Sanctifying the Spirit (Eight Steps – Part 7)

What does the Bible mean when it speaks of cleansing ourselves from all filthiness of the spirit?   This topic is the source of many troubles in our lives because it is little understood.  Is there a process for renewing the spirit that is different than the one for renewing the mind?  The prophet David cried out: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10).  What did he mean?  To explains this, I would like us to consider the three parts of man: spirit, soul, and body.  The spirit of a person is recreated (born again) when that person accepts Jesus Christ as Saviour.  As we walk with God in our new life, our soul is going through transformation.  When the resurrection of the dead occurs, our body will be transformed.  Sin is a power that abides in our human bodies, even after salvation.  (Please refer to my article on The Process of Transformation for more about this.)

We can sin in the body and we can sin in the soul.  Can we also sin in our spirit?  Jesus told the disciples that our spirit is willing to obey God (Matt. 26:41), so the sin problem is not in our spirit, it is in our soul.  I believe the psalmist was referring to the spirit of the mind, not the spirit of man, as Scripture says: “and be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:23).  Although it is possible for the newly created spirit of man to sin against God, it is not what normally occurs with Christians.  Such a sin is called apostasy, which cannot be committed accidentally.  For more information on this type of sin please read Matt. 12:31; 1Jn. 5:16-17 and Heb. 6:4-6.

Paul also was talking about the spirit of the mind when he said: “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2Co. 7:1).  We could say that the spirit of the mind is an underlying attitude behind our thoughts.  As we discussed in earlier articles, the Bible describes this as an argument (or thought structure), which is a stronghold of the enemy (2Co. 10:3-6).  The power behind this attitude is a spirit.  I am not talking about demon “possession”, but I am talking about their “influence”.  There are different levels of demonic powers described in Ephesians 6:12 and they all attempt to influence mankind according to their sphere of authority.  Depending on the type of power and how deeply rooted their influence is, the spirit may need casting out, or it may only need rebuking.  Either way, we need to resist the enemy with the weapons of our warfare which are quite able to destroy these strongholds.

We need to know what we are fighting against in order to wage proper warfare.  As Christians, we are not of this world but we walk in the world and that is what we fight against.  There are three areas that sin works through because of the fall of man: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1Jn. 2:15).  In Ephesians, Paul describes these as the desires of the flesh and the desires of the mind (Eph. 2:2-3).  It is the latter that I wish to focus on in this article.  The enemy has established various strongholds of beliefs in the world system.  He has worked them into the wisdom of this world through the pride of man.  Even ideologies that we consider “spiritual” are actually “desires of the mind”.  They rise up against God, or against Christ, through whom alone we may obtain salvation.  Some examples of these strongholds are communism, humanism, and world religions (including New Age religions).  They find acceptance in the world because they offer something mankind needs or wants.  The problem with the wisdom of the world is that it originates from the enemy, who is a deceiver.  What he offers as help is really meant to destroy us. 

What if we have unknowingly yielded to some of these deceptions?  I think in particular of the eastern religions.  The spirit of these has found its way into sports such as the martial arts, exercise programs such as yoga, and health treatment practices such as acupuncture.  The prophet Isaiah, in describing the condition of the Jewish nation before the Babylonian deportation, said that “they are filled with eastern ways” (Is. 2:6).  I fear that much of the Church has not been discerning this evil and it will have consequences.  It has immediate consequences like limiting the grace of God in our lives, but it may also bring judgment.  Peter was clear in stating that judgment must begin with the house of God (1Pe. 4:17).  Judgment is part of God’s discipline.  Paul said: “But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1Co. 11:32).  The idea that judgment will not come to believers is a great deception.  The blood of Jesus only covers sin that has been confessed.  We can ask forgiveness for sins we are not aware of, but our behaviour will not change unless we repent.  God will discipline us to change our behaviour. 

May I speak personally?  The spirit behind some of these eastern religions is the spirit of divination.  I had a personal battle against this spirit during my first year as a Christian, which has led me to be very sensitive to its influences.  As a teacher, I have also been very susceptible to the influences of sin through the pride of life.  To be able to instruct others, I must gather a great deal of knowledge and understanding.  I do not realize it when, at times, I begin to demonstrate an attitude of pride or arrogance.  It is only through comments by others that I am prompted to take a closer look.  As I write this article, I am under mandatory self isolation for having come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.  I have read and meditated on Psalm 91 where it says that no plague shall come near my dwelling.  Why is it then that I have been experiencing mild symptoms for a few days now?  Am I fearful?  No, just humbled.  I am not the spiritual giant that I would like to be.  Will I give in to this attack?  No, I run into the shelter of the Most High.  I call upon Him and cast my love upon Him, and He will deliver me!  Even this morning in worship, as I was wondering about my need for healing and protection, I felt the Lord ask me what was more important to me, healing or holiness?  Such questions cause me to refocus and recommit to the pursuit of righteousness above all physical needs. 

So now I ask you my reader, what is more important to you?  What do you focus your prayers upon?  What do you apply your faith to?  Do you hunger after righteousness or for things that you need in this life?  I urge you therefore to claim His “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2Pe. 1:4).

Staying Focused (Eight Steps Part 6)

We began this series listing eight qualities needed for spiritual maturity.  With the current pandemic situation gripping the world, we need to stay focused.  It does not mean that we ignore the crisis, it means that we keep our eyes on the Lord.  It is a trial and we must go through it as overcomers.  The way to victory is through faith, as we stay focussed on our goal to be perfected in love.

In this article I don’t want to start a discussion on why this pandemic is going on.  Good comes out of every situation, so I want to stay focussed on the good that will come out of it.  James tells us that the testing or our faith produces patience, which helps us grow spiritually. (See James 1:2-6)  James goes on to tell us that as we go through trials, we should seek wisdom from God.  Wisdom is applied knowledge.  It involves the renewing of our minds to the Word of God, the submission or our will to God’s will, and the expression of His life through us by the obedience of faith.  With wisdom comes discernment and understanding. (See Prov. 2:1-11)  We need to discern between good and evil in ourselves in order to come to maturity. (Heb. 5:14)  We need understanding in order to maintain the victories that we are given. (See Ps. 32:8-9)  We have a promise from God that if we submit to Him and resist the devil, he will flee from us. (Jas. 4:7) 

So, how do I submit to God in a trial?  I guard my heart so that no doubt or evil thought settles in.  That includes any type of fear or selfishness.  I seek to remain humble enough to know that some of these thoughts could find their way into my heart, so I pray “Search me O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23-24)  Then, I incline my ear to wisdom, I apply my heart to understanding, and I cry out for discernment. (Prov. 2:1-3)  If I do this, I will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (Prov. 2:5) 

What is the fear of the Lord?  It is a reverence, a respect for who God is.  He is all knowing, all powerful, and I cannot come near Him unless He permits me.  The good news is that He has opened the way for me to obtain mercy and grace to help in my time of need. (Heb. 4:16)  I can come boldly (not arrogantly) before Him by the blood of Jesus. (Heb. 10:19)  The fear of the Lord also means that I recognize He is just and that I must give an account to Him for all my actions. (See Rom. 14:12; 1Co. 3:.13-15; 2Co. 5:10)  To fear the Lord, therefore, is to hate evil. (Prov. 8:13)  Every type of sin brings death so it is imperative that I recognize it and remove it at the root.  The fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. (Prov. 9:10) 

As stated above, discernment comes with wisdom.  I need discernment because some problems are deeply rooted in wrong understanding and beliefs.  There are strongholds of the enemy in my life that I may not be aware of. (2Co. 10:3-5)  Since I don’t know the problem exists, I need to be placed in some type of circumstance that will cause it to rise up.  If any behaviour occurs in me that is not in line with the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), I recognize that as the works of the flesh.  I need to repent for that behaviour, but in order to overcome it, I need to discern the root of the problem.  I have been taught to look for the root in three main areas: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1Jn. 2:16)  This is the nature of sin that came into all humans because of the fall of man. (Gen. 3:6)  As I explained in the article on the Process of Transformation, my struggle is against “sin” which lives in my natural body.  This force of sin operates through the parts of my soul that have not yet been transformed.  I put to death the works of the flesh by faith with the help of the Holy Spirit. (Ro. 8:13)

Let me give you an example in my own life to illustrate this process.  When I came to the Lord at the age of 20, I had a serious problem with the fear of man.  One day, while walking through Queen’s Park in Toronto, I found a tract with The Lord’s Prayer printed on it.  When I looked up, I could see in the distance a man sitting up against a building with his head down.  It looked like he had a gun in his hand, and he appeared wounded.  There was a strong impression in me to give this man the prayer card.  Well, there was no way I could do that.  As I continued to argue with the Lord, some police officers arrived and approached the man.  He did not resist them.  By this time there was no longer a threat of harm, but I still could not find the courage to go up and ask if I could give the man the prayer card.  I continued on my way feeling like I had let the Lord down, and of course I had.  I later repented of my failure but I did not want to fail again so I sought the Lord for deliverance from this fear.  He led me through some healing of past hurts where this fear had found a foothold.  Remembering those situations was part of the needed discernment.  I had to forgive those who had offended me.  I also had to repent of the decisions I had made to protect myself.  The Lord showed me that this fear was rooted in the pride of life.  I did not want to sin against the Lord but this behaviour was such a stronghold in me that I had to admit I did not know how to live without it.  It was like a security for me.  It is difficult to let something go if you think you need it.  So, I asked the Lord how I could act in situations if I had no fear.  He showed me through His Word, especially in Proverbs, that I needed to get wisdom.  This is how I came to seek after wisdom with all my heart.

