Just adding this to my Blog, though I posted it elswhere for discussion.
Watchman Nee: The Normal Christian Life
Published in 1977 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc
Chapter 10 Walking in the Spirit.
Nee says that when Adam chose the tree of knowledge, in the garden, he chose to develop the part of him that is Soul, the part of humanity that is our mind.
The problem is that we may be gifted in our humanity in way human ways, gifted with oratory, gifted with planning skills, with skills of persuasion; but, if we are not depending on God then we are using our human gifts and not depending on God. We are walking the flesh and ministering in the flesh and not after the Spirit.
Ok, I kind of know what he means but in a way I’m not sure. I know there have been times when God has spoken to me to share the gospel with someone, or to pray for someone. But I can’t say that every day I live and breathe my steps are specifically directed by the Lord. Often I wake up, work out, head for work, come home, eat, read my bible, say a short prayer and head to bed. It’s mostly just day to day stuff.
And then there are these scriptures on the subject:
Romans 8
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Galatians 5
16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 3Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 4And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.