Living by the Spirit

Living by the Spirit is a difficult exercise sometimes. Frequently it requires actions that my seem new, unexpected, and difficult to visualize the end result. Yet, if we live our lives doing the actions that Jesus did, the result will work out in a way that praises God. Those actions we take will reflect our learning progress along our journey toward heaven. "But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. - Gal. 5:5 NLT

Holy Spirit Help

The Holy Spirit resides within Christians, but they often grasp for verification as to when and how He helps them. The Holy Spirit does not overwhelm an individual’s personal choice, but He may prompt them to remember what they have studied or learned about biblical principles, and perhaps uses their conscience as motivation for words or actions. This being so, many Christian go beyond immediate interaction and attempt to reduce the guidance left in the New Testament into a manual of to do’s and to do not’s in their efforts to please God. If left unchecked, this activity can approach the practices of the Jewish law keepers in Jesus' time. Luke left a very important story from Jesus to address this,  “And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All of these I have kept from my youth.” – Lk. 18:18-21 (ESV). This young ruler was trying to manage the results of his actions, and not the source from which his actions arose. Most Christians can claim they adhere to most of the biblical guidelines left by Jesus, but what person, regardless of age, has not had difficulty honoring their parents? Who has not embellished their witness about others, either right or wrong? If we are honest with ourselves, these are challenges for every person at various times, and some to a greater degree than others. As Christians, we need to focus more on the source which drives all our responses - our heart. In scripture the “heart” is the central focus from which all beliefs and motivations arise. When a person’s heart is focused on godly principles, their actions will be molded more and more into the actions Jesus wants from His followers. Every Christian has different interests, abilities, and motivations that must become aligned with Jesus’ desires. Christians today need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide them down their unique individual spiritual journey. There will be mistakes, sins, along the way, but if we continue to focus on the principles outlined in scripture, we will glorify God in some way with our actions. With this action, we can move away from trying to justify our own activities or words from developed lists of approved and questionable activities that focus on comparing our journey to the journeys of other people. If we will allow Him, the Holy Spirit will lead us to follow Jesus as the reference.

Decisions

From the beginning, we can understand people were created with free will; Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. All people have personal free will choices to make regarding their lives. Ultimately, we have the most important choice, whether or not to believe God exists – this is the first element of faith. Our minds struggle with anything we cannot visualize, yet we know certain things, such as feelings, exist although we can only visualize their effects. The Hebrew writer points out that, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” – Heb. 11:6 (ESV). Believing God exists is only the beginning. After all, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! – Jas. 2:19 (ESV). Faced with this reality, each person must chose whether or not to follow His plan, and whether or not to harden our hearts. The writer of Hebrews also advises, ”Today, if you hear his voice do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”  - HEB 3:15 (ESV). Scripture also reveals the ramifications of refusing to follow God. Those who believe in God and have hearts that are not hard, perhaps choose to follow Jesus, God’s Son. Those who accept Jesus become Christians and have the indwelling Holy Spirit to prompt them to choose God’s desires. At any time, we have the personal choice to stop following God’s desires. It was these people to whom the writer of Hebrews appeals. When we choose to follow God’s plan, we will ask the Holy Spirit to guide us along our unique individual spiritual journey to be with Him eternally.

Declared sinless

When we read Jn. 16:8 (NLT), “And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment,” we usually don’t argue too much. Why? Maybe we assume sometimes the Holy Spirit is most concerned with convicting those in the world who do not believe in Jesus; that He was and is a real, historical person with a wondrous goal. Perhaps we overlook the Holy Spirit’s goal for those who already believe. He is still concerned with our sanctification. The idea of making something holy and dedicated means He continues to work on us when we think we don’t need more polishing, but we do. We are not sinless, only declared so.

Accept the invitation

For those who have been invited, or called: when you accept you need guidance. You look but you cannot readily see Him or His guidance. You see only the fabric of physical circumstances woven and interlaced. You might question the purpose behind this thread or that. But be assured, God has a pattern. While we may surmise that God is more interested in our final destination, all three of the Godhead are interested in our daily pathway, as well. This is a testimony to God and His actions. Jesus left the Spirit with a broad but focused plan, the Bible promises us this. He is not finished, but when He is finished with as much as we allow, you will be beautiful! "In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" - (Rom. 8:28).

