Understanding and Applying our Curriculum (Intro to a NEW Series)

Understanding and Applying our Curriculum

A blessed and prosperous 2025 to all who read this post. 

On the 5th of January 2025, I uploaded the final post in a series of 16 posts concerning, “Understanding Salvation”. This series exposed salvation as a two-step process dealing with justification, explained in Romans 1 to 5 and then followed by sanctification, explained in the last half of Romans 5 through to Romans 8. Writing this series got me thinking about the full extent of the Christian curriculum which is the definitive process that leads a believer from their regeneration through reception of the grace gospel, all the way to being mature sons of God who are ensamples for all who believe and are counted worthy of the Kingdom of God. Romans is the foundational epistle that sets forth the principles of the faith, and the other epistles, Corinthians to Thessalonians, build upon this foundation through reproof, correction, and instructions in righteousness, to lead a believer into maturity in the faith and into honour, glory and profitability in the ages to come.

Since this is the start of a new year and having been inspired by the latest series about salvation, I plan to venture into a long-lasting series aimed at “understanding and applying our curriculum”. This study would be as much for my edification as yours; the posts would reflect the journey and study of the curriculum as I collect, study, and document information in the order it is presented, from basic to advanced, from babe until son, from milk until meat. It is not only the detailed doctrine that I want to learn and apply, but I also want to document the high-level overview of the curriculum. For example, Romans is the foundation to first establish a believer and then stablish base principles within them. Corinthians and Galatians deal with reproof and correction if one violates or veers off course from the principles in Romans. Ephesians starts to build upon that foundation followed by Philippians to Thessalonians which educates one unto sonship. The full curriculum begins with a work of faith, then leads one into a labour of love while teaching one how to be patient in hope for the Lord’s return, 1Th.1:3. It increasingly forms Christ within a believer by replacing the old man with a new creature, the formation of a new man, a spiritual man who grows up and is perfected in the Body of Christ, explained in Ephesians.

People's imaginations concerning 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (Example #4)

People's imaginations concerning 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (Example #4)

This post is written for the sole purpose of illustrating the ignorance of sound doctrine on social media these days. My aim is to emphasize the absolute necessity of studying the Bible for oneself and seeking answers from the source instead of relying on imaginations or opinions given by people, who may be sincere, but are as ignorant as the one who asked the question to start with. 

So, let's begin by stating the question that was asked in the beginning of a social media thread,

QUESTION: "How can Christians catch the Spirit?"

Below is the fourth of a few answers that were supplied to this question on social media. They appear to be sincere but are unfortunately completely false or have parts that are from the imaginations of men who have not sought out the truth in the Word of God. I add comments as to why the answer is wrong and what the Word of God actually says about it.

False Imagination #4

Christians can get the Holy Spirit by letting the love of God shine in their life each day. Love is key. Show love to everyone and the spirit of God will dwell in you!

My comments:

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 16 of 16 - There is therefore now no condemnation)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 16 of 16 - There is therefore now no condemnation)

Brief summary of sanctification

Due to the holidays, there has been a long break between this new post and the previous post in this series. It is fitting therefore to briefly recap the key points from this study before I wrap up with Romans chapter 8.

If you have followed this study, you may recall that Romans 1 to 4 deals with the concepts of justification, a free gift of God to those who choose to believe in the cross work of Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation. Paul then writes a transitional chapter, Romans 5, that rounds off justification and starts to introduce sanctification, the second part of a believer’s full salvation experience. 

The primary purpose of this study is to inform believers of sanctification which is either ignored, or neglected, due to poor spiritual teachings in the modern church. Salvation does not stop at justification. Though justification saves our souls unto eternal life, sanctification is a continuation of salvation that transforms us into living sacrifices for God’s purpose while we occupy this life, Rom.12:1-2, but also saves us from loss, 1Cor.3:15, and towards the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Phil.3:14, in the ages to come: which is a measure of the glory of Christ, Rom.8:18; 1Cor.15:41; 2Cor.3:9; 2Cor.4:17; Eph.1:18; Col.1:27; 1Th.2:12; 2Th.2:14.

