“And I say: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not accomplish the lust of the flesh.”
-Galatians 5:16
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How does one walk in the spirit and what are the lusts of the flesh? According to Galatians 5:17 the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. ‘Walking in Spirit’ means that you do not do what you desire to do. What really does the flesh lust and what are the fruits of the Spirit?
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~The Works of the Flesh~
Fits of Rage
Selfish Ambitions
Dissensions
Factions
Envy
Murders
Drunkenness
Wild Parties
Fits of Rage
Selfish Ambitions
Dissensions
Factions
Envy
Murders
Drunkenness
Wild Parties
“The works of the flesh are well-known, which are these:
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~The Fruit of the Spirit~
“But the fruit of the Spirit is:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Trustworthiness
Gentleness
Self Control
-Galatians 5:22-23
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~What does is mean if we are led by~
The Spirit?
According to Galatians 5:18, “If you are led by the Spirit you are not under Torah.” With that said, it is quite clear that we are not under the Torah if led by the Spirit.
“And we know that the Torah is good if
one uses it legitimately, knowing this: that
Torah is not laid down for a righteous being,
but for the lawless and unruly, for the wicked and
for sinners, for the wrong-doers and profane,
for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,
for those who whore, for sodomites, for kidnappers,
for liars, for perjurers, and for whatever else that
is contrary to sound teaching.”
-1 Timothy 1:8-10
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For it has been written in Romans 3:10 that “There is none righteous, no, not one!” While the Messiah, Yahushua tells us in Matthew 5:48 that, “Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the Heavens is perfect.” It is well known that none are perfect, yet only trying to be.
Yahushua wants us to try to be as perfect as we can. Therefore, one must try diligently to ‘Walk in the Spirit’. Loving our neighbors and being full of joy at all times; the good and the bad. Having much patience, kindness and goodness, no matter the circumstances. Having a trustworthy spirit, with gentleness, and able to control one’s self. These are the fruit of the Spirit, we must be led by these at all times.
You and I must admit that we cannot ‘Walk in the Spirit’ at all times as it is written in Romans 3:10. The average human at times can be very impatient, envious, hateful, selfish, have loss of self control, disrespectful, unkindness, ect. That is our flaw as humans; which means that we are not righteous and neither are we always ‘Walking in the Spirit’. It is crucial for you to understand that the Torah was laid down for us all as mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:8-10; because none of us are perfect.
Our sinful flesh does not exclude us from the Torah, but bonds us with it. The Torah is not a curse, but a sign between Yahuwah and His children. By keeping Torah we are set-apart from the world. For we were told to be in the world, but not of the world.
“And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,”
-Romans 12:2
Obeying the Torah sets us apart from the world.
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How do we know that we are walking by the Spirit?
We read in Romans 7:14, “For we know that the Torah is Spiritual…” How can this be and what does it mean? We read in Romans 8:1 that “There is, then, now no condemnation to those who are in Messiah Yahushua, who do not walk according to the flesh, but [instead, they walk] according to the Spirit.” That concludes if one walks according to the flesh and not the Spirit, that being is condemned. Reading on we can learn that we are completed in the Torah when we walk according to the Spirit.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the matters of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the matters of the Spirit.” Romans 8:5
“For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6
As it is written in Romans 8:5, if one is living according to the flesh the mind is thinking of fleshy things and committing fleshy actions. While on the other hand, living according to the Spirit, the mind is thinking of Spiritual things and committing Spiritual actions. What does ‘the mind of the flesh is death’ and ‘the mind of the Spirit is life’? Read on…
“Because the mind of the flesh is enmity (hateful) towards Yahuwah, for it does not subject itself to the Torah of Yahuwah, neither indeed is it [the flesh] able [to subject itself to the Torah of Yahuwah], and [by not keeping the Torah of Yahuwah] those who are in the flesh are unable to please Yahuwah.” Romans 8:7-8
If you are unable to please Yahuwah, then what does that mean? Simply enough, you are sinning against not only His Word, but also against Yahuwah himself! Those who do not observe His Torah are walking in the flesh. While they are walking in the flesh their flesh is full of much enmity, hatred. This hatred stirs Yahuwah’s anger against them.
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of Yahuwah dwells in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Messiah, this one is not His [Yahuwah’s]” Romans 8:9
Romans 8:9 concludes that if anyone does not have the Spirit, that one is not Yahuwah’s, and neither does He dwell in them.
“And if the Messiah is in you, the body is dead on account of sin…” Romans 8:10a
Why is the body dead? The body is the same as the flesh. Because of the fleshiness of the body we are sinful. This, causing us to be dead, because of the sin.
“…but the Spirit is life on account of righteousness.” Romans 8:10b
The Spirit, being in us, gives life because of righteousness. However, as we read in 1st Timothy 1:8-10, “The Torah is not laid down for a righteous being” Since we are all sinners, the Torah is laid down for the unrighteous. When we walk in the Spirit, we are, however righteous at that moment. If we honestly try to walk in the Spirit we will be somewhat righteous, but not completely, because “there is none righteous, no not one!” -Romans 3:10.
