Someone once formed a phrase out of the word Bible - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
In this, one of the various assertions put forth by Romans 5 is the eternal security given the Believer by the Grace of God in His Son's full payment for sin at the Cross.
Because the Believer now has peace with God - as far as God is concerned.
Why?
Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
The Believer now has at-one-ment with God. He or she is now one with Him in His Son.
He or she is now saved from the wrath of God - not through the Believer's life, but through the Son's!
Amazing Grace, indeed!
Romans 6-8 then address various issues centured around the core issue of living under Grace as a son of God in His Son.
It starts that off with the issue of seeing how that given the fact that while you were yet a sinner Christ died for you, and how that upon your having trusted in His death for your sin; you were right then identified by the Spirit as one who has died Christ's death with Him; as one who was buried with Him; and as one who has risen in His newness of life with Him, and are now saved by His life - does this mean that now that you have eternal life, you can live anyway you want?
Its answer?
An emphatic "No!"
The clear implication of Romans 6-8 being that the Spirit's leading and or control in such matters is not automatic.
The clear implication being that the new Believer begins a life-long mind renewal process that obviously, the written Word has a chief role in.
The result being that those three chapters are written towards instruction in said righteousness as to how to Live under Grace.
Romans 12-16 then go into instruction in righteousness centered on the issue of how said mind renewal works through the written Word where learning how to Serve under Grace is concerned.
Obvious throughout is the need to keep one's nose in the written Word, the Spirit inspired those men to write.
Obvious throughout is that the Spirit works in the Believer through His Word resident in the Believer (through the Believer's having invested time in His Word).
Obvious throughout is that the Spirit renews the Believer's mind through His Word.
And that as and when, the Believer walks in said written Word by faith, he or she is walking in the Spirit.
He or she is walking in (an understanding through His Word...of what) the Spirit (would have him or her properly understand and walk in).
That is what walking in the Spirit refers to - to walking in an understanding of His written Word.
It refers to the Believer's having been INSTRUCTED in righteousness and how that works this side of the Cross.
Anything else is vain, or devoid of any real understanding of how God actually works in the Believer and is no better off then the lost praying on Sunday during a half-time that "God help" their "team to win" some sporting event.
Anything else is pagan; is basically idolatry.
Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ; 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Being renewed in the spirit of your mind is the issue.
The spirit of your mind refers to your overall outlook - to where you look at things from in general.
And having been raised in this fallen body in this fallen world; our minds and emotions and all the rest are apt to one thing only - to following the course of this world.
Which is why Believer's confuse "good" with the written Words view of "righteousness."
The issue then, is the issue of the need to constantly be after being just a bit more renewed in one's overall perspective to where the Believer's perspective is that of the Spirit's, as revealed by Him in His written Word.
Note how that even the Lord's earthly parents had had to be brought up to speed by that wonderously precious twelve year old...
Luke 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 2:50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.
Note also, however, how that even that Wondrous Child had had to continue His Own intake and growing in an understanding of the things of the Father...
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
It is in His written Word that the Believer who invests time in His written Word learns "from Jesus" what it is the Believer is to put off, and what it is the Believer is to put on.
The Believer being a New Creature in Christ, it is the written Word that now instructs the Believer in the knowledge of Him that created him in His Son, the moment the Believer believed that Christ died for his or her sin.
Note how that these passages are all INSTRUCTION IN righteousness...and its source - the written Word.
Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
The acting on of which becomes "a cake walk" for the Believer who decides - in any moment - to look at all such issues through the lens of - "in memory of Romans 5: 6-8 - in each our stead!"
Try looking, say, at someone's having offended you - try looking at it and or them - "in memory of Romans 5: 6-8 - in EACH our STEAD..."
Try looking at all issues in light of that understanding there, in Romans 5: 6-8.
God's viewpoint.
Do that...
And you'll be walking - in Him.
You'll be walking in - the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 14:15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
Rom. 5: 6-8.