Paul elaborates on the concept of sanctification in Romans 6 and 7. I refer to the contents of these two chapters as the definition, or two pillars, of sanctification, which involve the knowledge of being dead to sin and being delivered from the law.

People's imaginations concerning 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (Example #3)

People's imaginations concerning 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (Example #3)

This post is written for the sole purpose of illustrating the ignorance of sound doctrine on social media these days. My aim is to emphasize the absolute necessity of studying the Bible for oneself and seeking answers from the source instead of relying on imaginations or opinions given by people, who may be sincere, but are as ignorant as the one who asked the question to start with. 

So, let's begin by stating the question that was asked in the beginning of a social media thread,

QUESTION: "How can Christians catch the Spirit?"

Below is the third of a few answers that were supplied to this question on social media. They appear to be sincere but are unfortunately completely false or have parts that are from the imaginations of men who have not sought out the truth in the Word of God. After this 'answer', and a few more that I will write about later, I add comments as to why the answer is wrong and what the Word of God actually says about it.

False Imagination #3

To catch the Spirit we need to know what are the commandments that Jesus gave? They are in Matthew 5:3–16 plus the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36–40). Strive to master all of the provisions in the Sermon on the Mount because as you do you will draw closer to God and feel His Spirit more abundantly in your life.

My comments:

People's imaginations concerning 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (Example #2)

People's imaginations concerning 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (Example #2)

This post is written for the sole purpose of illustrating the ignorance of sound doctrine on social media these days. My aim is to emphasize the absolute necessity of studying the Bible for oneself and seeking answers from the source instead of relying on imaginations or opinions given by people, who may be sincere, but are as ignorant as the one who asked the question to start with. 

So, let's begin by stating the question that was asked in the beginning of the thread,

QUESTION: "How can Christians catch the Spirit?"

Below is the second of a few answers that were supplied to this question on social media. They appear to be sincere but are unfortunately completely false or have parts that are from the imaginations of men who have not sought out the truth in the Word of God. After this 'answer', and a few more that I will write about later, I add comments as to why the answer is wrong and what the Word of God actually says about it.

False Imagination #2

You will get the Holy Spirit if and when God Almighty chooses to grant it to you. The fact is most do NOT receive the grant of Holy Spirit, but that is NOT a bad thing.

Born again (baptized/anointed) by Holy Spirit is reserved for just a very few here on earth. This anointing or appointing only is for those who have been selected from among humans by God Almighty HIMSELF to serve in heaven as kings and priest alongside Jesus Christ. They receive a gift of Holy Spirit that assures them that they are HIS adopted children. The number of these is exactly 144,000, no more, no less.

My comments:

People's imaginations concerning 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (Example #1)

People's imaginations concerning 'receiving the Holy Spirit' (Example #1)

This post is written for the sole purpose of illustrating the ignorance of sound doctrine on social media these days. My aim is to emphasize the absolute necessity of studying the Bible for oneself and seeking answers from the source instead of relying on imaginations or opinions given by people, who may be sincere, but are as ignorant as the one who asked the question to start with. 

So, let's begin by stating the question that was asked in the beginning of the thread,

QUESTION: "How can Christians catch the Spirit?"

Below is the first of a few answers that were supplied to this question on social media. They appear to be sincere but are unfortunately completely false or have parts that are from the imaginations of men who have not sought out the truth in the Word of God. After this 'answer', and a few more that I will write about later, I add comments as to why the answer is wrong and what the Word of God actually says about it.

False Imagination #1

If you are a Christian and accept Christ, the Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost is in you. To activate it, you need to do one very important thing: Let the Holy Spirit decide certain life decisions for you. To tell if the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, you will feel some things feel “right”, or some things feel “wrong”. Society sometimes calls it a “gut instinct”. However, in this case, you will feel in your intuition that some things are what God wants you to do, while some just feel off.

