DM#10: Debtors to the Spirit

Doctrine of the Mysteries #10

Debtors to the Spirit

Rom 8:12-14  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  (13)  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  (14)  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Our principal duty as believers, which is also the will of God for us, is to come to the knowledge of the truth, 1Tim 2:4. How do we come to the knowledge of the truth? We study the written Word of truth and learn how to rightly divide it, 2Tim 2:15. We allow the Word of God to dwell in us richly, Col 3:16. We allow it to renew our mind so that it makes us wise unto its doctrine, allowing it to reprove, correct, and instruct us.

Being led by the Spirit of God is not being led by some ethereal voice or premonitions, but rather, it is simply having a knowledge and understanding of the written Word within you. You walk by the Spirit (or walk by faith) when you obey the truth of God’s Word, applying it to your life circumstances and scenarios. Notice what Paul says here,

As simple as that

The simplicity that is in Christ

Gen.2:16  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God gave Adam and Eve only one command to adhere to. Other than this one command, they could enjoy the garden and all of creation. When the serpent came along, it homed in on God’s one command and subtly twisted its truth to deceive them.

Similarly, in our dispensation of grace, God gave us only one instruction,

Act.16:31  And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Stop clinging to the law, and get filled with the Word

Stop clinging to the law, and get filled with the Word 

Rom 5:19-21 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sin and death entered the world throughout Adam's disobedience. In addition to sin and death, in Rom.5:20, Paul says, “the law entered that the offense might abound”. What does this mean? Simply this, that God gave the law for no other purpose than to reveal the sin that was already in us. Once the law is revealed, it highlights all your wretchedness! That's what Paul said in Romans 7, “O wretched man that I am…”. God's law revealed who Paul was in the flesh, and it continues even in this day, to reveal who we are in the flesh. God gave the law to reveal the sin that exists within us because of Adam's disobedience.

Q-A: How to Live by Liberty

Q-A: How to Live by the Liberty*
of Love and Personal Conviction
*(personal actions being directed by love or conviction)

Do you really understand what it means to 'walk in the Spirit'? Is the concept of walking in the Spirit clear and meaningful, or is it vague and elusive? I'd like to write this short article to either confirm or clarify this topic for you. I trust it will bless you.

One can draw from many of Paul's passages to learn about spiritual living, but Romans.14 is one of my favourites, and the chapter that really opened my eyes to what it means to walk in the Spirit. Let's look at some focused verses [with my own added commentary] from this chapter to bring you to a simple, yet clear understanding.

Q-A: Are you waiting for God's will to be revealed?

Back in the day, I can recall praying and asking God to reveal His will to me; to reveal His will in my job, to show me the way to go in my Christian walk and in my ministry. I don't doubt that God led me and guided me in His own way, and I certainly do not doubt where I am today in my relationship with Him and my family, but I have also learned over time that the options in life and the decisions you face is ultimately your will and in your control. God is not going to tell you what job to choose, or if you must marry or not. He is not going to tell you to buy a house or in what stocks to invest. He is not going to reply to those fleeces you put out or use booming billboards to answer your prayers. This is YOUR life and the decisions you make are your own, and the direction you choose is yours to make. God entrusts you with the power to choose your path, but where your path ends up will be by how much of that power you choose to entrust back to God.