Spirit #3 – WHEN GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT CEASE (2 of 2)

Workings of the Holy Spirit – Personal Experience

Hualalai Harbor, courtesy Clever Smyth 2013

Our validation that we are more spirit than flesh comes from spiritual healing that are outside of 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, but inside Revelation 22:2. Remember, fruit-bearers have entered into that which is perfect (1 Cor. 13:8-10).

One day, my left upper back was giving me intense pain. If there’s one thing I dislike is pain of that intensity. My entire thirty-something life was spent in excruciating pain. I was in total misery.

I prayed that God would heal me. The gifts of the Spirit had, by this time, long ceased to operate for me—no matter how many churches I had attended where there were “laying on of hands”. Yet, the reality of Jesus’ promise was for me (John 11:26).

That night, I had a dream of sharing the fruit of gentleness with a spirit-person. The next morning, as I dwelt upon the dream-experience, I began to smell a scent that reminded me of crushed green leaves. I continued to inhale this scent because I was intrigued by it. After maybe a half hour the smell dissipated.

By evening, the pain was gone! Then the Scripture came to me of the leaves of the trees in Revelation that were for healing. I always wondered why, if we’re in heaven, we would still need leaves to heal us. Now I know that those leaves are not only for the spirits in heaven, but also for those of us on earth—who are changing (mĕtamŏrphŏō) into spirit (2 Cor. 3:18)!

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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Spirit #2 – WHEN GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT CEASE (1 of 2)

Workings of the Holy Spirit

Spirit-filled, fleshly Christians have benefitted one time or other from spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:1-11). Yet, Scripture says that in time, these gifts will fail or cease for us (1 Cor. 13:8) because God has made certain they are only “in part” until that which is “perfect” (or complete) has come (1 Cor. 13:10).  

No doubt Spirit-filled, fleshly Christians have already experienced a lessening of the spiritual gifts. If so, we’ve probably done one of the following: 

First, being disillusioned and lacking deep roots of faith, we’ve either abandoned our Christian walk; or second and worse, we’ve been “forcing” the gifts to happen—not from a place of faith—but from a place of desperation. Or, we’ve even blamed the fellowship we’re in and then managed to find a different fellowship, where the Spirit of God still graces its members with spiritual gifts. Thus, for our lack of faith in God, ourselves, and others, we miss out on opportunities to grow up! 

Mature Christians, however, blame no one—not ourselves, others, or God. Our faith has matured enough where we’re able to acknowledge that God no longer wants us to dwell in experiences that are “in part”; rather, we are to move on into “that which is perfect”.  

Perfection (completion) comes from bringing forth spiritual fruit, not spiritual gifts. Fruit-bearers are more spirit than flesh. Thus, as spirit, our validation comes to us in the form of spiritual provisions—that are outside of 1 Corinthians 12!

 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Spirit #1 – WALK IN THE SPIRIT

Workings of the Holy Spirit

Most spirit-filled Christians often confess, “We have to walk in the Spirit”, yet most do not know what that means.

To “walk in the Spirit” is to bring forth the Spirit’s fruit:  love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness (kindness), faith, meekness (humbleness), and temperance (self-control) (Gal. 5: 22, 23). Thus, fruit-bearers are more spirit than flesh. We know this because juxtaposed of the fruit of the Spirit, are the works of the flesh. Some of these works are hatred, jealousies, outburst of anger, selfish ambitions, envy, murders, and drunkenness*.

Jesus said we would know fruit-bearers by the fruit they displayed (Matt. 7:20; 12:33). One example from an earlier Christian generation was our elderly, who displayed full-fruited lives of patience, gentleness, and humbleness.

Unfortunately, spiritual fruit are oftentimes not appreciated or recognized by today’s flesh-bearing Christians. The reason is in our hearts. A Christian, whose heart is filled with jealousy against another, will speak badly against the one they are envious of because of the abundance of evil the heart contains (Matt. 12:34 NKJV).

  

Thus, to display the fruit of the Spirit is our responsibility as Christians. And if we think we have a choice in this matter, then we’ve forgotten we’ve been bought with a price and our lives are no longer our own (1 Cor. 6:20). Clearly, Jesus required fruit-bearing:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain… (John 15:16 NKJV)

Scripture quotations from the King James Version (KJV) of the bible unless otherwise noted. NKJV = New King James Version. *(see complete list in Galatians 5: 19-21) 

Spirit #0 – WORKINGS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BLOG

Aloha, it’s 2013 a New Year! But for the most part, we’ve probably brought our Old Selves into it. 

No doubt most of us have made resolutions to improve our bodies by exercise, eating healthy, and staying mentally fit. Since resolutions are based on our good intentions, the chances are also good that most of us will fail to complete them. 

Perhaps we’ve heard the saying, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”? Wouldn’t we like to know what components make up our “flesh” so we can overcome them? Wouldn’t we feel happier with ourselves if we could keep, rather than break, our promises to ourselves? 

One of the “flesh” components is our desires. Scriptures say we are weak if our mind is controlled by the desires of our sin nature (Rom. 8:5). Now, to make resolutions to exercise, eat healthily, and stay mentally fit are not sinful of themselves; but since our desires are rooted in the sin nature, we won’t have the staying power to do good for ourselves, or others. Thus, our good intentions fail because our roots are corrupt to begin with. 

However, Christians have an advantage. If the Spirit of God lives in us, then we are Christ’s and not controlled by the desires of the sin nature but by the desires of the Spirit (Rom. 8:9). 

This Spirit Blog will highlight workings of the Holy Spirit so we might understand the power at work in us, and be humble witnesses for Christ.  

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All Scriptures come from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV).