Tag Archives: Holy Spirit Guidance

Perambulation

06 Monday Dec 2021

Posted by in Poetry, Writing

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Perambulation

I wonder as I wander
Seeking no specific place
There are many things to ponder
I want the sun upon my face
As I head hither and yonder
I find I'm still in Spirit Space
And I wonder as I wander
How You'll help me run this race

I wander as I wonder
Why I didn't have a clue
This duress I have been under
Had nothing at all to do with You
With my misperceptions rent asunder
I can clearly see what's true
Those things that we call wonders
Are things only You can do

Be still and know that I Am God
The words have come through loud and clear
I find the commandment rather odd
Because I know You're more than near
You are with me in this body
Which is Holy Spirit dwelling sphere
But I'll be still and know my God
And wonder where we'll go from here

No longer do I wander
I'm guided by each word You say
Stillness is not time I squander
Because You teach me how to pray
My desire's not to maunder
From this path I will not stray
No longer do I wander
When I'm walking in The Way

Fruit of the Spirit-Self-Control

07 Monday Jun 2021

Posted by in Fruit of the Spirit, Studies

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“But of the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control” Galatians 5:22-23

I must admit I dislike the translators’ choice of “self-control” in this passage.  The King James has “temperance” which I don’t find to be any better of a translation than “self-control”.  Knowing this final item in the Apostle Paul’s list pertains to the Holy Spirit, I was looking for a word that reflected action of the Holy Spirit rather than action on the part of the human.  Regardless of what translation I looked at, I didn’t find it.

Looking into the Greek was very little help.  The word is egkrateia (G1466) and carries the definition of self-control.  Strong’s Concordance pointed me to egkrates (G1468) which means “strong in a thing”.  I can see being strong in the Spirit as a meaning here but it isn’t the only meaning and I don’t want to bend this definition to fit what I believe it should say.  I am not ever looking to do that.  I want to know the truth of Jesus.  I don’t want to study to reinforce what I think.  The definitions in Strong’s point to the word here meaning self-control, self-mastery, being in strength, having dominion.  The meaning does appear to be mastery over one’s self.

And yet, as I continued my study using different Bible Dictionaries, I found the writers thought it was obvious that the self-control mentioned in this passage was a work of the Holy Spirit.  Vine’s Expository Dictionary says, “The various powers bestowed by God upon man are capable of abuse; the right use demands the controlling power of the will under the operation of the Spirit of God.”1  Hastings’ Bible Dictionary says, “From the NT point of view, the grace of ‘self-control’ is the result of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling; it is the Spirit-controlled personality alone that is ‘strengthened with power’ (Eph 316 cf. 518) to control rebellious desires and to resist the allurements of tempting pleasures.”2   At the conclusion of the entry on temperance, Hastings’ Dictionary says, “The flesh triumphs when the Spirit is quenched; but the Spirit’s victory is gained, not by suppressing, but by controlling the flesh.  Those who are ‘led by the Spirit’ who ‘live by the Spirit’ and ‘by the Spirit also walk’ attain, in its perfection, the grace of complete ‘self-control”.3

It is this last quote that has arrested me.  It got me thinking about the difference between suppressing and controlling the flesh.  By suppressing it, isn’t it controlled?  Aren’t I saying the same thing just using different words?  I admit, I was confused.  That is, until I had an experience that helped me see the difference.

I’ve mentioned good works in earlier posts and the difference between doing works for Jesus and doing works out of the flow of the life of Jesus.  This doesn’t mean I don’t expect opposition and obstacles-I see these things as opportunities for growth-and they do not prevent me from pursuing the calling placed in my heart.  Then, last week, circumstances changed and it became impossible for me to pursue that calling.  I was confused, bitterly disappointed, and shed quite a few tears but there was nothing for it but to do what had been put in my hand to do.  I did not want to do it and yet there was an awareness deep inside, a knowing that yes, this is what I was meant to do in this moment. 

This knowing did not stop my mind from erupting in outright rebellion.  My thoughts did remind me, I’m sad to say, of a temper tantrum.  They were all negative and geared to make me doubt my own relationship with Jesus and ability to hear His voice.  After all, if I had really heard and was really walking and living in His Spirit, my circumstances would look a lot different, wouldn’t they?  Since I had so obviously failed God, I should give up entirely.  I had no control over the thoughts swirling in my mind.  I could answer them and did so but was in a fight.  If I had continued to attempt to control my thoughts on my own, I would have ended in a terrible state.  Rather, I labored to enter into the rest of, no matter what happened even in the next minute, I would rest in the knowledge that right now I was doing what my Lord wanted me to do. 

I am quoting Hebrews 4:11 and the word for labor (spoudazo G4704) means to hurry, hasten. When I engaged my negative thoughts on my own, I found my response was equally negative, even when I used the word of God.  Once I stopped fighting in my own strength and submitted to the plan of God for me in that moment, all those swirling thoughts stopped.  In the rest of Jesus, the power of His Spirit, I had self-control.  I ended up having an enjoyable day.  I don’t have any idea why the day happened the way it did because I wasn’t aware of any great Spiritual Happenings but I figure that’s up to Jesus.  I don’t doubt I’ve only begun to learn lessons from that experience but I know one is, when I hasten to enter His rest, I immediately experience His peace. The battle truly belongs to Him.

I am reminded of Romans 7 and Galatians 5.  In his letter to the Galatians the Apostle Paul says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Verse 17).  In Romans 7, Paul says, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  O wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Verses 22-24)

At best, I can make good choices and suppress my flesh.  It might look like self-control and self-mastery but I have no power to stop my flesh from wanting to do a thing, I can only choose not to do it.  My self-control is never perfect.  Am I then doomed to this double existence?  Do I have nothing more to look forward to but endless warfare between the Spirit and the flesh?

