by Miles J.
Stanford
Walk in [dependence upon] the
Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Gal. 5:16)
Those
who have thoroughly learned full dependence on Him for justification will come
to understand that sanctification is by the same faith principle. We are to rest in His finished work – both
for birth and for growth.
"We
are not to overcome the lusts of the flesh in order that we may walk in the
Spirit. We are to walk in the Spirit in
order that the lusts of the flesh may be overcome. The enemy can hold up young Christians on this point for a long
time, so that they do not really get started on the Christian walk. They feel
they cannot expect to begin to walk in the Spirit until they have, in some
degree at least, dealt with the lusts of the flesh.”
"They wait for some vague time when they hope
they will have reached a more satisfactory position in regard to the lusts of
the flesh, and will feel more confident about attempting a walk in the
Spirit. But that is all the wrong way
around. If we are to wait until we
have, in some degree, mastered the lusts of the flesh before we venture to walk
in the Spirit: if we are to wait until we feel that we can give some sort of
security to ourselves and to God that we shall do a bit better in the future
than we have done in the past, then we never will walk in the
Spirit. For until we walk in dependence
upon the Spirit we shall not, and cannot, overcome the lusts of the
flesh." – D. T.
Be filled with [controlled by] the
indwelling of the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18, Cony.). g
This article was excerpted
from the devotional book, “None But the Hungry Heart” #1–12.