Scripture Reading: Gal. 5:16, 22-23, 25; 6:15-16; 3:2-3, 5, 14; 4:6, 29; Rom. 6:4; 8:4; 4:12; Phil. 3:16-18
In this message we shall begin to consider the matter of two kinds of walk by the Spirit. In 5:16 Paul says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” As we shall see, in these two verses Paul uses two different Greek words for walk.
For years I have tried to understand 5:25, where Paul speaks, on the one hand, of living by the Spirit and, on the other, of walking by the Spirit. I did not know the difference between living and walking. It seemed to me that walking included living. Eventually I came to see that to live by the Spirit involves first to have life and then to live. To be born is a once-for-all matter, but to have life and to live is not once for all. On the contrary, it is a lifelong matter, for we are constantly receiving life in order to live. For example, to stay alive we must breathe moment by moment. It is not sufficient to breathe only at the moment we are born. In like manner, we need to receive life moment by moment in order to live. To live by the Spirit is, therefore, to have life and then to live. Once we have life and live, we are able to walk, to have our being in a particular way.
As we consider the two kinds of walk by the Spirit, we shall refer to the walk in 5:16 as the first kind and to that in 5:25 as the second. The Greek word for walk in verse 16, peripateo, means to have our being, to deport ourselves, to order our manner of life, to walk about. It is used with respect to ordinary daily life. It denotes a common, habitual daily walk. This understanding of walking by the Spirit is confirmed by verses 22 and 23, where Paul speaks of the fruit of the Spirit. The various aspects of the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in these verses are not unusual things; they are aspects of our ordinary daily life. Therefore, the walk in verse 16 is our habitual and common daily walk.
The Greek word for walk in verse 25, stoicheo, has a very different meaning. It is derived from a root which means to arrange in a line. This may be illustrated by the movement of traffic in designated lanes on a highway. Thus, the Greek word for walk here means to walk in line. It also means to march in military rank. Walking in this way, like soldiers marching in rank, requires that we keep in step.
As we compare these two kinds of walk, we see that the second is more regulated than the first. In the second walk we need to walk like an army and keep in step, whereas in the first kind of walk we are free to walk about. However, both kinds of walk, the common, ordinary walk and the walking in line or in rank, are by the Spirit.
The same Greek word used for walk in 5:25 is also used elsewhere in the New Testament. In Romans 4:12 Paul speaks of those “who walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.” Here the walk is not the ordinary walk, but the walk that is regulated, a walk in a definite line. In this case, the walk is in the steps of the “faith of our father Abraham.” Hence, the walk in Romans 4:12 is not a common, ordinary walk; it is a definite, particular walk, the walk in the steps of Abraham’s faith. Paul’s concept was that Abraham’s faith was a lane in which we should walk and follow Abraham’s steps.
Elsewhere in the book of Romans Paul used the Greek word for the first kind of walk. This word is used in Romans 6:4, where Paul says that “we also should walk in newness of life.” It is also found in Romans 8:4, where Paul speaks of walking not according to flesh, but according to spirit. The walk in these verses is the common, ordinary walk of believers.
In Philippians 3:16 Paul also speaks of the second kind of walk: “Only this, whereunto we have attained, by the same rule let us walk.” Here Paul uses the Greek word stoicheo to denote an orderly walk in line or military rank. However, in Philippians 3:17 and 18 he uses the Greek word for the first kind of walk to refer to the common, ordinary walk: “Be imitators together of me, brothers, and observe attentively those who thus walk as you have us for an example. For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.” Paul’s use of two different Greek words for walk indicates clearly that there are two kinds of walk by the Spirit in the New Testament.
In order to understand more adequately the two kinds of walk by the Spirit, we need to see that the book of Galatians is a book that is very much concerned with the Spirit. The simple expression “the Spirit” is profound. This term is found in John 7:39: “But this He said concerning the Spirit, Whom those who believed in Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” This verse says that before Jesus was glorified, “the Spirit was not yet.” For years I had difficulty understanding this. I wondered how it could be possible for the Spirit to be “not yet.” According to Genesis 1:2, the Spirit of God was in existence, brooding over the water. Furthermore, in the Old Testament we are told many times that the Spirit of the Lord, or of Jehovah, came upon certain people. Moreover, when the Lord Jesus was about to be conceived in the womb of Mary, we are told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her (Luke 1:35). All these clearly indicate that the Spirit of God was in existence before John 7:39. In order to solve the problem raised by this verse, the translators of the King James Version added the word “given” in italics after the words “not yet.” To their understanding, the writer of this verse was saying that the Spirit was not yet given. Nevertheless, the fact remains that, according to the way the Bible was actually written, not according to the way it is altered in translation, John 7:39 says that the Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified.