The trials I go through are never pleasant, but when I realize the fruit that can come out of them, I can be thankful in every circumstance. (1Thess. 5:18)  I don’t thank God for something the devil does, but I thank God in the situation because He will help me through it.  He is big enough to cause all things to work together for my good because I love Him and He has called me according to His purpose. (Ro. 8:28)

Dying Daily (Eight Steps – Part 5)

When I received Christ by faith, I was baptized into the death of our Lord, and my spirit was raised with Him to a new life.  My old nature was crucified with Him, so I am no longer a slave to sin.  By faith, I walk in victory.  So, why then do I still sin? 

In the last article, I explained the Process of Transformation.  As my mind gets renewed, my soul becomes more spiritual.  My life expresses more and more the life of Christ, Who lives in me.  To walk in victory, it is very helpful for me to understand which part of me has already died, and which part still needs to die.  Once something dies, it is dead and it need not die again.  For Christians, the Bible does not talk about us dying, it speaks of natural death as “falling asleep”.  We have been recreated as spirit beings with eternal life.  I do not only have an eternal spirit, but also an eternal soul which is growing spiritually.  When our body goes through natural death, we put off the temporary dwelling of our spirit and soul. 

As long as I walk with the Lord, my soul is going through transformation.  To stand in victory over the power of sin, I must believe what the scriptures say about the death of the old nature.  How do I explain then the fact that there are thought patterns in me that look like they belong to the old nature?  It is my renewed mind.  The instructions, the experiences, the hereditary tendencies, they all remain in me.  My nature has changed, but now my thinking must change.  As Christians we are taught to bear our cross, to live crucified to this world and alive towards God.  This means I must daily put to death the behaviours that are not according to the new nature the God has given me.  In Colossians Chapter three, Paul says:  “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God….Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth” (Col. 3:2,3,5)  The members he is referring to are behaviours like anger, malice, lying, etc.

Putting to death the old ways can be a challenge because some of those patterns are deeply rooted.  As we discussed in a previous article, the process of transformation is a process of repentance and faith.  Essential to this process is “accountability”.  Forgiveness is freely given by grace, but there can be no forgiveness without confession and no change without repentance.  I cannot cooperate with the Holy Spirit for transformation if I do not “own” the behaviour.  I cannot blame others, the devil, or my old nature for my sins.  It is as David confessed, “Against You, You only have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight” (Ps. 51:4).  I must repent for my sinful behaviour, and by faith take a stand that because I died with Christ, sin will not have dominion over me.  (This is the power of the cross.)  In true repentance then, I must die to the thoughts and desires of the flesh.  I renounce these ungodly ways, and if there are any demonic strongholds, I cry out to God for deliverance.  He is quite able to forgive me and to deliver me. 

This dying process is not pleasant, and neither is it instantaneous.  The sinful behaviour may be rooted in wrong thoughts and beliefs.  The Spirit leads me through the dying process as I learn to discern between good and evil.  If I try to rush the process, the problem may spring up again and cause more trouble.  It is imperative that I remain on the altar as a “living sacrifice” (Ro. 12:1).  Jesus said the grain must die and stay in the ground a while before it can bear fruit.  This is the burial period before the resurrection

How do I know if the behaviour has been pulled out by the roots?  I must repent, not just for the behaviour, but also for the wrong belief that it is rooted in (i.e. I must renew my thinking).  Let me share with you an experience the Lord used to illustrate this process to me.  As a young believer I was struggling with giving up smoking.  When I finally became convinced that He wanted me to give it up, I asked Him for a help to overcome.  It came through a scripture, “for it is good that the heart be established by grace and not by food” (Heb. 13:9).  That scripture in context is talking about religion, but the way the Lord used it in my situation was to reveal the root cause of my habit.  He showed me that I was depending on this drug to strengthen my heart.  I smoked when I was nervous, especially while socializing.  He showed me that this drug, which was pretending to be part of my character, was not really me.  I was being deceived.  He also showed me that if I looked to Him for grace, I would get real character, which would remain with me even when I went to heaven.  I know that now to mean that Christ would be formed in me.  Because I wanted this grace instead of food, I decided to fast for three day to get the victory.  Every time I was tempted, I prayed for grace.  More and more the presence of the Lord would fill me.  I never wanted to go back to the old ways.  After three days, the physical battle was won.  The psychological aspects of the habit took a little longer to die to, but the process was the same.  

It is not enough to die to the old ways, we must also rise up and walk in new ways by faith.  If we do not replace the wrong thought with good thoughts, the wrong ones will return, or others will take their place.  As we look to the Lord, He will give us His Word which is spirit and life.

