The Crossfire Minute

Keeping in Step with the Holy Spirit

2012-05-25T13:55:00.000-06:00

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Gal. 5:25, 26

People who have a deeper understanding of grace know that their very life only exists by the Spirit. They know their spirit is alive, they have eternal life, and they have empowered life, only because of the undeserved favor and blessing sealed by the Holy Spirit. Their spiritual life is by the Spirit. However Paul reminded the Galatians that they must also keep in step with the spirit, or to walk with Him daily. Living by the spirit was not just a position of holiness and righteousness, but a daily empowered lifestyle.

In leadership we sometimes need to be reminded to keep up with the walk of the Spirit; that is to know He is right there every moment, in every temptation, in every leadership challenge. Paul went on to say we should not become conceited which would lead to provocation and envy of other people. The knowledge that we live only because of the incredible grace of God sealed by the Holy Spirit in us can never become a position of conceit or pride. Any knowledge we have of God’s incredible transforming power demands humility, knowing that we could never be who we are in Christ, without the Holy Spirit. Departing from humility will always lead to conceit, a form of pride. Conceit in the church means you know something or have done something that makes you superior. Conceit reveals that you have moved from grace to works; from keeping in step with the spirit to falling from grace.

Conceit and grace are mutually exclusive. Humility and pride are mutually exclusive. They cannot occupy the same space in our hearts and minds. The New Living Translation says ‘let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.’ When conceit is present it will be accompanied by two manifestations: (1) irritating others with a superior attitude and (2) jealousy of others who seem to be in positions of greater influence or prominence. Conceit is exposed through the jealousy of another’s position. Conceit believes it is better qualified for that position of influence.
While this scripture is certainly for the whole church, it is especially poignant for people in leadership. If we really cherish living by the Spirit, we must keep in step with the Spirit by resisting any form of conceit, pride, and elitism. No matter how great we perceive our ministry to be in spiritual things, the real test is if we are keeping in step with Him through humility and grace.

Humility and grace in leadership may appear weak at times. They may result in being ‘walked upon’ at times. They may be viewed as too ‘loose’; not being the pastoral police to the extent some would like. But humility and grace keep you in step with the Holy Spirit, trusting Him in every aspect of ministry.

Living in Him...a Tree of Righteousness a Planting of the Lord

2012-05-09T13:37:00.000-06:00

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Col. 2:6-10

In one sentence, written by Paul the Apostle, we have a picture of the three levels of maturity in a believer. The three levels can be symbolized by a tree.

In my previous posts I elaborated upon the root system, that first level of maturity that is the foundation upon which the trunk, branches and fruit grow and come forth. Grace is the nutritional root system below ground that emerges as a glorious healthy tree above ground. The second level of maturity discussed was being built up in Christ. To be built up is to grow up. It is a necessary process of believing on Christ unto the fullness of who He is in us. Being built up does not determine your eternal life, but it does determine your abundant life.

Today I will address the third level of maturity; ‘living in Him’. This level is reflected in a daily walk of being led by the Holy Spirit bringing forth the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-25) on a regular basis. It is a life of continually drawing from the root system, growing a trunk strong enough to sustain a glorious canopy of leaves and fruit, and durable against the harshness of everything that comes against it.

In these first levels of maturity you gained knowledge of the Word of God as your primary area of growth. You became firmly rooted in the knowledge and power of grace to establish your position and manifest your strength in Christ. As you grew you learned how to walk ‘according to the Spirit’, i.e. in alignment with the general will of God found in scripture and in obedience to His Word. To ‘live in Him’ is the level of knowing and trusting His voice, testing every spirit for alignment with the Word of God, and quickly discerning truth. To ‘live in Him’ is to continuously be connected to the source of all strength and the producer of fruit; fruit that remains.

John 15 speaks to this idea of ‘remaining’ in Him. We see in John 15 that to live in Him brings forth increasing abundance of fruit, i.e. fruit (vs. 5), more fruit (vs. 2) and much fruit (vs. 5, 8). This is the life of living in His glory and revealing His glory. It’s the stable, abundant, fruitful life that brings forth the fruit of the fullness of Christ; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-25). This is the abundant life Jesus purchased on the cross, the fullness of Christ in you; the glory of God in you, and the love of God through you. This is the mature believer, a tree of righteousness a planting of the Lord (Isaiah. 61:3).

Assess your spiritual maturity. Be honest. Be truthful to yourself and to Him. He is the author of your faith. As you grow He is also the finisher of your faith (Heb. 12:2). You are designed by God’s impartation of righteousness to be that great tree of righteousness full of lasting fruit. It’s in you!! Let it grow, mature and be revealed as you begin to ‘live in Him’.

Growing Brings Glory

2012-04-25T14:02:00.000-06:00

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Col. 2:6-10

In this one sentence, written by Paul the Apostle, we have a picture of the three levels of maturity in a believer. The three levels can be symbolized by a tree.

