Higher Meaning of Walking in the Spirit

In 1 Samuel 9 we see that Saul was sent by his father to find some runaway donkeys. Taking a servant with him, Saul searched throughout the land. Finally, he got discouraged and was ready to give up the hunt. Then his servant told him about Samuel, a seer; maybe he could tell him where to find the donkeys.

Samuel, here, is a type of the Holy Spirit, who knows the mind of God; he has more on his mind than just direction. He knows Saul has been chosen by God to play a part in heaven's eternal purposes!

The first thing Samuel did when Saul arrived was to call for a feast (see 1 Samuel 9:19). This is exactly what the Holy Spirit desires of us: to sit at the Lord's table and minister to him--having quality time alone, hearing his heart.

Samuel asked Saul to clear his mind so they could commune together (1 Samuel 9:20-25). Samuel was saying, "Don't focus on getting direction now--that's all settled. There's something more important at hand. You've got to know God's heart--his eternal purposes!"

After that night of communion, Samuel asked Saul to send his servant out of the room, so they could have an intimate, face-to-face session (see 1 Samuel 9:27; 10:1).

Do you see what God is saying here? "If you really want to walk in the Spirit--if you really want my anointing--you need to seek more than direction from me. You need to come into my presence and get to know my heart, my desires! You see, I want to anoint you--to use you in my kingdom!"

Beloved, forget direction--forget everything else for now! Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the deep hidden things of God. Stand still in his presence, and let him show you the very heart of the Lord. That is the walk of the Spirit in the highest form!

Spending time in the presence of the Lord produces a manifestation of Christ to a lost world.

"We faint not...but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Corinthians 4:1-2). The apostle Paul states that we're called to be a manifestation of truth. Of course, we know Jesus is the truth. So, what does Paul mean by saying that we're to manifest Jesus?

Paul is speaking here of a visible expression. A manifestation is a "shining forth" that makes something clear and understandable. In short, Paul is saying we're called to make Jesus known and understood to all people. In each of our lives, there should be a shining forth of the very nature and likeness of Christ.

Paul takes this concept of manifesting Christ even further. He says, we actually are God's letters to the world: "Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men...the epistle of Christ...written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart" (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). Our lives are letters written by the Holy Ghost and sent out to a lost world. And we're being read continually by those around us.

How exactly do we become God's letters to the world? It happens only by the work of the Spirit. At the moment we're saved, the Holy Ghost imprints in us the very image of Jesus. And he continues shaping this image in us at all times. The Spirit's mission is to form in us an image of Christ that's so truthful and accurate, it will actually pierce people's consciences.