“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or see in me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9 NIV)
Paul is giving last instructions to the Philippians. He’s telling them; do as I do. These early Christians had the advantage walking alongside Paul’s leadership, of sitting under his teaching and receiving correspondence from him.
You and I don’t have Paul. We still possess some of his writings, but we can’t know him personally. It’s alright though, we have the the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells his disciples and the readers of scripture that it is even better to have the Spirit than it was to walk with Him in the flesh here on earth. Through His Spirit, He resides in us. We can read the Word and listen to the Spirit’s insights and instruction. We can ply Him with endless questions. (Trust me, I do!) We can invite the Holy Spirit into any conversation, room or situation. We are encouraged to think, speak and act in His boldness and allow Him lead us into all holiness. We can receive His comfort and counsel. Thorough the power of the Holy Spirit we can essentially walk with the risen Christ each and every day; He is alive and at work in us.
Whatever the Spirit says or does, we can put into practice. We can go where He says go. We can stay where He stays. We can respond with obedience to His moment by moment leading.
If Paul is the middle man then Jesus is the source. As Spirit-filled believers, we are afforded unlimited access to the Source, praise God! We can draw firm boundaries for our flesh and limit ourselves to what Jesus says and does and the places He goes. We can walk rightly with Him because He alone leads the way Home.
“Very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7 NIV)
Lord, today we realize that it is better for us that we can live full of Your Spirit. Thank You for granting us access. We want to walk rightly with You. Strengthen us in this endeavor. Fill us with Your Spirit as we seek to know You and make You known. Amen.