Life in the Spirit Part #2

by P/T

As we noted last week to be "in the Spirit" means that we as Christians have the dynamic of the Holy Spirit available to us which enables us to live as God desires us to live. Our new life "in the Spirit" produces at least four new dimensions in our relationships: (1) the personal; (2) the interpersonal; (3) the revelational; and (4) the motivational.

The Personal Dimension of Life in the Spirit

Not only do we receive all the benefits of our new position in Christ including the transfer from "in the flesh" to "in the Spirit" when we believe the gospel, but we also place ourselves under the daily obligation to begin living according to the Spirit, or as Paul exhorts us to walk by faith or by the Spirit. In establishing this obligation, Paul carefully distinguishes between two Greek prepositions: "in" (en ) and "according to" (kata).

We as believers are not "in the flesh" but we certainly can live "according to the flesh." Although we are "in Spirit" because of our position "in Christ," we do not automatically live or walk "according to the Spirit."

The grammatical nuance of "according to" (kata) is "according to the standard of" or "according to the dictates." To live according to the flesh is to live according to the dictates of the flesh, the desires of the sin nature. To live according to the Spirit is to live according to the dictates of the Spirit therefore according to the Word of God which the Holy Spirit illumines for us.

When Christians "walk" (i.e., live) according to the Spirit, we live in a vital, personal relationship with the living God utilizing His awesome resources for us. Remember the Holy Spirit is a person and our relationship with the Holy Spirit is personal.

The Interpersonal Dimension of Life in the Spirit

When we are walking by the Spirit, in fellowship with the Spirit, we are also to be immersed in the body of Christ, the church. No longer are we to exist in isolation, but we have a new responsibility to our fellow Christians. [many "one another" exhortations]

We ought to pay close attention to all of the "one-another's" in Paul's directives to the church. Certainly we are not to live by Cain's motto: "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen. 4:9).

The church is the community of the Spirit. Christians must recognize that the transfer from being in Adam and from flesh not only resolves the vertical alienation with God but also as we grow in the Word and learn to apply it, it also handles the horizontal alienation with our fellow human beings.

None of us as Christians are to live as an island to himself or herself. We are part of a living organism, the Church, and have definite responsibilities to our fellow believers in Christ, such as, "and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not 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." (Heb. 10:24-25).

It is extremely difficult to live the Christian life and fulfill the many responsibilities we have towards other believers apart from a relationship with a Church, a body of believers who are also responding to the truth of the Word of God.

The Revelational Dimension of Life in the Spirit

All of the ethical moral exhortations of the New Testament are all revelational of what life in the Spirit entails (detail the will of God), that is, the responsibilities and obligations we have related to His will. As Christians, we do not have to grope in the dark trying to find or discover what is pleasing to the Lord. Rom. 12:2

Life in the Spirit is not some mysterious or elusive encounter intended to be experienced by only a few elite Christians. Nor does it consist of "secrets" that can be shared only in special books, video tapes, or seminars. The "manual for Christian living" today is the Word of God but especially the New Testament.

A major passage on the revelational work of the Spirit in terms of the life of the Christian is 1 Corinthians 2:10-16. In this passage Paul insists that the Holy Spirit has provided Christians with the mind of Christ so that they can make the ethical decisions we need to make.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews rebukes his readers for their failure to apply what they have been taught in making ethical choices (Heb. 5:11-14).

Probably one of the best statements of the sufficiency of Scripture for living the Christian life is Peter's assurance that God has given Christians everything they need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). The HOW is through the God breathed word given and revealed by the Holy Spirit. 2 Tim 3:16 -17 makes it clear that it is the totally sufficient provision for us to face each day.

The Motivational Dimension of Life in the Spirit

The Holy Spirit provides the motivational impetus, the enabling, for the Christian to live the Christian life. The Spirit accomplishes this mainly in two ways: (1) negatively, by convicting of sin; and (2) positively, by prompting the Christian to live righteously.

Don't forget that grace instructs us Titus 2:12 "…to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age"

Only those who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God (8:14). Being led by the Spirit is a part of the pattern of the normal Christian life. The Spirit serves as the guide of life for Christians as we live according to the standards that the Spirit clearly reveals in the Word of God, the revelational dimension. Two major sections that are especially pertinent Eph 4:24-6:9 & Col. 2:20-4:6

How the Spirit motivates the Christian for many seems to be very mysterious and unclear. But should it be? I personally don't think so! The Spirit operates through the three aspects of our person, who we are: intellect (mind), sensibility (emotions), and will. And always does so through the means of the Word.

In regard to the intellect, the apostle Paul greatly stresses the need for the transformation of the Christian's mind (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23). The unregenerate mind is characterized by darkness, ignorance, callousness, and insensitivity (Eph. 4:17-19). When a person becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit begins a work of transformation and renewal so that the our mind is enlightened concerning the truth of God, of Christ, of just what occurred when we believed gospel and to live righteously before Him.

That is of course predicated on the reality of putting ourselves in a place of hearing the Word taught regularly so we can hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. Hear, concentrate on, understand, and apply!

At the same time, our emotions must also be transformed.

The long lists of characteristics of the sin nature when it rules in Romans, Ephesians and Colossians contain many words that have an emotional component, including anger, jealousy, hatred, false humility or conceit, bitterness, and malice.

The work of the Holy Spirit is to convict Christians of emotional responses that are sinful and to motivate Christians to replace these sinful emotions with righteous emotions, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness.

Only when Christians begin to display these godly emotions can we claim to be walking according to the Spirit and living according to the ethical precepts laid out by the will of God. It is then that we will reflect these righteous emotions and attitudes thus displaying the new man in Christ.

Finally, the Spirit must transform the will of the Christian.

While the unbeliever's basic stance toward God is "I won't" (you are unwilling to come to Me so that you might have life John 5:40), the believer's disposition must be "I will"; positive responses to the directive will of God. (do not be foolish, understand what the will of the Lord is Eph. 5:17)

Paul exhorted the Roman Christians to present themselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice so that they might discern the will of the Lord and by doing it to not become squeezed into the mold of the pagan thinking of the day (Rom. 12:1-2). The Lord's will must become the Christian's will. Thus the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring the will of the Christian into greater and greater submission to the will of the Lord (Col. 1:9-12).

It appears that for Paul, life in the Spirit is almost synonymous with life in Christ. To have the one is to have the other. To live in the one is to live in the other. To please the one is to please the other.

If Christianity is Christ, it is also the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the other Paraclete that Jesus spoke of in John 14:16. He is the gift par excellence of the risen, ascended Christ to his body and bride, the church.