When Daniel Clark and I met in early July of this year to discuss a theme for our Honduras 2011 mission team, the testimonies of our share night in the dining hall of the mission home in Nicaragua were still very fresh on our mind. While we call these testimonies, they might better be described as confessions. Confession is the correct and only response to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. And the common confession from our NIC2010 team was that we serve our Lord differently on a mission trip than we serve Him the rest of the year.
I’m sure you will agree with Daniel and I that the proper response to conviction is confession, but it can’t stop there. Confession must lead to repentance. Repentance is best defined as a change of direction. Our confession was that we do not serve our Lord at home, in our churches, on our jobs, in our schools or even in our families with the same fervor as we serve Him the week of a foreign mission trip. So repentance should cause each of us to serve our Lord with more fervor the other 51 weeks of the year.
The purpose of our 51+1 theme is to remind us of the fact that we have confessed and repented. So what should our repentance look like? Or maybe a better question might be; how is your repentance being demonstrated?
I’m going to start a series of post that digs into Galatians chapter five. I’m going to title this series of post LIFE BY THE SPIRIT. These series will not be posted on consecutive weeks; we will continue to post testimonies and articles from those of you that want to share.
In Galatians 5:16-25 Paul tells us what life in the Spirit should look like. Please note as you read these verses below that Paul, in verses 16-21 first presents life in the Spirit in the negative and then in the positive in verses 22-26.
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Since I was one of those that became convicted on the 51+1 necessity, my repentance has led me away from those things in verses 16-21. Now that’s not to say I don’t still have a problem with some of them, just that my repentance forces me to walk away from those things and toward the positive things in verses 22-26. Before us as a group and in particular, you as an individual can walk away from the negative (sin) and toward the positive (fruit of the Spirit) there has to have been a time of confession and repentance.
I’m asking that during this next week you find time to get alone with God and use verses 16-21 to examine your direction. I’d suggest that you do this in an audible voice by speaking aloud questions to God. For instance as you look at verse 17 you might ask God this question; “Father do I desire what is contrary to the Spirit or what is contrary to sin?” You get the idea, go through each of these verses and ask as many questions as needed till God convinces you that you have walked away from each thing listed in verses 16-21.
I also encourage you to share comments and give encouragements by using the comments tab on this blog. It would be nice for all of us to hear what God is speaking to you as we experience LIFE IN THE SPIRIT.
Tommy--one counted among the redeemed
Merci mon Capitaine!
ReplyDeleteIn light of many events in my life this year, I am deeply convicted of the necessity of a personal change of direction. When we were talking of "51+1" in July, I was looking at my life, my struggles. 51+1 is a huge spiritual challenge for most Christians. I confess that I find myself struggling with sin (including some on this list of 15) and it collides with my witness and destroys it. A self examen of my life since our return from Nicaragua shows flaws in my day-to-day life, flaws in my relationships and flaws in my reactions when confronted with extraordinary events at home, work or such as the one we are going through at Church. I relate to the Apostle Paul stuggles with his "thorn in his side" yet my God is bigger then this and his life-instructions-book has all the answers I need. So why turn to world conventional wisdom for solutions instead of God directly? I suspect that other members of our 51+1 Team are facing similar concerns so I suggest that we go back to the basics and follow our Lord's instructions: Step 1 is to stay vigilant in prayers and intercession for one another: Ask God to take over...again. I look forward for your other posts on "life by the spirit" but I will not wait for your next chapter to take actions.
There is no doubt that God wants to take our Team (and Church for that matter) to a new spiritual level and I want to be on board!
daniel