Under the Surface

Almost every person you meet is concerned, at some level, about how they look to others. This is an indication of how strongly a person is seeking acceptance, by other people. The answer to this “people,” question guides the decisions a person makes about their presentation, appearance, and speech. Because of this, some people create facades to display what may impress the other person. Actors sometimes call this, "getting into character," as they portray how they understand another person would look, speak, and act. This can be compared to the front of a building, also called a facade, wherein, what is met on the other side of the entrance door may be unlike the expectations created by the front of the building. Christians need to present ourselves in a positive manner, but one that is true to our own person. Further, when we meet someone, we need to look beyond visual appearances and seek to know and accept the person we have met for who they are. Certainly, they are not the person they will later become. We need to understand that due to perceived acceptance, many people may be struggling with small, large, or massive challenges in their everyday life – we need to be considerate. Often, these struggles are relegated to issues “under the surface.” Most people really want to appear as having fewer struggles than they do. We need to realize that no one is perfect or complete; everyone has struggles with problems and imperfections, and they are likely different for each person we meet. We don’t need to agree with their situation, only admit that it exists for that person. As we speak to people, we should learn to “hear what I am not saying.” From this point, we need to seek ways to help and encourage them. When the surface is removed, acceptance and help will provide encouragement for both people. The basis for all these actions is guidance by the Holy Spirit. Paul said, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” – Rom. 8:26-27 (ESV). We need to allow Him to guide us each second of each day.

Nourishment

Humans have several innate needs to survive. Besides physical nourishment, humans need psychological support. A part of this support is a need for purpose, particularly something to motivate their focus. Besides purpose, or perhaps along with it is a need for some level of appreciation. When appreciation crumbles, bullying finds a ripe field in which to blossom. Some level of appreciation does not mean complete acceptance of all words or actions, but sincere concern for the source. When another person realizes we are open to considering their struggles, they become less guarded. When we attempt to understand and appreciate their challenges, they will likely allow us to help them find better solutions to those situations with which they struggle. A relationship has elements of understanding, a level of acceptance, a level of disagreement, overall concern for the individual, and willingness to help the person. The prime example of this is God. For those who believe in Him and recognize a need for His help, He removes whatever they have become spiritually and provides the Holy Spirit to help them overcome future challenges. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." - 2Cor. 3:17 (ESV).

Dedicated

When one has a great interest in something, normally we might say they are focused on that item. This focus may turn into infatuation or deeper interest. Such attitudes can wane at times, replaced by other interests. When the attention and focus does not wane, the persons may develop a strong attachment and commitment to the item; this can then become dedication. When one becomes dedicated, many personal preferences lose some of their importance, making way for closer bonding to that item. Oh, another word describing this "dedication" is "holy." When the item is God we can grow closer to Him by allowing the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us toward that end. "Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. - 1 Thess. 5:23 NLT

Choices

Many of us can remember a time when we were faced with a decision that was especially tough. This was a time when fear of the unknown perhaps almost debilitated us. In preparation, we explored the pertinent options available, but perhaps most possibilities did not seem attractive or even workable. Maybe we reached out to ask trusted friends for their advice, only to find this group, some religious and some not, provided no clear solution; even conflicting opinions arose. After all our efforts, we were still faced with making the decision and we anticipated several consequences that could be huge and the worst ones arose in our minds, first. Our concerns contained, “What was right to do?” “Would the final choice help some people?” “Would the final choice hurt some people?”  “Would the final choice alienate us from some people whom we desired approval?” In the end, there was only one reasonable pathway to the solution: ask the Holy Spirit to help with the choices, then search God’s word for any guidance available. During such struggles, while you pray intently for all parts of the issue, you must keep an open mind for any possible solutions. Finally, the decision is yours to make, along with the repercussions of the choice and its delivery. Do you listen to some of your friends with conflicting opinions or do you trust how the Holy Spirit has guided you to an acceptable decision that honors God? When you have prayed and kept an open mind, make the best decision this pathway has provided. Once done, trust the Holy Spirit to work out unseen details and ease your fears. Always continue to pray and determine if you should make adjustments to your decision. If you ask the Holy Spirit for help and move forward following godly principles, in the end the result will be acceptable to God. As His servants, what else could we desire but to please Him?