My comments:

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 13 - Shall we sin, because we are not under the law)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 13 - Shall we sin, because we are not under the law)

In Romans 6:1-13, Paul teaches us that in a positional (or heavenly) state, we are dead to sin, having been crucified with Christ, and that we need to accept this by faith so that as Christ was resurrected by the power of God, we too can walk in that newness of the resurrection life of Christ. In additional to coming to this understanding concerning sin, we are also introduced to the truth that we are dead to the law by the body of Christ. See these few verses to highlight the fact,

Rom.3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; …  28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. …  

Rom.6:14  For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 

Though Paul expounds on this topic in chapter 7, he starts this topic in chapter 6 with another rhetorical question to counteract and neutralise the reasoning mind of believers, saying, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?”

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 7 - Much more then, being now justified)

Start this lesson series here: 
Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 1)

Understanding the Process of Salvation in Romans (Part 7 - Much more then, being now justified)

If you have been following this study, you should be well aware that we have been looking at justification, which is the first step of the broader term called salvation. Romans 5 is a transitional chapter that moves us out of Romans 1 to 4, concerning justification, and into Romans 6 to 8, which leads us into the beginning of sanctification. 

Word statistics in the KJV helps to confirm this fact because it is interesting to note that if you search for all spelling variants of justification, there are 29 entries scattered about in Paul's epistles. Out of those 29, 25 of them are in Romans and Galatians, and 4 additional entries in the rest of his epistles. In Romans there are 17 matches where 15 are in Romans chapters 1 to 5 and 2 in Romans 8. There are 8 in Galatians, because Paul's letter to them is to do with correcting their wayward understanding of salvation: see Gal.3:2-3. The point I'm making is that the believer is educated in the foundational understanding of justification in Romans, and then corrected in its practice in Galatians. So, barring these two books, Paul never teaches directly about justification again, because a believer, even by the end of Romans 5, should have settled on the truth of justification and moved past this serving of 'milk', into 'meatier' truths in the curriculum of Paul's doctrine.

As mentioned in the closing statements of part 6, I'd like to expound on something important in Paul's closing statements concerning justification. Let's first read the passage and then I want to provide some interesting insights in these verses,

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth [entrusts, commits] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  (9)  MUCH MORE then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be SAVED FROM WRATH through him.  (10)  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, MUCH MORE, being reconciled, we shall be SAVED BY HIS LIFE.  (11)  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Stablished upon 'the faith'

Stablished upon 'the faith'

For what purpose did Paul receive grace and apostleship? For the obedience to the faith. In Romans, his intention is to impart this to those believers so that they may be established. Now, it's crucial to understand: the faith has already been established and cannot be altered. The Book of Romans states its truths. You can’t change it. Romans says what it says, and it did so long before you got here. It is firmly rooted and established. Our responsibility as a believer is to get your faith in line with what has been imparted, made known, and established for us.

Paul clearly tells us that we are to be established in the faith. THE faith! How many denominations are there? One. Certainly not. There are thousands! Well, something is terribly wrong! When you have several Christians and each of them have a different belief, there’s something clearly wrong, because the principles in Romans, and the rest of Paul’s epistles, have been established, written, and taught for two millennia. Paul's ministry was concluded before 70 A.D., approximately 1,950 years ago. This disparity among various denominations is shameful, isn't it? Despite this duration of time, numerous Christian denominations exist. Ask about baptism, and you’ll receive several different doctrines. Inquire how to gain forgiveness or justification with God, and you’ll get several unique answers. Why is there such difference?

From Faith to Faith

From Faith to Faith

Imagine yourself in a small boat in the very middle of the Pacific Ocean, hundreds of miles away from land and people. How will you survive this ordeal? What can save you and what can benefit your salvation? Well, putting your faith in random chance that some ship will cross your path is not going to help. What you need is some form of knowledge that you can trust, that is credible and true and can be actioned out to aid your chances of survival. So, let's say you can draw from this knowledge set. You can navigate by the stars. You can read the nautical charts and understand global coordinates. You can fabricate a rod and hook to catch fish, and you can set up a sail and understand how to use the winds. In this regard, this knowledge can save you and greatly increase the reality of you getting home.

