Thank you, sets777, for such a thoughtful and Scripture-filled response! I really appreciate how you’ve highlighted the assurance of life in the Spirit and the importance of walking in the light through repentance and faith. The way you connected David’s repentance to our daily walk with Christ is such a powerful reminder of God’s mercy and grace.
I found 1 John 1:5-7 especially encouraging, where it says that if we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. It’s such a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness as we strive to stay close to Him.
I’d love to hear your thoughts—what do you think are some practical ways we can “walk in the Spirit” daily, as Paul encourages in Galatians 5:24-25?
My thoughts are on how Paul, in the previous verses before "
Galatians 5:24-25," describes the ways Christians walk in the Spirit and those Christians who are instead walking in the flesh as follows:
Galatians 5:13-25 (NIV)
Paul addressing and admonishing born-again believers who have the Spirit
13 You,
my brothers and
sisters, were called to
be free. But do
not use your
freedom to
indulge the flesh; rather,
serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “
Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say,
walk by the Spirit, and
you will
not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 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.
You are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
I warn you [
Christians],
as I did before, that those who live like this will
not inherit the kingdom of God.
22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its
passions and
desires. 25 Since
we [Christians]
live by the Spirit, let us
keep in step with the Spirit.
Lord Jesus describes, and gives us examples, of the ways we walk in the Spirit, which is the way of love, and by which we manifest that we possess eternal life as follows:
Matthew 25:31-46 (WEB)
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. 36 I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
40 “The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’
45 “Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’ 46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
In addition, I cannot think of a better way to share the love of God to others then, in humbleness of heart and wisdom, we share the Gospel with others in the way God himself reveals it to us in the NT, so they also may be saved. Sharing well thought out Gospel tracts are good ice-breakers when approaching others to share the Gospel. I like the Christian tracts by Chick.com because of the illustrations.
1 Peter 3:15 Be ready to make a scholarly [
well thought out] defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect
Sharing the Gospel must always include a call to repentance for our sins to be blotted out, because without repentance, faith is disingenuous, and so, faith without repentance is not the kind of faith God seeks or grants eternal life.
Luke 24:46-47 (ESV) 46 “Thus it is written, that the Christ should
suffer and on the
third day rise from the
dead [
the Gospel], 47 and that
repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to
all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Acts 3:19 … 19 “
Repent therefore, and
be converted [
sanctified], that your
sins may be blotted out
Acts 20:20-21 … 20 I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you
publicly and from
house to house, 21 testifying both to
Jews and to
Greeks repentance toward God, and
faith toward our Lord Jesus [
sanctification].
Acts 26:20 ...
I declared first in
Damascus, at
Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of
Judea, and also
to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and
turn to God [
turn from darkness to light by the Gospel]
doing works worthy of repentance. [
sanctification]
2 Corinthians 7:10 (WEB) 10 For
godly sorrow produces
repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.
By this repentant faith, God indwells us by His Spirit to give true believers eternal life.
Acts 2:37-38 … 37 Now when they heard this, they were
cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers,
what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “
Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness of sins, and
you will
receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
Acts 5:32 (KJV) 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
John 14:15-17 (Young’s Literal Translation) 15 `If you love me, keep my commands, 16 and I will ask the Father, and another Comforter He will give to you, that he may remain with you -- to the age; 17 the Spirit of truth
A true believer is a Christian, which means, he is now a disciple (follower) of Lord Jesus - having died to the old life of sin, and now lives to follow Lord Jesus into a sanctified [
separated] life onto the righteousness of love.
Acts 11:26 The
disciples were first called
Christians in Antioch.
Matthew 10:38 (WEB) 38 He who doesn’t take his cross and follow after me
is not worthy of me.
Matthew 28:19-20 (WEB) 19 Go and
make disciples of all nations
This is "The Faith" of the Gospel by which God chooses to forgive and save the sinner.
Living within are corrupted flesh, and in a corrupt world, is a test of our faith in Lord Jesus. At times, we will stumble, but if the true disciple repents, and continues on the path of Light, then he remains sanctified to God, being cleansed from all sins.
Thank you again for sharing these insights—your post is such a blessing to reflect on! God bless you!
Blessings in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior
