS because they believed in something no
one could SHOW TO THEM.
- Romans 8s is trying to tell us to believe what God said about our lives to the extent that we LIVE DIFFERENTLY.
Heb 11:7-13 KJV By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not
seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his
house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith. (8) By faith Abraham, when
he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for
an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he
went. (9) By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as
in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the
heirs with him of the same promise: (10) For he looked for
a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
(11) Through faith also Sara herself received strength to
conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age,
because she judged him faithful who had promised. (12)
Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as
the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea
shore innumerable. (13) These all died in faith, not having
received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were
persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Seen them afar off means what they would see was FAR OFF IN TIME. LONG AFTER they acted on them.
Noah actually built an ark and did something physically because of something he had no phys8ucal evidence was coming.
- God just said it was coming, and hebelieved it THAT MUCH!
- Abraham went to a land and city HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT because he’d never seen it before.
- He went to a place he TRUSTED GOD existed.
- They had a child when his body and his wife’s was as good as dead as far as parenting children was concerned.
- What they SAW was so contrary to what God SAID, because their bodies were physical un-reproductive.
- But that did not stop him for believing they would parent a son.
Heb 11:17-22 KJV By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up
Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only
begotten son, (18) Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall
thy seed be called: (19) Accounting that God was able to
raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a
figure. (20) By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau
concerning things to come. (21) By faith Jacob, when he was
a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon
the top of his staff. (22) By faith Joseph, when he died,
made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave
commandment concerning his bones.
Isaac was offered, the only physical son God would give him many
nations through, because Abraham stopped worrying about what he could
see – like a dead son.
- How could he get many nations from the only son he had being killed?
- Well, if he believed he could HAVE A SON when his and his
wife’s bodies were reproductively DEAD, then he could believe God
to resurrect Isaac and father many nations if God asked for him to be
killed.
- Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau about things that were to come AND COULD NOT BE SEEN A THE PRESENT.
- Jacob did the same.
- Joseph told Israel to take his bones to Canaan long before they even wanted to leave.
- JOSEPH KNEW without seeing it that they would return BECAUSE GOD SAID SO.
And this is …
2Co 5:7 KJV (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
We live by what we believe and not by what we see.
- The reason we’re saying this is because everything Paul
says about walking after the Spirit is walking BY WHAT WE DO NOT SEE!
- It’s by what we BELIEVE.
- BY FAITH.
- So when you read about walking after the Spirit in Romans 8, you
are being told to LIVE A DIFFERENT LIFE without any VISIBLE PROOF of
why you should, but just because GOD SAID IT!
Rom 8:5-7 KJV For they that are after the flesh do mind the
things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of
the Spirit. (6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to
be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the
carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of
God, neither indeed can be.
This is after we read:
Rom 6:3-11 KJV Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized
into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (4)
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as
Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have
been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in
the likeness of his resurrection: (6) Knowing this, that
our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. (7) For
he that is dead is freed from sin. (8) Now if we be dead
with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
(9) Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him. (10) For in that he
died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto
God. (11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We need to LIVE a life based upon these TRUTHS THAT YOU CANNOT SEE.
Rom 6:13 KJV Neither yield ye your members as instruments of
unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that
are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God.
We will DO THIS in verse 13 if we really believe these things.
- And we will not be condemned about ourselves!
- We will know we’re alive from the dead and fit for God to use us!
And if we CHANGE THE WEAY WE LOOK AT OURSELVES AND LIVE because of learning these things, then we are WALKING AFTER THE SPIRIT.
- If you look down on yourself and are always condemned, then you are not actually believing what God said here.
- You are not walking after the Spirit.
- This will cause you to die and kill you, just like Paul described in Romans 7.It is eating the fruit of life when you live a life based upon just believing the truths about your resurrection from the dead!
When Israel walked AFTER THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, it was a picture of walking after the Spirit.
Jos 6:1-10 KJV Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the
children of Israel: none went out, and none came in. (2)
And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand
Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
(3) And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go
round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. (4)
And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams'
horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and
the priests shall blow with the trumpets. (5) And it shall
come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and
when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with
a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the
people shall ascend up every man straight before him. (6)
And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take
up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets
of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD. (7) And he said
unto the people, Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is
armed pass on before the ark of the LORD. (8) And it came
to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests
bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD,
and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD
followed them. (9) And the armed men went before the
priests that blew with the trumpets, and the rereward came after the
ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
(10) And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not
shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word
proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye
shout.
They SAW THE WALLS that made their parents afraid 39 years before.
- And they had to follow the Ark around those walls and NOT SAY
ANYTHING like their fathers saw them and complained and spread doubt
everywhere.
- You have to be able to SEE BAD THINGS HAPPEN, and NOT SPRREAD COMPLAINT AND DOUBT when you see them.
- And keep following the Spirit!
- Follow the Ark!
Num 13:27-28 KJV And they told him, and said, We came unto the
land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and
honey; and this is the fruit of it. (28) Nevertheless the
people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and
very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.
Num 13:33 KJV And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak,
which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers,
and so we were in their sight.
SIGHT SIGHT SIGHT!
2Co 5:7 KJV (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
See yourself in the mirror and DO NOT COMPLAIN AND SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HOW BAD YOU ARE.
- See your situation and SAY NOTHING BAD.
- UNTIL you get over it.
And when Israel did shout, look why:
Jos 6:16 KJV And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the
priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for
the LORD hath given you the city.
Jos 6:20 KJV So the people shouted when the priests blew with the
trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the
trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell
down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight
before him, and they took the city.
The walls fell AFTER the shout.
- They were TOLD the Lord gave them the city and not one wall fell, and they had to shout since it was theirs!
- That is SPEAKING FAITH not COMPLAINT.