Be Holy because I am Holy: What is holiness?

Hebrews 12:14-15 (NIV)

What is holiness?

In the verses below we can see that it has always been God’s intention for His people to be holy because He is holy. The Lord tells us to consecrate ourselves and be holy.

To consecrate oneself means to dedicate oneself to a higher purpose, for a Christian today this means our purpose is to dedicate ourselves to God through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. 

The Apostle Peter quoted this scripture in 1 Peter 1:15-16 and thus we know without a shadow of doubt that this instruction still applies to Christians today!

Lev 11:44 (NIV)

I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.

1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Timothy 1:9

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

Holiness is a characteristic of who God is, and as such holiness should be of paramount importance to us as believers, because without it we will never see God!

Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

Before we can look at what the Bible teaches on being holy, let’s first understand what the word means from the original Greek text of the New Testament.

Holiness in the verse above is from the Greek word ‘hagiotes’ meaning holiness or sanctity. Hagiotes is derived from the Greek adjective ‘hagios’ which means set apart (for God) for the specific purpose of being holy and sacred.

From this we can safely conclude that God expects us, as Christians, to set ourselves apart to be holy to Him. In fact, Hebrews 12:14 above states quite emphatically that the we won’t see the Lord unless we pursue holiness.

Also, as we endeavour to pursue holiness, we will experience a measure of pain as He chastises us for our own good, through the process of dying to self.

Nevertheless, this chastising process will yield within us the peaceable fruit of holiness and righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Hebrew 12:9-11 (NLT)

9 Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

10 For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

In other words, that which is holy belongs to God, and conversely whatever belongs to God is holy. We are sanctified and "set apart for a holy use or purpose" by God, and to find out what our use and purpose is in Christ Jesus we need to live life in the Spirit.

God has selected us to be His servants and has called us to come out of this world, to be different and separate from the rest of the world. Jesus said,

John 17:14-16 (NIV)

14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

The Christian must live in this present evil world, but his life must he different from the lives of the other people that are in the world – who are not born-again, who do not know Jesus as Lord and Saviour. In other words, our lives and the way and manner in which we live, must reflect God’s holiness

We, as born again believers in Christ Jesus, must come out from any of this world's ways that are sinful and evil out from the religious and spiritual "Babylon" that is this whole world.

Revelation 18:4 (NIV)

4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“‘Come out of her (the world), my people,’[Jer 51:45)

so that you will not share in her sins,

so that you will not receive any of her plagues;

Making such a distinction and living by it is one of the many ways that God's true servants are different from the rest of the world.

Instead of being immersed in the lawless and sinful ways of the world, we should put our thoughts on better things:

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This scripture makes is very clear that we should avoid filling our minds with entertainment that is sinful: void of (God’s) love, lustful, sexually illicit or that is filled with murder, hatred, evil and all other such things.

We often justify our sinful actions by saying things like: "It’s only a song — it's only make-believe, it's only a movie, that’s who I am."

On the contrary, the Bible says this:

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

We cannot call ourselves Christians and continue to walk in the ways of the world – we must walk in the way of the Spirit (be holy)! Christians need to be different from the rest of this world — to say no to sin, to evil and to wrong things as it is written:

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT)

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

We will continue to be holy if we live a life of holiness. That is the way of obedience and conformity with God's ways and His Word. That is living life in the Spirit.

God wants a glorious Church without spot or blemish. Jesus gave his life for the Church in order to make her holy:

Ephesians 5:26-27 (NIV)

26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless

Prayer

Dear Father

In the name of Jesus I pray that you would continually fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to be holy just as you are holy. Amen!

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!

What does a 'devoted' Church look like? Acts 2:42

The start of the Church just after Pentecost

The New Testament Church was started just after Pentecost with the first mass outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We can read about Pentecost and the Apostle Peter’s bold address to the crowd of his very first gospel message from verses 1 – 41. In verse 41 we read this:

Acts 2:41 (NIV)

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

This was the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ. It was established in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was pure and, unlike today’s Church, without sect or denomination – just Jesus Christ and him crucified!

