“It is the Spirit that gives life–He is the Life-giver; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever–there is no profit in it. The words that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63
Ever wonder if you are doing something in the flesh? Ever consider whether what you are doing, as you go about ministering in Jesus’ name, is spirit driven or flesh driven? Sometimes I think we folks believe we are working with God in spirit but are doing so in the flesh. We pray with our minds focused on the horizontal effect–what God’s answers will do for me and my church rather than Him and His church. We plan, build, strategize, and politicize, to bring about what we believe will bring God glory and further the gospel. Ever wonder how much of our effort is spirit-filled? Ever examine what you say and do, write and think beneath the magnifying glass of the Spirit who gives life?
Are you furthering your education to get a degree? Burning midnight oil and studying to make an A? Planning lessons to make your point? Growing a church to build a better resume? Visiting folks to appease the pastor? Attending church to feel better about yourself throughout the week? Preparing sermons to fix some individual or group? Supporting missions, ministers, leaders and campaigns so goals are met and numbers increase?
If we answer yes to any of those questions, our actions are of no benefit whatsoever. Nada. None. Zip.
It’s only when we fall back completely and surrender every iota of our self-sufficiency to Christ, that the Spirit can fill us and use us for His glory. We can do nothing apart from Him and when we do something with anything other than Him in mind, we do nothing at all.
We might well wonder why we fuss and fume, bicker and bump into one another as we work to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We might wonder why we’re like magnets with two south poles repelling one another.
“For we are not wrestling against flesh and blood–contending only with physical opponents–but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the master spirits who are- the world rulers of this present darkness, against spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.” Ephesians 6:12.
It is only when we are giving up ourselves to the whole counsel of God and allowing Christ to completely rule our hearts that we see the manifestation of the Spirit-Life. I think this means I have to give up anything that causes another’s focus to be on anything but Jesus and Jesus alone. Only in dying to self will Jesus manifest Himself in me. Sometimes I wonder why He would want to live within such a pathetic wad of flesh? Wonder why He would willingly suffer and die upon a cross to pay the ultimate price for God’s grace to pour out upon His children? Wonder why it seems so hard for us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice in honor of His sacrifice of obedience to His Father? I wonder. Do you? selahV
Amen! Good preaching!
James
Jamess last blog post..Today’s quote
James: “preaching?” is that what I was doing? 🙂 I rather think your post (Branch On The Vine) on Feb. 24th compliments this post quite nicely. I hope folks go read it. http://anebooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/branch-on-vine.html
Thanks for the affirmation. selahV
selahVs last blog post..LORD, GIVE US MORE WRITERS LIKE THIS ONE…
Living unto God in all that we do, humanly speaking, is impossible except for the grace of God. Focusing in on so living, I have found, is best accomplished by having my mind on Christ and His people and His work. I do better, I find, when I don’t think of trying to do the impossible. Being balanced, flexible, and creative results from a good grasp of seemingly contrary truths (that is truths that appear to be contrary). It is sort of like having two tracks to run on – like a train. To put it another way, the tension… Read more »
Dr. Willingham, you hit the nail on the head by your little comparison to your grandmother’s appreciation. She didn’t look at the mud-pies, she looked at the hearts of those who made the mudpies. And that is what our Lord looks at. He knows our hearts and our motives. Thus the flesh cannot please God when the flesh is making mudpies for recognition of man. It’s a heart after God’s heart that God finds well-pleasing. It’s the pouring out of the best of our perfume to wash His feet. It’s the giving of all we have and trusting Him to… Read more »
The Christian life is Allowing Christ, by the power of the Spirit to live in and through us. God onlt accepts what He, Himself, does.
Dr. Foltz, don’t believe we can do that unless we are willing to die to ourselves. And your point is my point. How do you live out your point in a particular instance? How would we know you are “allowing Christ, by the power of the Spirit to live in and through” you? Can you give us an example? selahV
selahVs last blog post..THE SBC…MORE THAN A CONVENTION MEETING IN JUNE
No. You weren’t really preaching, but I don’t know what else to call it, maybe teaching. If I had written it, I would have called it an <idle musing>…
Yes, it definitely ties in nicely with the vine and branches post.
James
Jamess last blog post..Link love
SelahV;
Idied when Christ died; He died not only for me, but as me.
Retroactive positional truth]. I count it to be so each morning.
If i have confessed all known sins and am obeying the Word I am Spirit filled [Spirit -controlled]. Either He’s in control or we are.
James, I was only kidding. I find myself musing a lot over when the Lord is going to pour out His spirit and women and children prophesy. Not that I’ll be one of the women…just find it something wonderful to envision. selahV
selahVs last blog post..THE SBC…MORE THAN A CONVENTION MEETING IN JUNE
Dr. Foltz: Okay. I know that. You know that. So how do you “practice love”? How do others see that manifested in you? What did you do today, for instance, that so manifested the Spirit of God in you that others could see Him at work in you? selahV
selahVs last blog post..THE SBC…MORE THAN A CONVENTION MEETING IN JUNE
Good in general, but a couple of areas that could use refinement here. 1) There is a difference between justification and sanctification. “It’s only when we fall back completely and surrender every iota of our self-sufficiency to Christ, that the Spirit can fill us and use us for His glory.” It’s only if we are justified that the Holy Spirit can fill us and work with us to bring us gradually closer to mirroring the image of Christ, which is sanctification. Therefore, while we are positionally perfect, our motivations are yet questionable. As we are further sanctified, we become more… Read more »
Jim, thanks for your input. Great truth in it. In my post, I couldn’t begin to assume anyone who understands my points would not already be positionally “justified” in Christ. Oswald Chambers is quoted in My Utmost for His Highest, “God’s first sovereign work of grace is summed up in the words, ‘that they may receive forgiveness of sins…’ When a person fails in his personal Christian life, it is usually because he has never received anything. The only sign that a person is saved is that he has received something from Jesus Christ….In sanctification, the one who has been… Read more »