May We Live In the Spirit.

An excerpt from the book- The Spiritual Man.

'Many suppose the Holy Spirit’s conviction of sin pertains just to the people of the world, for does He not convict them of their sins into believing the Lord Jesus? But Christians ought to know that such operation of the Holy Spirit is as important in the saints as it is in the sinners. Out of necessity He must convict the saints of their sins, not merely once or twice but daily and incessantly. May we more and more experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit so that our flesh can be put under judgment unceasingly and never be able to reign. May we not lose, even for a moment, the true picture of our flesh and God’s estimation of it. Let us never believe in ourselves and never trust our flesh again, as though it could ever please God. Let us always trust the Holy Spirit and at no time yield the slightest place to self.' Page 122

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 

Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me; 

Joh 16:10  Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 

Joh 16:11  Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 

Joh 16:14  He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 

Joh 16:15  All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you

The Holy Spirit reproves the world of SIN, why? Because people do not believe in Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit will give us ALL truth!

The Holy Spirit works in us constantly, praise the LORD. We need to be ever guide, our spirit with the Holy Spirit teaching us, reproving us showing us every single time we give into temptation and sin.  We can't ever expect the Holy Spirit to stop convicting us, that we've reached a place where we need no conviction.  We need to be CONSTANTLY reminded that all our flesh is bad. To those who may be reading this and think that it can't be true that all our flesh isn't bad. We were born this way, we can't help who we are born. We can be good, our flesh can be good. I reply to you- you're wrong. That is one of the BIG deceptions of Satan, so big that scarcely any will comprehend. Why won't they comprehend? Because we do NOT want to believe we can be so utterly devoid of natural goodness. Our lives shout otherwise, right? We have numerous good deeds attributed to us, we naturally love to help and be of service in any way possible. We see a need we are quick to help out all the time. WE ARE GOOD, OTHERS ARE GOOD. We know atheists that are incredibly good people - they don't need to believe in God to be wonderful human beings. So HOW can we sit here and declare all flesh is bad? How can we say all the good we do and the good those who blatantly proclaim their unbelief in God and Jesus Christ-do, is bad? It's contradictory, it seems ludicrous on so many levels. The proof is in their actions, right?  But WHERE is their ability to do any good coming from? Has their ability to do good without being Christ's proved to them that they don't need Him? Does feeling good about ourselves help us believe we are Christ's? The truth is found in the word of God-

Isa_64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

ALL our righteousness are filthy rags.  How much of our righteousness is filthy? ALL of it!

Rom_3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

ALL have sinned.

Rom_4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Our righteousness is through FAITH, not through our good works.

We read these and still we hold fast to our deep seated belief that we - our flesh is good- we have goodness. We find it so hard to make the leap to the only good that can come from us is our steadfast belief in our LORD and SAVIOR and through the Holy Spirit with our spirit NOT our flesh, NOT our soul, but spirit! If our good actions are wrought through the Holy Spirit then the power of the Holy Spirit is working good through us!

Yet we cry out- we see the good actions of so many people they can't be bad! Honestly, we can NEVER judge the actions of others, God alone will determine their origin. We can't know whether or not the Holy Spirit is working in the lives of others - even the self-proclaimed atheists and others who deny Christ as their Savior. We have to examine our OWN lives only! We have to comprehend for ourselves where the origin of our own actions stem from. May we seek to live in the spirit- with the Holy Spirit always! May any good that comes from us be brought forth from the Spirit. All through the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord now and forever!

Our Faith Stands in the Power of God.

1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 

1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 

1Co 2:3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 

Our faith must stand in the power of God.

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 

The power of God is the preaching of the cross, our faith must stand in the cross, in Jesus Christ and him crucified and nowhere else.

Each day we recognize that the world we live in is far from the world that we long for. As soon as Satan deceived Adam and Eve the glorious, perfect world was gone. They were thrust out of the perfect garden and put into a world that would be harsh. They chose to abandon God, to disobey God, to desire to be something other than created in the image of God, but rather gods themselves. All that was decided when Eve yielded to the temptation and disobeyed the single test that existed for loyalty, for acceptance of being created.

Often we talk about how parents must discipline their children and how God disciplines us, but we don't talk about children wanting to be their own parent too much. Yes, we know of cases where children who are older will sometimes go to court to be emancipated from their parents and take on their own responsibility for their own wellbeing, but this is rather rare in the grand scheme of things. Children will test their parents all the time, driving them to their limits of patience. And sometimes a parent may tell a child - fine, take care of yourself.  No, this analogy isn't perfect by far, but think about it. Created beings knowing they are created, knowing the Creator -NOT abandoned by Him, still decide they don't have everything they need because they aren't gods, they aren't creators themselves, they don't know evil. There is something being kept from them and they have to know what it is. It doesn't matter that they are told it is very harmful to them, they still want to know. A child comprehends they aren't in a position to parent themselves, they can't feed or clothe themselves, they can't put a roof over their own heads- the majority of children could never afford to take care of themselves in that way- they need a caretaker, someone older than them, someone more knowledgeable than they are. Yet, the children of God, albeit, adult children given a wealth of knowledge and ability still determine it is not enough.