This is the model Church that today’s Church should be imitating in every way, but sadly does not!

It was the Church that God himself wanted, conformed to the image of His Son, our Lord and Saviour – the King of kings who never changes!

Hebrews 13:7-8 (NIV)

7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Let’s examine how the Church (including today’s Church) was structured and were ministering in faith and in accordance with the Word of God brought by the Apostles in the power of the Holy Spirit and let’s not forget these word spoken to the Apostles by Jesus himself.

John 14:26 (NIV)But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

The apostles’ teaching was directly from Jesus who is the Word – taught to them by the Holy Spirit!

The Fellowship of the Believers

What were these new believers doing? 

What did their lifestyle look like? 

How was the Holy Spirit binding them together in unity to bring glory to the name of Jesus? How did they respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading and to the apostles’ teaching?

Acts 2:42-47 (NIV)

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

What does ‘devoted to’ mean

Verse 42 in Acts 2 starts off like this: “They (the Church) devoted themselves to……….”

Let’s examine what they were devoted to and how they were devoted.

Today’s dictionary meaning of ‘devoted to’:
Being devoted to something means being focused on that particular thing almost exclusively. When you are devoted to a cause, you work to achieve its goals. When you are devoted to a person, you place their needs above your own. Being devoted doesn't have to refer only to personal relationships.

So that’s how today’s modern dictionaries define ‘devoted to’, but in order to have a clearer picture of what the early Church would have understood by this we will need to examine the original Greek meaning of being devoted to.

Original Greek meaning of ‘devoted’ in Acts 2:42:

Proskartereo (pron: pros-kär-te-ray-o):

· to join together with

· to adhere to

· to be ready

· to give attention to

· to be fully committed to

· to spend much time together

· to be faithful

This is what the early church would have understood by the term ‘devoted to’ so let’s like at each term on an individual basis.

To join together with:

What were they joined together with?

• With Jesus as the head of the Church

• With each other as the family of Christ

• The Apostles and their teaching - The Word

• And through this they were being unified as one Church in the power of the Holy Spirit

To adhere to:

The early church stuck together and did not deviate from the apostles’ teaching.

To be ready:

They were being made ready to put into practice what they were being taught and to walk the Christian path as Jesus intended. A path of love, unity and self-sacrifice.

To give attention to:

They were focused on the Word, prayer, breaking of bread, fellowship with each other and with God.

To be fully committed to:

The were fully committed to God, to each other and to the teachings of The Word and in putting them into practice.

To spend much time together:

They spent a lot of time together – devoted to each other in the love of Christ. They didn’t shrink back from fellowshipping together as often as they could. They helped each other and encouraged each other.

To be faithful:

In all these things they were faithful as Christ is faithful to his Church! The unity of living life in the Spirit as Paul was later to describe in Romans 8!

What was the early Church devoted to – Acts 2:42?

1. The apostles teaching – The Word of God via the Apostles led and taught by Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit after the Lord’s ascension:

• Jesus – The Word – God

• Love for the family of believers – agape

• Salvation in Christ Jesus

• New Covenant (apart from the Law)

• Freedom in Christ

• The Holy Spirit

2. Fellowship – from the Greek word Koinónia, meaning:

• in partnership with

• Being a contributory help

• Participation in

• sharing in

• Communion with

• spiritual fellowship

• a fellowship in the spirit

3. The breaking of bread

Luke 22:19

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.“

1 Cor 11:26

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

In the verse above, Paul tells us exactly what we are doing, apart from remembering the work of Jesus on the cross, when we break bread together. We are proclaiming his death until he returns.

Now here it will be good for us to have a look at the meaning of the word ‘proclaim’ from the original translation of the word ‘proclaim’ comes from the Greek word ‘kataggello’.

