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Topic: Endurance (03/22/04)
TITLE: Endurance through Faith in the Holy Spirit By Tony Schulz 03/28/04 |
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There is not one of us born in the flesh that is not bound to suffer the results of this bondage without the intervention of God our Father, through his son Jesus Christ. The moment we are born, death like a horseman in a far off city sets out on his journey whether long or short to find us. Before he reaches us we are also bound to suffer the manifold torments of life such as separation from our loved ones who may have to leave before us, various debilitating sicknesses and all the worries that are part and parcel of our version of life in the world born from basing our self in the flesh through ignorance of the Truth.
Finally, after devoting our whole lives to the search for our own wealth and an improvement to our own circumstances, we find we have no power to extend our limited existence even another hour, as we experience the final frustration that is the loss of all we have worked to accomplish in all our years of struggle, as they disappear as we pass away.
5‘…Each man’s life is but a breath. Selah 6 man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.’ Psalm 39 (NIV)
If we have acted in total disregard to the will of God, which is revealed to us by his son Jesus Christ, we have to face the far more terrible torments of hell. But if we have heard the word of God and acted upon it we will find salvation:
20‘But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ Matthew 6 (NIV)
Of course, the truth about the sufferings of life are highly depressing to those of us who base our entire existence on our own truths which come from our own experience of life in the flesh. Our own mortality is not something we like to be reminded of, but something that we must now stop hiding away from if we are to truly follow the will of God that comes through Jesus, and offers us much more than that which life in the flesh could ever give. The word is based exclusively on the ultimate Truth that comes from the Holy Spirit, and is therefore completely trustworthy.
19‘ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these;’ (KJV) ‘sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and 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.
22‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.’ Galatians 5 (NIV)
We base our selves in flesh, and as a result look to our own happiness as foremost, and to others’ happiness as secondary. We look down on others with prejudice coming from a sense of self-importance, but Jesus realised that there was no Truth in the flesh, and through this epiphany and freedom was able to do the will of his Father in heaven perfectly:
6‘Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!’ Philippians 2 (NIV)
Our endurance and our survival can only come through adherence to the law of Jesus, which is in essence love. But we have no power to embody this without allowing the Holy Spirit to enter us. If we had true love for our Father in heaven, and for every fellow human being, it would be impossible for us to commit sin even in our minds. Can we really say that we embody true love when we commit murder and adultery in our minds every day by thoughts of aversion towards some and lust towards others, when those brothers and sisters have been made in God’s own image?
As we look around us and see the disaster that has become of our lives we must understand that it is a result of forsaking the commandment to embody the true love that was taught to us by Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. For now it must be with unshaken commitment that we conduct all actions in faith, with the motivation of true love, and in the name of Jesus - which is the only name acceptable to God, not our own. Then He will be able to send us the Holy Spirit if we are clean in this way.
11‘And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.’ Romans 8 (NIV)
The greatest obstacle to our happiness and the cause of all our pain is lack of the ultimate wisdom of the Spirit. When Jesus comes he will fill us with the wisdom of his Spirit, the Spirit of God, which is the nature of love and truth. From this experience of the Spiritual truth, all our actions become motivated by the mind of God’s ultimate wisdom and love, and therefore all actions become perfect and the source of all our sustained happiness.
Finally apostle Paul prays for us:
16‘I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.’ Ephesians 3 (NIV)