Living by the Spirit vs. Walking by the Spirit

 

Living by the Spirit vs. Walking by the Spirit

Galatians 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, we should also walk by the Spirit”

Galatians 5:16 “Walk in the Spirit”

Galatians 6:15-16 “For as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them.”

Philippians 3:10 “That I might know Christ and the power of his resurrection”

Philippians 1:19 "The bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ"

 

Aspect	Living by the Spirit	Walking by the Spirit
Meaning	Having Christ living in us, taking Him as our person rather than living by ourselves	Comprises two types of actions: general daily actions (Gal 5:16) and regulated actions with direction (Gal 5:25)
Distinction	Concerns the source of life and person, emphasizing the relationship with Christ as our person	Concerns the external manifestation and direction of behavior, including daily actions and purposeful actions
Examples	- Letting Christ rather than ourselves make decisions - Seeking Christ's mind in everythin - Refusing to live by self-will	Daily Actions: - Overcoming anger - Living out the Christian testimony Regulated Actions: - Attending church meetings - Pursuing Christ - Practicing church life
Application	- Recognizing daily that we have been crucified with Christ - Learning to discern when we are living by self vs. living by Christ - Letting Christ be our person, not just our life	- Walking by the Spirit in daily life to overcome fleshly lusts - Walking by rule toward God's goal (the church) - Walking according to the rule of the new creation for church life
Relationship	Living by the Spirit is the inner reality of life, the source and foundation of actions	Walking by the Spirit is the external expression that must be supported by living by the Spirit; without living by the Spirit, one cannot truly walk by the Spirit
Method of Practice	Knowing and experiencing Christ as our person, giving Him the preeminence, making Him the subject of our living	Walking in Christ's resurrection, through His crucifixion, and by the compound Spirit; through the dealing and removal of the cross, entering into resurrection, and the reality of resurrection is the Spirit
Relevant Scriptures	- Gal 5:25 "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" - Col 3:4 "Christ who is our life" - 2 Cor 2:10 (Christ is our person) - 1 Cor 15:45b "The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit" - 2 Cor 3:17 "The Lord is the Spirit"	- Gal 5:16 "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh" - Rom 6:4 "Walk in newness of life" - Rom 8:4 "The righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" - Phil 3:12,16 (Pursuing Christ is the rule)

 

Conclusion:

l   From Scripture and the information provided, we can see that "Living by the Spirit" and "Walking by the Spirit" are related but emphasize different aspects. "Living by the Spirit" focuses on Christ as our person, no longer living by ourselves but having Christ living in us. This concerns the source of our life and inner reality. "Walking by the Spirit" involves two types of actions: general daily actions (dealing with matters of daily life) and regulated actions (for God's goal and purpose). This concerns the external manifestation of our behavior.

l   The relationship between the two is that living by the Spirit is the inner reality, the source and foundation of our actions; walking by the Spirit is the external expression, which must be supported by living by the Spirit. Without the reality of living by the Spirit, one cannot truly walk by the Spirit.

l   Both aspects require us to experience the dealing of the cross, putting our self-life to death, so that Christ's resurrection life can be manifested in us. The reality of resurrection is the life-giving Spirit, and through this Spirit, we can truly live out the Christian life.

 

*Please refer to the July 2024 Anaheim, California, USA training Experiencing, Enjoying, and Manifesting Christ (II) Week 20 The Way to Accept, Experience, and Enjoy the All-inclusive Christ as the All-inclusive Life-giving Spirit (who is the epitome of the all-inclusive blessings of God’s full gospel)