You are a New Creation: Walk in Love

In this article, we begin to explore some of the different ways the Bible teaches us to walk in the Spirit.

In You are New Creation (Part 1), we learnt:

• On the day you joined God's family, He created a new spirit within you - a new creation that is made with His nature of true righteousness and holiness
• You have a stowaway on your new journey with God: the 'old you'.
• This 'old you' lusts after counterfeit blessings and a brand of satisfaction which doesn't last and will always result in death: sickness, depression, unhealthy habits, relationship problems, fear, jealousy, insatiable ungodly appetites, conflict etc
• The only way to escape the consequences of its lusts is to crucify it altogether
• Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh

What does it mean to 'walk in the Spirit'? I would propose that it means being led by the Spirit of God, rather than your own fleshly ('old you') desires. Scriptures such as Rom 8:8, Eph 2:3, Col 3:5-7 show plainly that those who spend their days satisfying their fleshly urges are walking in disobedience and cannot please God. Therefore, a lifestyle that obeys and follows the ways and nature of God is being led by the Spirit of God.

What is God's nature? The Bible tells us that He is love (1 John 4:8, 16), light (1 John 1:5) and wisdom (Isa 11:2), amongst a whole host of other attributes such as holiness and righteousness.

For the purposes of this blog, we will concentrate on love, light and wisdom because these are encapsulated in Ephesians 5:1-21 in an exhortation to the Ephesian Church. However, the principles explored in the study of walking in love, light and wisdom can be applied to walking in the other attributes of God that are part of our new nature.

Love

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself fo us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them. 

- Ephesians 5:1-7

It is apparent from the word 'but' in verse three that walking in love is not doing any of the list of things that we are told should 'not even be named among you'.

We can further explore this by looking at what love is.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails... - 1 Cor 13:4-8a

Some examples:

• When a friend asks for some help, flesh would think 'what's in it for me?' whereas love would offer help unconditionally.
• When hubby doesn't pick up his dirty clothes for the upteenth time, the flesh would become irritated and scold; love would suffer long and be kind to him.
• When a husband, wife, friend or sibling outshines you, the flesh would feel wounded and try all means to prove that you are just as good; love would rejoice in your loved one's success without ill-feeling.
• Mum or Dad asks you to do something when you are in the middle of something else: flesh would yell something in a pouting, disrespectful or rebellious way; love does not behave rudely but chooses to respond in honour, respect and obedience.
• When you are telling someone a good story but they don't understand, or can't hear you, the flesh would become grumpy, get upset and say 'just forget it, OK!'; love is not easily provoked and can answer softly, without any grating inside
• When someone cuts you off on the road, the flesh thinks that you have a right to be angry; love just shrugs and lets it slide.
• Your child comes to show you something, or talk to you at an ill-timed moment. The flesh would lash out and reject your child; love would act with wisdom and kindness to show love, yet firmly direct them accordingly

Can you see how that if you respond in a fleshly way to the above examples, it would result in anger, conflict, hurt, a messed-up day? This is what Paul called 'death' in Romans 8:6 - to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace: if you choose instead to walk in the ways of love each time, you will be spared that kind of carnage in your day.

Let's choose to walk in love at every moment. By God's grace and spirit, you are more than able.

Next time, we will explore how we can walk in God's Spirit by walking in His light and wisdom.

You are a New Creation: Walk in Light