Strange Things the Holy Spirit Cannot Do….

[tamborine lady]

Steaver,

Did you ever consider that there are people who are saved and are in Christ Jesus and have the Holy Ghost, but still don't walk "after the spirit"?

That could happen couldn't it?

Tam

 

[DHK]

Brother, I thought you were a grace through faith alone man?

:godisgood:

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

This is one of the greatest verses in the Bible. I use it often. There is nothing heretical about the way that it is written. And it probably is written this way in the inspired MSS. That is my conviction. Be that as it may, let's consider the verse.

The first half tells a great truth:
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
--The Christian can never lose his salvation. There is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. His sins have been forgiven--past, present and future. What a wonderful truth.

"who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
--Note that it does not say "IF you walk.." This second half of the phrase is not conditional it is qualitative. It describes the walk of the believer. A true believer will walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. It is not a condition. It describes the nature of the believer. There is no heresy here.

The same truth is taught later on in the same chapter:
Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
--Our salvation is not conditional. Our righteousness in Christ is not conditional on our walk. Rather our walk is characterized by our righteousness. Because we are made righteousness in Christ we walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

Over and over again this same truth is taught throughout the Scriptures.

 

[steaver]

Did you ever consider that there are people who are saved and are in Christ Jesus and have the Holy Ghost, but still don't walk "after the spirit"?

That could happen couldn't it?

Tam

Even if the phrase ""who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" is not there in verse 1 it is repeated in verse 4 and means the same thing.

According to the full context of Romans 8 those who are IN Christ Jesus walk AFTER the Spirit because they have the Spirit of Christ;

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (9)

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" (16)

I agree that verse 1 is correct as written in the KJV because it is also repeated in verse 4 and the whole chapter explains what walking AFTER the Spirit is meant here in this chapter. But even if it is not in verse 1 it is in verse 4 in both manuscripts. So it really becomes a mute point.

As far as the other places we are instructed to walk IN the Spirit, the context is different and we know from scripture that growing in Christ takes instructions and is an ongoing process. Once in Christ we walk AFTER the Spirit because the Spirit indwells us. However, we must learn to walk IN the SPirit, ever learning and yeilding our ways to the Spirit's ways. The Spirit is always and forever IN us.

:jesus:

 

[steaver]

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

This is one of the greatest verses in the Bible. I use it often. There is nothing heretical about the way that it is written. And it probably is written this way in the inspired MSS. That is my conviction. Be that as it may, let's consider the verse.

The first half tells a great truth:
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
--The Christian can never lose his salvation. There is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. His sins have been forgiven--past, present and future. What a wonderful truth.

"who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
--Note that it does not say "IF you walk.." This second half of the phrase is not conditional it is qualitative. It describes the walk of the believer. A true believer will walk after the spirit and not after the flesh. It is not a condition. It describes the nature of the believer. There is no heresy here.

The same truth is taught later on in the same chapter:
Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
--Our salvation is not conditional. Our righteousness in Christ is not conditional on our walk. Rather our walk is characterized by our righteousness. Because we are made righteousness in Christ we walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

Over and over again this same truth is taught throughout the Scriptures.__________________
DHK

I thought we understood this passage the same way. Amen brother, good post! :thumbsup: