(PART 4) It's a matter of life or death

Can we grow to spiritual maturity by following a system of religion?

(PART 4) IT’S A MATTER OF LIFE OR DEATH

CHAPTER 8

Having Begun in the Holy Spirit Are You Now Going on to Maturity by Following a System of Religion?  

After having responded to the gospel message, which I heard from a small number of young believers, who were members of a particular church I received the indwelling Holy Spirit. Soon after, I began to attend their Sunday morning services. At various times, I would experience the fruit (spiritual graces/influences) of the Holy Spirit.

     The church was growing in number on a daily basis. New believers were being added. Church fellowship gatherings began to spring up. Personal testimonies were encouraged to be presented before the church assembly. Some of the various members of the young team, who went out evangelizing, were allowed to speak from the pulpit. Even the music was uplifting.

     However, little did I know that behind the scenes of the church a war was taking place between those who were religious and those who were being influenced by the Holy Spirit. Apparently, during this time, the head pastor of the church had been overseas on a missionary journey. All of what was taking place in the church had been occurring during his absence. When he returned what he noticed was that there were more people attending church and a greater emphasis on personal evangelism.

     This pastor along with those, who were in leadership were glad to see the attendance at church increase, but they were concerned, because most, if not all, of the newly converted were not instructed as to the guidelines or practices, that according to them, must be observed in order to become a member of the church. The newly converted women were instructed to wear skirts to all church related functions. The newly converted men could not have long hair under any circumstance. Having an abundance of earthly possessions was considered self-centered and not church-centered. Anyone who they determined had an overabundance of wealth were asked to work less and downsize. Tithing 10% of one’s income was mandated. Following a profession of faith in Christ, you were told that you must be baptized in water otherwise you were technically not saved, and therefore were not allowed to become a church member. 

     The newly converted were also instructed as to their salvation. They were considered as the lucky ones who God knew about in eternity past in his foreknowledge and chose to be saved. God will save whom he will save. In this sense, evangelism wasn’t even needed, because salvation was not based on a person’s free will to choose to repent and believe. Furthermore, anyone who decided to leave this faith would be considered as never really having been saved in the first place.

     Those who were out evangelizing were quite upset at these teachings. They asked those in leadership if they could talk about their doctrinal positions with the hope they would reconsider some of their views. Meetings did occur, but eventually those, who were spreading the gospel message, were told to either accept the doctrinal positions of the church or leave. So, the members of the evangelistic team left the church.

     Week after week some of the newly converted began to leave. All of a sudden I sensed that something or someone was missing. The music, which was spiritually impacting, went back to a hymnal form. The messages lacked the anointing (the presence) of the Holy Spirit. I felt that I was back in the Catholic Church. There were a lot of rules to follow, but no spiritual impact. I had to make a choice, do I stay or do I go?

     I decided to leave. I had no idea as to where to go to church next. But the one thing that I did know was that I had received the Holy Spirit and experienced his divine influences. I prayed to God the Father that he would help me in finding as I would now describe it a Spirit-filled or Spirit-led church.

     Likewise, in the book of Galatians there was an assembly of believers, who were going through these similar kinds of growing pains.

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (Galatians 3:3, 5, 11, 34-35)

     The apostle Paul said to them, are you so foolish (irrational), having begun (having received) the Holy Spirit at conversation are you now made perfect (going on to maturity) by the flesh (self-effort and legalistic observances)? Initially, these believers were being ministered to by those, who were directed by the Holy Spirit, which was accompanied by the working of miracles (one of the gifts of the Spirit).

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. (Galatians 4:10-11)

     Now, they were being ministered to by those, who wanted them to go on to spiritual maturity by no longer relying on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but in obedience to an outward legalistic system of works, which keeps one busy with ceremonial performances, observance of days and festivals, distinction of meats, and other matters of ceremonial prescription³¹?

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (Galatians 5:1, 16, 18)

     Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit, but are now involved in a religious church which espouses that you perform certain good works without a reliance upon His ministry?

     This is one of the many crossroads that might occur in our walk with God. We have received the Holy Spirit, are being impacted by His presence, and now are told to adhere to certain practices in order to please God. If we didn’t know any better, and how many of us do, when we were newly converted, then we would have no problem following any religious process. The pastor thanks us for our involvement, the other members of the church support us, but the impact of the ministry and purposes of the Holy Spirit are nowhere to be found.

     What are you to do in this case?

     If you stay in said church, then learning about how to be impacted by the Spirit’s presence will not be relevant, because it will not be taught. If you decide to leave, then the social interaction, which you have been engaged in at said church will be gone. This can be especially difficult if you live in a small town or on an island like I do. Everyone knows everyone to a certain degree. Word spreads fast as it relates to any person. You can’t help but running into someone from the church in a different setting.

