Spirit-Life!

Spirit-Life!

If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit]. GALATIANS 5:25 AMP

Today's extract starts with a big IF. We call God nice; which is of course true. He does not force Himself on anyone; he wants us to come to Him of our own accord. He lays down the choices available, and because He is nice, he limits us to only 2 choices. If you check out the verses before the one above, you find the contention between the old man and the new man. It has been the contention since the days of Adam and Eve, and remains the same till today.

The IF signifies the room for consideration and then a decision and action. It means that there is first a choice, an action that naturally follows, then consequences. The choice is a matter of control; who have you submitted to? Who is in charge of your life? Who pulls the strings? Who do you answer to and whose name do you bear? Who is the most obvious influence on your life that people cannot but notice? When you have a clear and definite answer, then the actions that must follow will shine through. The IF changes form as soon as you make a choice; then the eternal consequences of your choice kicks in.

Your daily life and walk will make your choice obvious. Your daily life is a mirror of the choice you have made. There is no sitting on the fence on this one; there is even no fence. If the Spirit will be the guard, He has to have total control. If the flesh is in control, you can bet that there will be no roon for the Spirit. Both are parallel lines that can NEVER meet, no matter how much you stretch either. Walking with God will impact your integrity, which is first an inner conviction, then your character which people view as a result of constant interaction with you and of moral courage, which shows a consistent lifestyle. The morals come last; integrity comes first. The inner controls the outer.

The Holy Spirit is the enabler; the power and the strength behind these right decisions. I need Him if I must walk in line with God's expectations. If my talk will match my walk, the Holy Spirit is the only person approved by God to initiate and also sustain that consistency. So, the big question is: Do I have the Holy Spirit in me? Is He the one in charge or am I the one pulling the strings myself? Deep questions; eternal consequences. His time of favour is here.