Friday, 6^th January 2023

Pastor Alex Buabeng-Korsah

TOPIC: WALK IN THE SPIRIT (PART 2)

THEME SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:9

 

PREPARATORY QUESTIONS:

1. Now you have received the Holy Spirit how have you been living with Him?

2. Has anything changed in your life since you received the Holy Spirit of God?

For a man to walk in the Spirit he must also be in the spirit. You can’t walk in a realm in which you are not resident (or present). So our critical question today is this - "How then can I be in the Spirit to walk in the Spirit?"

Our theme scripture tells us how. It says that you are not in the flesh but you are in the Spirit if so be (as long as) the Spirit of God dwells in you. This means if a man has the Holy Spirit indwelling him, he is a man in the Spirit. Does it mean then that the first step towards walking in the Spirit is knowing and receiving the Holy Spirit? Yes, and the second step is being conscious of this one thing – as long as the Holy Spirit is in me I am in the Spirit; I live in the Spirit (Gal 5:25). Praise God!

Further, you will agree that man lives by choices and we walk (or pursue life) by our choices. We are where we are in life today by the combined choices we have made over the years. To follow or walk after the Spirit is also to make spiritual choices or (the Spirit’s choices). To summarize the theme scripture for today’s devotion, walking in the Spirit also means making spiritual choices daily.

This brings to mind another question – I have received the Holy Ghost, and I am now conscious of the fact that I am in the Spirit. How can I know whether my choices are spiritual?

To know whether your daily walk or choices are spiritual, always measure them against the fruit of the Spirit, which is love. Now, the kind of love the Spirit produces in the believer is expressed in various ways such as joy (that overflows), peace (that subdues), longsuffering (accommodating others' shortcomings), gentleness (tenderhearted towards others even if they are not Christians), goodness, meekness (or humility), temperance (self-restrained or self-control) and faith that prevails (Gal 5:22). If whatever I am saying, doing, or the decisions I am making does not produce or engender love in its varied expression, then I have missed the expected mark of walking in the spirit.

The Spirit of God in us wants us to love everybody, including our enemies (Matt 5:43-48) and He has given us the capacity to love everyone including our enemies (Rom 5:5). If my thoughts, actions and pretence are to seek vengeance on an enemy (or someone who has hurt us), I am not walking in the Spirit. Let us, therefore, walk in the Spirit from today going forward, so everyone will know that we are the children of God, and that we're perfect in our ways. Glory to God.

 

FURTHER READING – 1 John 2:6, Galatians 5:22-24

 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD:

1. Should we pray against our friends, work colleagues and relatives who do not like us, and have purposed to hurt us?
2. What are some of the things you do that you realize now that they are not of the Spirit?

 

CONFESSION

Precious Father, thank you for the cardinal gift of the Holy Spirit of God, who dwells in me. I affirm that I am full of the Holy Spirit of God, being led day by day by His voice, promptings and directions. Today, I am guided by the Spirit of God and am responding to His leadership undeniably. So then, I can only bear fruits to the Glory of God this day, in Jesus' Precious Name. Amen

 

1-Year Bible Reading Plan

Genesis 11; Genesis 12; Psalm 14; Psalm 15; Psalm 16; Matthew 8;