Proclaim – Kataggello

• to proclaim

• to declare openly

• to preach

• to laud (praise)

• to celebrate

• to announce a message in a definite way

So, here we see that when we break bread together, at least two significant things happen that only the Church, the true born-again believer, can do.

a. We remember the significance of the pain and suffering the Lord went through on our behalf that we may become born-again and thus reconciled to the Father.

b. We announce to each other and to the world in an evangelical way that there is only way to the Father and that is by Jesus Christ His son and that we are committed to Jesus and to each other.

4. Prayer

· Corporate prayer

Acts 1:14

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

• Corporate prayer by the Church in unity, ushers in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost is our prime example!

When the Church is devoted to God and to each other in this way, supernatural things happen:

• People get saved, people get healed, people are delivered from demons!

Acts 2:47

praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

• We receive favour with the people

• Miracles signs and wonders follow us

Are you a devoted Christian and is your Church a devoted Church?

Today’s Church should look like the Acts Church for Jesus is the same yesterday, today and always! Amen!

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven

Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the Name of Jesus to become a devoted Christian and to be devoted to a fellowship in which you place me. Help me, O Lord, to help my brothers and sisters in Christ to do the same and help us all to be good and faithful servants to you and each other out of reverence to Christ! Amen.

To Jesus belongs ALL glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for you reading and studying the Bible for yourself. I am flawed, the Bible is not!

Last update: 9 January 2023 

Getting to know the Holy Spirit: Fellowship with the Holy Spirit - Part 2 Practical Fellowship

 Practical fellowship with the Holy Spirit

1.     Break bread together – communion

Focus on Jesus and give thanks with a grateful heart.

1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (NIV)

²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

 

2.     Soak in the presence of God.

Psalm 16:11 (NLT)

You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.

 

God releases power in us through the Holy Spirit when we are in close and intimate fellowship with him.

3.     Pray in the Spirit – Worshipping in Spirit and in truth

Let your heart and your spirit become one as you pray and worship in the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

 

John 4:24 (NIV)

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

 

4.     Meditate on the Bible and be doers of the Word

Soak up the Word as often as you can, but don’t be readers of the Word only, be doers of the Word as well.

Psalm 119:15-16 NIV)

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
¹⁶ I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

 

James 1:22 (NLT)

 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 

 

5.     Keep in fellowship with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ

Make a point of attending Sunday worship celebrations and mid-week Home Group meetings. Let it become a joy and not a drudge!

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)

²⁴ Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. ²⁵ And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

 

Romans 15:13 (NIV)

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

6.     Let your faith and belief rise up from within

Don’t just believe in God but BELIEVE GOD! Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone and – conquer fear and unbelief and move in the gifts of the Spirit. Be willing to serve others.

Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

 

Mark 10:45 (NIV)

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

 

7.     Submit to those in authority over you and one to another out of reverence for Christ

Be a true servant to the body of Christ just as Jesus is.

Hebrews 13:17 (NLT)

Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

 

Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)

 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

 

8.     Don’t give up!

Be sure of your calling and don’t give up!

Galatians 6:9

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

 

Let’s read 2 Peter 1:3-11 together: Growing in Faith!

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

When we are born-again and living life in the Spirit, we will be able to do the same things Jesus did.

Mark 16:17-18 (NIV)

¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.

Matthew 10:8

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

To Jesus let there be all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus alone is worthy – the Name above all names!

An extract from my book: Fan Into Flame: Life in the Spirit available on Amazon Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1798692120

Next week: Spiritual Warfare

Getting to know the Holy Spirit: Fellowship with the Holy Spirit - Part 1

Why is it important for us to seek fellowship with the Holy Spirit?

1. Without the Holy Spirit we will never know the things God needs us to know as born-again Christians.

 1 Cor 2:10a-16

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. ¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord  so as to instruct him?”^{[Is 40:13]}  But we have the mind of Christ.

2. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we can call God our Father.

Galatians 4:6

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."

3. It is only through the Holy Spirit that we gain full understanding of and revelation from the scriptures so that we can build a solid foundation for our walk to maturity in Christ Jesus!

Luke 6:46-49

⁴⁶ “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? ⁴⁷ I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. ⁴⁸ It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ⁴⁹ But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

How do we fellowship with the Holy Spirit?

What does the Bible say about fellowship with the Holy Spirit?

2 Corinthians 13:14

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Philippians 2:1 (NLT)

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate?

In the above two scriptures the writer, Paul in both cases, gives us a very clear picture of what fellowship with the Holy Spirit is. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit is:

·        Having the grace of Jesus in us

·        Having the love of God in us

·        Belonging to Jesus

·        Being comforted from His love

·        Being tenderhearted

·        Being compassionate

In other words, it is being imitators of Christ in every way! Be in constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit just as he was. The Greek word for “fellowship” in both these verses is koinonia¸ which can also mean communion.

In Philippians 2 Paul goes on to say this:

Philippians 2:2-5 (NLT)

² Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. ³ Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴ Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. ⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

When each of us are in true fellowship with the Holy Spirit, according to the above verses in Php 2, the following transformation will take place in the Church:

·        The Church will be complete and wholehearted agreement – verse 2

·        We will love one another as Christ loves us – verse 2

·        We will be working together in unity – verse 2

·        There will be no selfishness – verse 3

·        There will be no need to impress each other – verse 3

·        We will be truly humble as Jesus is – verse 3

·        We will not consider ourselves better than others – verse 3

·        We will be thinking of others before ourselves – verse 4

·        We will develop the same attitude as Christ – verse 5

And what was Christ’s attitude:

Philippians 2:6-11 (NLT)

⁶ Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to. ⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, ⁸ he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,     in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Love and fellowship of the Holy Spirit

These two actions go hand in hand. When we love others as Christ loves us, we are in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1 to follow the way of love (agape) and eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit. When we do this and when we step out in faith and start moving in the gifts of the Spirit, we are in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. When we are moving and operating in the gifts of the Spirit and when we are in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit then we are living life in the Spirit!

The spiritual dynamic in this combination can thus be expressed as this formula:

Love (agape) + gifts and fruit of the Spirit + fellowship of the Spirit = living life in the Spirit

This is the kind of life the Jesus expects for his Church, his Bride! The best life, the only life!

1 John 4:8, 13-16 (NIV)

⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are in constant fellowship with one another and when we are in Jesus and in the Spirit, we too are in fellowship with them!

John 3:34 (NIV)

For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

TO JESUS BELONGS ALL GLORY, HONOUR AND PRAISE!

Next week: Fellowship with the Holy Spirit - Part 2: Practical fellowship with the Holy Spirit?

An extract from my book: Fan Into Flame: Life in the Spirit available on Amazon Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1798692120

Getting to know the Holy Spirit: What should life in the Spirit look like for today's believer? Practical life in the Spirit - Part 2

 Practical Life in the Spirit - Part 2

6.    Live and Walk in Faith

Let’s start this section with a scripture that we all know well from the book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

The Bible tells us that the righteous shall walk (live) by faith (verse below) and that without faith it is impossible for us to please God (verse above):

Romans 1:17 (NIV)

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”^{[Hab 2:4]}

So, what is faith?

Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

And what is our hope as born-again Christians?

Titus 2:11-13 (NLT)

¹¹ For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. ¹² And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, ¹³ while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

Where does faith come from?

Romans 10:17 (KJV)

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

The faith for our salvation comes from hearing the word and believing in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour! The apostle Paul puts it this way:

Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

And how does the Holy Spirit help and empower us to live and walk in faith?

