Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit

Scott,
I appreciate your thoughts and the struggle you experience. This week’s parasha includes an interesting sub-theme about wrestling. Ultimately, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel because he “wrestled with God and men and he overcame.” I suspect you do a good amount of wrestling on behalf of the BFS group—much of which we are not privy to.

Baruch HaShem for the men of integrity, wisdom, and calmness He has placed in my path to lighten my load. Be blessed, Scott.

I am very familiar with the position you speak against in your recent post because that was my position in the not too distant past. In fact, I can still hear my arguments about how God’s people in the Messianic-era have a greater opportunity for “face to face” encounters with God because of His indwelling Spirit and the “direct line” we have to God. There is no need for rules, just follow the Spirit.

While I still espouse that in principle, I now understand that the manner in which God’s Spirit leads me is intimately connected with my relationship with Torah—His teachings.

John 14:15-17 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (ESV)

There is certainly a difference in the way the Spirit works in the Messianic era. Before, He was WITH us. Now, He is WITHIN us. Before, only a select few (i.e. Moses, Elijah, John the Baptist, and others) were filled with the Spirit. Now, all believers have the indwelling presence. The conundrum is that in the previous era, those who lived by the Spirit also walked by the Spirit (Gal 5:25)—for the most part. (Moses is not remembered for his momentary lapses into sin.) In this era, however, the majority of those indwelt by God’s Ruach seem to have constant set-backs in their struggle to overcome. In other words, those who live by the Spirit are not known by their Spirit-walk as much as their flesh-walk. Alas, I am speaking more personally than I care to admit so let’s go back to Moses.

Moses certainly needed the indwelling Spirit to accomplish the writing of Torah. But why did the seventy elders need the Spirit? As judges, they had the standard in written form. All they had to do to decide a case was research the matter and find the applicable teaching. Even the proper consequence was listed right next to the offense. How hard could it be to judge matters when the Law is the law and it’s written right there in black and sheepskin? Evidently it was downright impossible because of the plethora of ways to interpret God’s teaching. So, God gave the Spirit to the seventy elders to enable them to interpret Torah, make judgments, and apply God’s teaching. The Holy Spirit enabled them to know how to use God’s instruction.

I love my wife with all of my heart. The modern usage of the word ‘heart’ means emotion. However, in Hebrew Scripture, ‘heart’ implies a person’s will—their mind and decision-making capacity. In other words, “following my heart” is more weighted by my will than by my emotions. That being said, Jeremiah speaks about the New Covenant days.

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV).

The rest of that passage is relevant, also, but I’ll stop there. Here’s the point, in the age of Messiah, God’s people will be INDWELT with God’s TORAH. (Pardon my shouting.) God will write His law on my heart. In other words, my decision-making capacity will have God’s teaching at its disposal. I will KNOW what God’s will is. In the words of the legendary Billy Mays, “But wait, there’s more…”

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Ezekiel 36:26-28 (ESV).

Not only do we possess God’s Torah in our heart, we also possess His Spirit—the same Spirit that led the seventy elders to make right judgments and applications of God’s Torah. What a deal! Therefore, in the Messianic era, God’s Spirit will indwell all believers and work hand-in-hand with Torah to conform our will to God’s teaching. I now have the capacity to make right decisions. No longer do I have to go to one of the seventy. I have the same capacity as they did.
The question, then, is: “Will I use this divine capacity or will I continue to use my flesh to make decisions?”

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25 (NIV).

Here’s one more verse to consider. I couldn’t fit it in above.

“Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.” 1 John 3:24 (ESV)

Shabbat Shalom,
Bryan