Living in Faith, Part 2

Live by the Spirit

My last post was on living in faith. This post will be about living by the Spirit and is a continuation of the same line of reason. As the two points are ultimately linked together. Living in the Spirit is a bit more specific in that it provides us with a means to live in faith.

Romans 8:3,4
"For what the law powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit." (NIV, emphasis mine)

1 Corinthians 2:12-16
"We have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment:

'For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?'

But we have the mind of Christ."

Galatians 5:16-26
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

Galatians 6:7,8
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from the nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. "

So we are required to live by the Spirit. If not we tend to become like the world which leads us away from the Lord and back to whatever muddy bog Jesus pulled us out of. What does it say about the consequences of living to satisfy our sinful nature? In Galatians 5:16 Paul issues a strong warning that if we live apart from God we aren't going to heaven.

Many will point to Ephesians 2:8,9.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."

But, Paul wrote this verse as much as those listed above so either Paul was in a state of confusion or we are. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul issues an incomplete list of sinful attitudes and actions. Notice that some things that are listed are common among all people that are in the world.

"...hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions..."

What did Paul say was the punishment for ignoring this warning?

Galatians 5:21
..."I warn you as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."


Are we discussing something that is a simple if you want to be really good then behave and you will get stuff? Or are we discussing a requirement of salvation?

I encourage all who believe to enter some thoughts here. God bless all.

In the Love of Christ,
Sean

Living in Faith, Part 1

Living our Faith

The other day I was reading my Bible in the book of Hebrews. I was struck with several things:

1. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) Can I get an amen to that? We are found not guilty of our sin because of God's forgiveness. Now our part here is believing and having faith in Christ's life, death and resurrection to life as the ultimate priest and intercessor (offering prayers for us is his only mission until he returns, Hebrews 7:25) who is able to save us completely. Most of us know this part.
2. We are REQUIRED to have a loving relationship with God and not with the world. In Hebrews we are warned to guard against drifting away from God (Hebrews 2:1). We are commanded to fix our thoughts on Jesus in Hebrews 3:1. Is this a given? No... I know in my own life if I get too busy and begin to put my life before my relationship with Christ, I become tempted to live more like what I am surrounded with... the world. This, if left unchanged, will lead to my drifting away.
3. God is the same today as he was in the Old Testament. In Hebrews, the author gives the example of the Hebrews begin lead out of Egypt. God was angry with them because of their falling away:
   "That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, 'Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.' So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.'" (Hebrews 3:10, 11)

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12)

What does our becoming more worldly say about our faith? The Hebrews being lead out of Egypt were shown God's power and glory yet when something that seemed uncirmountable occurred they were quick to disbelieve what miracles that had seen and doubt God. They were given their daily directions and nothing more. When they went into the desert they quickly doubted God because they saw no water or food. When Moses had been on the mountain a while they considered themselves abandoned and formed a calf of gold to worship saying that it was their God and that it lead them out of Egypt.

Are the Hebrews here just a weak bunch? Or are we also dealing with things in our lives that seem uncirmountable? Things that to our human nature seem impossible to get through considering our God is invisible. We are serving a REAL GOD, the only TRUE GOD. He is not only capable of dealing with our problems but all the problems of believers everywhere.

God often allows things that seem impossible to come into our lives to build on our faith (James 1:2-4, 1:12). The fact that they seem impossible does that make them so for God.

We need to live a life that believes and has faith in God. That should lead us to a relationship with him, one that depends on him and not on ourselves. If we are not becoming less worldly we should ask why not? Are we living in faith which includes obedience to God's Word?

David's life was anything but perfect. Yet what made him righteous was that he had faith in God and what God said to him. When he sinned against God, by sending Bathsheba's husband Uriah to his death, what was his attitude? When Nathan calls him out and informs him that he will be greatly punished. He will ultimately lose his baby that he has with Bathsheba, one of his sons rapes one of his daughters and another of his sons kills his rapist brother and then turns on David and tries to take his kingdom. He takes 10 of David,s concubines and has sexual relations with them on the roof of Davids own house. This son (Absalom) is ultimately killed by Davids men. 2 Samuel 11:1- 19:8

How does David respond to this? David responded to God in a repentant heart he expresses Godly sorrow that Paul later speaks of (2 Corinthians 7:8-12). Read Psalms 51.

God Bless you all,
Sean