This kind of faith, the faith to live life in the Spirit, is a gift of the Spirit that we should eagerly desire like all the other spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:7, 9a (NIV)

⁷ Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

^9a to another faith by the same Spirit,

The more we hear, read, study and believe the Bible, and the more we become doers of the Word so the more our faith will increase. Our faith will increase to the measure we allow it to!

We all know the parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31-32 and how big a tree the mustard seed grows into. Well, if we allow it to, our faith will grow in the same measure.

Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

There is only one way God wants us to live, and that is by faith for without faith it is impossible to please Him.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Faith is an attitude of trust in the presence and faithfulness of God, which is simple enough to say but not so easy to action. To live by faith means to surrender your entire life over to God, abandoning your own desires and becoming a servant under the realization that everything you have (including your very existence) is given to you by the grace of God, it is a gift.

Romans 1:17 (NIV)

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”^{(Hab 2:4)}

As is evidenced in the lives of the apostles and particularly in the book of Acts, amazing things happen when we make this transformation; indeed, that which begins with a mustard seed of faith can grow, by the grace of God, to bless the whole world.

Our walk of faith does not rest in our own understanding of things and in our own clever words, but in faith in God who is the author and perfecter of our faith!

 Faith involves an active boldness on the part of the believer that is trusting and believing in Jesus in all things and relying entirely on the Holy Spirit to enable and empower us to bring glory to the name above all names - Jesus!

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

⁴ And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. ⁵ I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

7.    Be ever expectant to hear from God

Always be expecting to hear from God through the Word, in prayer, through prophecy and words of knowledge from others. As His children, God our Father is always wanting to teach and show us things and to talk with us and to hear from us in return.

Jesus tells us himself that he has so much to say to us:

John 16:12-15 (NIV)

¹² “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. ¹³ But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.¹⁴ He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. ¹⁵ All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

And he confirms this to us through the apostle Paul:

1 Cor 2:9-10 (NIV)

⁹However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” ^{(Is 64:4)}— the things God has prepared for those who love him— ¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

God tells us too that he has predestined works for us to do:

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Faith involves an active boldness on the part of the believer that is trusting and believing in Jesus in all things and relying entirely on the Holy Spirit to enable and empower us to bring glory to the name above all names - Jesus!

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

⁴ And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. ⁵ I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

So, it stands to reason that we need to ask him what things he has planned for us to do and this we can only do by communicating with Him and being in constant fellowship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit so that we will hear His voice – this is life in the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

8.  Be holy - pursue holiness

God calls us to live holy lives.

1 Peter 1:13-16 (NLT)

¹³ So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.¹⁴ So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your

old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. ¹⁵ But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. ¹⁶ For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”^{[Lev 11:44, 45;19:2]}

In the above verses there are things that we must always actively be doing in our lives:

·        Prepare our minds for action – verse 13

·        Exercise self-control – verse 13

·        Put all our hope in our in our salvation that comes through Christ Jesus – verse 13

·        Be obedient – verse 14

·        Don’t slip back into our old ways – verse 14

·        Be holy in everything we do – verse 15

·        Be holy because God is holy – verse 16

Holiness is a characteristic of who God is and as such, holiness should be of paramount importance to us, because without it we will never see God! (Hebrews 12:14)

Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.

But what is holiness?

Before we can look at what the Bible teaches on being holy, let’s first understand what the word means.

Holiness in the verse above is from the Greek word ‘hagiotes’ meaning holiness or sanctity. Hagiotes is derived from the Greek adjective ‘hagios’ which means set apart (for God) for the specific purpose of being holy and sacred.

From this we can safely conclude that God expects us, as Christians, to set ourselves apart to be holy to Him.  In fact, Heb 12:14 above states quite emphatically that the we won’t see the Lord unless we pursue holiness.

Also, as we endeavour to pursue holiness, we will experience a measure of pain as He chastises us for our own good, through the process of dying to self.

Nevertheless, this chastising process will yield within us the peaceable fruit of holiness and righteousness.

