Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
So many people want to use ‘common sense’ when trying to present a ‘good’ spiritual viewpoint or description of the ‘right’ kind of spiritual doctrine or life. What do I mean? Some teach either a ‘prosperity’ gospel or a ‘poverty’ gospel. They teach a growth (bigger is better) Church model or a ‘house church’ (smaller is better) model. The mode tends to be to set up a binary argument system to debate the ‘best’ model.
But what is the ‘best way’? First… it is not legalism, formulas, or programs. The spiritual life is not solved with common sense or physical things or programs. The spiritual life is discerned via the Holy Spirit. The ‘right way’ is discerned via the instructions through the Holy Spirit and prayer (conversations with Him). The spiritual life is best lived via relationship with the Holy Spirit who is actively growing all nine fruit in our lives at greater and greater depths. It is not about ‘us’ — it is about Him and His instructions to each of us individually. It is about intimacy with Jesus Christ and the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit. It is about … love… above all.
What are the main pitfalls and snares we fall into? First is pride. Second is selfishness. Third is deception (believing the lies the enemy has placed in our minds). Fourth is lust (looking to fulfill the needs of the flesh). These are constantly snuck into our minds by the enemy to get us off the path of intimacy with Him. The strategies of the enemy of our souls are so numerous as we are ALL different and have different weaknesses that no one formula or program can answer all the issues an individual is having. Only the Holy Spirit can determine the root issues leading to our problems and the symptoms that are continuing to manifest in our lives. If we can’t hear His Voice or haven’t learned how to follow His very specific instructions to us individually, we will miss the mark over and over in our daily lives. Can we discern the snares we have fallen into individually? Have we really past the ‘tests’ and proven we aren’t living for ourselves?
Then what should be our main focus? Jesus. Knowing Jesus better and spending more time with His Holy Spirit. Being more conscious of His Presence throughout our entire day. Listening to His Voice, advice, and instructions to us — at ALL times — not just the small time we’ve set aside for Him each day. Is our focus really His love through us? Is our focus His heart for those we encounter everyday? Do we understand the depths of each of His fruit and what He is trying to grow within us? Do we understand His ‘ways’ — and how He interacts with us personally? Can we identify what He has told us to do — specifically and individually?
Legalism and formulas can enter into our lives at any stage — if we are not aware that the enemies of our soul are working constantly to get us out of ‘fellowship’ with the Holy Spirit. So many hear something from God and immediately take the stance “I’m not going to do that!” Then they immediately try to build their case of why they are… right, and literally go in the opposite direction they KNOW they are suppose to go. Call it the Jonah effect or whatever you want to .. but it is much more common than you realize. We often don’t like or are not comfortable with what the Holy Spirit is asking us to do, so we .. balk, and try to justify our behavior. “That wasn’t God. He would never ask me to do that.” The excuses we use are too numerous to state or count. Simply … we are rebellious, stubborn, prideful, and selfish. And this entire earthly life is a training ground on learning how to have deep intimate ‘fellowship’ with God, and learn His heart and purpose for each one of us. It isn’t about building our own little kingdoms – but about what He wants for us. And not concocting what we think He wants for us — but actually KNOW by what HE has told us — personally. What is evidence? The fruit of our lives. Does our life show a depth of His nine fruit in our lives with real tangible evidence?
Be careful of not being drawn into a debate by the enemy. Turn around and face Jesus and ask Him what He wants. Listen to the Holy Spirit with an open heart and mind. Be willing to repent quickly and move forward with His instructions. Our lives should be an example to ‘outsiders’ and should be a ‘living epistle’ to them.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:16-26
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 11:15