Living in the Spirit
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· 42 viewsEvidence of the fullness of the Spirit.
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Read Eph 5:15-21
The increase of evil during our days suggest that we live in the last days. The news constantly remind us of that increase: horrible crimes, open sin, atheism, debauchery, etc. The way people live is what Paul warned in
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
The higher the level evil is, higher is the demand for Christians to live in the Spirit. A holy life is the light that God uses to lighten those in darkness.
The higher the evil, higher the demand for Christians to live in the Spirit. A holy life is the light that God uses to lighten those in darkness.
Unfortunately, the testimony of the Church has been weakened by the worldly lives of those who call themselves Christians. The world is affecting the believers more than the believer are affecting the world.
On v. 18, we are commanded to be filled by the Spirit or to live in the Spirit.
Are you living in the Spirit? How do you know? What are the distinguishing marks of the fullness of the Spirit in the believer?
Jonathan Edwards, the great preacher during the First Great Awakening (1734-37), described five marks of a person living in the Spirit:
A raised esteem of Jesus.
A raised esteem of Jesus.
“understand what the will of the Lord is.”
Can you see the insistence on Jesus on these verses? 14, 17, 20, 21
Jesus as the light, the sovereign Lord, the mediator, and the judge. Jesus!//// Jesus, our all in all!
Part of the work of the Spirit is to glorify Christ and lead us to glorify Him, to exalt Him above all:
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
Our songs of worship and praise are to exalt Jesus, not man! They are to make Him look goods, not the singers or musicians. Our melodies must be from our heart to the Lord (5:19), to His glory, as the famous Bach wrote in his songs, “Soli Deo gloria!”
When the believer is not led by the Spirit, being led by the flesh, he places Jesus on a second plane. His interests and desires become more important than Jesus’ desires and will. He places Him as a good teacher, but not as sovereign Lord!
Does it bore you to talk about Jesus? Does it bother you? If it does, you’re not living in the Spirit!
Working against Satan’s kingdom.
Working against Satan’s kingdom.
for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
Eph 5:8
Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
Eph 5
Why do you think that chapter 6 exhort us to wear the whole armour of God? Because we are at war with the enemy of our souls.
The Spirit is the power of God in us to rescue the captives from the enemy, to rescue those perishing, to witness of Jesus everywhere.
We are soldiers in God’s army empowered by His Spirit to battle the forces of evil, to reject the deeds of darkness, and not only that, but to expose them.
There is a daily war between the forces of evil, the devil and his demons, against the believer; between the flesh and the Spirit; and we cannot remain neutral. We are either on the devil’s side or in God’s side. If we are not doing anything against the devil’s kingdom, we are on his side. He loves indifferent believers, those that attend church, but never do anything to rescue the lost, those that are in the devil’s hands.
What are you doing against the devil and his kingdom? If nothing, how can you think that you are living in the Spirit?
Greater respect for the authority of the Bible.
Greater respect for the authority of the Bible.
“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
The Spirit creates in us hunger for the Word. Why? Because the sanctifying work of the Spirit is done thru the Word of God, the Word of truth! That’s why Jesus asked the Father:
Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
The Bible was written thru the hands of holy men inspired by the Holy Spirit. The author is the Spirit, they were His secretaries.
If it is inspired by the Spirit, it is perfect; and if it is perfect, I can depend on it. There are many good Christian books, but none of them is inspired by God; therefore, I cannot depend on them. It is good to read them, but we must prefer the Bible.
spired by the Spirit, it is perfect; and if it is perfect, I can depend on it.
I have found the book!
For many years, Israel had forgotten the Book. The Law was hopelessly mixed up with common opinions. Idolatry was rampant. When king Amon died, he was succeeded by his son Josiah, an eight year old kid. He wanted to be a good king, but could not find solution to the evil among his people. The solution came when he was 26. He sent Hilkiah, the high priest to the Temple to count the money for the repairs. He came back excitedly saying, “I have found the book of the law”. Reading the book brought renewal and reforms to the entire nation.
Have you found the Book?
When we live in the Spirit, what the Bible says is enough for us. “The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it.”
To live in the Spirit is living in the Word, and living the Word.
Do you come to the Word everyday? If not, do you think you are living in the Spirit?
Greater discernment of the truth.
Greater discernment of the truth.
This mark is a consequence of the previous one. The more we know and respect the authority of the Bible, the better equipped we will be to discern the truth.
Nowadays, Christians believe almost any foolishness. From evolution to believe that people are born gay, anything is possible to them.
It is the Spirit who gives us the discernment needed to identify false from truth:
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
1 Cor 12:10
And He does by guiding us thru the Word:
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
These are times of great demonic activity where the devil is using his favorite tool: lie!
But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,
But if we live in the Spirit, we may hear a disguised lie and it will be in us something like “a click” that tells us “this is not right!” even if we do cannot pinpoint specifically where the lie is.
But if we live in the Spirit, we may hear a disguised lie and it will be in us something like “a click” that tells us “this is not right!” even if we do cannot pinpoint specifically where the lie is.
Love displayed toward other persons.
Love displayed toward other persons.
We should not be surprised that the first fruit of the Spirit described to the Galatians is love:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
God is love! The Spirit is God! His first fruit is love!
Edwards wrote what happened in Northampton, MA: “In 1735, the town seem so full of the presence of God. It was never so full of love, nor so full of joy, and yet so full of distress, as it was then. There were remarkable tokens of God’s presence in almost every house.”
When we live in the Spirit, there is no place for resentment, hatred, or evil intentions toward others. Those are things of the flesh, not of the Spirit.
The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
1 John 2:9-11
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
1 John 3:17-18
How will people know that we are Jesus’ disciples?
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests delivered You to me; what have You done?”
Do not live in the flesh any longer! Decide today to live in the Spirit! Seek His guidance, seek holiness, do not grieve the Spirit!