15 - How Does a Christian Grow? Part Three: Walking in the Light

The first two installments of this series developed key elements for a dispensational system of sanctification. An analysis of John 15 along with other key passages on the believer’s fruit (fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:16–25; fruit of righteousness; Ephesians 5:9) revealed that abiding in Christ, walking by the Spirit, and walking in the light, are three descriptions of how the believer maintains fellowship with God. In addition, it was demonstrated that abiding in Christ and walking by the Spirit are both necessary and indispensable for spiritual growth and fruit production. The second article further demonstrated that these commands are parallel to the apostle John’s exhortations in 1 John 1:1–10, to walk in the light. The collection of “walking” mandates are complementary descriptions of the Christian way of life and active responsibilities of the believer who wishes to maintain fellowship with God. Early dispensationalist Arno C. Gaebelein (1861-1945) reminds us that these spheres of Christian fellowship are mutually exclusive of the operation of the sin nature. ...