Walking in the Spirit

[Paul James]

28 minutes ago, Josheb said:

Relevance? 

As I have pointed out, Jesus and Paul set the standard about walking in the Spirit.

It is more than just living a moral life and attending church on Sundays, talking the religious talk and subscribing to the "correct" doctrine.   It is having the same anointing of the Spirit that Jesus and Paul had.  Anyone who claims to be walking in the Spirit and who does not come up to Jesus' and Paul's standard, cannot back up their claims with actual demonstration.

Jesus said that the works He did we would do also, even greater works because He went to the Father.  That is the essence of walking in the Spirit.   If one cannot do the works that Jesus did, and the greater works, then he or she is not walking in the Spirit as Jesus intended for every Christian believer.

For the majority of those who claim to be filled with the Spirit, there is no evidence of it, so are they really filled with the Spirit, or are they just involved in wishful thinking and pretense?

[Paul James]

4 hours ago, popsthebuilder said:

Deny self

Give

Be compassionate

Be sincere

Serve others

Would not walking in the Spirit be known according to ones doings? What is akin to the fruit of the Spirit?

Love (Greek: agape, Latin: caritas)

Joy (Greek: chara, Latin: gaudium)

Peace (Greek: eirene, Latin: pax)

Patience (Greek: makrothumia, Latin: longanimitas)

Kindness (Greek: chrestotes, Latin: benignitas)

Goodness (Greek: agathosune, Latin: bonitas)

Faithfulness (Greek: pistis, Latin: fides)

Gentleness (Greek: prautes, Latin: modestia)

Self-control (Greek: enkrateia, Latin: continentia)

Plus, do the works that Jesus did under the anointing of the Spirit.

[Waggles]

Well said @Paul James for this is what we all have in our Pentecostal fellowship: testimonies.

Testimonies to the power of God by His spirit transforming our lives, and to miracles and healings; laying hands on the sick and seeing miraculous healings.

In Papua New Guinea where people are much more childlike and faithful (without doctors and hospitals) there are several documented testimonies to the dead being raised up when the saints have prayed in tongues for such. 

Praying in tongues is an integral part of walking in the Spirit because it permits a disciple to yield unto the Spirit and to come boldly before the throne of grace. Praying in tongues delivers many miracles and blessings.

The mind and nature of God and spiritual beings is infinitely way above our mere mortal comprehension [have you created a universe from nothing?]. So why not the spiritual language of God and the angels be beyond our comprehension. 

1Co 14:2  For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

1Co 13:1  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Edited January 31, 2021 by Waggles

[Paul James]

58 minutes ago, Josheb said:

You got scripture for that? 

Neither you, me, nor anyone else here is Jesus and none of us can live up to the standard of sinlessness he set. None of us were conceived by the Holy Spirit in our mother's wombs. When scriptures says we are to be like Christ that has context. Neither are any of us apostles. Paul didn't even live up to Paul's standards! How then could he possibly have come up to Jesus'?

Paul did however know how to answer the question, "What do you think 'walking in the Spirit' means?" without appeals to 20th century sectarian practices, requiring tongues, or commenting about whether or not most do or don't and indicting the majority of believers. Help me understand how criticizing others helps answer the op's inquiry. 

I've already quoted the relevant Scriptures describing the anointing that Jesus had, and Paul being a follower of Jesus and proved his walk in the Spirit by demonstrating the works that Jesus did in the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you are unable to believe the Scriptures I quoted, then even someone demonstrating the power of the anointing of the Holy Spirit in healing the sick, casting out demons, and effectively getting conversions to Christ through the preaching of the gospel would not convince you.   But such a person would be very difficult to find in today's religious environments.

[Paul James]

54 minutes ago, Waggles said:

Well said @Paul James for this is what we all have in our Pentecostal fellowship: testimonies.

Testimonies to the power of God by His spirit transforming our lives, and to miracles and healings; laying hands on the sick and seeing miraculous healings.

In Papua New Guinea where people are much more childlike and faithful (without doctors and hospitals) there are several documented testimonies to the dead being raised up when the saints have prayed in tongues for such. 

Praying in tongues is an integral part of walking in the Spirit because it permits a disciple to yield unto the Spirit and to come boldly before the throne of grace. Praying in tongues delivers many miracles and blessings.

The mind and nature of God and spiritual beings is infinitely way above our mere mortal comprehension [have you created a universe from nothing?]. So why not the spiritual language of God and the angels be beyond our comprehension. 

1Co 14:2  For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.

1Co 13:1  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Yes!

