ADG 4: Walking in the Spirit
ADG 4: Walking in the Spirit
Embedded Files
Look Back
Look Back
How have you experienced the empowering of the Holy Spirit during the past week?
Share about a witnessing experience you had this past week, especially if they had an opportunity to handle different responses.
Objectives
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, we should be able to:
Explain and apply spiritual breathing.
Explain four principles of walking in the Spirit.
Handle different responses to the question, “Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?” of the Four Spiritual Laws.
Look Up
Look Up
Bible Study
Bible Study
Jun learned about the Spirit-controlled life and prayed to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Things seemed to be going pretty well for him and he had a new sense of joy and inner peace.
However, during the week, because of pressure from his friends, he spent part of his tuition money to treat his friends to a movie. Then he lied, and told his parents that he needed more money because of a tuition increase. For the rest of the week he felt guilty and tried to avoid his mother and father. When he remembered that he had asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit just a few days earlier, he felt frustrated with himself. He thought that the Christian life was just too difficult and complicated to live.
If you were Jun’s friend, what advice would you give him? (Confess his sin to God, tell his parents the truth, and be filled with the Spirit again.)
It is possible to experience the Spirit-filled life moment-by-moment. This is called walking in the Spirit. However, we need to remember that when we try to walk in the Spirit, we can expect difficulty. So let’s consider four principles that will help us walk in the Spirit moment by moment.
Observation / Interpretation (What does it say and mean?)
Observation / Interpretation (What does it say and mean?)
1. We must be filled with the Spirit.
Now let’s consider an example of this situation.
Example A:
Cesar is a brand new Christian. He wants to please God with his life. During a mid-term exam in his math class, he was not sure of an answer. He looked at his seatmate’s paper, and he wrote the answer on his own exam paper. That night, as he was reading his Bible he read Proverbs 20:23, “The Lord loathes (hates) all cheating and dishonesty.” (Living Bible) At that moment, he realized that his cheating on his math exam was very displeasing to the Lord. It was sin.
According to 1 John 1:9, what should Cesar do now?
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
Confession involves three parts:
Agreeing – agreeing with God that we have sinned, admitting our sin.
Thanking – thanking God that this sin is forgiven and paid for by Christ’s death on the cross.
Repenting – turning away from the sin, changing our attitude and actions.
Cesar should claim God’s love and forgiveness by faith and continue to have fellowship with God.
Let’s consider another example in Cesar’s life.
Example B:
A few months later, during the final exams, Cesar knew he had to pass his math exam in order to pass the course. Even though he knew it was a sin to cheat, he yielded to the pressure and asked his seatmate for the right answer. By not obeying God, he realized that he was choosing to take control of his own life again.
What should Cesar do now? (I John 1:9)
After exhaling, or confessing his sin, what else does he need to do? (Ephesians 5:18)
Cesar should now trust that the Holy Spirit is once again controlling and empowering him. This is inhaling, surrendering the control of his life to Christ.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit
Ephesians 5:18, NIV
The second principle that will help us to walk in the Spirit moment by moment is:
2. We must be prepared for spiritual conflict.
a. According to I Peter 5:8, is there anyone who is trying to prevent you from walking in the Spirit? Who is it ?
b. Can a Christian overcome Satan? (Ephesians 6:10, 11) Yes.
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
Ephesians 6:10-11, NIV
The third principle that will help us to walk in the Spirit moment by moment is:
3. We must know our rights as children of God.
a. What kind of gifts will our Father in heaven give us when we ask Him for help? (Matthew 7:7-11)
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:7-11
As God’s children we have the right to ask him for everything we need.
The fourth principle that will help us to walk in the Spirit moment by moment is:
4. We must live by faith.
a. How does a person receive Christ? (Ephesians 2:8,9)
b. How does a person walk with Christ? (Colossians 2:6, 7)
Faith is simply taking God at His word, and believing that what He has promised, He will do.
c. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us one way to demonstrate our faith. How should we respond to every situation God allows us to experience?
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6-7, NIV
Application (What does it mean to me?)
Application (What does it mean to me?)
Is there an area in your life in which it is difficult for you to experience victory? What is it?
How can you apply the four principles of walking in the Spirit to your situation?
Look Forward
Look Forward
Assignments and Reminders
Assignments and Reminders
Complete Lesson 4 of Ten Basic Steps to Christian Maturity Introduction.
Share the Four Spiritual Laws with another person.
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