Becoming Spiritually Fit: The Power Source

Pray

Recap:

How to Know God:

Humanity’s purpose: To know and worship God

The problem: Sin hinders our ability to know and worship God and renders us dead before God

The Solution: Through Jesus’ Life, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension can we have forgiveness and life.

Our response: Believe and repent

Why? Because we are talking about the fate of our eternal souls.

Cool, but I am a Christian, so how does this all apply to me? Matthew 7:21-23

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The question is, if we must know God to be spiritually fit, and thereby claim to know Him through our confession of faith, does that mean we are spiritually fit?

No. At this point we believe and must live a life of continual repentance, continuing to turn away from the desires of our flesh, the world, and the devil.

At this point, we go forward seeking to be perfect as God is perfect (Mt 5:48)

Head:

No biggy? How can we expect to walk through this journey in Christ well? Perfection is a tall order.

Read:

John 14:16-17, 26

Titus 3:5

Galatians 5:16

How can we walk out our Christian faith?

Through the Holy Spirit

The way to become a more mature disciple is ultimately to participate in the works of the Holy Spirit (regeneration and renewal)

2 Corinthians 5:17

Ephesians 4:24

Overall summary: Romans 6:11-12

Someone please tell me: Who is the Holy Spirit?

Third Person of the Trinity

The Promised Helper to all God’s people

He lives in you (1 Corinthians 3:16)

Prays for you (Romans 8:26-27)

Produces spiritual fruit in you and transforms you (Galatians 5:16-26)

Empowers you and enables you to understand the will of God (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12)

Assures our salvation in Christ ( Romans 8:15-16)

So if our living alongside the works of the Holy Spirit enable us to mature of grow as Christians, what then is Paul talking about when we read Ephesians 5:18

What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit fill us with His power?

Fundamentally, the essence of the Christian life is what God does in and through you, not what you do for God. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is being empowered and directed by Him.

Ephesians 3:14-19

Proactive obedience/Obedient Faithfulness is when we say, “Yes,” to God through our actions.

Obedient Faithfulness is when we take God’s hand and join Him in the mysterious dance of sanctification (a fancy word that describes the ongoing transformative work that God is performing in our lives as we speak)

We are participating in the interior works of the Holy Spirit through our exterior lives. This Obedient Faithfulness that we are called to (Romans 6:11-14; Ephesians 4:17-24) = Worship/Adoration

Heart:

Questions:

What was something in this study that stood out to you?

Was there something significant?

Is there anything about this study that is challenging you?

Do you see the fruits of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment in your life?

What are they? Why don’t you think you see them? Why are you not sure?

What tips do you have to walking by the Spirit of God?

In what ways are you not walking by the Spirit of God?

What are you going to do to change?

Hands:

Walk with God: What does walking by the Holy Spirit look like personally in your walk with God?

Keep Christ first: What does walking by the Holy Spirit look like personally when we keep Christ first?

Keep sin out of your life: What does walking by the Holy Spirit look like personally when you are keeping sin out of your life?

Personally, walking by the Spirit looks like faithfully serving my family before my ministry. It looks like faithfully learning with my family before my college classes. It looks like faithfully growing and understanding with my family before my new job.

I have allowed busyness to be an excuse to indulge in distractions (facebook, online shopping, video games) and even cultivate temptation.

The misalignment of my priorities are disturbing my effectiveness in ministering and serving my God and my family.