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Post by dominiquerhines on Mar 17, 2020 12:56:59 GMT
What does walking in the Spirit actually mean? How do you tell and show someone how to do it, what it means to do it? I ununderstand that we must bear the good fruit of the Spirit in Galations 5 and be like Jesus, but what does that actually mean?
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Post by catcooper1996 on Mar 20, 2020 21:10:07 GMT
I don't really know what you mean more specifically. But all I know is I have dialogues all the time with the Holy Spirit. I am at a training center in Scotland for addictions (its twelve steps, for alcohol) and He tells me all the time, "Pay attention." when I start to get bored or think about something else. It's like I can actually hear Him snap His finger at me. Gets my attention really quickly. I don't always listen but I try. I think at least at this point in my life that 'walking in the spirit' means just being led by the Spirit moment by moment. He is loving but sometimes strict, but I know I need that. I feel like an emotional five year old only wanting to do what my feelings tell me. But like a father picks up his child when she is crying, He comforts me. And He reprimands me when necessary. And when I say, "I am angry," He asks me, "Why?" and, "Is there anything I can do to help?" "Let's go and take a walk and talk about it." "It's ok to feel that way." Long story short 2019 has been an extremely traumatic year for me. This is partly what led to the heavy drinking. I told the Lord honestly that I still don't fully trust Him and I am scared of letting a lot of emotions go and giving my will over to Him (even though I know that is best). He told me to make a lists of desires that I have. I often am very angry lately, emotional roller coaster, but when I am angry I feel like I cannot let it go. He wanted me to right down the list of things that I want so that I could write down when He fulfilled them, to teach me to trust Him again. I know not everything on my list will be fulfilled and it may not be fulfilled at all for a long time. But I m writing it. Sorry that I blabbed on and on. I have not been on here in a while and I have missed it.
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Post by dominiquerhines on Mar 20, 2020 23:40:02 GMT
I understand. This helps me to see better than before. Thanks a lot friend (catcooper1996). :-)
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Post by Jeff G on Mar 25, 2020 21:15:36 GMT
OK, so Galatians 5:16 talks about walking in the Spirit, and the rest of that passage gives more details about what it should look like. But it seems like you've already looked at that. First of all, we should stay filled with the Spirit, and we should do this on an ongoing basis (Eph. 5:18). Various things can help us to stay filled, such as prayer and worship, but perhaps the simplest is to just ask - " how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13). And maybe this video from Doug will be helpful regarding keeping your cup full.
Now lets go over to Romans 8, because in verse 4 we find similar language to walking in the Spirit - "walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." As we continue in the passage, it's talking about setting our minds on the things of the Spirit rather than on the things of the flesh. So it seems like our attention and our thoughts should be on spiritual matters. Because the flesh has desires/lusts of its own (Gal. 5:17), and these are contrary to the Spirit. By staying full of the Spirit, and setting our minds on the things of the Spirit, that should help us to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13). (Perhaps catcooper1996 could provide some insight on Romans 8, since in a different thread you mentioned it's one of your favorite chapters) Since we're talking about setting the mind on things of the spirit rather than on the flesh, this brings to mind Colossians 3:2 - " Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." The rest of the passage (Col. 3:1-17) should provide more detail about this. OK, I think I'll leave it there for now. I hope this helps.
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Post by dominiquerhines on Mar 29, 2020 14:15:38 GMT
OK, so Galatians 5:16 talks about walking in the Spirit, and the rest of that passage gives more details about what it should look like. But it seems like you've already looked at that. First of all, we should stay filled with the Spirit, and we should do this on an ongoing basis (Eph. 5:18). Various things can help us to stay filled, such as prayer and worship, but perhaps the simplest is to just ask - " how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13). And maybe this video from Doug will be helpful regarding keeping your cup full.
Now lets go over to Romans 8, because in verse 4 we find similar language to walking in the Spirit - "walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." As we continue in the passage, it's talking about setting our minds on the things of the Spirit rather than on the things of the flesh. So it seems like our attention and our thoughts should be on spiritual matters. Because the flesh has desires/lusts of its own (Gal. 5:17), and these are contrary to the Spirit. By staying full of the Spirit, and setting our minds on the things of the Spirit, that should help us to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom. 8:13). (Perhaps catcooper1996 could provide some insight on Romans 8, since in a different thread you mentioned it's one of your favorite chapters) Since we're talking about setting the mind on things of the spirit rather than on the flesh, this brings to mind Colossians 3:2 - " Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." The rest of the passage (Col. 3:1-17) should provide more detail about this. OK, I think I'll leave it there for now. I hope this helps. It does. I realize that if I ask and believe in faith, that God would not only write His laws on my heart, but show me their applications.
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