Now let's bring this little analogy into our spiritual lesson. Ignorance is not going to get you far in spiritual matters concerning God and heavenly things. The way to know God, to know His salvation plan, to walk after the Spirit, and to be confident in faith and in the substance of unseen things, is to gain in knowledge of the truth of these matters, to the point of confidence in applying that truth to your life. Having faith in the written Word of God is the only way to get you home in the ages to come.  

Reconciled AND saved by his life are different parts of God's salvation

Reconciled AND saved by his life are different parts of God's salvation

Read this verse in Romans chapter 5 and take special note of the tenses used to describe reconciliation and salvation by his life.

Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Let's take a deeper look at what it is saying:

--being reconciled

Reconciliation is the first part of our salvation. It is the part that the majority of believers understand and relate to. Reconciliation comes about by being justified through the hearing and believing of the grace gospel. In simple terms, Romans chapters 1 to 4 educate us on God's righteousness, man's unrighteousness and ungodliness, God's wrath upon those who reject Him, and God's grace upon those who believe in His Son. It is through this grace of God, by means of the cross of Christ and His resurrection, that God can be just and the justifier of them that believe in Jesus, Rom 3:26. 

This justification was settled 2000-years ago at the cross. God's decree is that those who believe on the cross work of His Son freely receive this justification. This is already done, hence it being past tense. We are given confirmation of this fact in chapter 5, which is the conclusion of chapters 1 to 4. Chapter 5 and verse 1 starts with the word, "Therefore...", which means that we take into account all that was said in chapters 1 to 4, and then we conclude with this:

Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:  (2)  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

What's in your mind? The key to faith and Christian living

What's in your mind? The key to faith and Christian living.

The core of your faith and of Christian living is based upon what's in your mind. Are you operating in a mind that is renewed by the Word of God and based on the principles of spiritual wisdom and truth or are you still functioning with a darkened mind that is based upon worldly knowledge and vanity? That's quite a contrasting picture, not so. Well, let me confirm this with two contrasting scriptures in the epistle of Ephesians that says the same thing.

Eph 4:17-20  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in THE VANITY OF THEIR MIND,  (18)  Having the understanding DARKENED, being alienated from the life of God through the IGNORANCE that is in them, because of the BLINDNESS of their heart:  (19)  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.  (20)  But ye have not so learned Christ;

Paul writes, but you have not so learned Christ. What is it to learn Christ? Well, if the above statement is being without Christ in edification, then what is it to learn Christ? Paul already provided the answer to this question in chapter 1:

Eph 1:17-19  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of him:  (18)  The eyes of your UNDERSTANDING being ENLIGHTENED; that ye MAY KNOW what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,  (19)  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

Fellowship and friendship are good. Praise and worship are important. Prayer and intercession are of great value. But there is something that far exceeds the scope of these activities. It is reading and studying the Word of God. To gain in knowledge of the rightly divided Word is the core of your life and strength. It increases faith, it feeds you with truth, it fills you with God's Spirit, it empowers you to walk worthy of the Lord, it's the armour to war against the enemy. Increasing in knowledge of spiritual truth is the most important, yet the most undervalued activity in most Christian's lives. Let's see what value the Bible places upon this.

The epistle of Romans is the foundation of our faith. Several times in chapters 6 to 8, Paul asks the reader if they know certain things:

• Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
• Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
• Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
• Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
• Rom 7:1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
• Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
• Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

Until you know these things, you are not educated or walking in the principles that stablish your faith and empower you to yield in obedience unto righteousness, delivering you from sin and fruitlessness, Rom 6:16-17. 

What does 'if ye continue in the faith' mean in Col.1:23?

What does 'if ye continue in the faith' mean in Col.1:23?