     In my case, I left this religious system and am now overseeing a small assembly of believers on Sunday morning where I live. Before this weekly assembly started up, I would try to attend a Spirit-filled church once a month on the mainland. I was also able to listen to Spirit-filled messages via the internet from time to time. As far as community involvement or social interaction goes, I try to be involved in community gatherings whenever I can. I am also on my knees in prayer before God asking Him to use me to build up fellow believers and to provide opportunities to share the gospel with unbelievers. 

     So, now that you have the Holy Spirit residing and operating in you, you are now in a position like I was. As I stated earlier, one of your concerns might be as such, I go to church and do this and that, but sense that nothing about my life has changed. Without the ministry of the Holy Spirit operating in your life there will be no changes. There will be no spiritual growth. Remember, spiritual growth occurs when the believer is filled with the Spirit. Earlier, you learned what the filling of the Spirit is, but you didn’t learn how to be filled with the Spirit. So, this is what we are going to talk about next.

     Isn’t this exciting?

     Now you are going to learn what the decisions are that you can make that will help you change or grow spiritually.

 

CHAPTER 9                                                

Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

Where do you go from here, if the church you are attending is not teaching about cultivating the influences of the Holy Spirit?

     You need to find one where the Spirit’s influences are being taught, cultivated, and evidenced. But, before you do this you must be aware of what it is that is the catalyst or basis for doing so. Initially, you must have the indwelling Spirit residing within. Without Him in your life, there is no way that his influences could be operational.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Philippians 2:5)

     The second condition is concerned with a teaching which centers on what is called the mind of Christ.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

     This is otherwise known as having your mind renewed.

     What is the renewing of the mind all about?

     Some would say that it is following Christ’s example. In other words, simply read the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and look at what Jesus said and did, and then try to emulate this in our own life. I will agree that Christ is definitely our example. Example of what, of listening to and obeying the directives of God the Father? This leads me to make this next comment, which after you read it will probably sound crazy.

     I don’t believe that we as Christians are to emulate Christ’s life by reading the Gospels; thereby trying to emulate his many examples of performing miracles and doing good for others.

     You might respond by saying that what I just said is indeed nuts. Here is what I mean.

     We should emulate Christ, but not by trying to copy the way he lived in our own energy.

     If this is our new approach in relation to our walk with God, then it is not really new at all. It’s what we have been talking about. This is religion. Trying to please God by what we do even if it involves trying to emulate Christ. So, we go about doing good for others in the name of Christ. There are many people that do good in the name of whomever. This doesn’t bring about a change spiritually in the lives of those who are doing good and the lives of those who are receiving the good. Why, because the ministry and purpose of the Holy Spirit is not operational? Some believe that this is what constitutes spirituality, but I would beg to differ.

     What is spirituality?

     Spirituality is being lead or controlled by the Holy Spirit while we are occupied in our mind with the mind of Christ.

     What is the mind of Christ?

     The mind of Christ refers to the new thoughts that relate to the new person who we have become at salvation. Most of these thoughts have been revealed to us in the book of Acts and the Epistles. Some of them have also been revealed in the Gospels and the book of Revelation. It is only when we appropriate what I will call the thoughts of the new man, that we will be filled with (controlled by; lead by) the Holy Spirit, and subsequently be impacted by His spiritual qualities (e.g. love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance).

     Spirituality should start from within, in our thought processes, and should not have as its emphasis doing this or doing that for God. Shouldn’t we be doing good works? Yes, but not according to our own perspective and power.

     Probably what I am saying to you goes against what is the main focus of your church. Believe me, there is a definite lure to go to church and find a format to follow that meets the needs of the church and the community. It makes you feel good and gives you a sense of camaraderie with the other members of the church and purpose within the community. I am not saying that believers should not be filling the needs of their church and meeting the needs of their community, but this should be the result of your walk with God, and not the basis of your walk with God.

     You might be thinking, well give me some examples as to how I can have my mind renewed so that the Holy Spirit will co-labor with me. Ok, I will.

     Before I do, let me also say this. When I talk about having your mind renewed I don’t mean to infer that this is all there is to your walk with God. The teachings of the church you are attending hopefully will talk about such topics as redemption, salvation, sanctification, eternal rewards, etc. I would hope that when you hear these teachings you will take notes. Why? So, that not only will you know about what each topic is about but also so that you can share it with other believers or those who are newly converted to the faith.

     The church you are attending will probably also have or provide opportunities for you to use the gift or gifts of the Spirit that God has given you. You might be asked to speak in front of the assembly of believers or go into the streets of the community and share the gospel. These engagements are important in that they will allow you to apply the mind of Christ during your involvement. This allows the word that you have learned (memorized) to be applied and thus cause you to grow spiritually. So, along with renewing your mind, you need to listen to and know the teachings of the church, and get involved doing your part in helping other believers grown and win the lost.

     The following verses will talk about this idea of renewing one’s mind.

