The Church of Christ has had a problem. What's weird is that the solution has been denied; which is our problem. Great fear coupled with erroneous teaching has caused members of the church to deny the very power which God intended for us; Him...in Spirit form.
What's even weirder is the Word of God---used by loud voices to steer us away from believing the Spirit is for our age---expresses with incredible clarity that those who avoid the Spirit will develop a form of godliness while being ultra mean in spirit while, at the same time, denying the power of God. And he finishes off a portion of II Tim. 3 with and avoid such men as these.
The Holy Spirit is not a threat to the church. His absence clearly is.
I've lived in both camps...with great vigor.
The one without the Spirit is at best a Positive Thinking Rally. It is up to us to get it done and we search for leaders to pump us up for the labor stands before us with great intimidation.
The one with the Spirit grows to step out of the way trusting God through Fatherhood, God through Jesus flesh, and God in Spirit form roams earth today; not only with us...but inside of us.
A matter that helped me make the transition was to shut out the chatter of fearful brotherhood leaders and look at His fruit. Look at His fruit described in Gal. 5:22-23. What section of that orange is radical, off-the-chart risky, and extreme?
All of them. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience.
The fruit of the Spirit is for any who cannot bear this on our own. So each slice of this fruit is to be produced within us when we are under such pressure we cannot produce it on our own. Our self-joy may have been robbed by insult; yet the Spirit knows exactly how to yield such "through us" in a very unsightly field.
Self-control is offered/provided by the Holy Spirit when our flesh wants to verbally mow down our opponents because they are causing excessive pain. Calm (peace) comes out of our flesh due to our counting on the Holy Spirit when otherwise we would have given a tongue-lashing.
The Holy Spirit is not the church's enemy. Those who believe Him are not doing so to take the church in a liberal direction. No, the Holy Spirit and those who believe He works are simply trying to say that trying to do church from the flesh is back-breaking, deal killer. The law kills; but the Spirit gives life.
According to the Word, the Holy Spirits works; but is so tender and careful with us that He will not push Himself upon us if not welcomed.
We...must increase our willingness to welcome Him.
1 comment:
Sadly, for many years I let men put a fear of the Spirit in me. This was mainly because I trusted more in the praise of those men than I did in the truth of The Word. Then, when the time came that I most needed strength from the Spirit because of tragedy and brokenness in my life, I was too distant to effectively draw on it. I've learned much in the last year and a half, and I've drawn closer to the love of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Your words today just confirms to me that I am now on the right path.
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