There are certain qualities evident in your life when you live a Spirit filled life. Speaking in tongues every Sunday does not mean you live a Spirit filled life. This article is going to cover the four qualities you will see in a person who walks in the spirit life.
Let's look at Romans 8:5, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." And Romans 8:14 tells us, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of G-d, these are sons of G-d."
There are people who are carnally minded in the church and there are spiritually minded Christians in the church as well. If you are a carnal Christian you're on dangerous ground and in danger of backsliding. Carnal means death and a spiritual life gives life and peace. I'm talking about that peace we have in a turbulent world and it comes from the Spirit of G-d in us.
The Spirit filled life does not mean because you speak in tongues you are righteous and filled with the Spirit. Speaking in tongues is only an initial evidence. It's one thing to have an initial infilling and quite another to walk in the anointing.
The Apostle Paul baptized people in the Holy Spirit as we see in Ephesians 5:15, but you have to be continually filled to walk in it. You have a chose as a Christian, you can become stagnate or you can keep pressing on to the mark. You can be led by the Spirit or led by man, the natural.
People who are led by the Spirit are led by G-d. Galations 5:17 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." There's a war going on for your flesh and your Spirit. There are two forces going on in Christians. You have a witness to your Spirit. Then you have a force that tries to control the flesh. The force that you feed will be the one to win.
You can not do as you please and feed the flesh and think that you will have the Spirit. So, let's look closer at what it means to live this Spirit filled life.
1. Holiness
Pentecost is suppose to lead you to holiness. We were Holiness before we were Pentecostals. All that changed after the great awakening of Azuza Street. Before you get this infilling, you will have to walk righteous. If you don't live a moral and righteous life you are not filled. I knew an adulterous preacher that boldly claimed he was still filled and anointed. Well, according to the word adultery is a road to a devil's hell and not to holiness. The bible says an adulterer's fate is a lake of fire. So, always measure holiness by a life of holiness and not words that are contrary to G-d's word.
If you want a righteous life that is blessed live like Hebrews 12:14 tells you. "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord." You can't go around with bitterness, gossiping and causing trouble and have a holy life. This verse tells us that without holiness we will not see the Lord. Selah!
You see, I like to get into the trenches and live out the word. You can tell me anything but show me where the rubber meets the road. I'm a conceptional person and like to see how things work out logically. So, when you see the preacher committing adultery, there should be a red flag pop up in your spirit and say, hey something is not lining up with the word here. If you go around hurting people in your church and then get up on Sunday morning and speak in tongues, a red flag is going to go up to people with spiritual discernment.
You may have had an initial filling but somewhere along your walk the anointing left you. 1 Peter 1:22 says, "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart." So when you see a brother or sister hurt another in the body by gossip, false statements, bitterness or jealousy then you can be sure they are not filled with the Spirit.
The devil can counterfeit many things and he can counterfeit tongues but he can't counterfeit holiness. You may have had an experience with being filled at one time, but are running on empty now. Not living holy can take it from you. Romans 6:22 says, "But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of G-d, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting."
11 Corinthians 7:1 says, "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of G-d." Another scripture on this is Ephesians 4:24.
Holiness always precedes power. The old man has to be crucified and yield to righteousness unto G-d. People have got to see a change in you and your life must show that you are set apart from the world.
2. The Fruit Of The Spirit
As you grow in G-d you'll begin to bear fruit. Your heart will have compassion and love and you will serve others and be a light in their life. You will become more like Christ. You will begin to see the impurities in yourself. At times I would shake my head and go, "Lord, the closer I get to you the more impurities I see in me!" I see a lot of people who say, no I'm not a great Christian but I am a good person. But you have impurities in your heart because you can't have a pure heart without the Lord cleaning you up and a mind renewal by the Spirit. There will be no fruit, for Ephesians 5:8 tells us, "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth and finding out what is acceptable to the Lord."
You must have a life of fruitfulness according to the scripture, not according to your carnal mind. Let's look at how your mind thinks and see how carnal or holy you are.
*Whose desires do you seek, yours or G-d's?
*What do you think about when you wake up and throughout the day? Is your mind more centered on you or G-d and others?
*What do you think about on your job everyday, yourself or how you can help a co-worker, and do you treat your job as hands working as unto the Lord?
*What do you meditate on most of the time? Are you meditating on scripture, praying, or what you can do for another, or is your mind filled on self each day and the things of this world?
* What are you thinking on as you lay down in the bed at night?
There are some things that are not sin but are not good for you. They can become sin if they become your priority. Keep your priorities in your spiritual life and home and family straight.
Don't cut yourself off from G-d because His word offends you. Don't get angry at the preacher because the word of G-d he delivers to you upsets your worldly way of thinking. The word was offensive to many when Jesus spoke it. If you produce fruit and walk a holy life you are going to offend people who are not righteous. Look at Jesus, he offended many. Mat 13:57. People like to justify their sin in the carnal mind. Hosea 5:15 says, "I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."
Well, I didn't write the word that offends you, G-d did. If you will get Holy G-d will speak more truth to you and you won't have do so much justifying of yourself. 1 John 1:7. G-d will offend us until we see the truth, so don't get angry, the man of G-d is only speaking what G-d is trying to tell you. Pray as King David did, Search me O'G-d and see if there is anything unpleasing in me and purify me.
So do you really want to please yourself or G-d? Galations 5:22 tells us what G-d wants, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. He doesn't want idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contention, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambition, dissentions, heresies or fornications and uncleaness in his church! Galations 5:20.
3. Gifts Of The Spirit
We use to think speaking in tongues was the goal but my friends, walking a holy life is the goal. That's the mark we must reach. Look at Romans 15:19 and 1 Corinthians 2:4. Demonstration of the Spirit is what you got to have to bless others. Let's look at how the gifts of the Spirit are catagorized.
1. Inspiration Gifts
tongues, interpretation, prophecy
2. Revelation Gifts
wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits
3. Power Gifts
healing, miracles, faith
Jesus came up out of the water praying when the Holy Spirit filled him. The gifts are precious to the body. Signs and wonders should follow you. You should see demonstration of the gifts.
4. A Servant's Heart
If you do not have a heart to serve others then you need to pray for G-d to give you this heart. There are two ministries in a church. One is the righteous servants. Then there are some Ben Lucifer's prowling about the church, and they are the sleeping, angry, fighting, complaining, and some have just plain gone missing. Which heart are you?
The holy and righteous in the church are watching, waiting, praying and looking for the return of Jesus and who wants to be used in Christ's Kingdom. Mark 10:44 tells us how to be used in a mighty way, "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave to all."
Have you hidden your talents under a bushel? Do you allow the Holy Spirit to search your heart to show you what's in it that is unpleasing to the Lord, and keeping you from a holy life?
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