Lesson:  Walk in the Spirit

Walking in the Spirit is a result of knowing that God is our Abba Father.  Our responses throughout the day are responses to His Fatherhood. 

Abba is Aramaic for “father.” It is not a spiritual or theological word, though most of us learned it from the Bible. On a flight, I once sat behind a family with young kids; the kids talked almost constantly to their dad, calling him Abba. It was precious, because he responded to them so kindly, and they seemed to enjoy the adventure of flying together. 

It is the Spirit of Jesus in us who gives us permission to call Him Abba, Father, and the boldness to relate to him like we’re his children.

By the Holy Spirit, we follow Jesus, who obeys the Father. (John 5:19-20) 

‭‭Read John 5:19-20

When Jesus calls us, he says, “Follow Me,” but following Jesus in a literal, physical sense is not possible, so we follow the lead of the Spirit. 

“Sometimes the Holy Spirit guides us in ways that are dramatic and supernatural. At other times He works through a nudge or a whisper. We must be open to both. If we are not open to the supernatural, we set arbitrary limits to God’s plan for our lives.” -Derek Prince

Walking in the Spirit is not a spooky, mystical, “follow the glitter cloud” kind of thing. In so many ways it is very simple and straightforward. Yes, it is spiritual, and it is supernatural, but in my experience, I have gone to two extremes: I overcomplicate it to the point of paralyzation, hoping for a dramatic lightning strike to show me what to do next, or the other extreme of diluting walking in the Spirit to a list of things I must do or not do. 

Walking in the Spirit is evident in the fruit of a life that is surrendered to the will of our Father. When we are more captivated by the reality of being part of God’s family than we are in trying to prove our own place or righteousness, we will have less inclination to follow the desires of the flesh. (Gal 5:13-26) 

Read Galatians 5:13-26

When we were children, each of us behaved like we belonged to our very own family. We acted differently than some of our friends did, because we had our own family culture and sentiments and understandings. We might not have always acted like our mother would have liked, but we knew who we belonged to and our choices were informed by the vantage point of our own upbringing and place in our community, for better or worse.

When we belong to God through trusting Jesus, the Bible says we were adopted into His family. We’re not just added on as an afterthought. We’re given full status as one who will receive the benefits of the Father’s household. 

If this mighty, good, loving, personal, trustworthy Father is the One to whom we belong, we can hold our heads up high. We are chosen, accepted, loved, redeemed, forgiven, purposeful, and endowed with power, (Ephesians 1:3-9), and this is how a child of God is allowed, even exhorted, to walk.

Walking in the Spirit is living life with the full confidence that we belong to God. What a wonder, that we could be called the children of God, but that is what we are! (Read 1 John 3:1)

We are not on the same level as Jesus, who was fully God and yet also fully man. But we are with Him, in Him, and united together through Him. (Read John 17:20-23)

When Jesus was grown and it was time for Him to start His ministry, He went to be baptized. As He came up out of the water, Scripture says the Spirit of God appeared on Him in bodily form,  like a dove. And then a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Read Matt 3:13-4:1 and Luke 3:21-22) He walked in the knowledge of the approval of His Father, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is with us to affirm the Sonship of Jesus and to free us from anything that resists acknowledging that we, too, belong to the family of God. The Holy Spirit allows us to call Him not only Lord, God, Creator, Shepherd, and King, but also Father.

(Contributor CC)