The way of the Spirit

Touching the dead!

Back in the law when someone touched a dead corps, they were considered unclean (Nu19:11), especially if the dead person had not been prepared. And if a person who died was not a good person or had leprosy, it was even worse to touch. There was a seven-day sanctification process if someone touched a corps before, they could be allowed back in the congregation. Now obviously the dead could touch the dead and nothing will happen unless one of the dead was filled with the power of God, like it happened when Elisha died. Back in 2 Kings these men were burying another man and were startled when they saw enemy soldiers coming, so they dropped the man in the grave where Elisha’s bones were and as soon as he touched the bones he came back to life (13:21). There is a life changing effect when one who is dead, whether spiritually or physically touch another who has the power of life in him.   

Romans 7:4-6

⁴ So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. ⁵ For when we were in the realm of the ^{flesh, [}a] the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. ⁶ But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

The same way marriage is a commitment that it is not supposed to be broken in which one is bound to another, so also is and was the law of the bible. People who decided to live by the law were bound by it. The law became a lifestyle that was very rigor to follow and keep with no way out. It contained about 600 laws of which were difficult to keep. The law reminded the practitioner of the do’s and don’ts and their consequences. The only way to be free from the law, Paul likens it to what happens in marriage when one of the spouses passes away the other is free. The only way that we can become God’s is through the dead body of Christ. Dying with Christ we are no longer responsible upholding the law, because he fulfilled it (Ro8:13). 

When we die to the old self, we put aside those bad habits that got us into trouble with God (Ep4:22-24), and we begin to walk in the new way of the Spirit. The new ways of the Spirit entails, first of all sensitivity to his guidance. The bible teaches us that he will guide us to all truth (Jh16:13). The next thing in the way of the Spirit deals with the empowerment to witness he equips us with. Luke tells us in Acts that when the Spirit of God comes upon us, we shall be his witnesses all over (Acts1:8). And finally with the way of the Spirit comes a lifestyle of bearing fruits (Ga5:22).