Chapter 1: I've Got Jesus. Why Do I Need the Spirit?
Last week, we have introduced our discussion about who the Holy Spirit is. Today, we will dig a little deeper into knowing God intimately by thinking about the ways we can relate to the Spirit.
“One of the areas we desperately need to examine is how we think about and relate to the Holy Spirit.”
“I’ve got Jesus. Why Do I Need the Spirit?” — The title suggests that knowing and believing in Christ Jesus is not enough to say we are born again Christians. We do need the Spirit in our lives. We need His life-changing, miracle-working power to dwell inside of us because we can only please God and belong to God by living in a Spirit-filled life.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” — Roman 8:5, 8, 9
In your own experience, how do you relate to the Holy Spirit? In what ways do you see yourself relating to Him?
It is vital in our relationship with Christ that we focus on the things of God rather than our own preconceived beliefs of what deemed to be the ‘more important things’ in life. We need to start relating to God in a practical level where we can see Him literally moving inside of us, more like in our regular daily lives. A true encounter with the Holy Spirit is very personal, experiential, and life-changing. I wrote a blog 4 years ago and said, “How do I know God is real? I am not the same old person I was before.” This is a gradual process, a continuous journey of becoming the person God called us to be. However, we are never exempt from committing a sin, because we never stop being human when we place our trust in Jesus.
“I think the worst part is when you get outside the church’s walls and interact with believers and nonbelievers in the same sphere. Can you really tell a difference? Yet when those outside the church see no difference in our lives, they begin to question our integrity, our sanity, or even worse, our God. And can you blame them?”
We will have days when we slip and unintentionally do the things that we have been fixing in our life. Probably one of us is working on an anger management problem. Things happen, we get triggered, we blow up, and unpleasant things happen. Or perhaps one of us is recovering from addiction, alcoholism, gambling, pornography, etc and one day we find ourselves being caught in the act for doing it one last time?
Can you remember a time when you lost hope in yourself thinking that you can never make the cut to being a child of God because of your sins? Did you ever feel like you are never deserving to be somewhat closer to God?
One of the ways we can be distinguished as different from the world is by constantly choosing to be a ‘new creation’ in Christ despite our shortcomings. Roman 8:1 says that, ”There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” When we put God’s forgiveness, through His grace and mercy, in display and we make the effort to change and be better versions of ourselves, the world around us will see. And God will reward such efforts with newness of life and of freedom from our past life. “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
So how do keep going?
Keep in Step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-25)
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh,
for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are evident:
sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
What does it look like to walk by the Spirit? What are some clear and practical ways that the Spirit can work through you to bless the people around you?
According to Ephesians 4 and 5, the Holy Spirit will help us to live the New Life and do the following things:
“When was the last time I undeniably saw the Spirit at work in or around me?”
No longer live in your old sinful nature (v. 4:17)
Do not be ignorant and do not harden your heart towards God and the working of the Holy Spirit (v. 4:18)
Do not give yourself up to any kind of impurity, like sensuality and greed (v. 4:19)
Be renewed in the spirit of your minds (v. 4:23)
Practice true righteousness and holiness as a new creation (v. 24)
Speak the truth with others (v. 4:25)
Manage your anger (v. 4:26)
Do a noble job by being faithful in every tasks and do not steal (v. 4:28)
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth. Encourage others (v. 4:29)
Put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice (v. 4:31)
Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving to others (v. 4:32)
Walk in love (v. 5:2)
Put away sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, filthy or foolish talks, crude joking (v. 5:3) – no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God
Do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit (v. 5:18)
Worship God. And give thanks always (v. 5:20)
Submit to one another (v. 5:21)
Are you open to being transformed, no matter what that may mean for your life? If you do want to be changed, why do you desire this? If you don’t, what is keeping you from desiring change?
“I do not know what the Spirit will do or where He’ll lead me each time I invite Him to guide me. But I am tired of living in a way that looks exactly like people who do not have the Holy Spirit of God living in them.”