The apostle, Paul, saw that the concept of identifying with Christ through the reality of the Holy Spirit and living the new life in the Spirit was a challenge. He saw people battling between the ways of the flesh, religious legalism and the ways of the Spirit. He saw much confusion. He realized people were caught up in the issue of justification before God. He, therefore, changed their emphasis: from justification by performance—doing things for God—to being a new creature identified with Christ through grace, identified with His resurrected life.
“But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain” (Galatians 2:17-21).
RELEVANCE
Paul revealed that the new identification in God finds its life in the Holy Spirit. This new identification was exactly what God had promised as the blessing of Abraham for all people; “that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Galatians 3:14).
Hence, being a child of God is realized or manifested through a conscious walk by resisting the forces of the world operating to influence the flesh, and receiving and walking in the grace of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:16-18).
REFLECT AND RELATE
Ask God how you can receive and apply the ministry of the Spirit daily, and allow the grace of His Spirit to comfort, strengthen and enable you.
What are some ways you can resist the powers of the world that try to influence you?
REFERENCES
Galatians 4-5; Ephesians 3:15-21; 5:15-21