davidbowerkingwood

How Much of Each Day are You Filled with and Controlled by God, the Holy Spirit?

As Christian men and women, we have been given a wonderful opportunity; the opportunity to live a life led by God, the Holy Spirit! Such a wonderful promise from God should be eagerly incorporated into the life of every Christian at all times. Why is it then so many Christians seem to fall short of that joyful promise? Why is there so much misery and doubt in the lives of Christian men and women all over the world?

Living a Spirit led life is the complete antithesis of Satan’s plans for individuals living on this world at this particular point in time. Anything possible for Satan will be used to disable the Christian as they seek to live a life led by God, the Holy Spirit.

Fortunately for Christians, we have the resources to effectively battle Satanic attacks when we avail ourselves of the armor God has provided to his children. In Ephesians 6:10-17 it is written:

^“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

Let us think, for a moment, on one of the challenges we face as Christians.

Personal Sin and the Challenge it Presents to Each of Us.

Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get letters from Christians expressing deep concerns about their own personal sins. There seems to be a feeling of shocked surprise that sin is still such a pervasive problem in their lives. After all, they have received Christ as their Savior and been born-again; why then should the battle with sin continue at such an intense level?

I try and help them understand the scope of the problems we face as Christians, living in Satan’s world in the midst of a spiritual battle that has been going on for thousands of years. Our situation has been compromised because we came into this world spiritually dead and infected by a sin nature. When we were born-again, we were made spiritually alive and our old sin nature was reckoned as crucified with Christ; although we are no longer under any obligation to serve it; the problem comes in as we consider our sin nature still inhabits our bodies and unconfessed sin releases the sin nature to torment us.

This means we not only have an enemy without but one within as well; our only sure defense is God, the Holy Spirit who came into us eternally when we received Christ as Savior. When we confess our sins to God, God forgives us our sins and cleanses us of all unrighteousness as well. The simple act of confession of sin to God restores the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and quenches the power of our sin nature.

It is at this point we can manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-25 where it is written:

^“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

The Pervasive Nature of Sin

In the Book of Romans, chapter 14, verse 23b we are told: “for whatever is not from faith is sin.” Just let that sink in for a moment; I understand it to say that any thought or deed that is not based on faith in God is sin. Any jealous or fearful thought, any word or deed not based on Biblical faith in God is sin. Think for a moment on your own life, how often do you think or react based on the world and not on Biblical faith in God?

In each of those instances you have sinned against God and quenched the power of God, the Holy Spirit in your life. When the Holy Spirit is quenched in your life then your sin nature is freed to take control and you manifest those things which characterize your sin nature as described in Galatians 5:19-21a where it is written:

^“19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like”

For reasons known only to God, it pleased God to leave the sin nature in the born-again Christian. While reckoned as crucified with Christ and no longer in control of the Christian; unconfessed sin does enable it to do its dirty work in the life of a Christian. This demands the Christian live a life dependent on God, the Holy Spirit; a life of total faith in God as the only path to success in the Christian life.

In his grace and mercy, God has provided a quick, simple solution to personal sin which is described in 1 John 1:8-10 where it is written:

^“8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

The Bible makes one point very clear, Christ died for the sins of the world and the penalty for all those sins has been paid in full; I have written more on this in “Is There One Unforgivable Sin?”

Since the penalty of sin has once and for all been paid by the death of Christ; there remains only one consideration for the Christian as regards personal sin and that is quality of life.

God wants you to enjoy your life on this earth at a spiritual level and has made it possible by confession of sin and the Spirit led life. Don’t waste your life worrying about things you shouldn’t, “cast your burdens on the Lord and he will sustain you.”