In my previous post I elaborated upon the root system, that first level of maturity that is the foundation upon which the trunk, branches and fruit grow and come forth. Grace is the nutritional root system below ground that emerges as a glorious healthy tree above ground.

The second level of maturity is being built up in Christ. To be built up is to grow up. It is a necessary process of believing on Christ unto the fullness of who He is in us. Being built up does not determine your eternal life, but it does determine your abundant life. In keeping with the symbolism of a tree, I think of the aspen trees of Colorado. They are oh-so-beautiful but few people understand the process and perseverance they represent to become gloriously gold and fruitful for all to see. As they grow, high winds buffet them in the winter, drought challenges them in the summer, fire roars through the forest community, heavy rains attempt to drown them out, disease tries to invade beyond their protective bark to kill them, and forest animals nibble away at the tender shoots and soft bark unknowingly making them vulnerable to all of the above. But…the aspen tree survives as it resists all that is thrown at it. It thrives as it continually draws from the deep root system for nourishment and strength. It grows as it resists by refusing to be destroyed. Its genetic code says "I will live and not die. I will overcome every challenge to bring forth the beauty and fullness of my identity. I will grow." And so it does grow, bringing forth beauty in the glorious golden leaves covering the mountain sides, a beauty beheld by millions of people bringing joy and refreshment to their hearts.

This picture of the aspen tree reflects the growing process of the believer, a process no one can avoid unless they refuse the spiritual food of grace or give in to the challenges around them. To mature brings stability. To mature brings beauty. To mature brings glory in the church. It is so as we embrace the process of being ‘built up’ in Christ, strengthened and overflowing with thankfulness to the One who planted the seed within us. 2 Cor. 3:18 says we are being transformed into ‘His likeness with ever increasing glory’. My prayer for you is to be built up in Christ with ever increasing glory.

Deep Roots, Good Fruit

2012-04-19T14:07:00.006-06:00

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Col. 2:6-10 In this one sentence, written by Paul the Apostle, we have a picture of the three levels of maturity in a believer. The three levels can be symbolized by a tree. The first level of maturity is the root system, being ‘rooted’ in Christ, i.e. firmly established in the foundations of the Gospel. To be rooted is to understand and consistently walk in grace, the undeserved favor and blessing of God through faith in Jesus. The health and expanse of this root system determines the health and expanse of the harvest of fruit coming from the tree.

Grace is the essence of the Gospel, the cornerstone of our relationship with the Father. Without grace we would need to work for our righteousness. Without grace we would have to prove ourselves worthy of approaching the Father in prayer. Without grace we would need to perform old covenant rituals to cleanse ourselves in order to experience the presence of God. Without grace we would never have an assurance of eternal life. Without grace our outward behavior would be the standard of righteousness. Without grace the wrath of God would still be upon us. Without grace we would be dependent upon certain ‘anointed ones’ (prophets) to hear what God is saying on our behalf. Without grace we could never be built up and produce the fruit of grace……..the harvest of HIS righteousness flowing through us to produce 30, 60, and 100 fold in the Kingdom of God.

Leaders, if you desire for people to walk in greater levels of maturity, continually teach them the roots of grace. It is from these roots that the whole tree absorbs nutrients, gains strength, and bears fruit. It is from these roots that they become established, rooted, and sufficiently supplied to grow to the next levels of maturity in Christ. Don’t rush the process. The expansion of the unseen root system below ground determines the health of the tree above the ground.

You Are Risen....Because Christ Is Risen!

2012-04-09T08:09:00.005-06:00

This Resurrection Day consider who it is that lives in your body. Who are you? Who is the person that walks through each day at the office, in the coffee shop, in the family, and in the church? Is it the natural soul-man, the physical body-man, or the resurrected spirit-man? The outward body that many see and know walking down the street no longer lives, from God’s perspective. The one of the flesh, the one of the sin nature, the old man in the body no longer lives because you have been raised with Christ.

Paul said, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal. 2:20, 21. Paul is saying that the REAL Paul is the one who is in relationship with the Father, who walks according to the Spirit, who lives by faith, and who is the servant of the Gospel. He is the resurrected Paul living through the resurrected Christ. The flesh nature, the old man, was crucified with Christ.

When you believed on Jesus Christ as savior and Lord you profoundly changed inside! The old you was crucified and buried, and the new you was raised up! Paul said, ‘…having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. Col. 2:12 The old you is gone, the physical body and the unredeemed nature were buried and the new creation is risen, just as Christ is risen! You carry the power of the resurrection in the new YOU. Now, your mind must be renewed to this Truth.

Paul went on to tell the people of Colossae; Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Col. 3:1 The people of Colossae had been raised and were now living in Christ. They, the natural flesh men, no longer lived in the eyes of God, but Christ was living in them and through them!! So it is with YOU!

This seems radical but it is the good news! This is transformed thinking……renewing of the mind to consider ourselves, as believers, to be RISEN this Resurrection Day. The life you live today is the life of the Spirit of life in Christ. As He is risen, so you are risen!