“We were meant to live for so much more. Have we lost ourselves?” is the chorus of “Meant to Live” by the band Switchfoot and it effectively sums up the plight of how so many people live in ways that directly oppose how God originally designed them — to walk in relationship with Him and reflect His character.
Instead of following the Spirit’s lead, we tend to follow our own desires, which leads to frustration, emptiness, and lives that look nothing like the freedom we’ve been given in Christ.
It is baffling that the God, the Creator of the universe, crafted humanity to know and be in relationship with Him. At the core of understanding a relationship with God is the reality that He gives us the choice to follow Him. God could have created humanity to robotically follow Him, but in His great love, he gave us a choice.
If one responds to this invitation, not only does the Bible say the person becomes a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), but they have God’s Spirit inside them.
We as humans have a hard time living in this reality. Often those who follow God seemingly live in conflict of doing what His best is and sometimes just continue to do the very things God has saved us from. This should not be and the Christian life has a beginning and a calling — a call to live differently, not by our own strength, but by the Spirit within us, who enables us to live out God’s best.
In the Bible, Paul, who radically changed his life when he met Jesus, wrote a letter to some churches in this region called Galatia who needed encouragement in truly following Christ.
Galatians, chapter 5, calls believers to stand firm in the freedom this new relationship brings, reject old ways of living in the flesh and legalism, and live by the power of the Holy Spirit residing inside them. Paul emphasizes how to live like this in verse 25, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
This new life of “living in the Spirit” begins when someone says, yes, to initially following Jesus. “Living” is about have a spiritual life based on the belief in Jesus and accepting his forgiveness. Ongoing spiritual growth is the result of continued faith and “walking in the Spirit.”
“Walking” means to stay in line with the Spirit’s leading not just as a one-time act but as a lifestyle of following His direction. It is daily, practical obedience and alignment with His constant guidance. The result of a Spirit led life produces “fruit” that reflects Christ. These things will be evident in the life of a believer following Jesus: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (5:22-23).
God saved humanity to transform us through His Spirit, not just forgive us. So, if you are alive in Christ — live like this. Let His Spirit lead you daily and let His fruit show in your life.
Frank Alioto serves as the Pastor of Roots Family Church and serves as a chaplain in our community.