“But!” Paul says in Galatians 5 and then contrasts the works of the flesh with the works of the Spirit.  He then says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Verse 25).  “I thank God!” Paul says in Romans 7.  “Through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Verse 25) No! The fruit of the Spirit is self-control.  I am, in all things, made more than a conqueror through Him who loves me (Romans 8:37, paraphrased).  Jesus forming His life in me is a process, I don’t deny that, but He who began a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).  I say along with the Apostle Paul, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). 

Even so, Come Lord Jesus. 

Amen.

Unless notes otherwise, scriptures are quoted from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc. 1982

  1. Vine, W.E., Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville Tennessee, 1997, Temperance, Temperate, Page 1126
  2. Hastings, James, Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. 2001, Temperance, Page 897
  3. Hastings, James, Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. 2001, Temperance, Page 898

Show Your Work

31 Monday May 2021

Posted by in Walking in the Way

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I laughed a little as I chose the title to this post.  I can’t tell you how many times I lost points in math class because I failed to show my work.  I didn’t do it on purpose: I’d do the mental steps and write down the answer.  If I got it right, what did actually writing out the steps matter?  It mattered for many reasons, as any math teacher will tell you.  Doing the work and showing the work is important.  And so, before I post the final study on the fruit of the Spirit, I want to address something I wrote in last week’s post, specifically; rather than doing “good works” I seek to be about The Father’s business and do only what I see Him doing.  I did not mean waiting on God is an excuse to not do anything.  In this post, I want to expand on what I mean when I say “good works” and I want to take a look at James 2:26 and Ephesians 2:8-9. 

James 2:26 says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  In times past, I have looked at these two scriptures and wondered if they didn’t contradict one another.  Someone might say, “Of course not!  It’s obvious!”  I can only speak to my own walk with God and, for a long time, it wasn’t obvious to me. 

These two scriptures appeared to be expressing opposing thoughts regarding works.  That is, of course, even assuming the two Apostles are speaking about the same thing.  Perhaps Paul is speaking merely of Jesus’ death and resurrection while James is speaking directly to how we Christians interact with our fellow men.  And yet, can the two be separated?  Don’t we have a tendency to present God with our good works, almost like a “here’s how Christian I am, aren’t I faithful and good” resume?  Our works are the proof of our faith according to James but then no they aren’t according to Paul. 

Is your head spinning?  I know mine was until my eyes were opened to see that everything comes from God.  I took another look at Ephesians 2: 8-9 and saw that everything mentioned there is a gift of God.  His grace is a gift.  His salvation is a gift.  His faith is a gift.  When I saw that Galatians 2:20 really says “the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith OF the Son of God” rather than IN the Son of God, it changed James 2:8-9 for me.  I do not have to prove that my faith in Jesus is alive by doing good works.  Rather, it’s because He is alive in me through His Spirit, and because I live by His faith, that I do good works.  The works I do are His works.

Continuing on in Ephesians: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).  This is such a beautiful, exciting verse and one that leads me to rest in Jesus.  It’s never me.  It’s not my works.  It’s not doing what I think is good.  God has prepared specific good works for me and I walk in them.

This is, of course, easier said than done.  First, we must know what these works God has prepared beforehand are and there is a subtle difference between good works and the good works prepared beforehand by God.  There is a fact I have found to be often overlooked by pastors and teachers I have listened to.  I find there are few in Christendom who fail to attribute the existence of evil in the world to the fall of mankind that resulted in the eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden.  What I do not hear spoken of often is that the eating of the fruit of the tree resulted in man knowing both good and evil.  We humans are capable of great evil as well as great good. 

Doing good works has very little to do with whether or not we are following after God.  There are people who have no belief in any sort of god at all who have done great good.  There are people who believe in a God who have done great good.  There are people who are devout followers of Jesus who have done great good.  The same is true for doing evil but, for the sake of this post, I am focused on good works. 

There are many scriptures that stress the importance of good works like Titus 3:14: “And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.”  Romans Chapter 2 stresses the importance of good works especially in verses 6 & 7: “who will render to each one according to his deeds, eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good…” Good works are crucial and they are expected in the life of a Christian.

The point I am attempting to make is that, for the Christian, there is a difference between good works done FOR God and good works done out of the life OF God.  There is such a thing as “spiritual burnout”.  I am convinced this happens because we are capable of doing great works, the Bible even spells them out for us, and we expend so much energy in doing Christianity that we eventually burn out.  The Spirit is promised to be a spring of living water, flowing out to others through us.  When the works that we do are the works we see the Father doing, it’s His life in us that enables us to do the works.  There is no spiritual burnout when our works flow from the Spirit within us.  His fruit is love, joy, peace…

Knowing whether our works are the result of what we think/believe is good or whether they are the result of the life of Christ in us is impossible without the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  It requires being still, shutting out every other voice, and listening for His because, “…He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak…” (John 16:13).  Whatever He speaks we must do and we must do only what He speaks.

God has prepared the way for us to walk in.  We are His workmanship: His work is shown in us.  We can be confident that He who began a good work in us will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6, emphasis mine).  We can trust that He watches over His word to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12).  We can trust that the good works expected of us are not a call to busyness and exhaustion but rather a promise that His life in us bears fruit. Let us remember we only bear fruit when we abide in Him.  It’s His life flowing through us that bears fruit and the Father is the husbandman who prunes us that we may bear more fruit.  Let us not fall into the trap of “I ought to be doing this or I should be doing that.”  It is God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).  He wants our lives to bear fruit and we can trust that He will ensure they do so no matter our circumstances or stations in life. 

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit! (Galatians 5:25)

Amen.