Hebrew 12:9-11 (NLT)

⁹ Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

¹⁰ For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness.¹¹ No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

In other words, that which is holy belongs to God, and conversely whatever belongs to God is holy. We are sanctified and "set apart for a holy use or purpose" by God, and to find out what our use and purpose is in Christ Jesus we need to live life in the Spirit.

God has selected us to be His servants and has called us to come out of this world, to be different and separate from the rest of the world. Jesus said,

John 17:14-16 (NIV)

¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

The Christian must live in this present evil world, but his life must be different from the lives of the other people that are in the world – who are not born-again.  who do not know Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

He or she must come out from any of this world's ways that are sinful and evil out from the religious and spiritual "'Babylon" that is this whole world.

Revelation 18:4 (NIV)

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

“‘Come out of her (the world), my people,’^{[Jer 51:45)}
    so that you will not share in her sins,
    so that you will not receive any of her plagues;

Making such a distinction and living by it is one of the many ways that God's true servants are different from the rest of the world.

Instead of being immersed in the lawless and sinful ways of the world, we should put our thoughts on better things:

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This scripture makes is very clear that we should avoid filling our minds with entertainment that is sinful: void of (God’s) love, lustful, sexually illicit or that is filled with murder, hatred, evil and all other such things.

We often justify our sinful actions by saying things like: "It’s only a song — it's only make believe, it's only a movie, that’s who I am." On the contrary, the Bible says this:

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

We cannot call ourselves Christians and continue to walk in the ways of the world – we must walk in the way of the Spirit! Christians need to be different from the rest of this world — to say no to sin, to evil and to wrong things as it is written:

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT)

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

We will continue to be holy if we live a life of holiness. That is the way of obedience and conformity with God's ways and His Word. That is living life in the Spirit.

God wants a glorious Church without spot or blemish. Jesus gave his life for the Church in order to make her holy:

Ephesians 5:26-27 (NIV)

²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

9.    Believe and do not doubt

Here it is important for us to understand that unbelief is a sin – not believing and trusting in the Lord is sinful!

Psalm 78:17-19

¹⁷ But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High. ¹⁸ They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved. ¹⁹ They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?

Unbelief in Jesus, the Word and all the things of God is resistance of the Holy Spirit:

Acts 7:51 (NLT)

 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!

Life in the Spirit encompasses all the things that Jesus is, the Son of God, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Spirit of Truth and much more. It is believing in all that Jesus is and believing every Word of God – the entire Bible.

Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^{[Dt 8:3]}”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

When we walk in unbelief instead of in the Spirit (belief) we become moaners and grumblers, dissatisfied with life and nothing seems right to us! When we do this, we move ourselves out of God’s peace and into the realm of the world where there is no peace, and what is of the world is against the Spirit!

Unbelief and doubt need to be repented of and cast out!

Mark 11:24 (NIV)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

But make sure that you ask from a pure heart and not from selfish motives!

James 4:3 (NLT)

And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

What does the apostle James say about the person that doubts?

James 1:6-8 (NIV)

⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

10.    Be doers of the Word

Being doers of the Word is part and parcel of living life in the Spirit. James the brother of Jesus and leader of the Church in Jerusalem after the ascension of Jesus into heaven, says this:

                                                              James 1:22-25 (NLT)

²² But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. ²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

 The sentence in verse 22 “You must do what it says” would indicate that this is not merely a request but a specific instruction or commandment to the Church.

And these are the words of Jesus himself:

 Luke 11:25 (NIV)

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

 Luke 6:46-49

⁴⁶ “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? ⁴⁷ I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. ⁴⁸ It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ⁴⁹ But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

TO JESUS BELONGS ALL GLORY, HONOUR AND PRAISE!

Next week: Fellowship with the Holy Spirit - Part 1: How do we fellowship with the Holy Spirit?

An extract from my book: Fan Into Flame: Life in the Spirit available on Amazon Paperback:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1798692120