Even unconverted religious hypocrites can display conduct similar to the fruit of the Spirit.  They can emulate all the instructions involving love in 1 Corinthians 13.  In fact, they can appear to be more holy, moral, passionate, and committed to their church than most genuine converts.   But their so called "walk in the Spirit" is all concentrated on self (Look at me.  I'm walking in the Spirit!).

A true walk in the Spirit involves displaying the fruit of the Spirit and the attributes of love, but includes a genuine compassion for the lost and for sick and disabled people.  They not only comply with the first part of Paul's instruction, "Pursue love", but they go on to follow the second part of his instruction: "Desire Spiritual gifts".

Religious hypocrites are concerned with being the models of piety to attract the praise of men, so that others will praise them for their wonderful "walk in the Spirit".  And so they are satisfied with the praise of men.

True converts walking in the Spirit are more concerned about making disciples for Christ and seeking God for the best ways of achieving this through the best resources the Holy Spirit can provide.  They don't care whether others misunderstand them, or even persecute or reject them, because the praise of men is irrelevant to them.  They want to be faithful servants of the Lord by building themselves up in their faith by praying in the Spirit, interceding for the lost, seeking the power of the Holy Spirit to get sick people healed, and those in bondage to demon activity set free.  They are the ones who are prepared to go to the most difficult mission fields, place themselves in harm's way, or like Guy Bevington, the Methodist circuit preacher at the turn of the 20th Century who deliberately went to the poorest communities in the Cincinnati area to bring the gospel and divine healing to them, without asking for financial support from them because he saw that they had barely enough to support their own families to be able to support his ministry.  He spent three weeks in a hollow log in the forest, fasting and praying, while squirrels fed him nuts to keep him from starving,  until he got a vision that the Holy Spirit was going to save a whole school house full of lost souls, and when he went and preached to them, that is exactly what happened. That is what I call walking in the Spirit. 

When I compare myself with committed preachers like that, I know that I am far from being able to walk in the Spirit as Jesus would have me to.  All I can do is to encourage people to get before God and mean business with Him until He shows them a vision of what He wants them to do, and to give them the power to go out and do it to glorify Christ.

[Justin Adams]

11 hours ago, Waggles said:

What is it then

Two things then, or perhaps three...

Why does the spirit sanctify the Roman sun-day when you meet and not the Sabbath.

And does the spirit sanction your criticism of a fellow believer?

In your words, perhaps you do gravely err yourself.

You repeat 'let all things be done unto edifying'. Do you really think your critical posts are edifying and encouraging others?

[Justin Adams]

8 hours ago, Riverwalker said:

There is one church, and its head is Christ and its manual is the bible. 

Some of what you say is correct I think. After the first century, all the crap that was now the new Christian Normal came into play and the Spirit went on vacation.

After Qumran we have a far more accurate set of scriptures, but prior to that the protestant canon was forced upon us all and the LXX was frowned upon.

If you read Smith Wigglesworth, you might get a hint of God's ideas for the church, but these events are few and far between as the mega-pastors take over the air-waves and drown out most voices. I attach an interesting document.

CharismaticRenewalinBritain.pdf

[Paul James]

8 minutes ago, Justin Adams said:

Some of what you say is correct I think. After the first century, all the crap that was now the new Christian Normal came into play and the Spirit went on vacation.

After Qumran we have a far more accurate set of scriptures, but prior to that the protestant canon was forced upon us all and the LXX was frowned upon.

If you read Smith Wigglesworth, you might get a hint of God's ideas for the church, but these events are few and far between as the mega-pastors take over the air-waves and drown out most voices. I attach an interesting document.

CharismaticRenewalinBritain.pdfUnavailable

I'm glad you mention Smith Wigglesworth, because I believe that he stands by far head and shoulder above everyone else as being the best example of a genuine Pentecostal whose faith God Himself honoured on a regular basis with amazing healings.  His writing on the gifts of the Spirit are second to none, and it is a pity that modern Pentecostals and Charismatics have departed from his sound teaching.

[Waggles]

1 hour ago, Justin Adams said:

Do you really think your critical posts are edifying and encouraging others?

It is referred to as defending the gospel once delivered to the saints.

But people who live in glass houses ought not to throw stones.

Posting critical posts is also done by you and many others.

As for the Sabbath that is now achieved when we pray and walk in the Spirit as we now rest from our own works.

[Riverwalker]

18 minutes ago, Waggles said:

It is referred to as defending the gospel once delivered to the saints.

But people who live in glass houses ought not to throw stones.

Posting critical posts is also done by you and many others.

As for the Sabbath that is now achieved when we pray and walk in the Spirit as we now rest from our own works.

So your justification for critical posts is that everyone does it?  Seems a bit odd.