Fall 1984
Walking in the Spirit
Wade Taylor
Pinecrest President

Christianity is a way of life that is both practical and mystical in its outworking. The Scripture expresses both aspects of this truth in Galatians 5:25:

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Living in the Spirit lifts us into a realm of revelation and fellowship with the Lord. But, our experiences in heavenly realities must find expression in, and give direction to, our daily walk in temporal reality. We are to walk in the Spirit.

Thus, it is clear that “walking in the Spirit” relates our spiritual experiences to our everyday life. As we walk out these experiences in practical ways our lives will be transformed. “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us . . .” (John 1:24). The manifestation of God in Jesus Christ was not limited to an intellectual concept or understanding. The Eternal Word that created the universe came down to a manger and lived out a human pattern of life and experience, through which, He gained total victory and brought salvation to mankind. He lived among men, yet He maintained an intimate fellowship and communion with His Father.

There is a practical “working out” of our salvation through the experiences of our life. Jesus taught and ministered in very practical ways. He related eternal truth to the practical things that the people of His day were familiar with and could be easily understood. Then He said, “Let him that hath an ear hear.” He was saying, “There is a deeper vein of truth available to each one whose heart has been prepared to receive and understand.”

Jesus hung openly visible upon a cross for all to gaze upon. Yet of this same Jesus, the Scripture says, “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:3). There is a basic level of truth in the Word of God that can be understood by all who have a desire to know the Lord. But parallel with this is the mystical aspect of the gospel, the unfolding of spiritual truth that pertains to God’s eternal Kingdom. Type and shadow fade as the light of His glorious presence ushers us behind the veil of printer’s ink into the glorious revelation of His being.

In the Lord’s dealings with His Bride in the Song of Solomon, there is a beautiful progression that leads her from desiring the things of God to a desire for the Lord Himself, until all her self desire is lost and merged into His desire for her.

“Deep calleth unto deep. At the noise of thy water spouts, all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me” (Psalm 42:7). This passage of Scripture expresses the outworking of this process as the Lord draws us to Himself.

“Deep calleth unto deep.” This desire of the Lord for our fellowship is calling out to the potential that is within us. Our Lord sees this potential or capacity and longs to fill it with Himself.

“At the noise of thy waterspouts, all thy waves and billows are gone over me.” The waterspout speaks of the Lord “zeroing in” on us, that is, giving His full attention to bringing us into this relationship with Himself. It is as a whirlpool that sweeps all temporal things away and leaves us with God only.

“All thy waves and billows are gone over me.” I no longer control my circumstances; all control has now passed to Him so He will be able to bring me up into the realm of spiritual life and fellowship that He so desires to share. When this occurs, He becomes the Lord of my life and I am now fully submitted to, and trusting Him in all things.

“And He entered into one of the ships which as Simon’s and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And He sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when He had left speaking, He said to Simon, Launch out into the deep . . .” (Luke 5:3-4) The land represents the normal life I live. The ship He entered into represents His call and desire for my life, the place where I am to “walk in the Spirit.” He enters my life’s “ship” and pushed me away from the land, my natural way of understanding. He then begins to teach me the principles of His Kingdom.

Note Matthew 13:11: “He answered and said unto them, because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but unto them it is not given.” After I have learned these lessons, He can lead me out into the deep, where He is All in All and I begin to experience the “deeper things of God.” This is what the Lord desires when He asks me to “launch out into the deep.”

“All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” This is the place where I can say, “Lord, I am willing to let the land under my feet go; I am willing to be taken out over my head where I can apprehend all You have for me of Yourself.”

The deep in God is calling unto the deep in a people who will harken. Invite Him into your “ship” and allow Him to push it away from the shore line of shallow Christian experience. Let the deep hunger in you say, “Yes” to the Lord, and launch out into the deep with Him.