Galatians 5:25 is our Text today, the Focus of our Lesson. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” And it is an amazingly interesting piece of Information!
The opening “if” (in Greek just “ei”) serves as a conjunction, linking our Verse with the previous Material, especially verse 24, but maybe even with verses 22-24. “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Yesterday’s Lesson, which is handily archived for you.)
The first Line here in our verse (“If we live in the Spirit …”) is framed as a “first-class condition,” in Greek grammar. That means “If … and the supposition is true!” This is NOT and “if” of doubt! It is an “if” that carries the weight of “since!” As in … “SINCE we live in the Spirit …”
If a man or woman is truly saved, he or she IS living “in the Spirit.” Or at least … the Holy Spirit is living IN him or her! (Romans 8:9 is my “proof” Text … “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.”)
The verb “live” in the clause “If we live in the Spirit” is “zao,” an indicative verb (stating a REAL condition of life) written in the present tense, an ongoing situation, “durative” the scholars call it. This “living in the Spirit” is a habitual way of life for the Believer in Jesus. Day in and day out! The Holy Spirit is our Companion, never leaving us!
The apparent (in English) preposition “in” is expressed by the “case” of the noun “Spirit.” And that would be the “dative” case. It means not only “in” the Spirit,” but also “to” the Spirit and “for” the Spirit!
One quaint way of saying it, “all wrapped up” in the Spirit!
Now, to consider the rest of our (short) verse … “let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Here our verb (“let walk”) is written in the “subjunctive” case! This expresses a “goal” or a “desire” or an “optimum situation!” It is Paul’s “wish” for the Galatian Christians!
SINCE (declarative mood) we are already “LIVING” in the Spirit … WE OUGHT therefore (subjunctive mood) to be also “WALKING” in the Spirit!
But here the verb “walk” is a surprise! It is not “peripateo” as used by Paul back in Galatians 5:16 (“This I say then, WALK in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”) It is instead “stoicheo,” literally meaning “to proceed in a row, to go in order,” even “to march as a soldier!” (As in “ABC” order. Or as in “1,2,3” order! Systematically, almost as if “following a list!”)
Wow!
Precisely (explicitly, minutely) following the Holy Spirit, walking in Him!
This Verse is really loaded!
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Then too, it is beautiful in structure, perfectly balanced! In Greek it looks like this:
Verb … Noun … Noun … Verb!
Or as they say … an “A B B A” pattern!
Here’s the “key” to the victorious Christian life … in a very poetical Line of Scripture!
Ponder this today.
— Dr. Mike Bagwell