Christian Life

Life in the Spirit: A Few Important Things You Need to Know

Here are a three very important things that you need to know about life in the Spirit

1. Do you know what it means to be living in the Spirit. 

The Bible tells us that they that are in the flesh cannot please God. We see this in Romans 8:8: “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Paul goes on later in verse 9 to say that living in the Spirit means that you have put away the things of the flesh, such as the carnal way of thinking and have decided to take on a life where you are full of the Holy Spirit. (But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his – Romans 8:9). In other words you are living in God or with God’s Spirit on the inside, when you are living in the Spirit.

Therefore, when you are living in the Spirit this means that:

  • You have made a decision to accept the Holy Spirit to be an integral part of your life. Why is this so important? According to Galatians 5: 19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God”. A life with these works of the flesh only leads us directly to hell. On the other hand, a life in/with the Spirit, honors God. We see the characteristics of this type of life described in Galatians 5:22-23 says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

 

2. Did you know that as you live in the spirit, your view of the things must change?

Ephesians 6:12 says: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

There are a set of spiritual forces that come against us in every area of life. There is a demonic war against our lives and the devil will use whoever he will to come against us.

Therefore when we live in the Spirit, we see in the spirit and realise that whatever comes up against, is not an attack on our flesh, but rather something deeper that is happening on a spiritual level.

3. Did you know that there is a set of Spiritual ammunition that help you fight in the Spirit in order to destroy all spiritual/demonic/fleshy attacks?

Our response must therefore be a spiritual response, where we employ the Holy Spirit and His ammunition to help us.

This ammunition is seen in Ephesians 6:13-18:

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

 

If you remember nothing that I have said in this article, remember this one thing:

If we are living in the flesh (carnal way of life and living in sin) we cannot please God. We have been originally made for God’s pleasure, so if our lives are not pleasurable towards Gods, then this is time for a change. It is time to get back to the original plan for our lives which God has set out. Yes, because we live in a sinful and fallen world, our flesh adopts that nature, but today is the day to make the decision to come back to Christ and live His original plan for us, which is to live in the Spirit, so that we can shun the pits of hell and ultimately have everlasting life.

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Take a Minute to Analyse Your Christian Life…Is Your Calling and Election sure?

TIME OUT!

Pastor Murrell began this morning by telling us to TIME OUT!

It is time to stop the vehicle, then check the gas, check the engine, check the oil etc”….for we have been going to church for the entire year, but it is time to stop and do an internal check in order to make sure everything is in order for our upcoming Christian journeys…

Is your calling and election really sure?

He goes on to add that “the entire world is called but few are elected or in other words, only some are chosen, and the  Lord confirms this in scripture:

We all are called, but how many of us, who say we are Christians can really say and believe deep down inside that we will be elected.?

Which one of us is so obedient to God, His word and will, that if the world ends, tomorrow, they can say, yes I will be part of the elected and God will not say…”Depart from me I never knew you”?

He says in Matthew 7:

22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

In all that we do, can we honestly say that we KNOW Christ?

Do we really know, and honestly live the will of God and obey His commandments or do we only do it in church and before man?

Do we have an intimate relationship with Him?

I believe that God is calling for true Christians who will not only preach the talk, but live the walk; true Christians who will do the will of God and seek intimacy with him and not the “wishy washy” type of hypocrite who will walk the walk in front their friends and in church, then wreck havoc in the home and lead a life of pure immorality. This is definitely not the type of person who will inherit His Kingdom.

To help us, Peter gives us one simple word to help us in our walk to making our calling and election sure. In 2 Peter1:10 he says:

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give DILIGENCE to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall”.

Peter tells us that diligence is key; diligence in the word of God as instrumental to ensuring that your calling and election is sure.

Before this he highlights a few things which we have to do in order to make our election sure as follows:

2 Peter: 5-7

5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

This is indeed my favourite scripture. I was more than glad to hear the Pastor make reference to it today as one of the many guides which Lord gives us in his word, on which we can fashion our christian journey. This is actually a passage which I used as my own personal guide, when I wanted to find out from God what He wanted in me as a christian and every week, I would meditate on analyse, each word, find scripture relating to each word and ask God to fill me with each quality, before asking him to add the other.

Can you say that you calling and election is sure?

Here are some scriptures that would help us in the journey to making our calling and election sure:

  • Matthew 5: 20
  • Matthew 7:13
  • Matthew 7:21-23
  • Matthew 18:3
  • Matthew 19:17
  • Matthew 23:25
  • Mark 9:43-47
  • Luke 12:47-18
  • John 3:16
  • John 18:3
  • Revelation 21:27
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