Walking by the Spirit

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CherieR

Senior Member
May 6, 2017
2,265
1,419
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#1
How do we walk by the Spirit? How do we keep in step with the Spirit? What does that look like?
 

G00WZ

Senior Member
May 16, 2014
1,313
446
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#2
By living and agreeing with God (not just talking about it, but actually living in it) moving in faith rather than by sight, also by renewing the mind daily/ often so that you remember what rules you are to live by. It looks like victory over any situation because the person walking by the spirit knows Christ overcame the world already, and that they don't have to overcome challenges/ struggles them self... It's a completely different perspective in comparison to what is considered the norm. It also looks like complete trust/faith in God above all things... Its an awesome spiritual life and not a carnal everyday type of life most people have.
 
Nov 23, 2013
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#3
How do we walk by the Spirit? How do we keep in step with the Spirit? What does that look like?
To me according to Romans 8:9, it looks like if we have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us then we are walking in the spirit. Nothing to do with our actions other than having Christ in us.

Romans 8:9 KJV
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
 
Jun 1, 2016
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#4
How do we walk by the Spirit? How do we keep in step with the Spirit? What does that look like?
John 6:63 " ....it is the spirit that quickeneth the words that I speak unto you ARE spirit and they are life."

To walk in the spirit is to walk in the word of Jesus, if we are walking according to the word we will not gratify the flesh. It's all about the gospel, and the word of Jesus. That's what the spirit is, and how it gets into our minds and hearts through his words. I he repeatedly tells us to not only hear his word, but walk in those things. The words are full of spiritual knowledge spiritual knowledge in us quickens us to walk in the spirit through changing our minds, and hearts because we have faith. Christianity is all about Gods word given through Christ Jesus. We have to fist take them in believing in him, and keep them as they are his words the words of God. If we do this, obedience and walking the walk comes by the power in Gods word.

Remember what his words do......"let there be light...and light became, let there be children of God, and children of God become.....his words are power to create in us new hearts and minds and our actions come from those places. The gospel creates us in the mind and heart first, and then the fruit can truly be credited to God. God doesn't work by pounding nails his work is accomplished by his word, it's been that way from the start.






2corinthians4:6
6For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
 

Chris1975

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2017
2,492
517
113
#5
How do we walk by the Spirit? How do we keep in step with the Spirit? What does that look like?
[SUP]22 [/SUP]But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [SUP]23 [/SUP]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

That's what it looks like.

As to how to walk by the Spirit?
- Repent (and remain in a repentant heart and mind)
- Believe in Christ Jesus
- Love God
- Love your neighbour
- Obedience to the will of God
- Trust in the Word
- Fellowship with the Lord
- Prayer
- Worship

The Holy Spirit will help you in all of the above. Your attitude to the above is key. Seek First the Kingdom of God AND His righteousness.

Are you putting Him first in your life? If you choose to do so, I believe that you won't have any issues or concerns with walking by the Spirit. It will happen.
 
Nov 23, 2013
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#6
You guys must be some kind of super-duper Christians... I gratify the flesh all the time and I've been saved for 25 years. Paul couldn't even do what some here suggest.

Romans 7:18-19 KJV
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

[19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
 

Desertsrose

Senior Member
Oct 24, 2016
2,824
207
63
#7
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Galatians 5:16-18

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not 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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Romans 8:3-9

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:14
 

Chris1975

Senior Member
Apr 27, 2017
2,492
517
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#8
You guys must be some kind of super-duper Christians... I gratify the flesh all the time and I've been saved for 25 years. Paul couldn't even do what some here suggest.

Romans 7:18-19 KJV
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

[19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
You misunderstand Paul in Romans 7.
- You gratify the flesh all the time but you are saved? You need to renew your mind instead. You have accepted defeat. You have justified the flesh, instead of by faith believing in the power of grace. You are to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Otherwise you will get a wake up call on judgement day, and it will be too late.

You should read Romans 6 carefully to understand what God's view of sin is.

Romans 7 talks of Paul
- once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, he died (i.e. as a child he was free from the law, but once his conscience became aware of the transgression (for example as a 13 year old, or any age of accountability according to God, it slay him that very moment). It is that same conscience that caused Adam and Eve to hide from God in the Garden of Eden.
- Paul was a devout Pharisee. He had a love for God and the Law. Yet in his zeal he found that he could not uphold the law. Because he in his mind knew that the law was good but he found that the power residing within his flesh overcame him and he was not able to uphold the law. All the good he wanted to do he couldn't, and all the bad he wanted to avoid he couldn't.
-Paul calls out in desperation ---- who can save me from this body of death? (This is Paul's REPENTANT mindset). If Paul was happy in his sin, then this is NOT a REPENTANT MINDSET. Paul had a repentant mindset (knowing the law was good, and wanting to uphold the law) --- who can save me from this body of Death?
- The solution: Thanks be to JESUS CHRIST (HE IS THE SOLUTION)

Romans 8: Now we are able to live godly lives through the Spirit. Because of Jesus, and what He did on the cross.

