Cybil and Judy,

I"ll join for a bit.

Walking by the Spirit is total dependence on Jesus living His life through us moment by moment. Judy, your definition will work too. As far as laws, as we depend on Him, we will follow God's laws since Ezekiel 36:26-27 says that laws are now written on our heart and God will cuase us to walk in them; and besides Jesus living through us will of course follow the laws when we depend on Him. Our focus as a Christian is to focus on Jesus, not laws.

Walking by the Flesh is dependence on our resources. Our flesh is our body and soul operating independent of the Holy Spirit. Thus walking by the flesh is depending on our bodyand soul, rather than Jesus. As far as law, we can be focused on man's law or God's law but still be barking up the wrong tree. Even if we are focused on God's law but depending on our resources to fulfill that law, we are walking by the flesh. Gal. 3:3 says "Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" Oh foolish me, I try that sometime. Don't you? I personally think the USA should be renamed Galatia.

Let me try to remember a story from Classic Christianity by Bob George. There is this guy listening and dancing to the music. He is really enjoying himself. Then another guy joins him but he cannot hear the music at all since he is deaf, but he watches the other guy jumping and dancing and decides to join in anyway Of course, he doesn't hear the music. He is not authentic. Yet, if you walk in and see these two guys you will think they are both greatly enjoying the music. This is like the Christian life. We can obey God's laws in our own strength and look like we are dancing (this would be living according to the flesh) and our Christian friends may be impressed; however, wouldn't it be better if we were dancing and living the Christian life because Jesus was living through us? I don't know about you but I want to experience more authentic consistent dancing in my Christian walk. David