 

Be Ye Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2)                                                    

     We are to yield ourselves as those who are alive from the dead, not living according to our old sin nature, but by the Holy Spirit; and if this is indeed the case, then you will be living with the Messiah’s life and thereby be set apart for God. Don’t put on the form, fashion, or appearance of the sentiments and morals of men, but appear as new persons with new habits by means of a complete change for the better of your mental processes (the changing into new views and feelings that results in the restoration of the divine image) so that you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is.

     God wants to transform our minds and make us spiritually minded by using His Word. As we spend time meditating on His Word, memorizing it, and making it a part of our inner man, He will gradually make our minds more spiritual.

     If the world controls your thinking, you are a conformer, if God controls your thinking, you are a transformer³².                                                                                                                                                                     

     I think that this is the most difficult part of our walk with God. Why, because it is not natural to think about ourselves, others,and the circumstances of life from divine perspective.Old habits of thinking, speaking, and doing are difficult to address because for many believers all they are told when they go to church is don’t steal, don’t commit fornication, don’t lie, but without any instruction as to how these inclinations or propensities can be subdued. There are some other scriptures which provide us with clarification as to this apparent dilemma.

 

Put off … Put on

Ephesians 4:22-24, 32

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

     We are instructed to put off those former habits that are a result of us being dominated by the totally depraved nature, whose lusts are excited by deceit, i.e. by deceitful influences seducing to sin, and be renewed in mind, i.e. to be spiritually transformed, to take on a new mind. This renewal of the mind occurs by means of the word of God, and the unification of the Holy Spirit with our human spirit. Through Christ, once and for all, we have been given a new position in His new creation, but day-by-day, we must by faith appropriate the newness of thought that he has declared to us in his word.

     I’ll give you one example. One of the most devastating sins in the church is that of sexual immorality. Every so often, we will hear of a church scandal that involves someone in leadership committing a sexual sin (i.e. fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, pedophilia, polygamy, etc.). This can be crippling to any church assembly. On the one hand, we hear a message to refrain from such, that a Christian should not be engaged in any of these practices, and then we hear from the same one who proclaimed this message to have committed such.

     God has provided us his safeguard, which is found in his word. Below are scriptures which declare how we as believers should love other believers and how we as believers should love unbelievers.

 

What should be our reflection concerning our fellow believers?

Please read the verses that follow. I have added in parenthesis a further definition of the word according to the Greek rendering.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love (a love that denies oneself for the benefit of another) the brethren…

1 Peter 1:22 … love one another (a love called out of one's heart by the preciousness of the person loved where the idea is of self-sacrifice for the benefit of the person loved³³) with a pure (free from every admixture of what is false) heart fervently (continually; in an all out manner

Galatians 5:14 For all the law (all the law given through Moses) is fulfilled (summarized) in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour (a command for Christians to love one another, regardless of their race or nationality³⁴) as thyself (as you would love your own self).     

 

What should be our reflection concerning unbelievers?

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come (For we are come) to seek and to save that which was lost.          

1 Peter 2:12 Having your conversation (behavior) honest (morally good; an outer goodness that strikes the eye) among the Gentiles (to the unsaved world): that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers (doing what is bad), they may by your good works (deeds; actions) , which they shall behold (view attentively), glorify God in the day of visitation (the good works of Christians, their beautiful and separated lives, are used of God as one of the means of bringing lost sinners to the Lord Jesus; when they are saved, God becomes the spiritual overseer of their souls³⁵).                  

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack (late) concerning his promise (his return at the second coming), as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering (refrains from punishing them immediately, but instead gives them an opportunity to turn back from their sins and thus escape receiving the punishment they deserve³⁶) to us-ward (unbelievers), not willing that any should perish (suffer eternal destruction), but that all should come to repentance (a change of mind toward Christ).

     Read these verses over, shorten the information provided if you like, memorize them, and reflect upon them. These constitute your new mindset toward the brethren and the lost. You are now becoming aware of the meaning of the verse which says:

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

 

Seek Life

I think what you have learned is that the Christian life is totally different from what you thought. It requires the receiving of the person of the Holy Spirit, which only can occur when an unbeliever repents and believes. It requires solid teaching from those in leadership whose focus is on teaching the foundational truths of the faith and the non-foundational truths of the faith; whose teachings remind the believer of the spiritual gifts which rightfully designates their place in the body of Christ; whose desire is assist the assembly in growing spiritually by putting off the old man, and putting on the new man; and whose ministry provides opportunities for the gifts of the Spirit to be demonstrated and for believers to be given certain responsibilities which will cause them to apply the word which they have memorized and reflected upon.

     I hope that this is the Christian life that you will aspire to. And yes, it will take work. But not the kind where we try to please God by what we do. But the kind where we reflect upon whom he has made us to be along with his perspective on every area of weakness so that we can walk in the Spirit and evidence His qualities of character to a lost and dying world.

 

Endnotes

³¹The Pulpit Commentary Pc Study Bible version 5, 2006, 9 Dec. 2017   ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

³²The Bible Exposition Commentary.

³³Weust.

³⁴UBS.

³⁵UBS.

³⁶UBS.

 

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