The first kind of walk by the Spirit is for the second— that of taking the Spirit as the path for our way. We all must walk along a certain way. The path of this way should be the Spirit Himself. For the first kind of walk, the Spirit is our essence; for the second kind, the Spirit is our way.
Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Here Paul seems to be telling the Galatians, “Not only have you been living by the law, taking it as the essence of your life, but your goal has been established according to the law. The law has become the path for your way. Now you are not merely living under the law, but you are walking according to it. Dear Galatians, you must come back to the Spirit and leave the law on the cross. Take the Spirit as the essence of your daily life in place of the law. If you live by the Spirit as your essence, you should also take the Spirit as your pathway to reach God’s goal. Taking the Spirit as your essence and pathway excludes law, doctrine, religion, tradition, and regulations. None of these things should be your way toward God’s goal. The unique pathway is the Triune God as the life-giving Spirit. He alone should be the principle, the rule, the path, according to which you walk.”
The underlying thought in 5:25 is very deep. By uttering such a word concerning walking by the Spirit as our rule or principle, Paul eliminated law, religion, tradition, doctrine, and regulations as the rule. The governing principle, the directing rule, of our walk must be the Spirit. We should do certain things and refrain from doing other things not because of regulations, but because we take the Spirit as the essence of our life, the essence of our new being. If you ask me why I would not do a particular thing, my answer would be that I am walking by taking the Spirit as the essence of my being. However, should I answer that I would not do that thing because it wastes time or because it damages the Lord’s testimony, my answer would be religious and traditional. Our only reason for doing things or for not doing things should be that we take the Spirit as our essence and thereby live Christ.
When we have the first kind of walk, that of taking the Spirit as our essence, we shall be able to have the second kind of walk toward God’s goal. Day by day, the Spirit will be our pathway. Then we shall walk according to the Spirit, not according to doctrine, theology, religion, tradition, or organization. The wonderful processed Triune God will be our pathway, and we shall walk in Him. Walking by the Spirit as our way, we shall be able to reach the goal and gain the prize, which is Christ Himself.
If we are one with the all-inclusive Spirit, He will no doubt lead us to walk in Himself as our way. As a result, the Spirit becomes the rule, the principle leading to God’s goal. Spontaneously the Spirit becomes the lane, the regulation, on the way to God’s goal. Thus the all-inclusive Spirit becomes the path for our way. If we walk along this pathway, we shall surely reach God’s goal, and His purpose will be accomplished.
The book of Galatians indicates that we should not live by the law, religion, tradition, organization, doctrines, or regulations. Instead, the processed Triune God who lives in us should be the essence of our new being and the very path as our way. We should live by Him and walk in Him, having the two kinds of walk by the Spirit.