Ethical Walk

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Ga 5:25 AV)

Walking in the Spirit is defined as crucifying the affections and lusts of the flesh in the previous verse of our passage.  Although this is not the only manifestation of walking in the Spirit, it is the manifestation Paul mentions in the context of our passage.  What we want to dwell on for our devotions today is living verses walking in the Spirit and why living in the Spirit requires the ethical practice of walking in the Spirit. 

 This concept is actually a very easy one to understand.  Living in the Spirit here means born again.  We are made spiritually alive by the ministry of the Holy Spirit and therefore, we are alive, or have our life in, the Spirit.  Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin which separated us from God.  This separation is referred to as death.  When Christ paid the penalty of our sin, He reconciled the world unto Himself.  He opened the door that we might personally be reconciled to the Creator God who desires to fellowship with us.  The evidence of that reconciliation is regeneration by the Spirit promised by Christ before He ascended on high.  This life we no have, we have by the power of the Spirit.  We have our life in the Spirit.  Or, we live in the Spirit.

 But living is not really living.  Living could be reduced to mere existing.  Just because our hearts are beating doesn’t mean we are really alive.  More than this, those who give us the life we enjoy are owed something in return.  If our mother and father were used of the Creator to give us life, then we owe them to a certain degree.  As children living at home, we owe them obedience.  As adults, we still owe them honor.  This is the ethical thing to do.  In the same vein, if it is the Spirit that gives us life, then we owe it to Him to walk in Him.  Not merely spiritually exist in Him.

 Years ago, there was this commercial of a family going on vacation.  There was Mom and Dad, an eight to ten-year-old son, and a teenage daughter.  The commercial started out be expounding on the attitude of a teenager bent on not having any fun because it might seem childish or even worse, conforming to expectations.  There were three or four shots of activities that showed her folding her arms refusing to grant even the slightest smile.  Then, over time, she broke down and participated in communing with her family.  This is how we are as believers.  We take advantage of the life we have been granted in Christ by the Spirit, but we refuse to live according to the expectations of that life.  This is unethical, dishonest, immature, and downright selfish.  If we have the life of Christ in us by the Spirit’s ministry, then we owe it to Him to walk in Him as well.