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Have You Received the Power? – Part 3
Walking in the Set-apart Spirit

If we live by the [Set-apart] Spirit, let us also walk by the [Set-apart] Spirit.
Galatians 5:25


Have you repented of your sins and been filled with His Set-apart Spirit?  If so, then you need to walk by that same Set-apart Spirit.  But what does it mean to “walk” by His Set-apart Spirit?  How do we actually do this?  The first thing, is that we need to have been made alive by the Set-apart Spirit (see part 1 of this series).  Then, we need to be filled by the indwelling presence of the Set-apart Spirit (see part 2 of this series).  Once these things are a reality, then we are ready to walk daily in a manner that is pleasing to Him.

In order for YHWH to fill us with the Set-apart Spirit, one of the things that we have to do is to give everything to YHWH.  As we continue to walk in the Set-apart Spirit, this is an ongoing exercise.  This is particularly true as He reveals new areas that need attention and consecration.  Once a person who has gone through the process of being filled with His Spirit and has already consecrated everything to Him and His service, then if anything new is revealed to him or requested of him, his answer to this newly revealed area will be obedience, because he has already consecrated everything to Him.  This keeps the relationship and the infilling fresh, vital, and constantly being renewed, day by day.

As we grow and mature, He will show us specific things that we still retain control of, or that are not pleasing to Him in some way, that we were unaware of at the time of His filling us with His Set-apart Spirit.  What we must do to walk in the Set-apart Spirit is to surrender that revealed thing to Him.  The sooner we do so, the more pleasing to Him we will be.  After all, is this not what we want to do: please Abba YHWH?

Ephesians 4:1-6
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of YHWH, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love,
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of shalom (peace).
4 One Body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one Hope of your calling;
5 one Master, one faith, one immersion,
6 one Elohim and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

Is our walk worthy of the calling of Yeshua HaMashiach?

How do we walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him, our Master?

Notice verses two and three in the above passage.  It speaks of humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and preserving the unity of the Set-apart Spirit.  Is each one of these a part of our everyday living?

Walking in Humility

Ephesians 2:5-8
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Mashiach Yeshua,
6 who, although He existed in the form of Elohim, did not regard equality with Elohim a thing to be grasped,
7 But laid aside His privileges, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The thing to take careful note of in this passage is that Mashiach humbled Himself.  We are to have the same attitude in ourselves.  Can you imagine a Mashiach who, when personally attacked, would attack back?  How ridiculous!  When He was reviled, He reviled not.  Likewise, we are to be like Him.  Can you imagine anyone actually doing this who was not filled with His Spirit?

To have a humble attitude is to think rightly about oneself.  In a society that does everything it possibly can to elevate self above everything and everyone, this can be a formidable task, but it can be accomplished when done in, with, and by His Set-apart Spirit.  In fact, it can only be done by and through His Set-apart Spirit!

Ya’aqov [James] 1:17
Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with Whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.

Are you fully aware that every single blessing that you enjoy is from our gracious Father above?  Your house, your job, your family, your own life, are all blessings from His Hand.  The ground upon which you walk, the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the food you eat, are all blessings that one can easily take for granted.  Do you take these blessings for granted?  When was the last time you thanked YHWH for each of these blessings?

1st Corinthians 4:7
For who regards you as superior?  And what do you have that you did not receive?  But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Think carefully about this: name one thing that you have and enjoy that was not given to you.  Name one thing that you created from nothing.  Of course you cannot name anything because everything you have ultimately came from YHWH.

Do you live your life in such a way that this is evident?

Is this not the attitude which Mashiach had that we also are to have?  To be sure! 

2nd Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as from ourselves, but our adequacy is from YHWH.

This should be the mindset of the talmid (disciple) of Yeshua: to have a complete dependency upon Him, knowing that all blessings come from His hand.  Furthermore, we should consider all things a blessing.  But this can only be done by His Spirit.

1st Corinthians 6:19-20
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Set-apart Spirit who is in you, whom you have from YHWH, and that you are not your own?  For you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify YHWH in your body.

When we sought for and asked to be forgiven of our sins, and subsequently were filled with His Set-apart Spirit, we then no longer belonged to ourselves.  We are now to live in a manner that is pleasing in His sight and to do His bidding.  How are you doing in this area?

Who do you belong to?  Do you live in such a way that it is evident that you belong to Him?  Or do you live in such a way as it appears that you belong to another?  If you have been adopted as His son, then you should live like a son.

Are you bringing glory and honor to YHWH in and with your body?

True humility understands that we do not have anything that we have not received, including our own life, and gives it all back to YHWH in service to Him.

