Walking in the Spirit
There seems to be a theme in my life right now. What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Within the church, there seems to be two major extremes. One that abuses the idea of being led by the Spirit (i.e. God told me to tell you to give me money) and the other that is so afraid of the other extreme that it in the process squelches the movement of the Holy Spirit. Does anyone else feel this tension?
I am the first to admit that I have at times waffled between the two. Early on in my spiritual growth (college years), I was a little leery of "being filled with the Holy Spirit". This journey came to a head during a missions trip to Amsterdam where I came face to face with missionaries from another group who were very Spirit filled (speaking in tongues & being slain in the Spirit). One might expect that I quickly went to the opposite extreme. However, I was challenged because I had worked with this group for weeks and knew their hearts and desires quite well. I could not make the excuse that many do which is, "They are causing it or trying to draw attention to themselves."
After this experience, I actually felt more free to explore the "Charismatic" movement. It was during this time that I went to seminary and experienced strong evangelical Christians who explored what it meant to be led by the Spirit. Unfortunately, many evangelicals now react so strongly towards the mention of the Holy Spirit that they are missing a key member of the Trinity. I agree we must be careful, but let's try and avoid these two extremes.
Yesterday in church, we were privileged to have Paul Richardson speak. Paul has written a book called A Certain Risk. I recently read it and really enjoyed it. He shared several things that were helpful in this discussion. First, he talked about how at any moment, we are either walking in the flesh or in the Spirit. I totally resonated with this and see it in my life on a regular basis. Second, he shared a visual of a boat. He said that walking in the flesh is like using oars in a boat. We depend on our own strengths, gifts, etc. to get us where we want to go. However, being led by the Spirit is raising a sail and letting the wind take us where we need to go. We know from Scripture that the Holy Spirit is compared to the wind in John 3:8. He challenged us to be led by the Spirit on a regular basis.
I found this message very timely as I have been pondering this topic for many months now. I recently have read the following two books that speak to this topic. I would encourage you to read both of them.
Forgotten God by Francis Chan
A Certain Risk by Paul Richardson
Why are these books good? In my opinion, they present a very biblical approach to this topic. It is not just about experience, but both are supported with Scripture. They both understand the extremes and present a view that I believe is helpful for the church. Let's stop being afraid of the extremes and instead base our viewpoint on what God's Word says.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please comment on this post and share other books or resources that been helpful for you. Looking forward to being led by the Spirit on a daily basis!
I am the first to admit that I have at times waffled between the two. Early on in my spiritual growth (college years), I was a little leery of "being filled with the Holy Spirit". This journey came to a head during a missions trip to Amsterdam where I came face to face with missionaries from another group who were very Spirit filled (speaking in tongues & being slain in the Spirit). One might expect that I quickly went to the opposite extreme. However, I was challenged because I had worked with this group for weeks and knew their hearts and desires quite well. I could not make the excuse that many do which is, "They are causing it or trying to draw attention to themselves."
After this experience, I actually felt more free to explore the "Charismatic" movement. It was during this time that I went to seminary and experienced strong evangelical Christians who explored what it meant to be led by the Spirit. Unfortunately, many evangelicals now react so strongly towards the mention of the Holy Spirit that they are missing a key member of the Trinity. I agree we must be careful, but let's try and avoid these two extremes.
Yesterday in church, we were privileged to have Paul Richardson speak. Paul has written a book called A Certain Risk. I recently read it and really enjoyed it. He shared several things that were helpful in this discussion. First, he talked about how at any moment, we are either walking in the flesh or in the Spirit. I totally resonated with this and see it in my life on a regular basis. Second, he shared a visual of a boat. He said that walking in the flesh is like using oars in a boat. We depend on our own strengths, gifts, etc. to get us where we want to go. However, being led by the Spirit is raising a sail and letting the wind take us where we need to go. We know from Scripture that the Holy Spirit is compared to the wind in John 3:8. He challenged us to be led by the Spirit on a regular basis.
I found this message very timely as I have been pondering this topic for many months now. I recently have read the following two books that speak to this topic. I would encourage you to read both of them.
Forgotten God by Francis Chan
A Certain Risk by Paul Richardson
Why are these books good? In my opinion, they present a very biblical approach to this topic. It is not just about experience, but both are supported with Scripture. They both understand the extremes and present a view that I believe is helpful for the church. Let's stop being afraid of the extremes and instead base our viewpoint on what God's Word says.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Please comment on this post and share other books or resources that been helpful for you. Looking forward to being led by the Spirit on a daily basis!
Appreciate your thoughts. A few years ago I was introduced to a more "charismatic" way of thinking. I have to say that while I may have gone a little overboard the other direction, I also saw God do amazing things in my life and the life of others. So I too still seek to know what it means to walk in the Spirit. I also loved Forgotten God and thought it presented a very Biblical approach. As you say, it comes down to what the Bible say. We have to seek and see what God's word says about His Spirit and if it is in His Word and is supported by the big picture of what God's word says then we better believe it.
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