Untitled Sermon (6)

What is Spirituality for Untitled Sermon (6)me as a Christian, And how do I embrace it ???

OK, Sooo, I can’t touch it, can’t taste it, can’t see it, can’t smell it and I can’t hear it. How am I supposed to sense it as a reality ??? It is seemingly in another dimension other the three that I’m familiar with. That’s right, it is, and I would like to refer to it as “The realm of the indwelling Holy Spirit” for Christians. Romans 5:5b “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” —- Spiritual refers to the realm of the soul, spirit and unseen supernatural forces. It encompasses matters related to a Christians inner life, the work of the Holy Spirit and the pursuit of a relationship with God. Essentially, being spiritual in the Christian context means having a mindset focused on things beyond the physical, guided by Faith and the Holy Spirit. It is in reality another dimension. Jesus in the Gospels and the Apostles in their Epistles often contrast it with the physical world and the flesh, which is not of God’s Spirit, but of the spirit of darkness, the devil, the spirits of evil.

We may not be able to see into the realm of the Spiritual with our physical eyes, but there are elements of it that we can look at (feel) with our hearts, where it manifests itself in our lives. If we are spiritually fit. I like to refer to that as my God consciousness, my consciousness of him being alive in me. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” —- If I’m not spiritually fit it does not mean that the spirit is not there, it’s just that there is an element of darkness, evil that blocks its effectiveness and the sensitivity of “my” God consciousness.

For me the first manifestations of my consciousness of his presence was a spark of hope in the reality of His Love for me, ( actually, it looked more like, “that he may like me just a little bit, maybe”) and a slight sense of confidence in that Reality. The spark only began to smolder as a result of me coming to an absolute and complete end of my-self. The realization of my absolute powerlessness over my own will. Self-centeredness, pride, self-pity and self-sufficiency had been snuffed out just long enough for me to realize my complete need for “Himself” and a willing desire to grow in that relationship and away from what I had become by myself, on my own willpower. That was my spiritual birthday so to speak, not when I was saved, but when my conscious personal relationship began with my Savior. My seeking Him.... 10/17/1983

The reason I share that is because I believe that it is imperative for us to realize His preeminence. I must realize my impotence or powerlessness. That is the first requirement in realizing or perceiving the effectiveness (presence) of the Holy Spirits working through me. Many times, as I look back, I didn’t know that he was working through me until He’s been there and gone. Humility is a spiritual characteristic necessary for discernment into the realm of the spirit. Philippians 2:5–8 “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” —-

I think it’s important for us to realize that when we’re dealing in the realm of the spirit our position as Gods creatures is to “be” not so much as to “do”. Throughout the book of John and other Gospels Jesus gave credit to the Father for working through Himself to do Gods Will, so the Holy Spirit is to work through us do the Will of Jesus to glorify the Father.

This may seem a little disconnected but there are several spiritual principles that are necessary for me to be able to discern God’s Spirits presence. First is surrender to my powerlessness, then Faith in His Sovereignty , next a willingness to seek His Will and the most important is obedience to do his will… John 14:15 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”—- Maybe a better way to put it is to allow him to work his will out through me. I believe that’s what obedience looks like in the realm of the spirit .

For me to embrace the realm of the spirit I must believe by Faith that He is everything that He says He is, has accomplished all that He says He has done and that I am who and what he says I am. That I have been redeemed and reconciled to Himself through Jesus’s Cross and that he is in the process of sanctifying me for an eternal position . I must by Faith, believe in my position in Himself and Him in me. Also, to know that my desire to seek and to please Him has come from Him.

The growth of our faith is what “fits” us ,makes us ready to receive the gift of the spirit in me. That’s what Peter is saying I believe, in: 2 Peter 1:3–10 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and6 knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your election sure,…” These are manifestations of the Holy Spirit in us... Look for them. Seek them, Pray for them...

tPaul gives us a pretty comprehensive list of the desires of the flesh, the things that block from and war against the Spiritual realm. They are real... Some of these are in their raw form. Many of them are more subtle, but they are just as effective in blinding us and blocking the Holy Spirits working through me. If I’m not spiritually fit. Galatians 5:16–21 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” —I must continually keep my focus on Jesus and continue in the faith that the Holy Spirit is indeed with me. Also continually give up “my claim to my rights to myself” if I don’t I will fall victim to the temptations of my flesh listed previously. James reminds us in; 1:13–15 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” —-What I must have is a day-to-day walk moment by moment with my creator … Paul goes on in the latter part of Galatians 5 to talk about what the positive attribute of the Holy Spirit manifest, what it looks like living out through us . also in Colossians 3 Let’s look at both of these scriptures They both have similar warnings and similar admonitions . First let’s look at Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”—- The Character, Image of Jesus —— then to finish Paul reemphasized what he told us at the very beginning of this scripture in Galatians 5:16 in Galatians 5:24–25 “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”—- Now in Colossians 3:1–10 “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.(This must be pretty important because it’s nearly the same thing that he emphasized for the Galatian church ) 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:12–17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,(His Spirit) to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”—- As I read this I realized that there are a lot of similarities to the “Sermon on the Mount” in these scriptures… Hmmm

I have come to understand and know that to embrace His presence and be in relationship with God’s Holy Spirit, I must seek him. I must seek him in times of quiet Prayer and Meditation with all the Passion I have in me. It is only there that I sense and feel His Intimate Presence. A quiet, loving peace that fills the room with the atmosphere of Himself, many times it’s as if I can tangibly feel it. I also believe that when I seek Him, He will remove any obstacle that gets in the way of Him getting to me... I know that and believe through faith that he is with me continuously throughout the day but it is in those moments of quiet that I have a special sense of His presence, His peace, His Grace, His strength and His love … It’s what “I” need to fortify my faith throughout the day… James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Oh, How He Loves Me!!!

There have been times when I will hear myself say something or watch myself do something, and be like... who said that? Or, who was that that did that? I have also experienced in my past hearing someone share (not to me) I had done something that was important to them and had a Spiritual effect in their life. I may remember the action, but had no idea as to it’s effect in their life at that moment. I was just being kind, right, I know that it wasn’t just me. How about the times he tells me he loves me through the actions of other people, or something magnificent revealed to me in his creation, or new understandings of his Word when I’m studying scripture, or the warmth I feel in my heart when I see Him manifesting His love in some ones life or mine. How about when He boldly answers a Prayer… all of these have simply come from a desire to seek to be with and love God and our fellow man… I also know that, that Desire its self has come from The Father, Son and Holy Spirit....