I think it was back in ’94 that our home group did a study on the Holy Spirit. Our approach was to look at every verse in the Bible on the Holy Spirit. We used a Nave’s Topical Bible to get the list of verses . . . and for about 9 months, got together weekly to look at a half dozen or so verses and work through together what we thought they taught about the Holy Spirit. We tried to take as an unbiased approach as we could as we sought to understand better the Third Person of the Godhead. No commentaries . . . no cassette tapes (the A/V of the day) . . . just us . . . and, we trusted, the Holy Spirit. I don’t think I’m overstating it when I say that the study was in some ways one of life’s turning points from me.

I came away from that study with one major conclusion . . . and one haunting question? Conclusion: God does nothing on this earth apart from the Holy Spirit . . . He is God’s active agency on this planet . . . He is God’s “fingertips” . . . from creation . . . through resurrection . . . through redemption . . . through sanctification. Question: If that is true . . . and if the Spirit of God resides within me . . . then why am I so unaware of His presence most of the time? That conclusion . . . and that question . . . started me on a conscious path to know more the Holy Guest who had “moved into” my life. And it continues to this day.

So, as I cover some familiar territory in Galatians in my reading this morning, my eye is again drawn to some foundational teaching by Paul concerning the Spirit of God . . .

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. . . . But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. . . . If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:16, 18, 25 ESV)

Pretty simple . . . “walk by” . . . “be led by” . . . “live by” . . . “walk by” the Spirit. Simple to read . . . my experience is that it’s a lifetime to get.

Walk by (5:16) . . . be powered by . . . and set my course according to the Spirit . . . let the Spirit of God influence me. It’s about the direction setting on my life’s GPS . . . desiring that it be set it to “Spirit controlled.” Informed by the word . . . spoken to the heart . . . providing the overriding context by which I desire to live life.

Be led by (5:18) . . . allowing the Spirit to take my hand as guide . . . He’s in me, it’s then about wanting Him to walk with me, or rather walk me through navigating this life in accordance with God’s will. Both God’s general will (for all believers) and God’s specific will (for this guy in particular). Learning to heart His voice and know in “real time” His leading.

Live by (5:25) . . . experience the joy of real life . . . life to the full . . . know what life was really meant to be through the One who designed it. Take in the living water . . . never thirst . . . and then give ‘er!

Walk by (5:25) . . . a different “walk by” than in verse 16 . . . literally “to proceed in a row as the march of a soldier, go in order” . . . the ESV Study Bible says “to walk in line behind a leader.” At some point it’s not enough to know what to do . . . but I need to do it. I need to submit . . . I need to obey . . . I need to the set the course . . . I need to desire and want Him to lead . . . and then, I need to get in line.

Oh, sometimes I think I’ve made some progress in trying to figure out what this “Spirit-filled life” looks like in practicality . . . and other times, I sense I have so far yet to go. But God is faithful . . . His word is powerful . . . and His Spirit, His Fingertips, is/are upon me. Mine then, by the grace of God . . . and for the glory of God . . . is simply to get in line. Amen?