Process of Transformation (Eight Steps – Part 4)

There is a continual battle in us between the flesh and the Spirit.  Having victory over sin does not mean that this conflict ends.  It means that we move from victory to victory.  We take possession of the land that God has promised to give us.  In the article “The Message of the Cross”, I emphasized the fact stated in Romans 8:13 that we must, by the Spirit, put to death the deeds of the flesh.  We are able to do this because we have been set free from the power of sin, through our death in Christ.  In this article I will show you how to work with the Holy Spirit to possess your soul.

In Romans 12:2 the Apostle Paul tells us that we should not be conformed to this world but we should be transformed by the renewing of our mind, so that we can prove (demonstrate) what the will of God is.  Transformation is a process of repentance and faith; it is not just about changing our thinking.  Before repentance comes, there must be an awareness of wrong.  This is usually rooted in a wrongful thought process and belief.  Through instruction or negative experiences, we have come to believe something that leads us to wrong behaviour.  We need the Holy Spirit to reveal this to us and then to help us overcome that behaviour.  Sometimes this wrongful way of thinking has actually become a stronghold, but “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2Co. 10:4-5)  The Word of God will bring instruction and reproof, allowing us to discern between good and evil.  The blood of Jesus will free us from condemnation and the power of demonic forces, even though we have been guilty.  Then, the grace of God will enable us to walk uprightly after we have chosen to repent and to believe God.

The diagram below will help to illustrate this process. 

Salvation of Spirit, Soul and Body:

  • Paul prayed for the Thessalonians that God would sanctify them completely and preserve their whole spirit, soul and body (1Thess. 5:23).  I like to think of spiritual maturity as the transformation of our soul.  There is a part of us that has already been saved; this is our spirit.  There is a part of us that has not yet been saved; this is our body.  There is also a part of us that is in the process of being saved; that is our soul.  We can represent these three parts of man as circles. 

Newly Created Spirit:

  • When we accepted Christ as our Saviour, we became a new creation (2Co. 5:17).  God gave us a new spirit, which we can think of as the New Man (Col. 3:9-10).  The old spirit was crucified (Ro. 6:6) and we were born again with a new spirit.  God now lives with our new spirit in the center of our being, our heart (1Co. 6:17).

Spiritual Soul:

  • Note that in this diagram, the spirit is separated from the soul by a solid line where transformation has not occurred, and by a broken line where transformation has occurred.  It is difficult to separate between soul and spirit when the natures are the same (Heb. 4:12).  God wants our soul to become spiritual; to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Sin is in the body:

  • The reason for the conflict in our soul is the presence of “sin” in our body (Ro. 7:17).  The body is not evil in itself, but “sin” lives in our body because of the fall of man.  We will receive a new body at the resurrection but in this life, we must overcome sin.  I like the way the Lord explained this to Cain when his sacrifice had not been accepted:  “If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.  And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Gen. 4:7)

Spirit and Flesh Conflict:

  • In between the area of our soul that has been transformed, and the area that has not yet been transformed, there is the area of conflict.  As long as we walk in this natural body, we will experience the flesh and spirit conflict.  This is where we are taking possession of our soul with the help of the Holy Spirit (Ro. 8:13).  After we overcome sin in one area, the Lord will move us to another area.  The process becomes less difficult as we learn to yield to the work of God in our lives.  As we possess more of our soul, the life of Christ is expressed through us more consistently (Col. 3.3).
  • As born again believers we can be carnally minded, which will produce death, or we can be spiritually minded, which will produce life (Ro. 8:6).  ).  The problem is that we do not always know when some of our thinking is carnal.  This is the reason for trials.  James 1:1-2 says that trials produce patience (perseverance) which will make us perfect (mature in character). 
  • While we are experiencing conflict, we may not feel very spiritual.  Our emotions may still be wounded and our will still captive to the wisdom of this world.  But take heart, our flesh may be weak, but our spirit is willing to obey God (Matt. 26:41). 
  • We will gain the victory as we repent and stand in faith that the power of sin is defeated over us.  We reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God (Ro. 6:11).  As we choose to walk in the Spirit, we will not satisfy the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). 

As we go through this Process of Transformation, “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 by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2Co. 3:18)

The Message of the Cross (Eight Steps – Part 3)

To walk in victory as a Christian, you need to have established your faith on a good foundation.  The message of the Cross is one of those foundational teachings.  As you read this article and the next one, you will gain an understanding of this truth which will set you free from the power of any sin.

