John 1:16-17 (Amplified) says, "For out of His fullness (abundance), we have all received, all had a share and were all supplied with, one Grace after another and Spiritual Blessing upon Spiritual Blessing and even favor upon favor and Gift heaped upon Gift. For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth, came through Jesus Christ."
We've been learning about the difference between the soulish parts and the Spiritual part of us. Through the Holy Spirit, James writes about the soulish portion of the Spiritual, new creature in Christ Jesus and about the things of the past that man must deal with every day in James 1:13-15 (Amplified) saying, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by what is evil, and He Himself tempts no one But every person is tempted when he is drawn away (enticed and baited) by his own evil desire, lust, passions. Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death."
Many Christians don't know whether God or the devil is testing them. The above scripture tells us that we are really being "drawn away, enticed and baited, by our own lusts, evil desires and passions." James isn't simply referring to "sexual lusts," but he's advising us not to allow our deep-seated emotions to remain and dominate our new creation man. The Father designed mankind to have emotions, but we weren't designed to be ruled by those emotions. Many of today's Christians are depressed by their deep-seated emotions from the past. Satan keeps God's children from maturing to adulthood in Christ Jesus, by using this weapon against us.
Many hurtful and oppressive things happen in the lives of both saved and unsaved. These things hold us back from having personal fellowship and relationship with the Father. These emotions bring guilt, condemnation, anger, suicide and other such terrible things, in our lives. Even after we're born-again, these emotions drive us away from the way and will of God in our lives.
Feeling unworthy even keeps us from believing in the Righteousness that our Lord Jesus Christ has given us. Many of the religious denials about God's healing and God's Blessing us today, originate from teachings of an unrenewed mind. How we think, determines how we feel and how we feel, determines what we do and don't do. What we do or don't do, determines the directions we take in our lives. We all experience emotions. Emotions were Gifts God gave to mankind, in order to bring joy and understanding to our natural bodies. Like everything else that was twisted by Adam's fall, our soul, mind, will and emotions were also twisted and took control, when our spirits became dead in sin and trespass.
Our Spiritual lives will be constantly in disorder and disarray, when we're ruled by our soul or emotions. When we "feel good," then our faith is high, but when we "feel bad," our faith seems to go that way too. When leaving the church, I've overheard believers say, "I didn't feel God in the service" or "I don't believe God is here in this church." Christians aren't called to base whether God is here or not, based on how we feel. God is here, because He said, "Where two or more gather in My Name, I will be in their midst." God's Word doesn't work, based on how we feel, but it works by faith in what God has said. If we allowed our soulish natures and emotions to rule our Christian lives, then most of us wouldn't even believe that we are saved.
For those who are serious about their walk with God, it's essential that we bring our soul into submission to the Spirit. Paul wrote about being carnal minded, speaking about Christians who are still walking in the sense realm or soulish realm. Our Heavenly Father designed mankin to be a three part being, just like He is. We are a spirit, we have or possess a soul and the "real" you, who is the spirit man, lives in a body. The body allows us to live in this natural realm, the soul is to teach and train the body to see, hear, feel, smell, touch and know how to live on this earth. The spirit (the real you) is to show and train the soul how to function. The spirit (the real you) was to be taught and trained by the Spirit of God Himself, the Father.
We have a three part man, who has all his faculties taught by One Source, God. This is how the first Adam walked and this is how the Last Adam walked. Jesus never allowed His soul or emotions to rule Him, even in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus never allowed His Own will or emotions to turn Him back from going to the cross, according to Luke 22:42 (Amplified), where Jesus prayed, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but always Yours be done." The human side or natural man and His emotions, didn't want to go through with the cross, but Jesus' Spirit was ruled by God's Word and the Spirit of God, gave Him the strength to go on.
We sometimes fail to recognize that Jesus was a real flesh and blood Man. He was Lord of All, but He had to walk this world with a flesh, soul, and spirit, just like we do today. If Jesus could only do what He did, because of Who He was, then He couldn't expect us to do this. Jesus was the Perfect Example of how we're to walk with our Heavenly Father. When God created all that He did for us, He never intended for anything to rule over us. He expected us to reigns as kings in life.
Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit in Romans 12:1-2, saying we're to renew our minds by God's Word. This wasn't just a suggestion for those who are "radical" Christians, but was for all who are saved. Many believe these things aren't necessary to do, but are for the radical Christians only. This isn't true though. This is how ALL of God's children are supposed to walk, in control of the flesh and soul. We're not supposed to throw tantrums, like toddlers and do whatever we want too.
When Christians are easily offended, it's because someone preached something that upset their emotions or soul. This soulish pride causes them to place blame for everything, on the Father. We've failed to accept responsibility for our own emotions and soulish man, saying, "If my prayer doesn't work, then it must be God's will." God's Grace brought fellowship into the Throne of Grace and God's Presence, so we could obtain mercy and Grace when we needed it. Praying isn't like playing the lottery, but it's an assurance, privilege of boldness and confidence of having those prayers answered.
Prayer has nothing to do with how we feel, but is, as God's Presence in your spirit, a matter of faith in God's Word. Such sayings as, "I don't feel like God heard me" or "Maybe God held my prayer back, for my own good," come from the soul of a Christian, who is still ruled by his senses. I don't always "feel" like God has made my body the Temple of the Holy Spirit, but I do believe, that no matter how I feel, that He is always there.
God says in Hebrews 13:5, "I will come and make My Abode within you and sup with you, I will never leave you or forsake you, I am with you always to the end of the age." If we don't allow Jesus to restore our soul (like in Psalm 23), then our emotions will continue to drive and direct our Christian walk. Jesus will restore our soul, if we allow Him to do so. He will bring our soul back to the place of innocence, where it started in Eden and led by His Spirit.
This has been the most neglected part of our new creation being. For some reason, we've thought it made no difference how we walk with God. Your body can only do what your head tells it to do. If your head, with an unrenewed mind, or soul, the mind, will and emotions doesn't give the correct directions, then you will have the same mindset as the world does. Paul admonished in Romans 12:2 (Amplified), "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs, but be transformed (changed) by the entire renewal of your mind."
We have tried walking in the Spirit, by the external and superficial customs and thoughts of the flesh. The mind, will, and emotions that foster your decisions and beliefs of the world, are from your soul. We will either lead the body by the Spirit or by the world and this age. The body will only go where the mind, will, and emotions direct it. Your body has been trained by the soul and the soul has been trained by the world, so it doesn't know any other way. Christians must renew our minds by God's Word. We must allow Jesus to restore the flow of submission and anointing from our spirits, back to our flesh. Our physical flesh and blood bodies allow us to believe and lay hands on the sick. Our body cannot go, until our minds tell it to and our carnal mind will never do it, until it is renewed by God's Word and His Spirit. Acts 10:38 (Amplified) tells us, "God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and Power and He went about doing Good and in particular curing all who were harassed and oppressed by the power of the devil, for God was with Him."
Oppression is a mental and physical burden that puts pressure on our minds, trying to push us in one direction or another. Some have been pushed over the edge, leading to drug use, divorce and even to suicide, because of having unchecked emotions, minds and wills.
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