A lot of people read the verse below and think that it means they can lose their salvation, or more specifically, their reconciliation with God, which is specified in verse 22. Let's take a look at what this passage of scripture is saying.

Col 1:21  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he RECONCILED  (22)  In the body of his flesh through death, TO PRESENT YOU holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:  (23)  IF YE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;  ...  (28)  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may PRESENT every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Note: I have capped certain key words for emphasis. Now, let's work through what Paul wrote and look at the proper context to learn what is really being said here.

"And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he RECONCILED."

Our salvation does not end at the cross! There is MUCH MORE to what Jesus did for us!

His cross marks the start of your salvation, His resurrection is God's power to run the race and win the prize of the high calling of God.

Don't be blinded in your mind by the enemy. Don't remain ignorant and childlike in the faith. Get into the Word of God and let it educate and sharpen you unto the full redemption plan of God and His purpose for your future and vocation in the ages to come. Our Lord's cross marks the start of your salvation; His resurrection is God's power to run the race and win the prize of the high calling of God.

Read this important message here:

https://thebigpictureviews.blogspot.com/2024/09/his-cross-marks-start-of-your-salvation.html

Paul is not the PROBLEM. His doctrine is the SOLUTION

Paul is not the PROBLEM. His doctrine is the SOLUTION

ONLINE COMMENT:

Paul, in attempting to teach, was dis-obeying his Master (Matthew 23:8-10) and has caused more damage to Christ's Mission and Kingdom than anyone else has because all of the "so-called" Christian religions are based on the letters of Paul and NOT on the Teaching of Christ and are therefore THE PROBLEM.

MY REPLY:

You appear to have it backwards. Most of the "so-called" Christian religions teach the Kingdom doctrine and ignore Paul. Everyone is teaching from the four Gospels and rarely venture into the truth of Paul's epistles which is actually the doctrine for the Body of Christ today.

The four Gospels and the Kingdom message that Jesus (and the 12) taught is doctrine for Israel. It is prophetic doctrine specific for the Jews and for their purpose and inheritance in the earthly, Millennial Kingdom. Notice the scriptures below that confirm that Jesus came ONLY for the Jews:

The growth and perfecting of the saints through Paul's doctrine

The growth and perfecting of the saints through Paul's doctrine

1Th.3:12-13  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:  (13)  To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

What makes you unblamable and holy before God is for love to increase and abound in you toward each other and toward all men. The greatest thing for you to know is the love of Christ. Now abideth faith, hope, and love, 1Co.13:13. When Paul wrote Romans, he says, "your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.", Rom.1:8. Then he comes to Ephesians and says: “Since I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints.”, Eph.1:15. And then he comes to Thessalonians and said: “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope.”, 1Th.1:3. Do you see the progression up the curriculum? What you are seeing here is the growth and perfecting of the saint. God is doing a work of faith in us. That work of faith is to teach us the love of Christ, that we may labor outwardly in that love, and then in patience of hope, endure all things in this present world in earnest expectation of the glory that is to come. God gave you our doctrine, Paul's curriculum, to get you ready for that calling" the calling of "us", being the Body of Christ, who is the fulness of him that filleth all in all, Eph 1:20-23.

2Ti.1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Understanding functional death and spiritual life in Paul's doctrine

Understanding functional death and spiritual life in Paul's doctrine

The reason a lot of people don’t have assurance of salvation today is because their faith has never been rooted and grounded in the first cornerstone of the Romans foundation, concerning the righteousness of God. Israel was ignorant of God's righteousness, and because of that, they continued to establish their own, Rom.10:1-4. One can distinguish a man who has placed his trust in the righteousness of God from one who has not. The man who hasn’t, is still trying to establish their own righteousness through the works of the law. Righteousness under the grace doctrine is not our own righteousness, nor our repentance, nor some religious experience we had 25 years ago. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes. Our faith today is rooted and grounded upon the very righteousness of God through Christ, Rom.3:21-28.