“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahushua from the dead dwells in you, He also will give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit dwelling in you. Romans 8:11
Life? You already have life, correct? If not you wouldn’t be reading this right now. The book of Romans is talking about another life. This is life in Heaven, deliverance from Hell.
“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of Yahuwah, these are the sons of Yahuwah.” Romans 8:13-14
By living in the Spirit we shall live eternity in Heaven. However, living according to the flesh causes us to die a death in the eternal lake of fire. What does it mean if one walks or lives by the Spirit? It means that one is observing not only the Ten Commandments, but also the Torah.
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~ It’s only for the Jews! ~
Many think the Torah was first established on Mount Sinai. While the Scriptures are not clear as to which laws existed before the time of Mosheh (Moses) and the official giving of the Torah, there are definite examples of at least some laws in
existence before Mosheh. From Scripture, we can tell the Torah first began ‘In the Beginning’:
“And on the seventh day Elohim completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the Seventh Day from all His work which He had made. And Elohim blessed the Seventh Day and set it apart, because on it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made.”
-Bereshith (Genesis) 2:2-3
We can see that from the beginning of it all, Yahuwah blessed the seventh day and rested on it. Shemoth (Exodus) 20:11 also refers to the creation of the earth and the blessing of the Sabbath.
“For in six days YAHUWAH made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore YAHUWAH blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.”
-Shemoth 20:11
The Israelites were rebuked for collecting manna on the Sabbath day before the Ten Words/ Ten Commandments were officially given. Also consider how Yahuwah rebuked the people for not keeping His commandments and laws concerning gathering the manna on the Sabbath day. (Shemoth 16:27-29)
It is quite clear that the law of the Sabbath was in existence from the beginning. It is also clear that there were Commands or at least to an extent. Consider the following verse:
“But the men of Sedom (Sodom) were evil and sinned before YAHUWAH exceedingly so.”
-Bereshith 13:13
In order to sin there needs to be a law or com-mand of instruction. The only way for Sedom to be wicked they must have been breaking some sort of law. As seen from the following texts.
“Everyone doing sin also does lawless-ness, and sin is lawlessness.”
-1 Yohanan (John) 3:4
“For law works wrath; but where no law is neither is there transgression.”
-Romans 4:15 (Darby)
Another example of the Torah before Mount Sinai is during Abraham, of who it is said, he kept the commandments and laws of Yahuwah.
“Abraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot.“ Torot is the plural form of Torah.
-Bereshith 26:5
In Bereshith 7:2 Noah knew the definition of both clean and unclean animals, he was instructed to take certain numbers of each kind onto the ark. Clean animals were yet to be defined until Wayyiqra (Leviticus) 11, another two books away. The clean animals were used for eating and also for sacrifices unto Yahuwah.
It is very clear to see that before the Torah was given by Mosheh on Mount Sinai that to a degree many laws already existed. Just to name a few; there is the Law against murder (when Cain killed Abel), the law of clean and unclean animals (during Noah’s time) and the law of the Sabbath (after creation). Even though the Scriptures does not give precise detail into many other laws, history does reveal that there was some sort of legal standard.
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“Let no man deceive you in any way”
-2 Thessalonians 2:3
For it is against Scripture to say the Torah is no more! The Torah defines sin, if one declares there is no more Torah, that one is declaring we have no need for a Savior! (Romans 4:15)
Yahushua came on this earth to deliver us from sin. He came on this earth to be our Passover Lamb, to do away with the Ceremonial Laws (Sacrificial Laws), but to observe the Moral Laws.
Yahushua did not come to do away with the Law or the Prophets. The first time Torah was even spoken of in the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) is when Yahushua spoke of it Himself. Even Yahushua observed the Feast Days mentioned in Lev. 23, and kept Torah. Paul, [the man whom Christians are told said the ‘Torah is no more’], even kept the Feast days as well! He goes on to tell us in Romans, 2:13 that those that are doers of the
law shall be declared right in the sight of Yahuwah while those that simply hear are not. Paul (Sha’ul) understood that when we walk in the flesh we can easily sin (Romans 7:14-25).
Matthew 5:17
“Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets:
I am not come to destroy,
but to fulfill.”
Yahushua came to fulfill the Sacrificial
Law because He is our Passover Lamb.
Let us remember, the fruits of the Spirit are; love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, gentleness and self control. Since NONE in this world are perfect, and neither ALWAYS ‘Walking in the Spirit’, NONE are excluded from observing the Moral Laws of the Torah.
Yahushua says: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
-Matt 7:23
Iniquity means ‘violation of the law (Torah), lawlessness, NOT observing Torah’. Which will you do? Try to ‘walk in the Spirit’, following the Torah…. or continue in your iniquity?