In his Epistles Paul uses the expression “the Spirit” a number of times, especially in the book of Galatians. In fact, in Galatians Paul does not even once speak of the Holy Spirit, although he frequently refers to “the Spirit.” There is a great difference between the use of the term “the Holy Spirit” and the term “the Spirit.” In Genesis 1:2 the Spirit of God is mentioned in relation to creation. Later the Spirit of the Lord, or of Jehovah, is used concerning the fellowship between God and His people. The term Holy Spirit is not used until the New Testament. (In the places where this expression is used in the Old Testament in the King James Version, the Hebrew should be rendered “Spirit of His holiness.”) The Holy Spirit is spoken of with respect to the conception of the Lord Jesus in the womb of Mary, because God’s intention was to bring forth One who is holy. Thus, the Holy Spirit was about to produce something holy out of humanity. The expression “the Spirit” is used for the Spirit of God only after the resurrection of Christ.
In the Old Testament the holy anointing oil is a type of the Spirit. This ointment was a compound formed by blending olive oil with four spices (Exo. 30:22-33). These spices signify aspects of Christ’s death and resurrection. The fact that four spices were compounded with the olive oil indicates that Christ’s humanity, death, and resurrection have been compounded into the Spirit of God to make the compound Spirit. This compound Spirit is the Spirit in the New Testament. Before the Lord Jesus was glorified, such a compound Spirit was “not yet.” But after His resurrection, His death and resurrection were blended with the Spirit of God to form the Spirit, the compound Spirit including not only divinity, but also humanity, the effectiveness of Christ’s death, and the power of His resurrection. Therefore, after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Jehovah, the Holy Spirit, is now the Spirit, the all-inclusive Spirit.
At the time of Genesis 1, the Spirit of God did not include humanity, but only divinity. The Spirit of God did not become the compound Spirit until the resurrection of Christ from among the dead. Now the Spirit includes divinity, humanity, the effectiveness of Christ’s death, and the power of His resurrection. How rich and all-inclusive the Spirit is today!
The Spirit as the compound, all-inclusive Spirit is the ultimate consummation of the Triune God. Our God is Triune: the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Every proper student of the Scriptures would agree that the three Persons of the Trinity may be regarded as distinct; however, we cannot say that They are separate. Such a claim would be heretical. When the Son came to earth, He did not leave the Father in the heavens. On the contrary, when the Son came, the Father came with Him. In the Gospel of John the Lord Jesus says that the Son came from with the Father (John 6:46, Gk.). When He came from the Father, He came with the Father. For this reason, the Lord Jesus said that He was never alone, for the Father was always with Him (John 8:29). Furthermore, in the Gospel of John we are also told that the Son would send the Spirit from with the Father (John 15:26, Gk.). We cannot separate the Son from the Father, nor the Spirit from the Father and the Son.
The Lord’s response to Philip’s request about showing them the Father illustrates this. Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father and it suffices us” (John 14:8). The Lord Jesus replied, “Am I so long a time with you, and you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. How is it that you say, Show us the Father?” (v. 9). In verses 16 and 17 the Lord Jesus went on to say, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may be with you forever; even the Spirit of reality, Whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him; but you know Him, because He abides with you and shall be in you.” Notice that in the next verse the Lord changes the pronoun: “I will not leave you orphans; I am coming to you.” This indicates that when the Comforter, the Spirit of reality, comes, the Lord Jesus comes also. Furthermore, in verse 23 the Lord Jesus said that He and the Father would come to make an abode with the one who loves the Lord and keeps His word. From verses such as these we see that the Three of the Godhead, although distinct, are always together. They cannot be separated.
