 |
The Holy Spirit |
| |
The Holy Spirit |
When we yield, allowing Him to guide and rule, we find ourselves walking in step with Christ and pleasing Him. It's then we are most fulfilled and growing as God desires.
But why is that relationship sometimes elusive? And why is there so much confusion over his role in our lives?
When we separate personal experiences from what the Bible teaches, our relationship to the Holy Spirit becomes very clear. The Scriptures give Christians four commands about the Spirit. Just four.
If you obey these you will be doing all He wants you to do. You will be the kind of person God wants you to be, with power to grow and have the character qualities of Christ.
We're commanded to allow Him to rule: "Do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
Don't throw a wet blanket on the fire of His love and leadership. Don't suppress His guidance and power, Desire to be led by the Holy Spirit.
Want it more than anything else.
Jesus called it hungering and thirsting after righteousness (Matthew 5:6).
It's a choice you make. From this decision comes the time you spend in God's Word and in prayer. You decide if you want the Spirit's control.
Tell God you do.
The Bible's second command about the Spirit: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 4:30). Don't go against His perfect wishes, grieving Him. Don't sin.
Impossible!" you say. Not really, but experience shows it's highly improbable. So let's make the second step to daily and constant filling be "confess sin quickly."
Because we do fail, and sin, we must know how to restore our fellowship with God.
God views sin seriously, and so should we. We miss the point when we glibly recite, "And it I have sinned in any way, please forgive me."
Real confession deals precisely with whatever grieves the Lord, calling it sin, with sorrow, and determining to stay away from doing it again.
Make it a habit to agree with God about sin. Confess it right away. As you do, God forgives (1 John 1:9).
The grief to the Spirit is removed ... along with the sin.
The Scripture says, "Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).
The picture is to be overflowing with the Spirit (John 7:38-39) ... not emotionally, but so there is not enough room for anything else to control your life. Be open to His leadership and strength in every area of life.
The competition is intense. Careers, cars, money, popularity, sports ...
He becomes Lord when, by faith, you give Him control of your physical, spiritual, mental, and social life. He uses the Scriptures and His own prompting to guide you as you desire His control.
Instead of His being one slice of the pie--He becomes the center and Lord of every area of life.
And it show.
His power flows through your life with His control.
It took us several months and many bruises to learn the physical walk. Here are a few principles to help your spiritual walk (Galations 5:16)-- You obey your head! The body responds as the brain says, "Move." There's something very wrong if the feet are not doing what the head says.
Spiritual walking is obedience to the Head, Jesus Christ.
You go one direction. Walking is not meant for circles.
Spiritual walking is related to commitment and direction, too. The Apostle Paul talked about "pressing toward the mark." And the mark, the goal, is being Christ-like.
The body works together. While legs get most of the credit, the whole body really works together in a walk. Lungs pump air, the heart supplies blood, the arms help ...
Spiritual walking is related to unity. One Christian, loving Christ and walking in the Spirit is going to work together with other Christians in the body of Christ. Unity is best demonstrated in the local church where Christians are united and led by the same head.
Walking happens one step at a time. We all walk in the Spirit the same way--one step at a time.
A teenager praying for God's will about his vocation, but not obeying the Lord in relation to his parents, will not get to where God wants him to be unless he takes the first step: obeying now.
Walking in the Spirit means you are consciously seeking to obey the Lord, one step at a time, doing what is right. Now. Then tomorrow. Then the next day.
Sometimes when you walk in the Spirit, doing what He directs you to do in His Word, it is with great joy. A special way to help someone you love ... a chance to give time or money to a special interest ... a warm worship experience.
But other times you take the necessary steps because you are commanded. Feeling like it is not the point! You are walking in the Spirit, to get from here to there. The trip is important. You are obedient to His control.
Whether we find the walk pleasurable or necessary, we relax knowing that the One in control, the One guiding our every step, is fully God and has set the course. He joins us in life ... more interested in our well-being than we are. His love is deeper than we can comprehend.
This material is copyrighted and is
used by permission of
CE National, Inc. PO Box 365, Winona Lake, IN 46590
[Home] [What We Believe] [Worship Service Schedule] [Ministries at Grace] [Children's & Youth Programs]