Just three more negatives of what the Spirit-filled
life and spirit-filled prayers are not.
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SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE IS NOT WITH A FILTHY SPIRIT: “Can these bones live?” What a strange question. The bones were dead and
dead bones with no flesh on them of course cannot live! But if you are a
Christian, you have to have recognized that you were dead in your trespasses
and sins. You and I cannot go back to that old lifestyle, anymore than these
dead bones could live.
Romans 6 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead
to sin, live any longer there-in?... Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be
dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Paul talks about being baptized, washed, cleansed.
1 Peter 3:21 says baptism saves us, but not water baptism, but spiritual
baptism which comes from God’s cleansing.
We talked earlier about a fleshly spirit, but there
is something even more pronounced than that when we talk about being
spiritually filled. We are not to have an unclean spirit. The opposite of the
Holy Spirit is an unclean spirit. Usually in the Gospels, a person who was
demon possessed was said to have an unclean spirit.
Ezekiel showed how to cleanse the dead, dry,
fearful bones and that was to “hear the word of the Lord.” When you pray, you
should pray the words of the Bible back to God. Read aloud the Psalms, sing
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
Eph. 5:26 says the word of God washes us. “That he might sanctify and cleanse (the
church, us) with the washing of water by the word,
Zech 13:2 “It
shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names
of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also
cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.”
Matthew 12:43-45, “43When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through
dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will
return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty,
swept, and put in order. 45Then he goes and takes with him seven
other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the
last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this
wicked generation.”
In fact, separating ourselves from unclean spirits
will lead to the next point of having a spirit-filled prayer life. 2 Cor. 7:1
says this, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God.”
What are the promises Paul talking about? They are found
in the last verse of chapter 6, where Paul says that by separating from unclean
things, God will become a Father to us. He will adopt us and cast away from
fear.
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SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE IS NOT WITH A FEARFUL SPIRIT: Now notice when God asked Ezekiel a question about whether the bones
could live, Ezekiel’s wise response is “Thou knowest.” Remember that phrase, as
that is a great answer when God asks you a question (especially if you say it
in the King James language! … Okay, just kidding about KJV). John responded that
way in Revelation. It is a spirit of reverence and deference to God’s great
wisdom.
In Revelation, we learn about the seven spirits of
God. Isaiah 11:2 talks about the seven spirits of God. They are the Spirit of
the Lord, the spirit of wisdom, the spirit of understanding, the spirit of
counsel, the spirit of might, the spirit of knowledge and the spirit of the
fear of the Lord. While we are to have a reverence of God, we are not to be
afraid of Him.
Rom. 8:15 For
you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the
Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
2 Tim. 1:7 For
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
mind.
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SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE IS NOT WITH A FOOLISH SPIRIT: Ezekiel says he prophesied as he was commanded. Ezekiel acted not out
of ignorance, but out of knowledge of God. God does not want us to be foolish
but wise spiritually. When we pray, God knows what He wants us to do and
through prayer, He will commune with our spirit to let us know what to do.
Rom. 8:27 Now
He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He
makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
1 Cor. 14:15 What
is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with
the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the
understanding.
1 Cor. 2 10
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all
things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the
things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one
knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we
might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13
These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which
the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they
are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he
himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "who has known the
mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of
Christ.
Do you want to be smart? Do you want wisdom? Then
pray for a spirit-filled life. So we have seen what it is not to be
spirit-filled. So if this is what it is NOT, what is it to be spiritually
filled? That comes next time.
Oh, Father, deliver me from anything that leads to
anything less than a spirit-filled life. Lead me to a way that is higher than I
am walking on in this filthy, fear-filled, and foolish world. Deliver me to
holiness, love and wisdom in my life and in my prayers. In Jesus name, Amen.
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