If you quote Romans 7 here on the forum as an excuse for your flesh, you haven't really understood this passage at all. You should be, like Paul, crying out --- who can save me from this body of death? Instead of shouting out --- hey, I live in the flesh all the time. There is no repentance.

And without repentance you don't have Christ.

With respect.
 
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Marcelo

Senior Member
Feb 4, 2016
2,359
859
113
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#9
How do we walk by the Spirit? How do we keep in step with the Spirit? What does that look like?
This is a very good question and I don't think there's a clear cut answer for it. A person who has close fellowship with God will naturally walk by the Spirit. It's like a mother who has never learned with anyone how to raise kids, but she follows her mom instinct and does a great job.
 
Jun 1, 2016
5,032
121
0
#10
You guys must be some kind of super-duper Christians... I gratify the flesh all the time and I've been saved for 25 years. Paul couldn't even do what some here suggest.

Romans 7:18-19 KJV
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

[19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
if you are walking in the spirit, you will not gratify the flesh, the same guy your quoting there said this

galatians 5:16-24 "This 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.

BUT
[FONT=Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] IF ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. [/FONT]19[FONT=Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Now the WORKS OF THE FLESH are manifest, WHICH ARE THESE[/FONT]; 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 ( see ephesians 5) in time past, that they which DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT the kingdom of God. ( Notice paul is explicitly identifying actions and thoughts of the believer)

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have CRUCIFIED the flesh with the affections and lusts."


the issue with trying to make our faith one or two verses is its misssing vast amounts of information that contains Knowledge. walking in the spirit, is to walk in the word of Jesus, because thats where the spirit gets into us from. to refuse what the word actually says, or steer around things like this so plainly stated by paul is why there is so much confusion about what these things like " walking in the spirit" actually mean, it leaves us bound if we reject the only freedom

john 8:31-34 "Then said Jesus to those Jews which BELIEVED ON HIM, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE. 33They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?34Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the SERVANT OF sin."

see romans 6:15-18 "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."


thinking has to change through the word, but if the response is " i gratify the flesh all the time" its lacking, and needs to open up to the rest of what is there. Grace doesnt change obedience to Gods word, it enables once slaves to sin, to walk in the Life of Gods word.
 

G00WZ

Senior Member
May 16, 2014
1,313
446
83
37
#11
You guys must be some kind of super-duper Christians... I gratify the flesh all the time and I've been saved for 25 years. Paul couldn't even do what some here suggest.

Romans 7:18-19 KJV
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

[19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
It's never too late to try... and Romans 7:18-19 KJV he is talking about living under the law and still being a slave to sin..
trying to do right while still of a sin nature, being at conflict with himself because the will to do right is there but the slave nature is still there too.. skip over to Romans 8 its all about being set free... Romans 8:4 - He did this so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us. Now the way we live is based on the Spirit, not based on selfishness.
 
Nov 23, 2013
13,684
1,212
113
#12
You misunderstand Paul in Romans 7.
- You gratify the flesh all the time but you are saved? You need to renew your mind instead. You have accepted defeat. You have justified the flesh, instead of by faith believing in the power of grace. You are to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Otherwise you will get a wake up call on judgement day, and it will be too late.

You should read Romans 6 carefully to understand what God's view of sin is.

Romans 7 talks of Paul
- once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, he died (i.e. as a child he was free from the law, but once his conscience became aware of the transgression (for example as a 13 year old, or any age of accountability according to God, it slay him that very moment). It is that same conscience that caused Adam and Eve to hide from God in the Garden of Eden.
- Paul was a devout Pharisee. He had a love for God and the Law. Yet in his zeal he found that he could not uphold the law. Because he in his mind knew that the law was good but he found that the power residing within his flesh overcame him and he was not able to uphold the law. All the good he wanted to do he couldn't, and all the bad he wanted to avoid he couldn't.
-Paul calls out in desperation ---- who can save me from this body of death? (This is Paul's REPENTANT mindset). If Paul was happy in his sin, then this is NOT a REPENTANT MINDSET. Paul had a repentant mindset (knowing the law was good, and wanting to uphold the law) --- who can save me from this body of Death?
- The solution: Thanks be to JESUS CHRIST (HE IS THE SOLUTION)

Romans 8: Now we are able to live godly lives through the Spirit. Because of Jesus, and what He did on the cross.