Let’s begin with Romans Chapter 6 where we read that we have victory over sin through death.  “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  For he who has died has been freed from sin.” (Ro. 6:6-7)  When I first became a Christian, I read about the need to “reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro. 6:11)  I was taught that victory would come by experiencing this state of “having reckoned myself dead to sin”.  I understood it in the context of “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20a)

Around that time, while living in Toronto, Ontario, I attended meetings conducted by evangelists from a revival that was occurring in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  One of the ministers prayed with me that the Lord would crucify my flesh.  I had a wonderful experience of surrender where I knew that I was dead and Christ was my life.  I walked in this cloud of glory for a few days, until I faced a few spiritual situations which I did not know how to handle.  Like Peter on the water, I looked at my circumstance and began to sink.  Then the Lord showed me where my thinking was wrong.  He showed me that even though I was crucified with Christ, I was still alive.  Galatians 2:20 also says “and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  All those teachings on “reckoning myself dead to sin” had not emphasized living by faith in Christ.  I had to realize that even though I needed to die, I also needed to live.  This may seem obvious to you, but to me at the time, everything was about learning to die and to let Christ live in me, not for me to live.  Thus began my search to understand the walk of faith.  How do we walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh? (Gal. 5:16) 

We all have some form of understanding about living the crucified life, but it wasn’t until about fifteen years later that I was able to view it in the context of spirit, soul and body.  Looking back over my experience in Toronto, I understand now that being dead to this world and alive to God is more than yielding my body to the Lord for Him to live through me.  It is yielding my full being to Him.  He does not want to bypass my soul to live in my body, but rather transform my soul so that my will is His will and my thoughts are His thoughts.  My emotions and my actions, which come out of my thoughts and choices, are mine but they should reflect His will and His thoughts, which I must be conformed to.

So far I have not said anything new or profound, but we must agree on these basic principles before we consider the next one.  While trying to put into words our victory over sin, the Spirit showed me in Colossians 3:9-10 that we have put off the Old Man and we have put on the New Man.  This is past tense.  Right away I turned to Ephesians 4:22-24.   In that passage, the verb is present tense, like we need to continue putting off the Old Man and putting on the New Man.  Scripture should not contradict itself, so I decided to look at the original text in my Interlinear Greek-English New Testament.  In Colossians the English translation of the original Greek is “having put off” and “having put on”, just as has been translated in most English versions.  In Ephesians, where the common translation is present tense, the Greek words are also past tense, “have put off” and “have put on”.  The translators of the English New Testament should have used a past tense for Ephesians 4:22-24 just like they did for Colossians 3:9-10.  If this is correct, it should be confirmed by other scriptures.  Isn’t that what 2Corinthians 5:17 says?  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new.”  Also, isn’t that what we read earlier in Romans 6:6 that “our old man was crucified.”  If we want to overcome sin by faith, we need to know the truth that sets us free.  The truth is that we died to sin when the Spirit baptized us into Christ.  The old nature that was a slave to sin is no longer alive in us.  Sin has no power or authority over us because the old nature that was subject to sin is now dead.  We need to stand by faith on this truth.

So, if the Old Man truly is dead, why then do I still struggle with sin?  The problem is in our soul: our mind, will and emotions which still need to be transformed.  There is a force that we fight against, but Paul calls it “sin”, not the old man (see Romans Chapter 7).  Our faith must rest in what Christ has done.  We have died and our life is now hidden with Christ in God.  (Col. 3:3)  We continue to die daily, however, but it is not by crucifying again the old man.  It is the process of continually putting to death the ways of the old nature.  We die daily to the desires of the flesh, which are imbedded in the areas of our soul that have not yet been transformed.  As Paul says in Romans 8:13, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” 

This process of continually dying to the ways of the old nature is part of the Process of Transformation described in Romans 12:1-2.  In my next article, I will continue to explain our victory over sin in the context of our spirit, soul and body. This understanding will help you to be an overcomer through faith in your identification with Christ’s death and resurrection.

Spiritual Young Men (Eight Steps – Part 2)

In my early years of ministry, I served as a counsellor in a church.  One of the things I discovered in that role was that the problems people presented for advice were mostly symptoms of a deeper problem or problems.  My task as a counsellor was to discern the root problem and then help them with the presenting problem, while also cutting away at the root problem.  A desire to help these people led me to seek a greater understanding of the root causes of the problems people encounter.  Someone has said that it is not what has happened to us that is our problem, but how we reacted to what happened.  I have found this to be true, but knowing this does not in itself bring about our healing.  The process that brings about change is one of repentance and faith.

In Part 1 of this series, I listed eight steps to spiritual maturity.  The last of these is love, which according to the Apostle Paul, should be our goal (1Tim 1:5).  To reach this goal, we especially need self- control, which is the fourth quality.  Essential to obtaining self-control is the first quality, faith.  Without faith, it is not possible to please God (Heb. 11:6).  Although all eight qualities are required for our spiritual growth, the first four are what I consider the foundation steps.  They are faith, virtue, knowledge, and self-control.

Now the Bible also compares spiritual growth to the natural stages of growth. These would be childhood, young adults, and mature adults.  Infancy and the teenage years would fall within the childhood stage.  The apostle John refers to these stages in his second epistle (see 1Jn. 2:12-14).  Young men are those who are strong and have overcome the evil one.  They are strong because the word of God abides in them. 

