Author: Gary Witcher

Christian Walk: By the Same Spirit

     "Did we not walk in the same spirit and walk in the same steps?" Paul asks in 2 Corinthians 12:18.
     Those who are trying to follow the Christian walk will find that they must all be walking in the same spirit and in the same steps.  Men promise that we can follow whatever religious practices we want and still be pleasing to God.  Paul says that this is not true.
     To be pleasing to God we must all walk in the same spirit.
     In the opening verses of 1 Peter, the Holy Spirit describes through the Apostle the genuine beauty of a Christian woman.
     "And let not your adornment be external only-braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, and putting on dresses;" verses 3 and 4 urge, "but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God."
     So walking in the same spirit implies that we will all walk with a gentle and quiet spirit.
     "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ;" Paul admonishes in Philippians 1:27, "so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel."
     Walking in the same spirit means we will be striving for the same purpose: the faith of the gospel.
     "For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again," Paul writes in Romans 8:15, "but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!"
     If we all walk in the same spirit we will all be walking with a spirit of adoption as children of God.
     "But having the same spirit of faith," Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:13, "according to what is written, 'I believed, therefore I spoke,' we also believe, therefore also we speak."
     Walking in the same spirit requires that we walk with the same faith.  Paul states in Ephesians 4:5 that there is but one faith.  And notice from the passage in 2 Corinthians what kind of faith this is.  It is a faith that is based on the word of God, and it is a faith that leads to action.
     Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from hearing.  John 20:30-31 states that our belief is based on what is written.     Luke 16:27-31 teaches that the Bible is the only thing that God will use to cause people to believe.  This passage says that those who will not believe the Bible will not be persuaded even if someone goes to them from the dead.
     Whether we agree or not, 1 Corinthians 1:21 points out that the wisdom of God has selected the preached word as the avenue of salvation.
     And, as we said, this one faith must lead us to action.
     "This is the work of God," Jesus instructs in John 6:29, "that you believe in Him whom He has sent."
     Hebrews 3:18-19 uses the words "disobedient" and "unbelief" interchangeably.  James 2:14-26 states that faith without works is useless and dead.
     So walking in the same spirit means we must walk with a gentle and quiet spirit, for the same purpose, with a spirit of adoption and with the same faith.  This faith must be based on the Bible and must be active.
     The second thing that we notice from 2 Corinthians 12:18 is that we must follow the same steps if we plan on following the same pathway.
     Romans 4:12 suggests that we should follow in the steps of Abraham, the great man of faith.  This passage promises salvation that is not limited to a certain race of people because they are physical descendants of Abraham, but rather to those who are spiritual offspring of the great patriarch through faith.
     "For you have been called for this purpose," 1 Peter 2:21 instructs, "since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps."
     Not only are we to walk in the steps of Abraham by imitating his faith, but we are also to follow in the steps of Jesus by conforming to His example.  The passage in 1 Peter is speaking specifically about Christ's example of humility.  He was abused and mistreated unjustly, yet He did not strike back.  As difficult as it may be, those who want to follow the Christian walk must try to place their feet in these same footprints.

     Walking with Christ or in Christ is obviously a crucial aspect of the Christian walk.
     "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him," Colossians 2:6-8 says, "having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
     "See that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ."
     What does it mean to walk with Christ?  To begin with, we must first be raised up with Him before we can begin this walk.  This is what we are taught in passages such as Romans 6:2-11, Colossians 2:10-14 and Colossians 3:1-10.
     Walking with Christ means we must walk carefully and with love, as we learn in Ephesians 5:1-16.
     "And walk in love," verse two says, "just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us."
     According to 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:16, we must strive to walk with the mind of Christ.  One of the main elements in this passage is the contrast between the so-called wisdom of men and the true wisdom of God.  All too often the religious world follows the former and rejects the latter.
     John 6:66-69 warns that walking with Christ means following Him through hard times.
     If we are to follow the steps of Jesus, we must be ready to walk according to God's directions.
     "Only as the Lord has assigned to each one," Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7:17, "as God has called each, in this manner let him walk."  Romans 12:3-8 and Ephesians 4:4 & 16 stress the same point.
     We must also be prepared to walk in good works, as we learn from Ephesians 2:10.
     "Show yourself to be an example of good deeds," Titus 2:7 teaches.  God's people are zealous for good deeds, according to verse 14 of the same chapter.
     "This is a trustworthy statement," Paul continues in Titus 3:8, "and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds.  These things are good and profitable for men."  Paul adds a similar thought in verse 14.
     Those who walk with Christ must walk in a worthy manner.
     "So that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord," Paul writes in Colossians 1:10, "to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
     At the beginning we noticed that we must all walk by the same spirit.  We went on to observe that we must walk with Christ.  We must begin by being raised up with Christ.  We must walk carefully and with love.  We must develop the mind of Christ and walk with Him through hard times.  We must follow God's directions and devote ourselves to good works.  We must walk in a worthy manner.
     "But the one who says he abides in Him," 1 John 2:6 says of one who would follow Jesus, "ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked."
     All of us are enslaved when we sin and turn away from God.  But God has provided us through His word a single pathway that will lead us back to Him.  He has provided us with a pathway of truth that will set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."