The Spirit Within
Last week we studied into walking in the Spirit and not after the desires of the flesh. Walking in the Spirit is following the lead of and living in action with the fruit of the Spirit, which is; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. All of these attributes that characterize a Christian can simply be summed up by the world as an extremely nice, caring and loving person. Someone who is concerned with others well being in such a manner, that it stirs the souls of mankind in such a way that causes others to search for the source in which it derives.
*Question*…….How does the world see me? What is my affect?
9 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.
…….To answer a question that has been confused for generations, if you are a child of God you have His Spirit living inside. What a privilege and thought!
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
…….The proof of salvation on a person’s life is this, am I controlled by the desires of my flesh, or by the work of his Holy Spirit?
The Spirit will not live where it cannot control! And where it lives, Righteousness will take over and reveal.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
…….We are still trying to find Access to the holy place. The access is in you!
…….No matter how hard the enemy makes it to look…remember, the strongest force of power that has ever existed is living inside of you. That power is more real than life itself and was given to you for this very purpose, “to overcome the flesh daily.”
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
…….We don’t owe the flesh anything. The only thing our flesh has ever done for us is fail.
*Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
*Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
That is why we must be compelled by His Spirit.
We may wonder at times, “why can’t I stop doing certain things, why do I feel that my life has plateaued, why is life sometimes harder than others?”
The answer is this, seek and ask for his Spirit daily, and then when he fills you, obey his compelling.
…….Have you ever met someone with a stagnant life, someone who has all the right tools and qualities but never seems to be moving? That is the result of an unoccupied vessel. There is evidence that the Spirit was there at one time, but nothing was done when his presence and power was available.
Lord don’t let us waste your anointing.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
…….Take a look at our required Action; “but if ye (you) through the Spirit”. The Spirit will empower us and influence us to for the good, it will not force us into killing our strong desires. “Faith without works is dead, James 2:20.”
Destroying the pleasures of the flesh is a choice of desire.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
…….The only way to be lead be the Spirit is to continuously be moving with Him (in prayer, studying, ministry, witnessing). The Spirit does not stop!
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
…….Why would we not want to cling to that relationship? Why would we ever want to go back to the seasonal pleasures that end in spiritual bondage?
Think about an orphan child who has grown for several years with no parent, living in fear because there is no one there to turn to in times of trouble and in days of fear. Lying in a bed of wonder, imagining the day that will come when everything that makes him feel enslaved will simply vanish. And then it finally happens, that perfect family comes in and saves his life. That father displays a sense of security but at the same time overwhelming love and comfort, and for the first time and for the rest of his life, he knows without a shadow of doubt everything is going to be ok!
That’s what happens at salvation!
There is nothing in the world that can convince this child that he had it better off where he was rescued from.
16 The Spirit (Holy Spirit) itself beareth witness (testifies, gives evidence) with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
…….Even thought we have been adopted by God, there is no discrimination in the inheritance. No matter how old or young, nor seniority of Ministry. You will receive what is Promised!
…….The Apostle Paul never fails to mention the guarantee of suffering that will take place in the life of every child of God.
There is a cross to be carried!
But, at the end of the road, the glorification of a Life with Christ will be more than worth it all!