CHAPTER 19
BEING FULL OF GOD’S WORD (MIXED WITH FAITH) = BEING FULL OF THE SPIRIT
Let’s see what the apostle Paul had to say about being Full of the Spirit.
WHEREFORE BE YE NOT UNWISE, BUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD IS.
AND BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS; BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT;
“SPEAKING” TO YOURSELVES IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, “SINGING” AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART (MIND) TO THE LORD;
EPHESIANS 5:17-19
Isn’t it clear that the key to Walking in the Spirit and being Full of the Spirit is speaking or singing God’s Word to yourself?
The Psalms are God’s Word of course and all Hymns and Spiritual songs should be based on God’s Word. A word of warning, there are quite a few Hymns and Christian songs these days that actually contradict God’s Word. Make sure that you are not singing blasphemy or you may be worse off than if you did not sing at all.
Now days, we are without excuse, there is so much Christian broadcasting on television, the radio, CDs, DVDs, books and on the internet. We should be able to surround ourselves constantly with God’s Word. Just make sure it is God’s Word! Jesus warned:
TAKE HEED THAT NO MAN DECEIVE YOU.
FOR MANY SHALL COME IN MY NAME, SAYING I AM CHRIST; AND SHALL DECEIVE MANY.
MATTHEW 24:4-5
We need to be so careful when it comes to our spiritual health and growth, just like we need to be careful about our physical health and growth. We would not sit down and stuff ourself if somebody put a plate of poison plants in front of us. Do not stuff yourself with lies either. It is so important to know God’s Word. Just going to church doesn’t cut the mustard. If you do not know God’s Word, how will you know that what you are listening to at your church is the truth or a lie?
There is a most important reason to take the Apostle Paul seriously.
ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS:
II TIMOTHY 3:16
To me, just silently reading the scripture is similar to seeing a grand feast spread out before us, smelling all the savory dishes, but never getting any nourishment by sitting down to eat. That is why I believe someone can read the scriptures all their lives and still be a hopeless backsliding sinner. That is why we can set people up on a pedestal, because of their supposed knowledge of God, and they can finally disappoint us. That is why we can read the Bible and go to church and still struggle with sin.
In order to be an over comer, in order to be accounted righteous by God, we need to sit down and eat at the feast God has spread before us. We have to chew (meditate) on God’s Word and swallow (memorize) God’s Word and we have to continue in (speak, sing) God’s Word every day!
FOR IF YE LIVE AFTER THE FLESH, YE SHALL DIE: BUT IF YE THROUGH THE SPIRIT DO MORTIFY (PUT TO DEATH) THE DEEDS OF THE BODY, YE SHALL LIVE.
FOR AS MANY AS ARE LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THEY ARE THE SONS OF GOD.
ROMANS 8:13-14
It is by the Spirit (the Word of God) that not only we, but the saints of old were able to put the sinful deeds of their body to death by speaking and believing God’s Word! The devil, by using our sin infected body, wants us to ignore God’s Word, wants us to sin, wants to separate us from GOD by unbelief, and wants to kill us. Sin is like a virus, after it takes up residence within us, it will begin to multiply and take over our bodies. Sin will lay you low and eventually it will kill you. Fortunately, Jesus Christ (the spoken Word of God) is our antidote and remedy for sin, the Word of God mortifies our flesh and strengthens our spirit. Our fleshy desires must be put to death in order to release our spirit.
VERILY (TRULY), VERILY (TRULY), I SAY UNTO YOU, EXCEPT A CORN (SEED) OF WHEAT FALL INTO THE GROUND AND DIE, IT ABIDETH ALONE: BUT IF IT DIE, IT BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT.
HE THAT LOVETH HIS LIFE SHALL LOSE IT; AND HE THAT HATETH HIS LIFE IN THIS WORLD SHALL KEEP IT UNTO LIFE ETERNAL.
JOHN 12:24-25
There is that verily, verily again. Jesus is saying something important! The seed or outer shell or flesh must die before it can produce fruit. When we speak the Word of God, we mortify, or put to death our flesh, and the Spirit of God, which dwells with our spirit, is released into the world. Only the Spirit of God can save the lost world, only the Spirit of God can deliver us from sin, the devil, death, and hell.
We can either believe God or doubt God. God has a simple standard: God says that if we will believe His Word, He will impute Righteousness to us; however, if we disbelieve His Word, He will impute evil to us.
What do I mean by that?
God wants us to be righteous, He wants us to become one with Him, and He wants us to live forever.