Walking In Love

Ephesians 5:1-2
Therefore be imitators of YHWH, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Mashiach also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to YHWH as a fragrant aroma.

Walking in love means that we understand the sacrifice of Mashiach for us.  Furthermore, one is willing to walk in that same love for others, sacrificing for them that they may come to know Yeshua as their Savior and Master.

When was the last time you loved someone this much?

Yochanan Beit [2 John] 1:6
And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments.  This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

When a person walks in love, then that person is keeping His commandments.  This includes not just the commandments that are appealing to him personally, but rather, all of them.  Are you keeping all the commandments of our Heavenly Father?  This is how we show Him our love for Him.

Devarim [Deuteronomy] 30:15-16
"See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love YHWH your Elohim, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that YHWH your Elohim may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it."

Do you know His ways well enough to walk in them?  Do you love Him enough to learn of His ways to be able to walk in them?

Tehillim [Psalm] 119:97-98
How I love Your Torah!  
It is my meditation all the day. 
Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies.

Walking in love not only means that we love YHWH our Elohim, but it also means that we love our neighbor as well.

Matithyah [Matthew] 22:37-39
37 And he said to him,
“You shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart,
And with all your soul,
And with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second like it is this,
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 

During this last decade I have read many articles about what this teacher or that teacher believes regarding who our neighbor is.  The general consensus is that a neighbor consists only of fellow believing Israelites.  Let us see if this concept will stand up to Scripture.

One day a lawyer asked Yeshua who was his neighbor, because he wanted to justify himself.

Luqa [Luke] 10:29 
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Yeshua, “And who is my neighbor?”

Now let us allow Yeshua to teach us just exactly who is a neighbor, so that we may properly love and keep His commandment to us!

Luqa [Luke] 10:30-37
30 Yeshua answered and said, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31 And by chance a certain priest was going down that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32 And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he was moved with compassion,
34  and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35 And on the morrow he took out two shillings, and gave them to the host, and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatsoever you spend more, I, when I come back again, will repay you.’
36 Which of these three, do you think proved to be a neighbor to him that fell among the robbers?”
37 And he said, “He that showed mercy on him.”  And Yeshua said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Please note that the two men who would have been considered quite religious by most people did not stop and render aid to the man in need.  We are told nothing about the man in need.  We do not know if he was a believer.  We do not know if he was an Israelite.  We do not know why the priest and the Levite did not stop to render aid.  It would seem that the reason, while in the minds of the priest and the Levite was legitimate, in reality there is no legitimate reason not to stop and give aid to a person in need; thus Yeshua does not include the reasons why they did not stop.

Then Yeshua asks this lawyer a question, “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor…?”  This question tells us exactly who it is that is a neighbor.  Being a neighbor is not based on race.  Being a neighbor is not based on religion; i.e., having the same religious beliefs.  Being a neighbor is not based on what the other guy does!  Did you catch that?  It is not about who is our neighbor.  It is about: who are we a neighbor to?  For Yeshua said to the lawyer, who answered Him correctly:

“You go, and do likewise.”

Being a neighbor is about what we do!  It is not about the other guy at all as to what his qualifications are; it is about DO I QUALIFY TO BE A NEIGHBOR?  Am I a neighbor?  And in order to be a neighbor, then we love those who have a need by meeting that need!  Am I a neighbor?  Or, do I expect others to be a neighbor to me; all the while I am not willing to be a neighbor to them?  How selfish is that!?

Matithyah [Matthew] 25:40 
“And the King shall answer and say to them, ‘Amein, I say to you, Inasmuch as you did it to one of these my brethren, even these least, you did it to Me.’”

I wonder, how many times we actually stop and give aid to those in need?  How many times do we excuse ourselves by stating that we have an appointment or we just don’t have time today?  How many times do we have the attitude of the priest or the Levite?  Would these things carry any weight in His eyes?  How many times do we have the attitude of the Samaritan?  Do we qualify to be a neighbor?  Being a neighbor is what it means to be walking in love!  Let us walk in love and be a neighbor to all without reservation!

Walking In Wisdom

Ephesians 5:15-18
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of YHWH is. 
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Set-apart Spirit.

We prove ourselves to be wise by knowing and doing His will; i.e., being filled with His Spirit.  But don’t just be filled once; but rather continue to be filled with His Spirit at all times.  You need to submit your life to Him so that He may do this in an ongoing manner. 

When was the last time you were filled with His Spirit?

