The Bible tells us that there are three kinds of people.
Natural Man(one who has not received Christ)
"A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised" (1 Corinthians 2:1414But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.).
Spiritual Man
(One who is directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit)
"He who is spiritual appraises all things...We have the mind of Christ"
(1 Corinthians 2:1515But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.).
Carnal Man
(One who has received Christ, but who lives in defeat because is trying to live the Christian life in his own strength)
"And I brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to carnal men, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still carnal. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshy, and are you not walking like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-31And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ.2I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,3for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?).
God Has Provided For Us an Abundant and Fruitful Christian Life
Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" (John 10:1010The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.).
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:55I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.).
"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law" (Galatians 5:22, 2322But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.).
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth" (Acts 1:88but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.).
The Spiritual Man -
Some spiritual traits which result from trusting God:
The degree to which these traits are manifested in the life depends upon the extent to which the Christian trusts the Lord with every detail of his life, and upon his maturity in Christ. One who is only beginning to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit should not be discouraged if he is not as fruitful as more mature Christians who have known and experienced this truth for a longer period.
Why is it that most Christians are not experiencing the abundant life?
Carnal Christians Cannot Experience the Abundant and Fruitful Christian Life
The carnal man trusts in his own efforts to live the Christian life:
1. He is either uninformed about, or has forgotten, God's love, forgiveness, and power ( Romans 5:8-108But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.9Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.; Hebrews 10:1-251The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7Then I said, 'Here I am-it is written about me in the scroll- I have come to do your will, O God.' " 8First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). 9Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. 15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: 16"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." 17Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 18And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. 19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.; 1 John 1; 2:1-31 John 1What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-2and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-3what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.4These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.God Is Light5This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.6If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;7but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.8If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
1 John 2:1-3 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;2and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.3By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.;
2 Peter 1:99For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.; Acts 1:88but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.).
2. He has an up-and-down spiritual experience.
3. He cannot understand himself - he wants to do what is right, but cannot.
4. He fails to draw upon the power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life.
(1 Corinthians 3:1-31Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-mere infants in Christ. 2I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?; Romans 7:15-24; 8:715For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.16But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
Romans 8: 7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, ; Galatians 5:16-1816But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.)
The Carnal Man -
Some or all of the following traits may characterize the Christian who does not fully trust God:
(The individual who professes to be a Christian but who continues to practice sin should realize that he may not be a Christian at all, according to
(1 John 2:3; 3:6, 91 John 2Christ Is Our Advocate3By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
1 John 36No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.9No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.; Ephesians 5:55For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.).
The third truth gives us the only solution to this problem...
Jesus Promised the Abundant and Fruitful Life
as the Result of Being Filled (Directed and Empowered) by the Holy Spirit
The Spirit-filled life is the Christ-directed life by which Christ lives His life in and through us in the power of the Holy Spirit (John 151I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.2Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.3You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.4Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.5I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.6If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.8My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.9Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.10If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.11These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.12This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.14You are My friends if you do what I command you.15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.16You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.17This I command you, that you love one another.18If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.19If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.20Remember the word that I said to you, A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.21But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.23He who hates Me hates My Father also.24If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.25But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, They hated Me without a cause.26When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,27and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.).
One becomes a Christian through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, according to
John 3:1-81Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;2this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."3Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."4Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.6"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.7"Do not be amazed that I said to you, `You must be born again.'8"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.. From the moment of spiritual birth, the Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit at all times (John 1:1212But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,; Colossians 2:9, 109For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,10and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;; John 14:16, 1716I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.). Though all Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not all Christians are filled (directed and empowered) by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the source of the overflowing life (John 7:37-3937Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.38"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, `From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"39But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.).
The Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ (John 16:1-151These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.2"They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.3"These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me.4"But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.5"But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, `Where are You going?'6"But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.7"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.8"And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;9concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;10and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;11and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.12"I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.14"He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.15"All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.). When one is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is a true disciple of Christ.
In His last command before His ascension, Christ promised the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:1-91The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach,2until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.3To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.4Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me;5for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."6So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"7He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority;8but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."9And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.).
How, then, can one be filled with the Holy Spirit?
We are Filled by the Holy Spirit by Faith;
then we can Experience the Abundant and Fruitful Life Christ Promised to each Christian.
You can appropriate the filling of the Holy Spirit right now if you:
Sincerely desire to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit
(Matthew 5:66Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.; John 7:37-3937Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.38"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, `From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"39But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.).
Confess your sins.
