…power according to the Spirit of holiness…(Romans 1:4 – ESV)
We are supposed to be living as new creatures in Christ, according to the Spirit of holiness not the spirit of heaviness – 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 / Luke 4:18 / Isaiah 61:3. Holiness is not a stiff upper lip. Still, people are always trying to consecrate the old man, and no wonder they think the Christian life is miserable. The old man won’t ever conform to Christ, so we need to stop trying to make him do it. Instead we need to focus on the new man. Concentrating primarily on not feeding the flesh is too often just flesh-powered, will-powered, self-help, pick-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps nonsense to God and His ways and His life. We must concentrate on feeding the Spirit (Galatians 6:7-8).
Trying to reform the old man is fruitless, we need to simply live from the inside out instead of from the outside in. It is about the new you; focus on building up the new man. Forget about the old man and he will eventually lose his primacy in our lives. Instead many are just trying to make the old man get in line, but he never will (Romans 8:7-8). We need spiritual maturity not sin management, we need biblical ministry not behavior modification, we need to decrease the therapy and increase the theology.
Focus on the new man, 2 Corinthians 5:17 / Ephesians 4:24 / Colossians 3:10. The reason it seems so hard and awful is because we are trying to do it on our own power. We are trying to get our old man to shape up, but we need to realize that God has crucified him, and it is painful. Romans 12:1-2 / 1 Peter 4:1 talk about being a living sacrifice and suffering in the flesh, but what we get in return is Life.
You see when you are saved you are saved but how well you live this life depends on how much you let Him live His life in you. God is going to get you home but your power and your perspective depends on His presence in power in your life. If you are born again, are you showing forth, declared as a son of God by the Spirit of holiness through your born again life (Ephesians 2:1 / Colossians 2:13 / Romans 8:19)? Are you living in resurrection power?
We should be shouting, “free at last” – you may be born again but do you understand and are you realizing (making real, cashing in) on all of what that means for you in this life? We are free from the penalty of sin but also free from the power of sin. Sin is what is making you heartsick.
We are supposed to be showing that we are sons of God according to the Spirit of holiness by our resurrection from the dead. Yet we think we are shown to be sons of God according to the spirit of heaviness by our looking like we’re dead. You manifest God’s life by the Spirit of holiness, which will make you glad not sad, and your life will preach! Spurgeon – “Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a good preacher, and all the world will be a pulpit for you to preach in. Cheerful holiness is the most forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it you”. He has, Christian, He has given you love that surpasses knowledge, a peace that passes all understanding, and joy unspeakable and full of glory. Do you believe? Then pray for it, it is God’s will. Are you operating according to the Spirit of holiness or heaviness?
6 comments:
Another post that I will be printing out and adding to my daily Bible study.
Yes, our lives should be joyful and show the joy of our salvation.
" Forget about the old man and he will eventually lose his primacy in our lives. Instead many are just trying to make the old man get in line, but he never will (Romans 8:7-8)."
Hmmmm......What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourself to anyone as obedient slaves you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6: 15,16)
Comments from, "The God Delusion"
Dawkins clearly believes his background in science allows him to draw strong conclusions about religion and, in The God Delusion, he presents those conclusions in language that's stronger still. Dawkins not only thinks religion is unalloyed nonsense but that it is an overwhelmingly pernicious, even "very evil," force in the world. His target is not so much organized religion as all religion. And within organized religion, he attacks not only extremist sects but moderate ones. Indeed, he argues that rearing children in a religious tradition amounts to child abuse.
That last point is especially important. In numerous venues, Dawkins has raised the argument that children should not be subjected to the religious beliefs, traditions, and prejudices of their parents. To do so is to subject children to a form of abuse, he argues. Watch this argument carefully -- it is likely to become a focus of activists who take up Dawkins' charge.
Are you aware of these statements made JD? And can you shed some insight on the current effects of this?
Yes, very aware Paul...Richard Dawkins has been at it a while now...triablogue.blogspot.com and Al Mohler, as well as others whom are more qualified than me have been on the task to debunk his junk...
You can find links for both under the "scum of the earth" heading in the sidebar of my site...
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