Walking by the Spirit is imperative when reading the word of God because those who form their own opinions are treading on dangerous ground. As Peter said, some things in Paul’s writings are hard to understand. However, only the untaught and unstable distort his writings, as they [the untaught and unstable] also distort the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Those who are familiar with the ways of the Lord, and are stable in them, do not distort Paul’s writings. What they don’t understand, they rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of his writings in due time.
The untaught and unstable tend to jump to their own conclusions. For instance, many who are untaught and unstable today jump to conclusions and use Romans 7, where Paul explains the battle between himself and sin that dwells in him, as an excuse to continue in sin, and to build up the false doctrine of once saved, always saved.
But the truth is, Paul was explaining the battle within in order to show the way to win the battle, that of walking by the Spirit; for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and of death.
He had already affirmed this in chapter 6 verses 17 & 18, “But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
And he affirms it again in chapter 8, verses 12-14, “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
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