Monday, April 12, 2010
ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO FLOW
Take a look at 2 Peter 1:5-11 ... here it is from The Message:
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
And here it is from the NIV:
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 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. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This passage speaks to that change of heart as we give our lives over to God. Our actions and reactions change as we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit flowing through us.
Yet we also know that despite this transformation of our heart, we still possess free will. The Lord may dwell in us but we through free will can stop His love and grace from flowing through us, much like turning off a water faucet.
The end of this scripture, though, is a reminder that we must strive to live into the life God intended for us ... to be that conduit ... to be that never ending flow of refreshing water complete with knowledge,self control, kindness and love.
The way I look at it, this is a spiritual discipline that requires attention ... and that we take one day at a time.
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing, the streets paved and the way wide open into the eternal kingdom of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
And here it is from the NIV:
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 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. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This passage speaks to that change of heart as we give our lives over to God. Our actions and reactions change as we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit flowing through us.
Yet we also know that despite this transformation of our heart, we still possess free will. The Lord may dwell in us but we through free will can stop His love and grace from flowing through us, much like turning off a water faucet.
The end of this scripture, though, is a reminder that we must strive to live into the life God intended for us ... to be that conduit ... to be that never ending flow of refreshing water complete with knowledge,self control, kindness and love.
The way I look at it, this is a spiritual discipline that requires attention ... and that we take one day at a time.
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