If you quote Romans 7 here on the forum as an excuse for your flesh, you haven't really understood this passage at all. You should be, like Paul, crying out --- who can save me from this body of death? Instead of shouting out --- hey, I live in the flesh all the time. There is no repentance.

And without repentance you don't have Christ.

With respect.
Paul wasn't repenting in Romans 9, he was pointing out the fact that no one can master the flesh. Paul was just as saved in Romans 7 as was in Galatians 5.
 
Nov 23, 2013
13,684
1,212
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#13
if you are walking in the spirit, you will not gratify the flesh, the same guy your quoting there said this

galatians 5:16-24 "This 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.

BUT
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 ( see ephesians 5) in time past, that they which DO SUCH THINGS SHALL NOT INHERIT the kingdom of God. ( Notice paul is explicitly identifying actions and thoughts of the believer)

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24And they that are Christ's have CRUCIFIED the flesh with the affections and lusts."


the issue with trying to make our faith one or two verses is its misssing vast amounts of information that contains Knowledge. walking in the spirit, is to walk in the word of Jesus, because thats where the spirit gets into us from. to refuse what the word actually says, or steer around things like this so plainly stated by paul is why there is so much confusion about what these things like " walking in the spirit" actually mean, it leaves us bound if we reject the only freedom

john 8:31-34 "Then said Jesus to those Jews which BELIEVED ON HIM, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE. 33They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?34Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the SERVANT OF sin."

see romans 6:15-18 "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.16Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."


thinking has to change through the word, but if the response is " i gratify the flesh all the time" its lacking, and needs to open up to the rest of what is there. Grace doesnt change obedience to Gods word, it enables once slaves to sin, to walk in the Life of Gods word.
Do you ever fulfill the lusts of your flesh?
 

stonesoffire

Poetic Member
Nov 24, 2013
10,665
1,829
113
#14
Brother KJV

We are no longer flesh ruled but Spirit ruled. A new creation, a new genesis of life.

A Spiritual being...once you "see" this...things change.
 
Nov 22, 2015
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#15
For those that like to feed themselves on Christ. I highly recommend this teaching on how Jacob became Israel. Things in the Old Testament speak of the real substance which is Christ Himself.

It speaks of living from the flesh or living from the spirit which what God says is true about us because of Christ being in us. Without Him we can do nothing.

Jacob and his twin brother Isaac are an example of the Christian life - one is of the flesh - the other is of the new creation when it becomes "Israel".

This teaching shows how we are transformed by "beholding Christ in our inner man". It is a work of the Holy Spirit as we behold Christ Himself. It is one of the ways of God in which the kingdom operates from.

The fruit of this will produce good works coming from His life being manifested in and through us as we participate in it with the Lord.


Here is the link to the website.

Seeing Grace: Audio Archive

And here is the specific teaching I am referring to. Click on "Experiencing Life in a Different Dimension" in blue below and it'll take you to the specific teaching to download it. It is free.

James Barron

Experiencing Life in a Different Dimension

Sunday, May 9, 2010 9:30am
Duration: 37:02 (35.6MB) mp3
 
Nov 23, 2013
13,684
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#16
It's never too late to try... and Romans 7:18-19 KJV he is talking about living under the law and still being a slave to sin..
trying to do right while still of a sin nature, being at conflict with himself because the will to do right is there but the slave nature is still there too.. skip over to Romans 8 its all about being set free... Romans 8:4 - He did this so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us. Now the way we live is based on the Spirit, not based on selfishness.
I know Romans 8 and 9 backwards and forwards lol it's the passages of scripture that set me free and cleared my conscious and stopped me from trying to WORK to please God. This whole argument hinges on understanding what walking in the spirit means - the definition is given below.

Romans 8:9 KJV
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
 
Nov 22, 2015
20,436
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#17
I believe there is a difference between being "in the spirit" and "walking by the spirit." The same goes for "being in the flesh" and "walking by the flesh".

Christians are "in the spirit" but we are to walk by that new spirit because Christ is in us. Christians are not "in the flesh" but we can walk "by the flesh" - which brings death of some sort to all of us.

Whether it's living a homosexual lifestyle or the slandering of others in the body of Christ or the causing of strife...etc. These are in the same lists.

