How to Walk

Gal 5:16-18 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

We are not under law, but under grace. We serve in the new way of the Spirit. In what way is it new? We are indwelt by God, a condition that we enter into by placing our faith in the finished work of Christ and continue in as we lay down our own will and submit to the leading of the Spirit. It's different because we don't look at a list of principles and try to do them, but respond rather to the Spirit. Sounds risky, doesn't it. How can I suggest that the Christian life is so subjective?

Really, it isn't that subjective. We have lists of behaviors and attitudes that indicate the shape of the Spirit's leading. He is the spirit of Love, of laying down one's life. That is the master key to discernment. But we are given more than that--we know that murderers, slanderers, and people who live vile lives are not walking in the spirit. We know that Spirit filled lives have real peace, patience, goodness--a wholesomeness. You don't end up breaking the law when you walk in the Spirit, but it is not because you are walking according to the Law.

However, when we decide to walk instead by "Biblical Principle" (read: law), we pick a verse out and ape it, put it on and call it righteousness. Take tithing, for example. We don't have any Levitical priests to support, yet this is preached in their memory, from Malacai. You *don't* see the admonition to bring throw a party in the Lord's presence with the tithe, a la Deuteronomy 14:23. We let working on the Sabbath slide, yet hang on to the rest of the 10 commandments. We chop out the mandate to stone adulterers, and select instead "No smoking." (Oh, wait, I can't find the chapter and verse for that one...) The thing is, Jesus and the apostles didn't chop up and dissect the law. Jesus referred to even the writings of Psalms as "Law." And he extended it even further, to the mind and heart--if you so much as break one bit of the moral code even in your heart, you have shattered the whole thing. You must be perfect. That is the way of the law, it cannot have mercy. It is completely different than the way of the Spirit.

The Spirit gives life, the law kills. The Spirit brings righteousness, the law stirs up sin. The law is independent and self-powered, the Spirit filled life is dependent, humble, and fully empowered by God. There is so much scriptural evidence against mixing these two covenants, I am astounded that so many speak of "balance'' in them. The law *kills*. Why do you want any of that? It leads to sin and death, and not righteousness, why mix with that? Are you really suggesting that the spirit that Jesus sent us is not enough? It raised him from the dead, but can't bring us to holiness? Baffling.