Galatians 5:25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Down through the years I have been blessed to be around a number of spiritually minded people. What a blessing it has been in my life. They were those who, when they walked into a room, or into the church building; others could see the love of God in their countenance. There was no haughtiness, no put-on, no deceit; just a genuine presence of the Spirit of God.

How then, do we achieve this spiritual state that can be so readily seen and recognized by others? First, understand that we are not to strive for mastery with the wrong intent. There are those who have a hidden agenda; they fool no-one but themselves for God is not deceived. The Apostle Paul warned us about such ones in I Corinthians 9:24-26 when he said, “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I ...”

The scripture found in I Corinthians 9:24 does not say that all will receive the prize. Just as in the Olympics, there are only three in each race who received medals, some who came close, and many who failed all together. This does not refer to Heaven/Paradise, but rather our obtaining mastery, or maturity, in our scriptural learning and as a true disciple of Christ. We are to “... go on unto perfection” which is Christian Maturity (Hebrews 6:1). Paul told Timothy in II Timothy 2:5, “... if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.” Meaning, strive only in accordance with the will of God and not to bring glory to ourselves.

If we are able to run the race of life “certainly” and not uncertainly, as taught in I Corinthians 9:26, it is because we understand we have a crown of righteousness given by Christ as He imputed His righteousness unto us. While our fleshly nature still is sinful, our Spiritual Nature does not and cannot sin. As stated before, how do we run this race so that we possess this Spiritual Maturity which glorifies Christ? We are to take the fruit of the Spirit given to us by the Holy Spirit and use each attribute to the maximum; not just one or two of them, but all nine (9) of them. Fruit is that which is profitable; that which comes forth as it’s intended purpose is according to the will of God. In Luke 8:14 we find that those seed which fell among thorns were choked with cares, riches, and the pleasures of this life, “and bring no fruit to perfection” (Spiritual Maturity).

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance ...” There is no fleshly or worldly law against the fruit of the Spirit as it can only be Spiritually discerned. Look over these parts of this Godly Fruit and see how you measure up; see where you stand in the race that is set before us. And yes, we all come far short of where we need to be if it were not for His mercy and His grace which sustains us. Love me for Christ’s sake; be joyous when you are in my presence so as to lift up my spirit; strive to maintain peace but not at any cost; be longsuffering with me and my shortcomings; treat me with gentleness as I bruise easily; share your goodness with me so I can be comforted in my distress; let me witness your faith so it will help my unbelief; show me show to be meek so as not to injure my brethren; and then add temperance so that I learn not to fall into the ditch on the left nor on the right, but walk a straight and narrow path according to the will of God.

As God has bestowed His Spirit in our heart, may we “walk in the Spirit” so as to bring praise, honor and glory unto His name. But then, that is just “My Two Cents Worth.”