How do we attain to the “young man” stage of growth?  We have to go through childhood.  We have to learn what spiritual children need to learn.  If you have been a Christian for a while and still struggle with some sinful habit or attitude, then you need to look at your foundation.  Spiritual children must first learn that God loves them and their sins are forgiven.  This may seem obvious and there should not be any need to discuss it, but what we know with our mind is not always established in our heart.  In counselling I would give people scriptural passages to meditate on as a prescription for healing.  One of those key words is: “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.” (1Jn. 4:16)  With our salvation experience, we have come to know that God loves us.  As we walk through life and encounter challenges, we must believe in this love.  Our hearts must become totally convinced that regardless of what we face, God loves us.  We cannot grow into manhood unless we truly believe this.  Combining this with the fact that God is Almighty, we can boldly say:  “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:6)

What else must spiritual children learn before they become young men?  They must learn that their sins are forgiven.  Again, this may seem obvious to any Christian but it takes a while for this truth to actually change how we respond to our own failures.  Our natural tendency is to punish ourselves because we think that this will change our behaviour.  Depression, for example, is often a result of anger turned inward.    But can we change ourselves, or should we trust in God to change us?  When we truly believe that God changes us, we choose to come boldly to His throne of grace and ask for mercy and help (Heb. 4:16).  We put faith in His willingness to forgive us.  Forgiveness does not mean that there are no consequences to our actions.  God disciplines those whom He loves.  As we grow in Christ, we learn to release ourselves from self-punishment as we accept His forgiveness and submit to His correction.  Because we believe in His love, we know that His discipline will not be excessive, and although it may be painful, it will yield the fruit of righteousness (see Heb. 12:5-11). 

Another way we can tell if we need to establish a stronger foundation of faith in God’s love and forgiveness is to examine how we respond to correction.  Do we blame ourselves, people or circumstances for the difficulties in our life, or do we acknowledge that God is in control and all those things are working together for our good (Ro. 8:28)?  It is never easy to rejoice when we encounter trials as James exhorts us to do (Jas. 1:2-4) but, as he says, the testing of our faith produces patience (perseverance), which is the next quality after self-control.  We have to stop blaming and start being thankful in all circumstances (1Thess. 5:18).  We need to go through the process of repentance and faith in order to grow, but how can we do that unless we recognize the areas in our lives that need to change.  We learn to discern through instruction and correction.  As we read in Hebrews, “solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Heb. 5:14). 

One more thing that spiritual young men have obtained through childhood is strength.  They have become strong in grace through faith in God and His word.  We go from faith to faith by increasing our knowledge of God’s word.  The word, when it comes with understanding, is a seed planted in us which will bear the fruit of righteousness.  We will continue to grow in knowledge throughout our spiritual life, but in order to lay a proper foundation that will allow us to overcome the evil one, we must obtain a knowledge of some basic truths.  In my next article I will expound on the main one which is the message of the cross.  I will share some insights that will bring your understanding closer to what the early Christians understood about the message of the cross.

Eight Steps to Maturity Part 1

If the foundation is weak, the whole structure will be weak.  Where would today’s Christian be compared to the Christians the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews was addressing?  In order to move on to maturity, they had to move past foundational teachings.  This was a New Testament church, in the days of the early apostles.  Certainly they would have had the correct foundational teachings.   Today’s Church does not witness the same results that the New Testament Church experienced.  They had a sustained outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  We experience outpourings, but they are never sustained.  I believe this has much to do with the foundational teachings that today’s Christians receive.  There is an abundance of knowledge today, but is that what a spiritual foundation is comprised of?  The Bible speaks of a latter day outpouring, similar to that of the New Testament Church.  In preparation for this, we need to ensure that today’s Christians have a proper spiritual foundation. In this article, I want to discuss eight essential qualities for spiritual fruitfulness.  Not only is it essential to have them, but there is a distinct order in which they are to be obtained.

We find these eight steps to maturity listed in 2 Peter Chapter 1.  Note their order as you read the following passage:

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2Pe. 1:5-8 NKJV)

The first essential quality is faith and the last one is love.  Is it possible to have love in its fullness without these other seven qualities?  Surely you have realized that there is a vast difference between a desire and its fulfillment.  Love, like faith, must grow in us; it must be perfected, as the Apostle John tells us in his first epistle, “No one has seen God at any time.  If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” (1Jn. 4:12).  Paul also exhorts us to “Let love be without hypocrisy” (Ro. 12:9).  Our love must be sincere, genuine, without pretending.  It must have substance.  That only happens if it includes all the qualities that Peter lists.  We must have all these qualities and we must have them in an increasing measure (i.e. they must abound).