1st Corinthians 2:12-16 
12 But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from Elohim; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of Elohim.
13 Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Spirit teaches; combining spiritual things with spiritual words.
14 Now the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of Elohim; for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.
15 But he that is spiritual judges all things, and he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who has known the mind of YHWH, that he should instruct him?  But we have the mind of Mashiach.

The challenge that is presented to us in this passage is one in which we need to make sure that we are on the right side of the challenge.  Shaul teaches us here that only those who have His Spirit can understand the truths that the Spirit has given.  If we do not have His Spirit, then how can we know if a teacher is teaching us His truth; or, if he is just teaching us worldly wisdom that is appealing to the flesh?  Whatever is contained in Scripture is there by and through the Spirit of Elohim.

2nd Peter 1:21 
For no prophecy ever came by the will of man; but men spoke from Elohim, being moved by the Set-apart Spirit.

Therefore, when we read Scripture we need to have His Spirit in order to understand what its true meaning is.  Otherwise we will come up short, and the understanding that we would have, would be based upon the wisdom of man, which is foolishness to Elohim.

Yochanan [John] 14:26 
“But the Comforter, even the Set-apart Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

Here is the thing about this whole thing of walking in the Spirit.  I cannot give you His Spirit.  No human teacher can give you His Spirit.  He may use me or another teacher to bring you His Spirit, but ultimately His Spirit is given by Him and only Him!  We just need to get down on our faces and make sure that this is a reality in us and not get up until it is!  Why?  Because the thing about walking in the wisdom of the Spirit as opposed to the wisdom of this world, is that it truly is a matter of life or death, literally!

Romans 8:6 
For the mind set on the flesh is death; but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace:

Spiritual wisdom is not worldly wisdom!  If we are going to understand His Word to us, then we need to have His Spirit.  This is equally true of the prophecies that He has given to us through the prophets of old.  One can read and search through the prophets all he likes, but if His Spirit is not guiding him, then what he is gaining is only an understanding founded upon the wisdom of man, which will only lead to death.  This is not a good place to be!

Hoshea [Hosea] 14:9
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; let him know them.  For the ways of YHWH are right, and the righteous will walk in them, but the transgressors will stumble in them.

We are to walk in the wisdom from above.  Doing so will mean that we will walk in righteousness.  Not in our own righteousness, but in His righteousness.  Doing anything less will not lead us in the path of life, but in the path of death.

Yochanan [John] 7:17
"If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of YHWH, or I speak from Myself."

We are to be filled with His Spirit and walk according to His Voice; then we will know whether the teaching we are listening to or reading (present writer included) is from YHWH or from the enemy.  But it is only by the infilling Presence of His Spirit that this is possible.  The alternative to this is that, if one is not filled with His Spirit, then when listening to or reading a teaching about Scripture, that one will not know where it is from; i.e., whether it is based upon spiritual wisdom or upon worldly wisdom.

Make no mistake about it, the wisdom of the world sounds very good and very right to the flesh!  It elevates self and makes it king.  We must listen to His Spirit to learn how to walk in His wisdom so that we will be able to put to death the wisdom of this world in us!

Walking In Power

Ma’aseh [Acts] 1:8
"But you shall receive power when the Set-apart Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Yerushalayim, and in all Yehuda and Shomron, and even to the remotest part of the Earth."

When was the last time you witnessed for Yeshua?  Do you have the desire to witness to others about your Master Yeshua?  His Spirit will empower us to witness for Him, which is His will for each and every one of us. 

There have been many times when I would be preparing to go on a journey and His Spirit would come to me and give me a message for someone that I was going to meet on that journey.  I remember one time in particular that I was going to be traveling with some friends and YHWH gave me a very specific message for a person I was going to meet.  I did not know who the message was for at the time, I just knew that He would show me the person when it was time to deliver the message.  I was somewhat surprised at the person whom YHWH pointed out that the message was for, but when I delivered the message His Spirit witnessed with their spirit and there were a lot of tears and praise and thanksgiving to Elohim.  They received the message from Him.   

Romiyah [Romans] 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of YHWH for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Hebrew first and also to the Hellenist.

This thing that you carry around with you in your heart, the Good News, is so very powerful, that it can save the lost sinner.  Do you believe that?  Or, perhaps you are ashamed of this very wonderful news.  We need to be ready in season and out of season to give a word to those around us as He directs.

2nd Timothy 4:2 
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

We do not need to be concerned about the content of the message that He will give to us, as the Spirit will give utterance as we need it.

Matthew 10:19 
“But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what you shall speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you shall speak.”

I have experienced this firsthand many, many times.  I know that this is absolutely true.  Here is the thing that we need to understand.

Tehillim [Psalm] 119:11 
Your word have I hid in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.

