Stepping into What Is Already Ours
Right now, I’m sitting on the porch of my oceanfront hotel cabin in Belize. The sun is shining, its warmth radiating over the beautiful beach before me. I hear the waves crashing, the palm trees swaying in the breeze. I can see the ocean, I know it’s there. I don’t have to convince myself of its reality—it is unmistakably present, ready for me to step in and experience it. The only thing left for me to do is get up, walk to the shore, and dive into what is already there. This is exactly how walking in newness of life works. Christ is our life. His Spirit is within us. The reality of our union with Him is already true, just as the ocean is already before me. The question is not whether it exists—the question is whether I will step into it. But here’s where we often get confused: Does my stepping into the water make the ocean real? Does my action cause the waves to move? Of course not. And yet, many of us approach the Christian life as if God’s power only “activates” when we do our part. The truth is, just like the ocean, Christ’s life in us is already present, already sufficient. Walking in newness of life is not about making something happen—it is about stepping into what is already ours.This is where we must understand the role of faith, reckoning, yielding, and the Holy Spirit in our daily walk with Christ. Let’s explore this together.
Let’s break it down:
I KNOW the beach is there – It is a fact.
I RECKON it to be real – I trust that what I see, hear, and feel is true.
I YIELD to the reality of it – I get up, put on my swim trunks, and move toward the water.
I WALK into the experience of the ocean – I participate in the joy of swimming in the warm water.
The key takeaway: The ocean was already there. My going into it did not make it appear. I simply stepped into the reality that was already present.
This is exactly how walking in newness of life works spiritually.
What is the Holy Spirit’s Role in This?
Now, the critical theological question: What is the role of the Holy Spirit in this process?
In my beach analogy, I can see, hear, and feel the ocean. It is easy to reckon the truth because your senses confirm reality. But in the Christian life, we are often called to reckon things as true even when we do not yet see or feel them (2 Corinthians 5:7 – “We walk by faith, not by sight.”). This is where the Holy Spirit’s role is essential.
Let’s adapt my beach analogy to the spiritual reality of walking in Christ:
1. The Holy Spirit is the One Who Reveals the Reality of Christ to You (Knowing)
Before I could walk onto the beach, I had to know it was there.
Spiritually, before we can walk in newness of life, the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts (Ephesians 1:18) to the reality of our union with Christ.
John 16:13 – "When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth..."
Romans 8:16 – "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."
The Holy Spirit is the One who testifies within us that Christ’s finished work is real. Without this, our spiritual "eyes" remain blind to the truth.
🔹 Analogy in my Beach Example: Imagine if I were blindfolded and someone had to tell me the beach was there. I might struggle to believe it unless the blindfold was removed. The Holy Spirit is the One who removes the blindfold so that I know the truth of my identity in Christ.
2. The Holy Spirit Enables You to Reckon Truth as Reality (Reckoning)
Even if the ocean is in front of me, I must reckon it as real—to trust that it’s there.
Spiritually, reckoning is not simply a mental effort but a response to what the Spirit reveals to be true.
Romans 8:5-6 – "For those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit..."
1 Corinthians 2:12 – "Now we have received... the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God."
The Holy Spirit enables us to truly grasp and embrace what God has already done in Christ.
🔹 Analogy in my Beach Example: Let’s say I had a childhood fear of water. Even though I see the ocean, I might hesitate to trust that it’s safe. The Holy Spirit works within us to make the truth trustworthy and real to us.
3. The Holy Spirit Empowers You to Yield (Yielding)
Now, let’s say I desire to go to the ocean, but something holds me back—perhaps fear, distraction, or hesitation.
This is where the Holy Spirit prompts and enables me to yield.
Philippians 2:13 – "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure."
Romans 8:13 – "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
Yielding is not me mustering up effort—it is trusting the Spirit to move me into alignment with truth.
🔹 Analogy in my Beach Example: Suppose I felt lazy and thought, “I’ll just sit here in the shade and not bother.”Then, a gentle yet strong voice encourages me: “Go on, you know you want to! The water is perfect!”
That voice represents the Holy Spirit’s prompting within us, leading us out of self-reliance and into trusting dependence on Christ.
4. The Holy Spirit is the One Who Works Through You as You Walk in Newness of Life (Walking)
Finally, I step onto the sand, move toward the ocean, and immerse myself in the water.
The Holy Spirit is the One who actually carries out the life of Christ within us as we step forward in faith.
Galatians 5:16 – "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
2 Corinthians 3:18 – "We all... are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
🔹 Imagine stepping into the ocean and feeling the water carry you, surround you, and refresh you. You are not striving to stay afloat—the ocean naturally holds you up.
This is exactly how the Holy Spirit operates. When we trust and step forward, He supplies the power—not as a response to our effort, but as the natural outflow of His life within us. It’s not transactional, where our action compels His work, but participatory, where our trust allows us to experience what He is already doing.
Final Summary: The Holy Spirit’s Role in Walking in Newness of Life
Your beach analogy is an excellent parallel to walking in newness of life—with one key difference:
You can see the beach, hear the waves, and feel the sun.
Spiritually, you cannot always rely on your senses—only on what the Holy Spirit reveals.
Thus, the Holy Spirit’s role is crucial:
Closing Thought: The Light Switch and the Ocean
The light switch analogy ties this together:
The electricity is already flowing (Christ’s life is already within you).
The power is not activated by your effort (you do not make Christ’s life real).
Flipping the switch does not create electricity—it simply allows you to experience it.
In the same way, the ocean is there.
You do not make it real by swimming.
You simply step into what is already present.
The ocean carries you once you enter—just as the Spirit carries us in the life of Christ.
Thus, walking in newness of life is not transactional—it is participatory.
The Holy Spirit reveals truth.
The Holy Spirit enables faith.
The Holy Spirit empowers our yielding.
The Holy Spirit carries us as we walk forward in trust.
So, as I sit here in Belize with the ocean before me, let this be a perfect reminder of how the Spirit leads me and you into Christ’s life—not by striving, but by stepping into what is already ours. 🌊☀️