Based on Romans 8:1-14 (New King James Version)
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
Through all of creation, we understand that God is a God of great intentionality—that everything He has made was brought into existence in accordance with His design and His thought, rather than by accident. We understand that His Word, too, was fashioned in this very same manner. While there may be many theories and ideas regarding the composition of the Bible—some perhaps accurate, others not—we accept—both through faith and by observing the perfect unity and harmony woven throughout its entirety, from Genesis to Revelation—that His Word is indeed the truth and our sole guide for drawing near to Him. It is for this reason that we must allow ourselves to be guided by it with such care, refraining from constructing doctrines by cherry-picking a verse here and a passage there; instead, we must derive our teachings from the fullness of the Scriptures.
In today's passage, we are taught that we must walk in the Spirit if we genuinely desire to possess new life in Christ—if we wish to reach heaven or obtain eternal life. Walking in the Spirit involves not merely a single prayer offered as a decision to follow Christ, but also living day by day with Him thereafter, striving to do the Father's will to the fullest extent possible. While there is indeed a specific moment when we must surrender ourselves to the Lord—and, of course, do so wholeheartedly—that is not the end; rather, it marks only the beginning of a long journey that must be traveled and completed while maintaining a genuine faith and a lifestyle that glorifies God. If this requirement is not met—regardless of the faith one professes to hold, or how fervently a person claims to believe in Christ—one will not gain entry into the Kingdom of God unless one walks in the Spirit as commanded by the Word. This is not a matter of opinion, but a fact taught by the very Word of God itself—just as we read today.
The Word of God is our instruction, and for this reason, it is given to us as a commandment—because it is necessary to do what He says. When we come to Christ and surrender our lives to Him, the Holy Spirit enters within us; however, this does not mean that everything is now complete, nor—as many suppose—that our lives are now set on rails, like a train, such that we need no longer worry about anything. That, too, is not the case. The matter of free will always remains, even after we have come to Christ, for everything is subject to love—and in love, there is neither obligation nor control. That is why the Word of God commands us to walk in the Spirit, for it is a decision. It is not something automatic. It is written: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galatians 5:16-25. Therefore, we do not merely live by the Spirit; we must also choose to walk in the Spirit to attain eternity.
Many believe that such a thing as predestination exists—and indeed, the Bible does speak of it—yet even within that framework, there remains room for free will. For instance, there has never been a person in history so chosen like John the Baptist. This is what the Word says concerning him: “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” Luke 1:41-44. “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” Matthew 3:13-17. So, John was filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb; he was the one who baptized the Son of God, and he also heard the testimony of the Father from the very heavens. But let us see what happened toward the end of his life: “And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” Matthew 11:2-3. The time also came for John to decide: either to continue believing in the Lord or to give up. If John had to reach that moment of decision—whether to continue walking in faith in Christ or not—what does that say about you and me?
Therefore, it is necessary not only to come to faith in Christ but also to persevere in that until the end—walking in the Spirit, to continue changing and seeking to do the Father's will, seeking God's instruction and revelation through His Word, and always speaking with Him, as it says: “Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. So, are you walking in the Spirit, or are you still living however you please? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!