Walking by the spirit is not following some carnal commands from scripture or from trying to mimic the life of Christ but from living from who we are in Christ in our new creation in Christ.

As we behold the glory/goodness of the Lord as in a mirror - we are transformed by His life by the Holy Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:17-18

Peter walking on the water is a picture of the true Christian life - keeping our eyes on Jesus in every situation no matter what storms or circumstances are happening around us.

We still have the flesh with the law of sin still in it but the inner man in Christ has been circumcised by Christ where the body of sin has been "cut away" from the new creation that is in Christ. Col. 2:11

Paul calls it the circumcision of the flesh and heart. This is the circumcision of Christ when we receive Him after hearing the message of Him - where we are "sealed" by the Holy Spirit. Eph. 1:13

Religion always gets the gospel and the things of God backwards. They will say "Stop doing the works of the flesh and we'll be walking by the spirit.

It is the complete opposite of that - it is "walk by the spirit and we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh to do "it's" desires." Gal. 5:16-17

Living by/walking by the spirit is living from our true identity in Christ - the new creation created in righteousness and holiness because we are in union as one spirit with the Lord.
 
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Jun 1, 2016
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#18
Do you ever fulfill the lusts of your flesh?

i follw the things im trying to offer for you to accept. its hard for some to accept, i been there in the past. im not at all telling you what i think might work, but what I have experienced in Life. i think this haoppens alot on here, you are seeing me somehow condemning you, but...thats not what is there in my comment. can you deny the truth that those things i quoted are there in your bible as well? and they are very plainly set forth by the same who said " saved by grace so no one can boast? or will you say im condemning you and saying you arent "saved"?

the truth is the truth, its there and very plain, heres ephesians 5 i was referring to as well

ephesians 5:1-7 "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.3But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath ANY INHERITANCE in the kingdom of Christ and of God.6Let no man DECEIVE YOU with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7Be not ye therefore partakers with them."


listen, i dont know you, how you live, i cant tell you if your " saved" or not, thats between you and Jesus Christ. all im saying is the bible in which you must believe is truly Gods word, meaning what God has said to mankind, has a complete message that leads to the changing of the believer. am i free to live in sin or " gratify and walk after the flesh? not at all, Gods word has called me from those things i once followed into the things i follow now. all im saying is consider the message rather than picking a verse or two and denying the rest, if you let in the knowledge, it will change you and bring a Greater praise to God. we gotta be willing to Love God more than what we want, and hear him saying : Lay it down and follow me"

to be clear, your own salvation is only and can only be between yourself and Jesus Christ who is the Lord. want to grow? accept the word as it is set forth and when you dont agree with it, realize Gods word isnt wrong
 
Nov 23, 2013
13,684
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#19
Brother KJV

We are no longer flesh ruled but Spirit ruled. A new creation, a new genesis of life.

A Spiritual being...once you "see" this...things change.
So you have completely master the flesh? Do you no longer have fleshly desires or do have you have complete power over them?
 
S

sevenseas

Guest
#20
Hi Cherie

some people have given you some really good answers from scripture

I went looking to try and find some easy to understand responses because it can sometimes be a concept that is either passed off as too spiritual and Paul or whoever did not mean it the way they said it, OR, people can make it mystical and make it sound like your feet don't touch the ground when you walk.

here is a real simple introduction to walking in the spirit

2. Set your minds on the things of the Spirit (Rom. 8:5)

The question "how does one overcome the pull of the flesh?" sounds like an old riddle: How can someone extract all of the air out of a drinking glass? The most direct way to get all the air out of a glass is by filling it with something else. You cannot extract thoughts that displease God from your mind. Like [the solution to the riddle], you need to be filled up with thoughts—indeed with an entire mindset—that is oriented toward the things of the Spirit (e.g. Gal. 5:22–23).

the answer is to agree with what the word of God says

remember one thing, God would not tell us to do something we could not do. the other side of that, is that it takes the application of what we read or else nothing will change.

don't be put off by people disagreeing on your question. sadly, that happens too much among believers.

best thing, is to pray and ask God to help you to understand what He says.

here is another point to help answer you:


5. Know the Fatherhood of God by the Spirit (Rom. 8:15–17)

Without the Holy Spirit, we would never know our freedom and identity as God's adoptive children. Thankfully, God has freely given us his Holy Spirit, and these verses from Romans 8 display three amazing things the Spirit does:

  1. He acts as the go-between who takes us out of a place of slavery and fear and brings us into a place of adoption and acceptance.
  2. He helps us to cry out to God as Father.
  3. He testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.


    you can find the rest of this article here