By Pastor Greg
Last December there was a pretty insignificant cross-country race held in Spain. Several word renowned runners were participating, using it as a training event. But at this race something significant happened that caused the news media to stand up and take notice. Abel Mutai, Olympic Bronze Medalist from Kenya, mistakenly thought he was finished with the race, but actually had about 10 more meters to go. That’s when the second place runner, Ivan Fernandez Anaya, impressed the world by giving up victory to do the right thing. He caught up to Abel Mutai, and pointed him to the finish line allowing him to finish first. 
Ivan didn’t think it was a big deal, but the world stood up and took notice. I believe this is because amid a world of corruption, deceit, and greed, our world is thirsty for something good. I believe the people of this world are longing from the depth of their souls to find a reason to hope; any good deed that shines in this weary world.
I believe the Christian has an opportunity to be the light that shines in a dark world. But the problem is, as we have learned by Paul, is that even within the Christian the selfish, corrupt, greedy, sinful self still remains. Paul, in his letter to the Roman Christians, taught us about Truth and Grace – the standard by which God calls us to live, and the grace He grants us as we strive to reach that standard. However, considering the fact that our sin nature still remains, and that our sin nature is working against us, how can we possibly “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10)? How is it possible for us to separate ourselves from the world? How can we become set apart and holy? How can we become sanctified? Paul has reminded us that because of our sin nature we do not possess the ability to live according to God’s Laws. “For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it” (Romans 7:18). So what is a Christian to do? Do we admit defeat and never try to live according to God’s Holy standard? Do we merely rest upon grace? Well, the good news is that God equips us for this very task. He grants us what we need to overcome the weakness of the flesh. He grants us His Spirit which becomes a source of strength and power to actually live in a way that pleases God (Read Romans 8:1-17).
Paul says a believer is not condemned. And that’s because our sin nature is covered by the sinlessness of Christ. But this section of Romans is not addressing our salvation, it is speaking about our ability to please God; to be the kind of person that lives as a Christian should. To stop living as a person still held hostage by sin, God equips each believer with the ability to become sanctified; set apart from sin, and instead reflecting the Holiness of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit living within us that enables us to live in a way that honors God, reflects God, and pleases God. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:30). So if you want to step away from sin and please God, submit and surrender to the guiding of the Spirit
This gifting of the Spirit is something very significant. Pouring out His Spirit into each Christian was no afterthought by God. It is one of the more significant events in your salvation. Think about this: within each true believer dwells the Holy Spirit. But also within each believer there is still the fallen human nature. So we find within each believer not only the Holiness of the Spirit but also the sinfulness of the flesh. Warren Wiersbe points out that, "Daily He {Spirit} endures our carnality and selfishness; daily He is grieved by our sin; yet He loves us and remains in us as the seal of God and the “down payment” (compare 2 Corinthians 1:22) of the blessings waiting for us in eternity". The Spirit marks us as God’s very own. By pouring out His Spirit into our lives God confirms us as His very own. But the Spirit also conforms us into the kind of person who lives in a way that honors God. A person surrendered to the Spirit will be guided away from the sins of the flesh. They will be transformed into a person who can please God. This is what it means to be sanctified; to be transformed daily into the image of Christ. And the more we allow the Spirit to do His work within us, the more we reflect the holiness of Christ.
As a Christian we must work daily to submit to the urgings of the Spirit within us and suppress the urgings of the flesh. It takes diligence, work, and determination. This is why Spiritual disciplines are so important to the Christian. They help us focus on the Spirit rather than the flesh. To walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, we need to immerse ourselves into the things of God’s Kingdom. We do this through prayer, Bible study, and participation in acts of service or in acts of worship. Some are strengthened through fasting, while others are strengthened by journaling. The point is that these spiritual exercises strengthen our ability to be controlled by the Spirit of God rather than by the flesh.
So, what does a life led by the Spirit look like? It is one that shows fruit; evidence that can be seen and heard. Paul says a life led by the Spirit calls God "Abba Father", an affectionate term similar to calling our own fathers "daddy". We move from selfishness to selflessness. We move from hate to love, anger to peace, sadness to joy, irritability to patience, meanness to kindness (compare Galatians 5:22-23). These characteristics are evident within the Christian who listens to the Spirit as He works to help the believer become more sanctified; more like Christ.
William Shakespeare wrote "That light we see is burning in my hall. How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world”[1], or, as Willy Wonka puts it, “So shines a good dead in a weary world”. This world is longing for righteousness. The people of this world are constantly fed a diet of corruption, selfishness, greed, hate, anger, and indifference. They are starved for even the tiniest glimmer of light. This is why the stories of people like Ivan Fernandez Anaya cause such a stir. Here are people acting contrary to human nature; people acting with love, caring, patience, and understanding. And the world seems a little less corrupt; a little less wicked when the light of a little candle throws its beams for all to see. This is what happens when you and I allow the Spirit within us to transform us. We become a little more like Christ and a little less like the world. That’s what it means to be sanctified. And when this happens I believe the world will stand up and take notice.
Question: Then what does it mean when we see a professing Christian acting as a person of the world instead of acting according to the Spirit? What does it mean when we see no “Fruit of the Spirit” in their lives?
Answer: It could be one of 3 things. They have either grown indifferent to the urgings of the Spirit within them, do not know that what they are doing is contrary to the teachings of God, or do not have the Spirit within them in the first place. In other words, it’s either a matter of the heart, mind, or soul. They need to be encouraged to change, taught to change, or evangelized. They either need to be convicted, convinced, or converted.
[1] The Merchant of Venice, Act 5, Scene I
No comments:
Post a Comment