We discover as we read the passage above that we must add these qualities in a particular order.  We begin with faith, then comes moral excellence (virtue).  Obedience to what we already know is necessary before we gain more knowledge, since faith without corresponding works is dead (unfruitful) (See Jas. 2:14-26).  We must begin with faith because we need grace (the help of God) in us to enable us to obey.  This grace is obtained by faith (see Rom. 5:2).  Adding knowledge will increase faith which will in turn allow for more obedience.  These qualities are added to each other in sequence, but the cycle repeats itself as we grow.  Are you beginning to see the spiral pattern?  The qualities that follow assist in acquiring more of the qualities that preceded them.  The more we lay as a base, the more we can support above it. 

Self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.  It is the ability to do what you know to be right.  It is an essential characteristic for victory over sin.  Children have very little self-control, but spiritual young men have overcome the evil one (see 1Jn. 2:15-17).  Too many Christians struggle with sin in their lives, but to walk in victory is only the beginning of spiritual manhood.  We must obtain this victory and then we must go on to maturity.

Patient endurance, or perseverance, is also required to reach maturity.  We hear a promise from God and the devil tries to steal the word with lies.  If that does not work, he tries to distract us with sin, and when that does not work, he tries to stop us with persecutions.  As perseverance grows in us, we are better able to stay the course.

The next quality we require is godliness.  This is not the same as virtue.  Another word for godliness is piety, which is devotion to God.  I am reminded of the night in the Garden of Gethsemane when the Lord asked His disciples to “Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”(Matt. 26:41)  A strong devotional life helps us to be spiritually alert, as Peter said:  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”(1Pe. 5:8)  Jude also told us that prayer is essential for our growth: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”(Ju. 20-21)

From the beginning of our Christian walk we have heard the commandment to love one another, so we try hard to love those around us.  It is much easier to love those who love us than to love those who oppose us; but when we get close to people, we see not only their kindness, but also their imperfections.  Grace is needed to consistently demonstrate brotherly kindness.  We succeed in this if we have overcome the evil one, and if we keep our eyes on the Lord.

The highest quality is love.  For love to be genuine, it must not fail under stress.  There is such a need in us for self-control and perseverance.  There is also a great need for purity of heart.  The Lord told Jeremiah that the heart is deceitful above all things (Jer. 17:9).  It takes humility to recognize that the motives of our heart may not always be pure, even when we believe we are acting in love.  One of the greatest weapons of the enemy is deception (Rev. 12:9).   To overcome him, we must allow the Holy Spirit to search us and give us discernment.  Then, with the obedience of faith, self-control, perseverance and a strong devotional life, love will be perfected (matured) in us.

In future articles, I will expound on these eight qualities, focussing especially on the first four foundational ones.  Having these qualities in abundance will ensure our spiritual success, which is walking consistently in a manner pleasing to God.

Gifts of Grace

At Christmas time we give and receive gifts.  Do you know that the One who received gifts as a child also gave gifts when He came to maturity?  When he ascended, He gave gifts to men (Eph. 4:8).  The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each have gifts for us.  There are spiritual gifts, which are manifestations of the Spirit working through us for the good of others.  There are ministry gifts which are expressions of the ministry of the Word of God.  And there are function gifts from the Father who makes us members of the Body of His Son.  The gifts of the Spirit are listed in 1Corinthinans 12, the ministry gifts in Ephesians 4, and the function gifts in Romans 12.  All of these are gifts of grace.  They are all expressions of God through His people.  It is He that has placed you in the Body and given you a special function.  If you are a believer, God has anointed you for service.  He has appointed you to bear fruit.

I still remember the first Sunday after I had been placed on staff in the church where I attended Bible College.  After the service, I was aware of the presence of God with me as I greeted people.  I had not preached or ministered in that service in any way, but I was aware of a special grace or anointing.  It was like a special ability had been placed on me to be a minister to the congregation.  I was aware that this ability was not my own; it was a gift.  I understood in that moment what Paul meant when he advised Timothy that a bishop (elder) should not be a novice (new believer), lest he get puffed up (1Tim. 3:6).  A ministry anointing would accompany the appointment, which a novice could misinterpret as having earned.  All anointings are gifts of grace.  They are not merited; they are received.  Many a minister has tried to copy someone else’s anointing, but that is the flesh.  We can flow under someone else’s anointing, and this will help to develop our own anointing, but it is important to realize the difference. 

The first time I preached in the church I mentioned above was a midweek service.  I had never preached to a congregation that size.  The congregation was accustomed to hearing sermons from a much anointed pastor.  It was somewhat intimidating.  In prayer before the service, I became quite aware of the prayers that were being made on my behalf by the team of intercessors.  Offering up my concerns to the Lord, I was impresses with thoughts that encouraged me to be myself; I did not have to be like the pastor.  The anointing would flow through me according to how I was made; the congregation would receive the anointing.  It was liberating for me to realize that I only needed to serve Him with the gift I had received; I did not have to imitate anyone else.  When I preached that evening, it was the first time that I walked out from behind the pulpit.  There was a freedom that I had never know before and I was able to deliver the message in peace, without striving.

