Walking With The Holy Spirit
by Rev. Jonathan D. Lee, Ph.D.
Presented by Saint Luke Evangelical School Of Biblical Studies
https://ficotw.org/school.html

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

As Christians, we are sometimes led to believe that accepting the Lord Christ Jesus into our hearts, souls, and minds is all that is asked of us while we walk upon the earth. Sometimes we might think to ourselves, "Oh, I've received Christ, confessed His Name, and I have faith that His blood cleanses me from all of my sins." We then expect that we can go on as we usually do, living in sin, believing that Christ will forgive us for the sins we look forward to committing each day. How far from the truth can we be?

The truth is, God expects us to walk as Christ did, in complete holiness and purity, after we have been cleansed of our past sins by the blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 John 3:9, 5:18)! He knows, however, that we still have elements of sin within us, a spiritual and moral battle, vying for our hearts (Romans 7:13-25). How can we resolve this conflict, and reconcile the fact that we need to live in perfect holiness while knowing that the desire that drives us towards sin still exists within us?

Christ Himself provided the solution -- "I will send Him (the Comforter, the Holy Spirit) unto you" and "when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:7, 13). The Greek work translated as "Comforter" in the King James Version is "parakletos"; the word means that the Holy Spirit is our helper, and our Intercessor. As our Intercessor, He intercedes on our behalf with the Father, He prays for us when we have no words from weakness, He comforts us when we need comforting. As our Helper, He helps transform us into the image of Christ, into perfect holiness (2 Corinthians 3:18) - - but only if we allow Him to do so!

Now, how do we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into the perfect holiness and purity that God requires of us? It is a matter of receiving and accepting the Holy Spirit. We read in John 20:22 that Christ, upon His resurrection, said to His apostles "Receive ye the Holy Ghost (Spirit)". Receiving, however, is an action quite different from accepting. We have accepted Jesus Christ, and we automatically received the Holy Spirit in our lives after we accepted Christ (Romans 8:9) -- but how many of us can actually say "I have accepted the presence of the Holy Spirit as my Helper, Intercessor, and Guide in my life"?

Accepting the Holy Spirit means that we allow Him to fill our spirits with His presence, allowing Him to control our lives, so that every step we take in life will truly be a reflection of godly character (Romans 8:9-11). Therefore, it also stands to believe that "accepting" Christ, but continuing to walk in sin, shows that we actually reject the Holy Spirit! We receive the Holy Spirit, yet we reject Him. Rejecting the Holy Spirit also implies that we haven't really accepted Christ, and that we are not truly saved. We cannot accept God's offer of salvation through Jesus Christ and reject the true inner change that the Holy Spirit provides us. We cannot accept one part of God (Christ) while rejecting another part of Him (the Holy Spirit)! Have you accepted Christ? If yes, then the question remains, have you also accepted the Holy Spirit?

True salvation in Christ therefore requires that you:

(1) Understand and accept the fact that you have sinned in the past, that you are in danger of God the Father's judgement and wrath, and that you are willing to repent and change from your past, sinful ways.

(2) Place faith in God the Son, Christ Jesus, in His death and resurrection into eternal life and glory; confess His Name and His position in your life as Lord and Saviour; accept Him into your heart, soul, and mind to cleanse you of your past sins.

(3) Place faith in God the Holy Spirit; receive, accept, and allow Him to lead you life so you can walk in holiness and righteousness with His help, and to avoid future sin.

"We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) Walk with faith in Christ Jesus. May you also walk with the Holy Spirit, so that you heart, soul, and mind may be transformed from within, and may that transformation be reflected in your every work -- and may that sweet day come, when Christ sets the victor's crown upon your head, and smile when He says to you - "Welcome home, My Child, welcome home".

copyright 2000 Rev. Jonathan D. Lee, Ph.D.
Used by permission