Look at Rom.5:21: “That as sin hath reigned unto death...” How then did sin reign unto death? Through Adam's disobedience and the law of God. Let’s continue, “As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness.” Now let’s ask, “who’s righteousness is this verse speaking of?” Yours and mine? God’s grace doesn’t reign through our righteousness, God’s grace reigns through the righteousness of His Son. You have access now to the grace of God because of Christ's righteousness, not yours. And the purpose of this grace that now reigns through righteousness is to get rid of the death that came by sin and to bring eternal life. Life and death deal with your relationship to sin and righteousness. A man that’s bound to sin is a man that’s in death. A man who cannot live unto righteousness is a man that’s dead to God. Romans 6 and 7 speaks a lot concerning death, but this is not death in the context of our physical death. Much of the context of death in these chapters is functional death, meaning that a person has no profit to God and cannot function in the spirit of righteousness and godliness. 

Q&A Concerning Rightly Dividing and Jesus versus Paul

Q&A Concerning Rightly Dividing and Jesus versus Paul

QUESTION (on social media):

Why do people say "You don't have to obey Jesus because Paul said we are saved by grace?" Jesus said whoever doesn't obey his words, is building on sand. (Matthew 7:24-27) Paul was for Jesus.

MY REPLY:

ALL the words that Jesus spoke are spirit and life, Jn.6:63, but we must take note to WHOM Jesus spoke. In his earthly ministry, Jesus spoke to the Jews. His entire earthly ministry was directed to his people to save them so that Israel could be a light to the Gentiles, as prophecy describes. Jesus himself says the following,

Mat_15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (See also Matt.10:5–6)

Dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ

Dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ

Most people read Romans 6 in the context of a saved person versus an unsaved person. The saved person brings forth righteousness and lives and the unsaved person brings forth unrighteousness that leads to death. Although this statement holds true if correctly understood, the proper context of Romans 6 is that Paul is writing to the believers in the church at Rome. Paul is addressing believers here in Romans and when he talks about unrighteousness and death versus spirit and life it is all in context with believers. So, this chapter (and the ones surrounding it) concern believers and are informing them that if they live in sin, it results in ‘functional’ death, meaning that their life offers no value to God in righteousness. Let me elaborate.

Living in sin does not bring forth any fruit unto God, Rom.7:5. Why? Because the end of those things is death. Do you know what the end of living unto sin is as a believer? It isn’t hell. Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death." Yes, eternal death to an unbeliever, but to quote that verse about hell is taking it completely out of its context. The end of those things for a believer is functional death. Living after the flesh and serving sin will be of no benefit to you and offer absolutely nothing unto God. You were put in Christ to live unto Him. The things that you used to do, which you are now ashamed of, what fruit did you have in them? Zero. The end of those things is death; they are of no value to God, Rom.6:21.

Our proper response to these verses is to be made free from sin. As Paul writes, "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life," Rom.6:22. When you bring forth these fruits of life, they are unto holiness, meaning they are things that God values. They are qualities in you that God finds useful to Him. And the end of that fruit is everlasting life. You are made free from sin by first believing that our legal identity before God is that we are dead to sin because God has already accomplished this for us positionally through Christ. Second that you respond as one being alive from the dead, yielding yourself in righteousness unto God, Rom.6:13, by allowing the grace doctrine to renew your mind and influence your obedience to it.

What does that mean to walk after the Spirit?

What does that mean to walk after the Spirit?

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

What does that mean to walk after the Spirit?

Let me use ‘leading the blind’ as an example. If I'm a blind man, how do I live my life? I need someone else who has eyes to take me by the hand and lead me through this world. Now, in this context, who’s the blind man? That's us: we're blind. We need the Spirit to be out in front of us leading us through life saying, do this and don't do that. And where do those instructions come from? It’s all in the Word of God, and more specifically, in Paul’s epistles. We just need to learn it and know it, and then yield your members unto that leading. 

To be led by the Spirit is not complicated. Paul said the following in Corinthians,

1Cor.12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.