Winter 1992

Walking in the Spirit
Wade E Taylor

Christianity is a way of life that is both mystical and practical in its outworking. In Galatians 5:25, both aspects of this truth are presented.

"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 our Lord and is mystical in its unfolding.

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT relates our spiritual experiences to our everyday life and is practical in its outworking.

Our experiences in heavenly realities must find their expression, and give direction to our daily walk in temporal reality. As we walk out these experiences, our lives will be transformed. This principle has been fully demonstrated for us by our Lord.

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth" John 1:14.

The manifestation of God in Jesus Christ was not limited to an intellectual concept of understanding. That Eternal Word which created the universe came down into an earthly manger and lived out a human pattern of life and experience through which He gained total victory and brought salvation to mankind. Although He lived among men, He maintained an intimate fellowship and communion with His Father.

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

Jesus hung visibly upon a cross for all to gaze upon. Yet of this same Jesus, the Scripture tells us that WITHIN HIM "are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col. 2:3). There is a basic level of truth that is practical and can be understood by all who read the Bible. Parallel to this is the mystical aspect of the Gospel, the unfolding of spiritual truth that pertains to the Lord Himself and to His eternal Kingdom. Type and shadow fade as the light of His revelatory anointing ushers us behind the veil of "the letter of the Word" into the glorious discovery of spiritual reality.

In the Lord's dealings with us, there is a beautiful progression which leads from the "shallows," where we primarily desire the "things" of God, out into the "depths" where we experience the Lord Himself.

"Deep calleth unto Deep. At the Noise of thy water spouts,
all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me" Psalm 42:7.

"Deep calleth unto deep." The impassioned (deep) desire of the Lord for our fellowship is calling out to the potential for fellowship with Himthat is resident (deep) within each one of us. Our Lord sees this capacity and longs to fill it with Himself.

"At the noise of thy water spouts." This "water spout" speaks of the Lord giving us His full attention and bringing us into this relationship with Him. It is as a heavenly whirlpool (water spout) that sweeps all temporal things away and leaves us with God alone.

"All thy waves and billows are gone over me." I have been pushed out into the depths where He has become "Lord" of my life and has drawn me into the realm of spiritual life and fellowship that He so desires to share with me. My feet can no longer reach the bottom and feel the security of the land, where I once walked as I pleased.

"And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him
to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen
were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And He
entered into one of the ships, which was 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 unto Simon, Launch out into
the deep, and let down your nets for a draught" Luke 5:1-4.

There were two ships. There always is; my way and His way. When I choose the Lord, He will step into my "ship." This speaks of my life as being set apart for His purposes and readily available to Him. There are two different realms where this ship can move; the "shallows" (land), and the "deep." This land, which represents my self-life, projects outward under the water and gives me control, so long as my feet are able to touch the bottom. The "Deep" becomes that point at which my feet no longer reach bottom, and I must fully trust Him.

As I respond to His desire for me, "deep calling unto deep," He will enter my life's "ship" and push me a short distance from the land. Here, He will teach me the principles of "Living in the Spirit."

These spiritual laws, once they become a reality within me, having been tested and proved in my spiritual experience, will become the means by which I am able to function in the depths of God. Only now can the Lord say, "You are ready to launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught."

Now I will be able to apprehend all that He has purposed, as I experience the fullness of "Walking in the Spirit" with Him.