We spent almost 9 months going through Chan’s book, FORGOTTEN GOD, which is basically his impression that the Christian community does not live in the power of the Holy Spirit much at all today. While he presents it in the context of the church setting, the accusation really applies to all individuals. God does work His will in the forces of the universe to continue the march of His plan toward the final end of history as we know it. Through those events there may be many who are turned towards Him. But in a vast majority of cases, the lost are only brought to saving knowledge and repentance by the work of Christ’s servants……you and me. That is how God has chosen present the gospel in this age, through His Church…..you and me.
Through out the study one thing became clear to me. We only experience the Spirit’s power when we step out of our comfort zone. Yes, all true believers have the Spirit (Rom.8:9), He is God (I Cor.12:4-6) in us, we are all united in Him (Eph.4:3-6), He wants to transform use into Christ-likeness (Jn.16:7-9) and He wants to commune and have fellowship with us. His ministry is essential for the Body of Christ to function properly and for our relationship to the Lord. But if we are filled with the Spirit, we will do things for Him beyond our own capabilities. For if we do only those things we can do in our own power, we are denying our trust and faith in God. We are shutting the door to “works of faith” He could do through us.
This filling is not just an emotional response to Him or some feeling. It is listening to His promptings and acting in obedience. Living in the Spirit is just like loving sacrificially; such love is active and not passive; its motivation is for the good of others, not for yourself. That is what God wants to demonstrate though us and that only happens when we are filled with the Spirit and acting in His power.
So listening to the Spirit’s prompting and obeying means trusting that He will empower you to do what He asks. What He asks will certainly be customized to you personally. But I am convinced if we earnestly pray with perseverance and remain in His Word daily, soon He will be revealing to us what it is we should be doing. It will be an area where He wants to transform us not only towards Christ-likeness, but also in showing the world His love.
For me? Well, I am usually a pretty reserved person. I am not the one who usually initiates relationships. I am not the center of attention, in fact, the further away from that the better. I am comfortable with the family and friends I do have and don’t want to widen those. I am uncomfortable with crowds, particularly where there are mostly strangers. I am sure there are deep psychological causes for this, but I’m not going there. What God has been saying to me lately is, “If I am going to use you to show my love to others, then you need to be with others and build relationships outside your comfort zone. I will be there with you; we will take it one step at a time. Just trust Me”. So I need to get to know my neighbors and build some deeper relationships with those I have some common interests with like golf. It seems simple for many, but for me it is a step of faith
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