PROF.
BEN ONYEUKWU (REV.)
NCE(Eng.) ND/HD (Journalism); BA (Hons)
MA, PhD.
LIVING IN THE SPIRIT
Devotional
Text: Gal. 5:16-21
Introduction:
Every child of God is a spirit
that possesses a soul and lives in a
body. In other words, a child of God
is a tripartite being. This is the completeness that a sinner does not possess.
Every sinner is just but a dual personality, possessing only a soul and a body.
This is because the spirit of a sinner is dead, as a result of sin and is
buried in the mud of the flesh or body. However, when a sinner is regenerated,
he or she regains the freedom of becoming a complete personality of spirit, soul and body.
GENERAL
REMARKS
(1) Living in
the spirit means loving the Lord and hating evil, (Ps. 97:10).
(2) Living in
the spirit also means loving the Lord and keeping His commandments, (Jn.
14:15-21).
(3) Living in
the spirit carries a sense of living a sin-freed life, (Gal. 5:16).
(4) Living in
the spirit means becoming one spirit with the Lord, (1 Cor. 6:17).
LIVING IN
THE SPIRIT AND LOVE FOR GOD, (MARK 12:30)
Life in the
spirit hinges fundamentally on a deep and uncompromised love for God. One who
intends living in the spirit must deeply possess love for God in;
(i)
the heart, (Mark 12:30)
(ii)
the soul, (mark 12:30)
(iii)
the mind, (Mark 12:30).
These three dimensions of the human personality must have to flow
in the electric-like current of love for God. This means that one’s heart must
constantly meditate on God’s love as one’s soul communicates it. Furthermore,
the mind of the personality who lives in the spirit must always think God’s
love.
LIVING IN
THE SPIRIT AND THE WORD OF GOD, (EZEKIEL 3:1-3).
Life in the
spirit is nourished with the spiritual nutrients in the word of God. Therefore,
one who intends living in the spirit must be:
(i)
a devotional student of the word, (Joshua, 1:8)
(ii)
a devotional listeners of the word, (Roman 10:17)
(iii)
a devotional eater of the word, (Ezekiel 3:3).
For one to maintain a life in the spirit, one must maintain a life
of feasting on God’s word.
LIVING IN
THE SPIRIT AND PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, (JUDE 20)
One who lives
in the spirit prays always in the Holy Spirit.
Praying in the Holy Spirit does not necessarily mean praying in tongue.
It therefore means that a given prayer session must be:
(i)
initiated and directed by the Holy Spirit, (Jude 20)
(ii)
prayed according to the will of God, (I John 5:14)
(iii)
prayed in the authority of the name (Jesus) which the Holy Spirit
stands for, (John 16:5-28).
In the light
of the above, it becomes clear that every form of prayer that is informed by
the dictates of the flesh is devoid of life in the spirit (see James 4:1-3).
No comments:
Post a Comment