If we invest the time to plant the good seed of the word of Elohim in our hearts and minds, then when He needs for us to deliver that to another, then it will be there.

Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man;
17 so that Mashiach may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19 and to know the love of Mashiach which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of YHWH.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21 to Him be the glory in the Assembly and in Mashiach Yeshua to all generations forever and ever.  Amein.

When we walk in the power given by the Set-apart Spirit, then Mashiach dwells within us by that Life-giving power.  Please notice that this comes about when we are rooted and grounded in His love.  This in turn enables us to comprehend the greatness of His love as it flows through us to those around us.  It is this Power that roots us in the love of Mashiach.  Do you comprehend this?  If you do, then it is by that Power that you understand these things.

Walking In Obedience

Devarim [Deuteronomy] 27:10
“You shall therefore obey YHWH your Elohim, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today."

This is the truth of the matter:  we cannot do more than our duty.  We cannot do more than obey His Voice.  We can choose to do less, which is sin and leads to death.  However, we cannot do more!  One cannot go above and beyond the call of duty to YHWH!  Nor, does He ask us to do this.  He simply asks us to listen to and obey His Voice!

The only thing that He desires of us is for us to listen to His Voice and obey out of a heart filled with His love.  This is only possible when we are filled with His Spirit.  If we are not filled with His Spirit then it is impossible to walk in loving obedience to Him.  It is simply impossible to please Him without the indwelling presence of His Spirit.

Luqa [Luke] 9:23-24
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it."

Obedience requires that we live completely for Mashiach.  Are we attempting to save our lives for ourselves?  Or are we living our lives for His sake?  A good honest look at our daily living and what fills up the space of our days will tell us who we are living for, but we will need to be brutally honest to answer this question.

Luqa [Luke] 14:33
"So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions."

Where is our level of obedience?  What do we retain ownership of?

If we own anything at all we are not His disciple.  Don’t blame me for those words; those are the very words of Mashiach.  Look it up for yourself and read it in a dozen translations, they all say the same thing.  This is not talking about whose name is on the title!  What this is dealing with is a heart attitude.  Do we know and act as if all the material blessings that we have and enjoy are from His hand?  Or, do we attempt to grasp them in our hands as they pour through our fingers like water?

Walking in the Set-apart Spirit is a very important stewardship; perhaps the most important stewardship given to man.  Many know of the stewardship of a person’s money, of the stewardship of his time, and of the stewardship of his abilities.  But these are greatly diminished when compared to the stewardship of His Set-apart Spirit.

In the parable of the talents, Mashiach tells about the man who went on a journey and called his servants to himself and gave each according to his ability; to one he gave 5 measures, to another he gave 2 measures, and to the last he gave but one measure.

The first two servants were faithful and increased what they had been given.  The servant who had been given one measure did nothing with it, except to hide it in the ground.

As a result, this servant was judged as unrighteous, and what he had been given was taken away and given to another.  (see Matithyah 25:14-30)

What have you done with the measure of the Set-apart Spirit which you have been given?  Have you hidden it in the soil of your heart where it just sits?  Or, are you working to increase the blessings that He has graciously bestowed upon you?

If we are going to walk in the fullness of the Set-apart Spirit, then we must obey His Voice in all matters.

Walking By Faith

2nd Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight

Everything that has been written before needs to be understood in the context of doing all that we do by faith.  If we walk by sight, then we are walking in the flesh and this leads to death.

Romiyah [Romans] 14:23
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

The life that we live in Mashiach must be a life of faith to be pleasing to Him. 

This means that we must believe what the Voice of YHWH has said to us so much that we live as if our lives depended upon it.  For in reality, our lives do depend upon our obedience by faith in Him and to Him.

Remember, He has set before us this day, life or death, blessing or curse.  Which are we choosing?

Walking in the Set-apart Spirit

Galatians 5:25
If we live by the [Set-apart] Spirit, let us also walk by the [Set-apart] Spirit.

Up to this point, we have been admonishing you to walk or to make progress in the Set-apart Spirit personally.  Now we turn to a deeper aspect of walking in the Set-apart Spirit; i.e., to make progress collectively.

The concept in the above passage is to walk in order or in line, as in marching.  Are you walking in the Set-apart Spirit all by yourself?  We are commanded to walk in proper order.  We are to walk in the footsteps of those who have gone before us who lived a life of obedient love.  We are also commanded to walk with all the brethren in our own day.

Remembering that there is one Body and one Spirit, so walk in a manner that is worthy of the calling by which He has you set apart unto His glory and His honor.

Amein & Amein

Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
zerubbabel@onetorahforall.com

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