Lesson 250: "Spirituality"
The blessings of salvation were prepared by the Father, carried out by the Son and applied by the Spirit (Eph. 1:3-14) to all believers who, as a result, love God (1 John 4:19). The only way the Corinthians, to whom Paul spoke, could know this was by the Spirit, who knows and reveals these deep things of God about salvation. Paul pointed out that nobody can fully imagine the thoughts of anyone else; how much more necessary, then, is the work of the Spirit if the thoughts of God are to be known. It was for this purpose (partly) that the Spirit who is from God came (John 16:13), not just to some Christians but to all (1 Cor. 12:13). Since the scripture clearly states that all Christians receive the Holy Spirit when we are saved, why then do not all Christians act alike? Well, first of all we are human and it would be impossible for everyone to “act, look or be” alike but we all can and should be led by the Spirit. Many Christians have allowed the Holy Spirit to become dormant within them and are still “drink milk” instead of feasting on the “solid food” of the message of the gospel. The message of the Cross (1 Cor. 1:18) offers justification and sanctification but also calls for a renewal of attitude and action; for righteousness in thought and deed (Heb. 5:11-14). Since the Corinthians (and Christians today) ignore/misuse this power of the Spirit then they and we are still worldly. Instead of mature behavior characterized by humility and concern for others we follow the Corinthians pattern of being self-centered, living for our glory and doing little to build up God’s Church.
Read carefully 1 Corinthians 14:1; “follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts”! This does not mean that each and every Christian will be given each and every gift because they are given as the Spirit determines (1 Cor. 12:11). This does mean that if you have been blessed with gifts they must be used in love or they are nothing (1 Cor. 13:1-3). Paul lines it out for us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 with a list of the pros and cons of love, adding in verse 8 that love never fails. This is the unfailing love that God has for us and the unfailing, unconditional love that we should have for each human in the world whether we agree with them, like them or even know them, we are to love them through our spirit that houses the Holy Spirit of God. Love of the spiritual will not judge but rather restore and carry each others burdens (Gal. 6:1-3), doing good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Gal. 6:10). A huge, most important reason to allow the Spirit to work within us is that the devil also has spiritual forces of evil which we must daily struggle against. This would be an impossible, losing battle for Christians without the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:10-18).
The body without the Spirit is dead (James 2:26a) and so will be your Christian life if you continue to leave the Spirit out of your activities. “It is the Spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, which gives him understanding” (Job 32:8) and we are controlled not by sinful nature but by the Spirit of God which lives within each Christian (Rom. 8:9). You can be trained to play a musical instrument and some (not me) can be trained to sing and make a joyful noise unto the Lord; however, true worship comes from way down deep inside; worshiping in spirit and in truth which is what the Father seeks (John 4:23-24). An understanding of the scriptures will come when your spirit is “lit up” by the Holy Spirit; the Spirit gives life to the words that you read and it is on this spirit to Spirit level that you gain full understanding of what God is saying to you (John 6:63-64). The body and mind naturally wants to “rule” all thoughts and actions but you can allow your spirit to be the “leader” with what I call the 3-Ps; prayer, practice and participation. “Watch and PRAY so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak” (prayer - Matt. 26:41); “Serve wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord, not men” (practice - Eph. 6:7); “preach the Word; be prepared in season and out” (participation - 2 Tim. 4:2).