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Galatians 5:16-23 teaches that at any moment we are either walking by the Holy Spirit or according to the sin nature. Walking by the Spirit, enjoying fellowship with God, walking in the light are virtually synonymous. During these times, the Holy Spirit is working in us to illuminate our minds to the truth of Scripture and to challenge us to apply what we learn. But when we sin, we begin to live based on the sin nature. Our works do not count for eternity. The only way to recover is to confess (admit, acknowledge) our sin to God the Father and we are instantly forgiven, cleansed, and recover our spiritual walk (1 John 1:9). Please make sure you are walking by the Spirit before you begin your Bible study, so it will be spiritually profitable.

Spiritual Life: How Does a Christian Grow?

by Robert Dean
Thomas Sowell begins his book, The Conflict of Visions, with the following observation and explanation for why the same people consistently group together on seemingly unrelated political opinions.

One of the curious things about political opinions is how often the same people line up on opposite sides of different issues. The issues themselves may have no intrinsic connection with each other. They may range from military spending to drug laws to monetary policy to education. Yet the same familiar faces can be found glaring at each other from opposite sides of the political fence, again and again. ..."

The field of theology is no different. Frequently, the same theologians line up on opposite sides of different, seemingly unrelated theological issues. Whether one is discussing eschatology or soteriology, Romans 9 or Revelation 20, there is a certain consistent grouping. Now and then we discover certain anomalies, but among trained, knowledgeable Bible students we discover that birds of a theological feather, generally, also flock together. And when we do have major anomalies, perhaps it is because some subgroups either fail to fully grasp the hidden, subterranean presuppositions affecting these groupings or they are at some level, willingly inconsistent. In theology, like politics, Bible students often have different visions of how God works in history, salvation, and eschatology. This is certainly true in the field of sanctification and spiritual growth. ...

Series:2011 Chafer Theological Seminary Bible Conference
Duration:1 hr 32 mins 8 secs