Just like a preacher receives an anointing to minister, every believer also receives a gift.  It is the believer’s function gift as a member of the Body of Christ.  This function gift is different than the gifts of the Spirit, or ministry gifts, but it works with them.  Your particular gift of grace determines how you tend to hear from God, which in turn affects what you are motivated to pray about and do.  God works in us differently “both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Phil. 1:13).  Romans 12:6-8 lists these gifts as:  prophecy, serving, teaching, exhorting, leading, giving, and showing mercy.  As the body is made up of many different parts, there are multiple combinations of these basic gifts.  Although we operate to some degree in all of these functions, we are dominant in just a few of them.  Much has been written about these motivational gifts, but most of it focusses on our natural inclinations which reflect our individual talents and personalities.  Although these are good indications of our function gift, they are not our gift.  Natural abilities are part of the vessel which contains the gift.  The gift itself is the expression of the life of God through us.  I have tried different “tests” for motivational gift and all of them reveal that I have a “teaching/leading” type of gift.  I can function with the natural side of this gift but that will not cause me to receive eternal rewards.  In 1Corinthians chapter 3, Paul exhorts us to be careful how we work for God.  Each man’s work will be tested as through fire.  Like Paul, I want to be a skilled workman according to the grace of God.  Only what I do through grace, by the Spirit, will abide.  Natural talents used in the flesh may bring natural rewards, but they will not survive the test of fire. 

As we grow in the Lord, both individually and corporately, we need to become strong in the grace of our Lord.  As Peter said, “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God.  If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies…” (1Pe. 4:10-11)

Created for a Purpose

What is your purpose in life?  Does it line up with the one you were created for?  Each person is created with a set of talents and a personality to fit those talents.  We can use these talents for the goals we choose, or we can seek to know the goals God has purposed for us.  When you come to know the love that God has for you, your purpose in life changes.  You are drawn to that love, and to the purpose God has for you.  Succeeding in that purpose requires a devotion and a transformation. 

The apostle Paul refers to this Process of Transformation in Romans Chapter 12 when he mentions the gifts we have as members of the Body of Christ.  He describes them as gifts of grace.  The apostle Peter says that we should use these gifts as stewards of the manifold grace of God (1Pe. 4:10).  We are to administer God’s grace to others according to the gifts we have received.  Each person has a special function in the Body of Christ.  As vessels in God’s House, we are to serve God’s grace to others.  This grace is God’s unmerited favor, which is His mercy and His help (see Heb. 4:16).  Our talents and personality are the vessel; the contents are the various forms of God’s grace.  The vessel is natural, but the contents are spiritual.  The shape and size of the vessel fits the contents we are meant to deliver.  You don’t have to have someone else’s talents to serve God.  You have been created with your own special purpose.  Even before you were reconciled to God, He was working in your life to develop your talents and personality.  It is very important to realize that it is how you use your talents and personality that determines if you are fulfilling your God-given purpose.  If you want to use them for God’s intended purpose, then you must offer yourself to Him, and submit to His Process of Transformation.  We are to be clean yielded vessels, “prepared for every good work” (2Tim. 2:21).

How then are we to accomplish our God-given purpose?  In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he makes a statement that is full of insight.  “The purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith” (1Tim. 1:5).  Regardless what our talents are, the central purpose of each believer is to walk in love.  Our goal is to please God.  With love as our motive, we can succeed with our purpose if we have a pure heart.  The greatest assignment of the devil in these last days is deception.   It is not enough for us to want to please God, we must pursue that goal with a pure heart.  We obtain a pure heart through repentance and faith.  It is essential that we humble ourselves before God and allow Him to search our hearts.

Next, Paul says we need a “good conscience”.  To have a “clear” conscience is to be forgiven of all our sins.  To have a “good” conscience is to have one that is very sensitive.  This sensitivity is developed by quick obedience to the convictions of the Holy Spirit.  We will develop a dull conscience if we harden our hearts to His promptings and His words of correction.  It is not enough to ask God to search our hearts, we must respond quickly and truthfully to what He reveals.

Then Paul says that this love must issue from a sincere faith.  Without faith, it is impossible to please God.  A sincere faith would indicate a faith that is not hypocritical, it is genuine.  Paul listed it as one of three qualities that abide forever: faith, hope, and love.  But faith by itself is not enough.  It must be used with the right motives.  James said that even the demons have faith, but they have not love.  The illustration Paul gave to Timothy about having faith and conscience is like a ship at sea.  Our spiritual lives are propelled by faith, but we navigate by setting our course on love and by watching the heavens to maintain our bearings.  Without love as our motive, we will not reach the right port, and without a good conscience, we may suffer shipwreck.

I would like to close this blog by referring again to Romans Chapter 12.  We each have a purpose in God and we can accomplish this purpose if we offer our lives to God and submit to transformation through the renewing of our minds.  I will speak more about this Process of Transformation in another message.