Walk In The Spirit! Part 2

[Rev. Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks, PsyD]

Walk In The Spirit! Part 2

That is why natural and spiritual connections does not work; one person hears God and the carnal minded person cannot hear God because they are too busy listening to their own selfish mind! They do not even understand the things of God! This is what Romans 8:6-8 says about the carnal or fleshy mind:

⁶ Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that ^[c]comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].

⁷ [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.

⁸ So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.

God is a Spirit and we must not only worship Him in Spirit (by the Spirit – allowing the Holy Spirit to make a spiritual connection between God and ourselves) and Truth (Jesus – allowing Jesus to save us and bring us into right fellowship with the Father) but we also MUST walk in the Spirit so we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (old desires of the old man – old human nature – carnal self) (Romans 8:5-14 – I will write these Scriptures out at the end of the message – also I suggest you read the complete chapter). From these verses in Romans we see God does not operate in the flesh so in order to hear God and obey Him, we must have a spiritual mind – we must not be caught up in our own ways of thinking, behaving, etc. Whatever God does, it has a Kingdom purpose! God connects us with Kingdom minded people for Kingdom purpose!! The people who God connects us with (this includes marriage) has a like spirit to ours and in some way, have the same type of ministry – passionate about the same things we are. In order words, the people God connects us with are compatible with us.

God ask the children of Israel a question in Amos 3:3: “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” – NKJV. The Message Bible’s translation of Amos 3:3 say: “Do two people walk hand in hand if they aren’t going to the same place?” WOW! That says it all – plain and simple!! In verse 7 of Amos 3, after the various scenarios (verses 4 to 6), it says: “The fact is, God, the Master, does nothing without first telling his prophets the whole story.” If we do not take time to listen to the “whole story” from God, we will get in trouble by running with part of the story – we must get the full revelation of what God is saying to us – this comes from the Holy Spirit. Unless we walk in the Spirit, we will NOT be able to hear the “whole story” from God!! Remember, God is a Spirit and unless we walk in the Spirit, we cannot hear what He (the Holy Spirit) is saying to us! God does not communicate naturally with us but spiritually (not that He can’t – God is God and can do what He want to do).

This is what Paul told the Galatians in Galatians 5:16-18 & 25-26 – I suggest you read the complete chapter of Galatians 5:

^16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

^25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original – biblegateway.com – The Message Bible.

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Peace!!

Dr. Dorothy E. Hooks