Bottom line, every day we wake up to live in a world that is sinful, painful, and not the world we know should be. We live upon this earth as pilgrims, as travelers, as temporary sojourners, because we know there is a much better world for us.  Satan would have us not desire the world to come because he wants each and every one of us to be as Adam and Eve were, and yield to him. Satan doesn't want us preaching SALVATION from this sin-filled world and our sin-nature. Satan would have us preach anything but salvation found in Jesus Christ our Lord. Satan doesn't care a bit if we preach salvation by any other means, he is the master of deception and if he's got a person deceived he could careless how it comes about, through what method.

Paul's entire life after being converted to the truth was spent preaching to other how they too could find salvation in Christ Jesus and Him crucified.

Paul didn't care about how good he could speak, or if he seemed wise, all he cared about was declaring the testimony of God. He was determine to preach nothing else save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Paul was weak, Paul had fears, Paul trembled along with all those he was preaching too. He did NOT use words that enticed, that caught the attention of others through worldly wisdom. Paul lived a life that demonstrated the SPIRIT and power-God's power!  Paul taught that NO one should ever have faith in mankind, but their faith had to be in the POWER of GOD alone! Paul didn't want a single person having faith in what they perceived as being Paul's wisdom, according to Paul he had no wisdom, and he didn't want any wisdom of his own. He only wanted the power of God. He wanted God to live in Him, to work in Him, to be His everything!  He longed for any words he spoke to be given the power of GOD so they could be used by GOD to bring others to know His power, to know Christ crucified.

1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 

1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 

1Co 2:3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 

Our faith must stand in the power of God.

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 

Glory Only In God.

1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence. 

1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 

1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Jer 9:23  Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 

Jer 9:24  But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. 

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God looks for His Son in us to determine if we are His. When He sees His Son in us, all He sees is us forgiven, us redeemed! Christ in us, is our hope!

Col_1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Christ in us is our HOPE of GLORY.

We glory in the LORD, never in ourselves, never in the flesh.

If we are in Christ Jesus- Christ Jesus is wisdom, is righteousness, is sanctification, is redemption. We glory in the LORD.

Christ MUST be in us!

Gal 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 

We glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is our hope, we have hope in no other, not even ourselves. We must glory in Him alone.

If we find ourselves glorying in the things we do, in our lives, in our actions, in our thoughts, we have to stop. We need to find our GLORYING in Jesus Christ our Savior. Too often when we glory in ourselves we are setting ourselves up for a tremendous spiritual fall. We will always FAIL ourselves and therein our glorying in ourselves comes to a screeching halt. We instantly start to berate ourselves. We allow Satan to whisper in our ears telling us how awful we are, how we are bad Christians, because if we were good Christians we wouldn't be acting as we are. We focus on our badness and take our eyes off Christ, and then we hate ourselves even more for getting further away from our Savior. A vicious, evil cycle and we've promoted it ourselves by ever believing we are good in any way and our goodness is to be glorified. What would happen if we continued to believe in our awfulness, truly believe it, not get sucked into the 'I'm a good Christian' theme when we are truly doing all we can do in Christ's name. We were never told to glory in ourselves and our accomplishment.  Remember this--

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations

JOY- count it JOY when we fall into different temptations.  Why? Because of this--

Jas 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Yet, do we stop as the temptations come and count them joy? Or do we fall victim to the temptations allowing them to because conceived in us and therefore sin? Do we take the temptations and count them as sins already- dooming ourselves when we haven't quite yet given into the temptations. Do we note the temptations assaulting us and let our hearts be filled with the joy of the Savior, knowing that somehow having to face that temptation and choosing Christ over the sin, we are letting the temptations work patience in us, patience that we need to be fully read for our Savior.

We know the closer to the return of our Savior our adversary the Devil will be working unceasingly to get every single person he can. Satan would have us look upon temptations as signed, sealed and delivered sins, but they aren't! The temptations aren't sin! We flail against the temptations as soon as they start interrupting our spiritual walk - thinking they are awful, miserable beasts to be despised. How can we despise something we are to call joy? We need to comprehend that temptations to sin will NOT cease, but by the GRACE of GOD through the HOLY SPIRIT we will be able to count the temptations joy- recognizing that they are but opportunities to grow ever closer to our Savior.

And, if we do fall into sin, we must quickly repent and seek forgiveness- NOT GIVE INTO DESPAIR!  Satan would have us give in to despair so we no longer live for our Savior.

May we truly glory ONLY in our God and not at all in ourselves.  All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever!

The Power of God is in the Cross.

1Co 1:17  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 

1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 

Preach the gospel NOT with wisdom of words.