According to the Bible, the Father is embodied in the Son, and the Son is realized as the Spirit. Ultimately, the Three of the Godhead are expressed as the Spirit. This is the reason that, in our experience, when we call on the name of the Lord Jesus, we receive the Spirit. When we repented, believed in the Lord, and prayed to Him, we did not ask the Holy Spirit to come into us. Instead, we prayed for the Lord Jesus to come into us. However, although we asked the Lord to come in, the One who actually came in was the Spirit. This is true not only at the time we were saved, but also in our daily experience with the Lord. When we pray to the Father or call on the name of the Lord Jesus, telling Him that we love Him, eventually the One whom we experience with us and in us is the Spirit. From our experience we know that this Spirit, the compound, all-inclusive Spirit, is the ultimate consummation of the Triune God.
Our God today truly is the processed God. In the Old Testament there is no indication that God has been processed. This process began at the time of Christ’s incarnation and continued throughout His human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. Some Christians object to the expression “processed God,” with the argument that God is eternal and never changes. Yes, we definitely believe according to the Bible that God is eternal and that He is not subject to change. Nevertheless, we believe and teach, also according to the Bible, that God has passed through a process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, and resurrection. God has not changed, but He has passed through a process. God does not change in His nature or substance. But He has passed through a process. According to John 1:1 and 14, the Word which was in the beginning with God and which was God became flesh. The use of the word “became” in John 1:14 indicates a process. Likewise, 1 Corinthians 15:45 says that the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit. This is another indication of God’s process.
Some may object to our use of the word “process” because this term is not found in the Bible. However, the same objection could be made with respect to the word Trinity. The word Trinity cannot be found in the Bible either, but the Bible nevertheless reveals the fact that God is triune. In the same principle, although the Bible does not have the term “processed,” it does reveal the fact that God has passed through a process. God Himself became a man by incarnation and lived on earth for thirty-three and a half years. Then He was crucified, descended to Hades, and came out from among the dead and entered into resurrection. Furthermore, He ascended to heaven with a glorified body of flesh and bones. Even now, the Lord is on the throne with such a body. Before Christ’s incarnation, did the Lord on the throne in heaven have a body of flesh and bones? Certainly not! But for eternity He will be enthroned with such a body. Does this fact not indicate that God in Christ has passed through a process? Hallelujah, our God today is the processed Triune God! The all-inclusive life-giving Spirit is the ultimate expression of this processed God.
In the book of Galatians Paul asks the believers in Galatia if they received the Spirit by works of law or by the hearing of faith (3:2). From Paul’s tone we can learn that receiving the Spirit is a very significant matter. Receiving the Spirit is not a matter of having an experience of speaking in tongues. To receive the Spirit is to be born of the Spirit (John 3:6). Balaam’s donkey miraculously spoke a human language, but that donkey was not born of the Spirit. This illustration indicates that to be born of the Spirit is far greater than to speak in tongues. It may be that we never speak in tongues, but we can declare to the whole universe that because we have been born of the Spirit, we are sons of God. Moreover, we are not mere adopted sons or sons-in-law; we are sons in life born of God. We who have been born of God are divine. We have experienced a divine birth, and we have the divine life and partake of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Surely this is the greatest miracle in the universe. Often when I consider this matter of the divine birth, I am filled with wonder and beside myself with joy. How marvelous that we are sons of God and that the Triune God is in us as the Spirit!
In his Epistles Paul charges us not to walk by a particular doctrine or instruction, but to walk by the Spirit. Recently the Lord has shown that He does not want us simply to live in His presence, but to live Christ by being one spirit with the Lord. Many years ago I was helped by the well-known book by Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God. When I was young, I loved that book very much. However, I have come to see that the practice of the presence of God is actually an Old Testament matter. In the New Testament there is not a word about practicing God’s presence. Instead, in the New Testament it is revealed that we should live Christ by being one spirit with Him. In Genesis 17 we read that Abraham walked before God, that is, in the presence of God. But in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 6:17 Paul says, “He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” This is more than simply walking in God’s presence; it is to walk in oneness with Him. Paul’s word about being one spirit with the Lord is not an illustration; it is a statement of fact. Furthermore, Paul did not say, “To me to walk is to be in the presence of the Lord.” Rather, he said, “To me to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). There is a tremendous difference between walking in the presence of God and living Christ!
During the last few years the Lord has shown me how much my practice has been the Old Testament way of walking before the Lord. I can testify that over the years I have been quite successful in walking before the Lord and living in His presence. But now I am practicing to be one spirit with the Lord. Again and again I confess my shortage to Him concerning this. Usually in the morning I pray, “Lord, I thank You for another new day to live You, another day for me to practice being one spirit with You. Lord, grant me this day’s portion of grace that I may live one spirit with You.” Although I may pray such a good prayer early in the morning, during the day I may fail again and again to be one spirit with the Lord. Sometimes I have asked myself how much time during the day I have spent truly one spirit with the Lord. I have seen how much I live according to ethics instead of according to the Spirit. But to be ethical is one thing, and to be one spirit with the Lord is another.
To walk by the Spirit simply means to be one spirit with the Lord. The first kind of walk by the Spirit, that mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5:16, is the walk in which we are one spirit with the Lord. From my experience I have learned that it is much easier to live in the presence of the Lord than to live one spirit with Him. Often in speaking with others I am in the Lord’s presence; however, I may have the sense that I am not one spirit with Him. Therefore, I need to pray, “Lord, forgive me. My speaking is before You, but it is not by You. It is simply my speaking carried out with a good intention. But I am the one speaking, Lord, not You.”
In ministering to the saints, my desire these days is to point out that the requirement in the New Testament is that we live one spirit with the Lord. This is to walk by the Spirit. In all that we do and say we need to have the assurance that we are one spirit with the Lord. I can testify that when I ask myself how much of my living is actually one spirit with the Lord, I am defeated time and time again. Even as I am giving a message, I need to ask if I am truly one spirit with the Lord or just speaking with power from the Lord. I have given many messages on walking according to the Spirit. Now I wish to emphasize the fact that to walk according to the Spirit means to walk in one spirit with the Lord. As long as we are one spirit with Him, we are automatically according to Him. Paul could say, “To me to live is Christ,” because he walked in one spirit with the Lord. When we are one spirit with Him, we truly live Him.
Walking in the presence of God easily fits in with our natural concept. However, it is not according to man’s natural concept that believers would be one spirit with the Lord. It is easy to understand the word in Exodus about the Lord’s presence going with the children of Israel. We may apply this word to ourselves and realize that as we go to a particular place, the Lord’s presence will go with us. However, it is not according to our natural concept to think that we should live one spirit with the Lord. Some Christians have gone so far as to say that it is blasphemy to claim that we can be one spirit with the Lord. According to them, it is simply not possible for sinners ever to become one spirit with the Lord. Nevertheless, the Bible says clearly, “He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” Although we may read this word, we may have no response to it, because we are veiled by religious, natural, and traditional concepts. We may not even have any concern about such a vital matter. But recently the Lord has brought us to the point where we simply must pay attention to the New Testament requirement to be one spirit with Him. Yes, according to the Old Testament practice, Abraham could walk in the presence of the Lord. But we are in the New Testament. According to God’s New Testament economy, the Lord desires to come into us, to become one with us, and to make us one with Him. He wants us to be one spirit with Him. His economy today is that we walk in this one spirit with the Lord.
When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He walked in one spirit with the Father. When He spoke, the Father spoke in His speaking. He was one with the Father, and the Father was one with Him. The Lord lived by His Father. He wants those who believe in Him to live in the same way. Therefore, He said, “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me shall also live because of Me” (John 6:57). The Lord desires not simply that we live in His presence, but that we live by Him. To live by Him actually means to live one spirit with this living One. This is the New Testament requirement, and this is the first kind of walk by the Spirit covered by Paul in the book of Galatians.
I hope that many will be impressed with this word concerning living in one spirit with the Lord and will pray, “Lord, from now on I would not be satisfied simply with Your presence. Even if I could be as successful in practicing the presence of God as Brother Lawrence was, I would not be satisfied, because I know, Lord, that You would not be satisfied. You want to be one spirit with me. Lord, grant me the grace to be one spirit with You.” In all that we say or do we need to exercise to be one with the Lord. The more we are one spirit with Him in our daily living, the more we shall enjoy salvation, sanctification, and transformation.
