Flesh is Flesh and Spirit is Spirit

Jesus explained to Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6). Later Jesus compared the one born of the Spirit to the wind: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8). Thus with the example of wind Jesus explains the way of one born of the Spirit to a teacher who has learned the way of God’s law according to the flesh. Like me you may know the way of keeping the law according to the flesh for we were born flesh and learned the elementary ways of the Judeo-Christian faith.

 

The Apostle Paul described the way of keeping the law according to the flesh in Romans 7:7-25. Paul not only lived his life with a commitment to keep the commandments of God’s law, but he sincerely and earnestly strove to keep the inner requirement of God’s law, which commanded: You shall not covet. Moreover, he worked on cultivating the inner desire to really want to do what is right. Indeed he delighted in God’s law in his inner being. He does not here describe the spiritual disciplines and practices of his religious devotion, but surely he was an exemplary Jew in observing the law and its Sabbaths, in meditating on the law, fasting and praying. Yet in Romans 7 he admits his failure because sin lives in his flesh and ultimately dominates. So it is with all who try to please God according to the flesh, even after having begun their new life in the Spirit. Indeed, Paul asked Christians in Galatia: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3).

 

How then is the way of the Spirit different? Even under the new covenant we make progress through spiritual disciplines and practices of religious devotion; such as meeting for fellowship and worship; learning and practicing the word; meditating, praying, and even fasting. Most lesson books on the first principles and basics of Christian living do not advance our knowledge of how to please God according to the Spirit. At least, by teaching the words of Christ and the new covenant, we are teaching spiritual truths with spiritual words. (See John 6:63 and 1 Corinthians 2:6-16). However, Christ wants more. Our Lord wants those born of his Spirit to move like the wind or with the wind.

 

I will need more than one blog to explain this, but now I want to provoke your thoughtfulness about God’s ways. What is the Holy Spirit to you? To some the Spirit is no different than the written word of the new law. To others the Spirit is no different than their emotional state. To many more the Spirit is indistinguishable from the gifted, their ministries, and the religious tools of their ministry; such as anointing oil, sacraments and authoritative church teachings. Compare these notions to how the way of the Spirit is taught in the New Testament. The New Testament largely uses images and experiences that we all understand and easily relate to because of our own experience; such as wind, water, fire, promise, seal, fruit, first fruits, anointing, guarantee, drink, be filled with, walk by, be led by, keep in step with, testimony, and cries “Abba, Daddy”. This list is not exhaustive, but it demonstrates that Christ wants to manifest his presence and live his life through us through the Holy Spirit. See John 14. How then do we go with the wind?

 

Let me summarize what I understand to be the key aspects of the way of the Spirit. First, you must live by faith in the reality of all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly realms in Christ, including the promise of his personal presence and help through the Holy Spirit. God’s spiritual kingdom is real, and we are called to live according to the spiritual realities of God kingdom. (See Ephesians 1 and Hebrew 11). Second, you must not only hear and obey Christ’s teachings and imitate his example of love and service, but you must learn to follow the Son’s way of fellowship and personal relationship with his Father. The way of the Son is the way of the Spirit. Therefore, meditate much on the love of the Father for the Son and the love of the Son for the Father. That reality is their eternal joy and glory – the glory that transforms (2 Corinthians 3). That’s the experience and life you should desire and live for. That is the experience to pray for and nurture in the fellowship of all God’s children. (See John 17).

 

Finally, the goal of your learning should be to discern the things of the Spirit, as you first learn of these things in the word; and then to realize the manifestation of the things of the Spirit in your practice. This is a spiritual skill that you develop by putting behind you the mind of fleshly immaturity, and growing in the mind of Christ. Our heavenly Father provides his sons with many opportunities to develop the mind of His unique Son Jesus through his discipline (Hebrew 12:1-11). Yet, some learn slowly and others hunger and thirst for righteousness. If you hunger and thirst to live according to the way of the Spirit, then hear this. There is no other path but the one marked by the cross of Christ. You must embrace in your life the way of the Son of God in the cross. (See Luke 9:23, John 12:23-26, 1 Corinthians 2, Galatians 2:19-20 and 6:14-16, Philippians 2:5-11 and 3:8-11, and 1 Peter 2:19-25 and 4:12-14).