To Live by the Spirit

Recap of week two of Beth Moore’s bible study “Living Beyond Yourself:Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit.”

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To Live By the Spirit

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In the video session I learned:

1. I can’t be full of my self and full of the Holy Spirit, therefore I must “pour out my heart” (Psalm 62:8) to God. I must pour out my concerns and confessions to him in order to make room for the Holy Spirit in my life. 
2. The filling of the Holy Spirit is vital to my life. I have been created with a need to be filled and if I’m not filled with the Holy Spirit, I will seek to have that need met elsewhere. 

Galatians 5:16 “Three in One” 

The Trinity: One God, in three distinct personalities. One Lord accomplished all of creation through the Father’s will, the Son’s word and the Spirit’s way. The Father willed it, the Son spoke it, and the Holy Spirit energized it into being. The same God who willed, spoke and energized the universe into being directs all His care and distinctive direction into your precious life. He continues to direct you through these same methods: the Father first wills, the Son speaks the Father’s will to you through His Word, and the Holy Spirit supplies the power for you to obey. The entire Godhead is intimately involved in your daily life using the same power and glory with which He commanded creation into being. In advance, the Father has willed and tailor-made a plan for your unique life to bring you to one “expected end.” That perfect plan has been afforded you by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus, who has extended His Word to direct you in your path. The Holy Spirit, then, teaches you His Word and empowers you to obey and follow it, thereby providing a way for simple humans to perform godly tasks.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 “An Eternal Guarantee” 

The Ministries of the Holy Spirit

1. Convict or Reprove: The Holy Spirit Convicts to restore fellowship and spiritual productivity.
2. Regeneration: We must be born again -- John 3:7
3. Baptize: If you have been born again, you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit.
4. His Glorious Indwelling: We have the wonderful guarantee of the Holy Spirit’s residence in us with the abiding promise that He will remain forever!
5. Sealing: The seal of the Holy Spirit is for protection and identification. We are identified as joint heirs with Christ, and we are protected from the entrance of any other entity. 
6. Fill the Yielded Believer: The Holy Spirit is always ready and able to fill the believer, by He will not agree to perform this ministry unless He is in present control of the one He inhabits. 
7. Restraining: 2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 - The Spirit will not permit Satan to spread his evil without limit in this present age. 

Galatians 5:25-26 “Led by the Spirit”

Every time you understand the Word of God, the Holy Spirit has manifested Himself to you as a Teacher. Every time you realize God has “somehow” pricked your heart to discern direction, the Holy Spirit has manifested Himself through leadership. Every time you edify the body of believers through service, the Holy Spirit is evidenced as the Giver of gifts. Every time you express love for someone you never could have imagined even tolerating, you’ve witnessed the fruit of His Spirit. He continually “bears witness” with your tendered spirit; He prays for you when you don’t have a clue how to pray. 

There are two ways that I can affect the Spirit in my life. 

1. By quenching the Spirit: As in preventing the Holy Spirit from exerting His full influence in my life. Very simply it is to say “no” to God. 
2. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Do not “break his heart”: Sin in the Life of a believe causes the Holy Spirit to grieve.

Galatians 5:17 “Flesh vs. Spirit” 

“For the sinful nature desires what is CONTRARY to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is CONTRARY to the sinful nature. THEY ARE IN CONFLICT WITH EACH OTHER.” 

One of our biggest reasons for failure in daily struggles is our vain attempt to balance the Spirit and the flesh - to make them function as coworkers. It is absolutely impossible. It as nothing to do with strength versus weakness. It’s just not possible. We have three enemies: the flesh (sinful nature), the world, and the devil. 1 John 4:4 Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the World! God has given us victory over all three of our enemies if we will follow him!

1 Corinthians 2:12 “Spiritually Mature” 

Certainly God wills us to “grow in the knowledge” of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may be thoroughly furnished; but the issue of spirituality rests upon “yieldedness” to the Holy Spirit’s control. The most important ingredient is yieldedness! Yieldedness is always the result of a deliberate choice to yield...to consciously surrender. The spiritual life will never come “naturally.” If we are going to live as a spiritual main, it will result from a deliberat, conscious surrender to the Holy Spirit of God. Surrender must be a daily choice.

The Lord will honor your obedience, He brings results from my obedience, you do not. Let Him do His job in His proper time. He’ll do it, all right!

I have everything I need by virtue of the Holy Spirit within me to bear my load. I’ve got the Father’s will and the Son’s word on it. When I walk in the Spirit, it is He who carries the weights!