By faith thank God that He has forgiven all of your sins - past, present and future - because Christ died for you (Colossians 2:13-1513When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.15When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.; 1 John 1; 2:1-31What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life-2and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-3what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.4These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.God Is Light5This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.6If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;7but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.8If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;2and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.3By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.; Hebrews 10:1-171For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.5Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; 6In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. 7"Then I said, `Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O god.'"8After saying above, "Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the Law),9then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will." He takes away the first in order to establish the second.10By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.11Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;12but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,13waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.14For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.15And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16"This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them," He then says, 17"And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.").
Present every area of your life to God (Romans 12:1, 21Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.).
By faith claim the fullness of the Holy Spirit, according to:
His Command - Be filled with the Spirit. "And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:1818And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,).
His Promise - He will always answer when we pray according to His will. "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14, 1514This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.).
Faith can be expressed through prayer...
How to Pray in Faith to be Filled
with the Holy Spirit
We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith alone. However, true prayer is one way of expressing your faith. The following is a suggested prayer:
"Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ's death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit."
Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If so, bow in prayer and trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit right now.
How to Know That You are Filled (Directed
and Empowered) with the Holy Spirit
Did you ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit? Do you know that you are now filled with the Holy Spirit? On what authority? (On the trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word: Hebrews 11:66And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him; Romans 14:22, 2322The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from.)
Do not depend upon feelings. The promise of God's Word, not our feelings, is our authority. The Christian lives by faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God Himself and His Word. This train diagram illustrates the relationship between fact (God and His Word), faith (our trust in God and His Word), and feeling (the result of our faith and obedience) ( John 14:2121He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.).
The train will run with or without the caboose. However, it would be futile to attempt to pull the train by the caboose. In the same way, we, as Christians, do not depend upon feelings or emotions, but we place our faith (trust) in the trustworthiness of God and the promises of His Word.
How to Walk in the Spirit
Faith (trust in God and in His promises) is the only means by which a Christian can live the Spirit-directed life. As you continue to trust Christ moment by moment:
Your life will demonstrate more and more of the fruit of the Spirit
( Galatians 5:22, 2322But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.) and will be more and more conformed to the image of Christ ( Romans 12:22And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.; 2 Corinthians 3:1818But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.).
Your prayer life and study of God's Word will become more meaningful.
You will experience His power in witnessing ( Acts 1:88but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.).
You will be prepared for spiritual conflict against the world ( 1 John 2:15-1715Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.); against the flesh (Galatians 5:16-1716But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.17For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.); and against Satan (1 Peter 5:7-97casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.9But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world; Ephesians 6:10-1310Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.).
You will experience His power to resist temptation and sin
(1 Corinthians 10:1313No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.; Philippians 4:1313I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.; Ephesians 1:19-2319and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.;
2 Timothy 1:77For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.; Romans 6:1-161What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;7for he who has died is freed from sin.8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?).
Spiritual Breathing
By faith you can continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.
If you become aware of an area of your life (an attitude or an action) that is displeasing to the Lord, even though you are walking with Him and sincerely desiring to serve Him, simply thank God that He has forgiven your sins - past, present and future - on the basis of Christ's death on the cross. Claim His love and forgiveness by faith and continue to have fellowship with Him.
If you retake the throne of your life through sin - a definite act of disobedience - breathe spiritually.
Spiritual breathing (exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure) is an exercise in faith that enables you to continue to experience God's love and forgiveness.
Exhale - confess your sin - agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. and Hebrews 10:1-251For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?3But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.5Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering You have not desired, But a body You have prepared for Me; 6In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. 7"Then I said, `Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me) To do Your will, O god.'"8After saying above, "Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the Law),9then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will." He takes away the first in order to establish the second.10By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.11Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;12but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,13waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.14For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.15And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying, 16"This is the covenant that I will make with them After those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, And on their mind I will write them," He then says, 17"And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."18Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.19Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,20by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh,21and since we have a great priest over the house of God,22let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;24and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,25not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.. Confession involves repentance - a change in attitude and action.
Inhale - surrender the control of your life to Christ, and appropriate (receive) the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. Trust that He now directs and empowers you; according to the command of Ephesians 5:1818And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,, and the promise of
1 John 5:14, 1514This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
You will want to share this important discovery...
If this page has been meaningful and helpful to you, please share it with someone else.
Millions of copies of the booklet, "Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-filled Life?" have been distributed in most major languages around the world. As a result, thousands of Christians have learned how to experience the power and control of the Holy Spirit, moment by moment. Through the abundant life which Christ promises, and which they are now experiencing, they have become more effective in sharing their faith in Christ with others. Experience has confirmed the validity of Christ's command to the disciples to wait until they were empowered by the Holy Spirit before going forth to the world to share the good news of His love and forgiveness. Most Christians, when they have learned this truth concerning the Holy Spirit, want to be actively sharing Christ and helping to fulfill the Great Commission in our generation.