If we preach with the wisdom of our own words, believing our words can bring anyone to salvation, we are NOT preaching the simplicity of the cross of our Savior!

We need to preach the cross because it only the cross that has the power of God.

The cross- where our SAVIOR sacrificed Himself for us.

The cross- the power of GOD- salvation through forgiveness, by grace.

God will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to NOTHING the understanding of the prudent.

1Co 3:19  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 

Mankind's arrogance is amazing. Each human being knows that they have a finite lifespan and yet so many seek to use their life for self-adulation. People seek the wisdom of the world over the wisdom of God, over the wisdom of the cross.

The smartest person alive- and yes, we have test to determine smartness- is truly the least intelligent alive if they do not have the wisdom of the cross. The brilliance of any person is simply nothing at all whatsoever without the wisdom of the cross of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Yet, people don't want to comprehend this, they want to hide behind their supposed superiority- being too smart to believe. They truly do count the preaching of the cross- foolishness. Salvation is foolishness to them. Grace is foolishness to them. Forgiveness given to us by our God, by our Christ, is foolishness to them. They may be the kindest, most generous people alive, giving of themselves completely to others, but if they choose to despise the cross and deny even the existence of God, then they are fools.

The power of God is in the Cross.

God is Faithful.

1Co 1:4  I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; 

1Co 1:5  That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; 

1Co 1:6  Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: 

1Co 1:7  So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 

1Co 1:8  Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

1Co 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 

We need the grace given to us by Jesus Christ.

We need to be enriched in everything by Jesus Christ.

We need our speaking enriched, we need our knowledge enriched- all by our Savior- Jesus Christ.

We don't want to get behind in any gift offered to us at any time, all the way until our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Jesus Christ will confirm us to the end so that we are blameless when He returns.

God is faithful.

God calls us to the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus Christ is our Savior- our daily Savior, our hourly Savior, our minutely Savior.

Jesus saves us and He will keep us as His.

When we start believing we have to save ourselves we take our eyes off our Savior.

Keeping our eyes on our Savior, this is our Hope.

Wise to Good, Simple to Evil.

Are we wise to that which is good?

Are we simple concerning evil?

Rom 16:19  For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 

The Spirit will make us wise.

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him

We need to be wise to the good we find in our Lord and Savior. We must comprehend through the Spirit that our Savior is everything. Good can ONLY come from our Savior. If we find goodness in anything other than our Savior and what He leads us too, is it really good? When we have a good time with others is it because our Lord is guiding us? Truly can the Lord join in with us in all we do? If CHRIST is in us, truly a part of us, we need to have the wisdom to comprehend all that means. Our life needs to be spend reveling in this relationship with our Savior.

Too often people spend a lot of time involved with evil, seeking evil, when truthfully we need to be simple concerning evil, not wise to is. We don't need to comprehend evil, we don't need to make evil a part of our lives. We never need to study evil.

Our study should be this--

2Ti_2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Jas 3:13  Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 

Jas 3:14  But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 

Jas 3:15  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 

Jas 3:16  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 

Jas 3:17  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 

Jas 3:18  And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. 

Wise to that which is good--- Please, Lord, to this end may we seek to live in You, the Holy Spirit guiding us always! 

Love in the Spirit.

Rom 16:19  For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 

Eph 1:15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 

Eph 1:16  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 

Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 

Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 

Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places

Praying that our Heavenly Father gives us the spirit of wisdom- the spirit of revelation in knowledge of Him. Praying that the eyes of our understanding is enlightened. Praying that we know what is the hope of our Savior's calling. Praying that we know the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Praying that we know the exceeding greatness of His power towards us who believe- according to the working of His might power. All of this through Christ Jesus who the Father God raised from the dead and set down at His own right hand in heaven.

SPIRIT of wisdom.  Praying that we comprehend truly and fully all that our Heavenly Father has done and will do for us through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We NEED the SPIRIT of wisdom! We need to constantly comprehend that we have a HEAVENLY FATHER who THROUGH the sacrifice of HIS Son want us to KNOW HIM FULLY, to KNOW HIS LOVE, to KNOW HIS EXCEEDING GREATNESS of HIS POWER towards us who believe! 

We walk through this life with so many struggles- so much confusion and we need to believe through it ALL we are kept in God through our Savior. OUR HOPE IS ETERNAL in our GOD in our SAVIOR! This must be our daily HOPE, our hourly HOPE!

If we lose sight of our HOPE because this world steals our attention and pulls our focus downward instead of heavenward then we are in big trouble, constant trouble. Our focus must be heavenward where our Savior is, where our God is, where our Lord wanted us to forever look. He came preaching the gospel, the message of the heavenly kingdom.

Col 1:3  We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 

Col 1:4  Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, 

Col 1:5  For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 

Col 1:6  Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: 

Col 1:7  As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; 

Col 1:8  Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. 

Col 1:9  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 

Col 1:10  That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 

Col 1:11  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 

Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 

Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins