By mere deductive reasoning, all those who walk after the flesh are condemned. Most would not accept condemnation regardless of how they live, but Paul writes: Rom 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” If you are walking after the Spirit, there is no condemnation. If you are striving to follow the leading of the Lord, there is no castigation, but to walk after the Spirit one must be subject to the things of the Spirit. It’s a total submission of the human will. It is guarding the eyes, the tongue, and the desires of the flesh. Paul rebuked the church at Corinth by saying: 1 Cor. 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?” Paul defined carnality by envy, strife, and, divisions.
I know this sounds lofty, but the world has grown so dark it is often difficult for the church to grasp these landmark teachings. There is a fight between Flesh and Spirit; Light and Darkness; Truth and Lies. We are in a battle with our flesh and the only way to overcome is to walk after the Spirit. Before we speak, we must ask, “Is this wholesome?” Before we act, we must ask, “Is this godly?” Before we accept the concepts of the world, we must inquire of the scripture. Because walking after the Spirit is a daily pursuit, not an event. It’s not accomplished at a church service or a momentary high. Paul believed that the subject affected all the saints. To the Galatians he said; Gal 5:16 “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. To the church in Ephesus, Eph 4:17 :that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,”
It’s time for us to Walk after the Spirit. It’s time for us to live what we profess and practice what we believe. After all, we are the children of the Light.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole