Building up believers and the New Testament church
Did You Receive When You Believed?
Walking in the Spirit
"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25). It seems that there is a misconception among many, that once we receive the Spirit we are now "spiritual." An attitude of "Now I've got it and can rest easy" has misled many and brought confusion and harm to others. It is clear in the scripture that one who has begun in the Spirit is only a babe in Christ, and now the focus is to walk in the Spirit and grow up into maturity as a son or daughter of God. We must begin, and we must also continue.
The Galatians are an example of believers that began but did not continue to walk in the Spirit. Paul says that they received the Spirit and also knew a supply of the Spirit. But for some reason they allowed themselves to be misled and brought to such a serious condition that Paul said they had been "severed from Christ and fallen from grace" (see Galatians 5:4).
The Corinthian church is another example in the scriptures that shows that believers can receive the Spirit and yet be unspiritual in their expression. Paul said that these believers came behind in no spiritual gift, yet he spoke to them as "babes in Christ" and "carnal" or fleshly. Being alive to God is essential to the pathway of spiritual maturity, but it is no guarantee that we will continue to the end. If we see that clearly, it answers many questions that seem to have hindered many when considering the baptism in the Spirit.
Brothers and sisters, the main question we are addressing in this short exhortation is whether a believer automatically receives the Spirit when they believe in Jesus. We have briefly touched on related issues and questions, hoping to encourage you to press into God past every hindrance. I hope this is enough to show that nothing in our relationship with God is automatic. Every step is a step of faith, looking to God, hearing God, believing His word, and obeying Him in all things. If we want to justify our current understanding or condition, I think we can always find a way. But such an attitude will hinder our progress. Spiritual progress only comes by continually seeking God for a fuller experience of His grace in all aspects of our lives.
Here is the attitude Paul had near the end of his life and ministry: "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind" (Phil. 3:7-16).
May God find this same mind in each one of us today. If this is true of us, we will press past every hindrance to experience the fullness that God has made available to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us go on! The door is open and the time is short.