Grace

The story of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37) is a story with which many people have become familiar. Surely, it is a comparison between those who purposely passed by and the one who stopped to help. At its core, this is a story about God’s grace, how God came to help those who the religious establishment would not. The Hebrew word for “grace” is CHEN. It means “to bend, to stoop.” Over time it came to include the concept of “condescending favor.” In the parable of the Good Samaritan a man is attacked and left “half dead” on the side of the road. Perhaps due to busy schedules or desire to avoid becoming unclean by touching a dead body, both a priest and a Levite, ignored this opportunity to help another person. Samaritans were not liked by many Jews since they had not retained a pure blood line; they had intermarried with Gentiles. So, this man with an imperfect bloodline was a better neighbor to the injured man than those who claimed they were more perfect. The Samaritan bent over and helped someone who was injured and dying. Jesus uses this as an example of Himself. He was far more important than either the priest or Levite, but He stopped, and personally touched and treated this injured person. Not only this, but long-term concern was shown with the promise to check on the man later on. Each of us are broken and perhaps half-dead because of how life has treated us, but God has grace for us and is not afraid to reach out and touch us. He is also concerned about us until we are healed. We should also provide similar grace to others as illustrated here. To show grace to others is to extend favor or kindness to one who doesn't deserve it and can never earn it. Receiving God's acceptance by grace always stands in direct contrast to earning it. When the thought of grace appears in scripture, the idea presented is its being undeserved. The recipient is not getting what he or she deserves. Favor is being extended simply out of the goodness of the heart of the giver.

Inner Being

What is your inner being except your heart. This "heart' is a short way to describe the reasons and motivations for all we think and do. When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts and actions, we are strengthened and encouraged to do the things Jesus would have us do. Additionally, people will somehow receive needed benefit and God will be praised. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ..." — Eph. 3:16 (NIV)

Hear

Some passages of scripture team with references a person from the original culture would immediately understand. In the passage today, there are several: First, around this time, a locked door indicated some level of protection from what was without, and opening the door meant trust of the person who is to come inside. More than this, when one invited a person into his home, the home owner was expected to do all in their power to give them aid and even protection. A meal was understood to indicate a level of acceptance and close fellowship. The final word is "hear." This word meant more than absorbing the sound that is made, it meant understanding what was said, even accepting the instruction. One can listen to words and not understand their meaning, or understanding and rejecting its importance. This describes a sincere invitation to those people who are able to understand the significance of having a very close relationship with God via the Holy Spirit. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." - Rev 3:20-22 (ESV)

Control

In these days of packed and over-committed schedules, most of us enjoy choosing our own solutions to meet those goals. Likely, immaculate planning allows us to feel in control of our own approach to these hectic schedules; perhaps we grow frustrated when things don't go according to our plans. The challenge is to give up control over something. These practices bleed over into our spiritual lives as well. Those in the Roman Jewish and Christian religious circles also struggled with this. Paul referred to Isa. 40:13 and reminded the Roman believers in God about refusal of God’s plans, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Rom. 11:33-36 (ESV)
With all our focus on the physical world, if we desire to follow God, how does our own planning work? We must realize spiritual goals can only be accomplished by submission to Jesus. If we truly comprehend our commitment to God through Jesus, He must receive ultimate priority in directing our walk with Him. For this to happen, we must become willing to set aside our personal plans and follow His actions and His timeframe. When we ask God or the Holy Spirit for help in our prayers, do we ask God to follow our own plans and schedules? We cling to these plans and requests because they are our own and we think we understand them, limited though they may be. Without realizing it, we may be asking that God follow the schedule we've constructed according to our desires and very limited human wisdom. Yet if we believe He has all knowledge and He is the most powerful being, how can surrendering our control to His schedule be anything except beneficial for us? Accepting Jesus required faith and commitment; when we submit to God's timetable, we must also exercise faith and courage. This courage will come from realizing that He wants all that is best for us. Although strenuous at times, we must wait until the Spirit leads us to move forward. When the timing is according to His schedule, we will experience a joy by watching Him provide all we need, in His timing.

Living by the Spirit

Living by the Spirit is a difficult exercise sometimes. Frequently, this desire requires actions that may seem new, unexpected, and difficult to visualize the path or end result. Yet, if we live our lives intending and attempting actions modeled by that Jesus, the result will work out in a way that praises God. These actions we take will reflect our progress along our unique individual spiritual journey toward heaven. "But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us." - Gal. 5:5 NLT