You may ask, “If Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David could become righteous, why did Jesus Christ have to be born, die, and be resurrected?”
First we have to understand what God means by righteousness.
WAS NOT ABRAHAM OUR FATHER JUSTIFIED BY WORKS, WHEN HE HAD OFFERED ISAAC HIS SON UPON THE ALTAR?
SEEST THOU HOW FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS, AND BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT?
AND THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED WHICH SAITH, ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS “IMPUTED” UNTO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS: AND HE WAS CALLED THE FRIEND OF GOD.
JAMES 2:21-23
IMPUTED – 3049. Log-id’-zom-ahee; to take an inventory, i.e. estimate (literally or figuratively): - conclude, (ac-) count (of), + despise, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on). (The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1984.)
We see that a person is Righteous, as far as God is concerned, if that person believes and is obedient to what God has spoken. The more you believe God’s Word the more righteous you will be. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
How do we know if someone believes what God has said? That person’s life(style) will begin conforming to God’s Word. How will a person begin conforming to God’s Word if they do not even know God’s Word? How do we know if a person does not believe God’s Word? That person’s life(style) will NOT conform to God’s Word.
TAKE HEED, BRETHREN, LEST THERE BE IN ANY OF YOU AN “EVIL” HEART OF “UNBELIEF”, IN DEPARTING FROM THE LIVING GOD.
HEBREWS 3:12
We see that a person has an evil heart, as far as God is concerned, if that person disbelieves God’s Word and is disobedient to what God has spoken. Everybody who believes God’s Word will enter into His rest. Everybody who disbelieves God’s Word will not enter into God’s rest. People actually believe they can call God a liar and boldly enter into His presence. They are terribly mistaken. All liars, the children of Satan, the Father of Lies, have their part in the lake that burneth with fire. See Revelation 21:8. Only the children of faith can enter into the Kingdom and into God’s rest. The children of the bondwoman, or the law, is cast out. See Galatians Chapter 4.
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS, WHICH COME TO YOU IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING, BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE RAVENING WOLVES.
YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. DO MEN GATHER GRAPES OF THORNS, OR FIGS OF THISTLES?
EVEN SO EVERY GOOD TREE BRINGETH FORTH GOOD FRUIT; BUT A CORRUPT TREE BRINGETH FORTH EVIL FRUIT.
A GOOD TREE CANNOT BRING FORTH EVIL FRUIT, NEITHER CAN A CORRUPT TREE BRING FORTH GOOD FRUIT.
MATTHEW 7:15-18
We can memorize God’s Word, but if we do not believe it, we will not change. The Devil is familiar with God’s Word, but He calls God a liar. We know the difference between false prophets and the children of God by their fruits. The children of God believe His Word and they begin manifesting their belief by their actions and the fruit of the Spirit.
Once we start filling ourself with God’s perfect word and begin building up our faith, we will begin to change. We cannot remain the same carnal person that we were before salvation. The change will not happen overnight, but with patience and perseverance, continually speaking God’s Word every day, we will begin changing.
I believe the change is exponential. At first it will not be noticeable to you or anybody else, but eventually, as the Word of God begins to bear fruit in your life, it will be obvious to you and to everybody. It will be like seeing a child when they are three years old and then seeing them again when they are twenty years old. The change will be radical and everyone will notice it. I have even read about people who have memorized the Word so that they could argue with Christians. Eventually, they began believing God’s Word and became Christians! If you get the Word inside you and believe, you will change! Your worth is determined by what is inside you.
Which would you choose, a container full of clay and gravel and sand, or a container full of silver and gold and precious jewels? Which container do you think God will choose? Are you God’s Chosen? Are to full of the most precious thing in the universe? Are you full of the Word of God? Every carnal Christian has some problem with sin. One person may have a problem with pride, another with lust, and another with greed, and another with all three. Mature Christians cannot expect an immature Christian to be a model of virtue any more than an adult would expect a three year old child to hold down a steady job. However, once somebody accepts Jesus Christ as their personal savior, the mature Christian should disciple the newborn Christian in the Word of God.
CONFESS YOUR FAULTS ONE TO ANOTHER, AND PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER, THAT YE MAY BE HEALED. THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PPAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH.
ELIAS WAS A MAN SUBJECT TO LIKE PASSIONS AS WE ARE, AND HE PRAYED EARNESTLY THAT IT MIGHT NOT RAIN: AND IT RAINED NOT