Walking in the Spirit: Eternity Now

by Dave Miller

“Even if we had never sinned, we would still need grace.”

— Dallas Willard

Grace isn’t a rescue plan; it is the design. Dallas Willard’s observation pierces the illusion that grace enters only after the Fall. From the beginning, humanity lived as dependent image-bearers meant to walk in the flow of God’s empowering presence. Grace is not just pardon for sin; it is the atmosphere of God’s kingdom. To walk in the Spirit means to breathe that air now, not someday.

The Original Design: Dependent by Nature

Adam and Eve’s life in the garden flowed from grace. Every breath, every insight, every delight in creation came from a relationship of dependency. When sin entered, the tragedy was not only disobedience; it was independence. Humanity tried to live apart from the Source, to operate the image of God without the Spirit of God.

Walking in the Spirit repairs that rupture. It means we live as Jesus lived, fully dependent yet completely responsible. He said, “The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19). Jesus didn’t live by divine exemption; He lived by divine dependence. That is the faith of Jesus, not merely faith in Jesus. His faith becomes the model and means by which we walk in the Spirit today.

The Paradox of Grace and Responsibility

Walking in the Spirit doesn’t mean passivity. Grace empowers effort, not excuses. Paul writes, “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12–13).

This paradox—fully dependent, completely responsible—defines spiritual maturity. The Spirit doesn’t cancel effort; He transforms it. Our labor becomes worship. Our work becomes witness. Our obedience becomes overflow.

Eternity Now: The Present Tense of the Kingdom

Many believers postpone eternity, imagining it as a future reward rather than a present reality. But Jesus declared, “The kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). Eternity is not a distant destination; it is a present dimension breaking into our time through those who walk in the Spirit.

Paul says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). This call is not mystical detachment but real, embodied participation. When the Spirit leads, He brings heaven’s order into earthly spaces—homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, and nations. The fruit of the Spirit isn’t abstract; it reveals eternity taking root in time: love where hate ruled, peace where chaos reigned, self-control where indulgence enslaved.

The Faith of Jesus

The phrase “faith of Jesus” captures more than belief; it expresses how He lived in perfect alignment with the Father. Jesus trusted the Father’s will, timing, and power even unto death. Walking in the Spirit means adopting that same posture—a cruciform faith that lives surrendered yet strong, humble yet bold.

When we live in this faith, eternity invades the present. We begin to live not just for heaven, but from heaven. The Spirit sets our rhythm, the Word grounds our foundation, and obedience brings joy.

Living the Eternal Life Now

Eternal life begins the moment we trust and walk with Jesus; it is the life of the age to come breaking into this one. Grace empowers it, the Spirit animates it, and our obedience participates in it.

To walk in the Spirit means living with full awareness that we depend entirely on God while carrying full responsibility for obedience. We stop trying to be our own source and become stewards of His presence.

So walk today as if eternity has already begun, because it has.

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” — Romans 8:11