Walking in the Holy Spirit – Dr. Charles Stanley

one of the most neglected subjects in the Bible is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer you would think that as important as that subject is that more people would be talking about it more people be referring to the Holy Spirit but there are millions of people who sit in church week after week after week year after year never hear a single sermon dedicated to the Holy Spirit in his work in our life when it's so crystal clear from the scripture that you cannot live a godly life you cannot serve the Lord adequately unless you understand how he works in your life and you certainly cannot understand the truth of God's Word apart from the Holy Spirit one of his primary responsibilities is to interpret the Word of God for us properly and yet sometimes you think well whose fault is that is the people who sit in the pews of the men who stand in the pulpit and I think primarily it is the men who stand in the pulpit and the truth is not anyone who preaches the gospel apart from the Holy Spirit and the anointing of the Spirit and then Dumon of God's power upon his or her life doesn't making us who it is apart from the Holy Spirit it's not going to be nearly as effective it's not gonna have the fruit that that work would have were the Spirit of God the one upon whom the speaker was depending to get the job done it's his responsibility it's the work of the Holy Spirit and for a lot of people it's just sort of on one of those subjects they just say well I'll talk about Jesus and God I don't know who this Holy Spirit is because I used to read the Bible and it's talked about the Holy Ghost well I can remember growing up and naturally we only had the King James Version and they and it was translated Holy Ghost instead of Holy Spirit and I remember thinking as a kid I'm not that Ghost business I'm not sure how I can handle that because I didn't understand that and so and then of course some people think well the Holy Spirit's all about tongues you have to speak in tongues and so they just totally disregarding the truth is and I want to say it again you cannot interpret the Word of God properly you cannot live a godly life and you cannot serve adequately apart from the power of the Spirit of God working in your life so what I want to talk about in this message is walking by the Holy Spirit and I want you to turn if you will to Galatians chapter 5 and I want assisant look at a couple of verses here because there's so much that we could talk about but I want to put it all in one message because I want you to get the full impact of how important the Holy Spirit is in your life as a believer and if you'll notice in the fifth chapter of Galatians here's what he says in verse 16 but I say walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh now what are the desires of the flesh we're talking about those desires that find their source within that part of us that has a desire to live outside the will of God in other words when Paul speaks of the flesh he's not talking about flesh and blood he's talking about part of something within us that is when a person is saved the Spirit of God comes into your life to dwell and so we're transforming a brand new creatures in Christ but that does not remove that propensity that tendency at times that desires to do something outside the will of God to stand against God and so when a person is living in the flesh they are expressing that inner desire to do something go somewhere have some attitude that is not godly we all have to deal with it every single day of our life and so when he says here I said to you walk by the spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh then if you look in the 25th verse of the same chapter Paul says again if we live by the Spirit that is controlled by him dominated by him the holy spirit let us also walk by the spirit that is if he is really in control of air of life let us walk by the holy spirit now well we have to star this we have to start in first of all answering the question will who is he and somebody says a lot on the who he is I know who Jesus is under who God I don't know who the Holy Spirit is oh I've heard that he's a person of the Trinity well let's start where the Bible starts and that is in the first book of the Bible the first chapter of the Bible the second verse of the Bible you found the Holy Spirit hovering over this earth that is not totally complete and then you find in the 26th verse God says let us make man in our image well who in the world is us well there's the Holy Spirit in that second verse us is also the Lord Jesus Christ because if you notice in if you notice in Colossians for example when Paul is talking about Jesus and who he is and our response told him he says for by him we're all things created both in the heavens and on earth visible and invisible whether Thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through him and for him which simply says this that this whole creation is involved with God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit all three persons of the Trinity so also you'll find throughout the scripture that the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit and in Zechariah for example that fourth chapter the scripture says not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord that is that's the way we're to live and that's the way we had to serve Him in dependence upon him now when you're thinking about the Holy Spirit somebody says well is he some force is that some biblical force no he's a person and I want to show you in a few moments if you turn to look if you will in John chapter 14 and you'll find that the qualities of a person for example that can think they can reason that has emotion that can will that can make choices and so forth look if you will in this 14th chapter and the 16th verse when somebody says well I don't believe in the Trinity well how do you answer this question John 14:16 ah Jesus speaking we'll ask the Father and He will give you another helper and that he may be with you forever that is the Spirit of Truth there's all the Trinity right then there's two verses in the 26th verse look at that but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I've said to you so both of these verses give you the father son the Holy Spirit all three persons of the Trinity is somebody says well do you all believe in three gods no there are three persons of the Trinity there is one that Godhead one God three persons the father does his work the son does his work the spirit does his work and the work of the Holy Spirit is a vital part and every single believers life and it's tragic that people can go to church and listen to sermons year after year after year and never understand the work of the spirit and wonder why they fail in their Christian life why things don't work out where I got this an answer their prayer why they feel so weak while they're so tempted while they yield and on and on and on it goes and there is a very specific reason for that because when you look to see the work of the Holy Spirit and who he is and that he's a person of the Trinity and that God has called him and sent him into your life and male for some very very specific purposes so we're talking about someone whom the father has sent into your life in my life because we could not be nor could we become nor could we ever accomplish what he has in mind apart from the Holy Spirit if I were to ask you what is the Holy Spirit who he is this what what does he mean to you and for many people they'd have to say well I know it's in the Bible because I read the Holy Spirit well is he a person yes he is the Holy Spirit is as much a person as Jesus because the scripture if you'll notice calls him he and the Holy Spirit whom and when you look at the work he does and what he does in your life in my life he has to be a person so the Holy Spirit is a vital part of every single believers life so I want us to look for just a moment I'm going to take you through some of these verses just to sort of get you oriented here and I want to start with this 14th chapter John and we just mentioned a couple of them here and I want you to see what the Holy Spirit does in our life and the helper here in the Greek is Parakletos which means one who walks beside us one who is and he calls him here our helper it is the same word translated comforter so both of which mean that we have someone with us who helps us who comforts us along with some other things he'll notice in verse 26 he says but the help of the Holy Spirit whom not it which but whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things that is the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is that he teaches as the truth unless the Spirit of God interprets the truth for us it won't be correct they're all kind of theologists and all kind of ideas and all kind of religions out there believe all kind of stuff because it's man-made religion man-made theology apart from the work of a Spirit of God when they're no contradictions in this book now listen he says not only will he teach us all these things but secondly he will bring to your remembrance all that I teach you and all that I meant for you to understand that is he is also a reminder for example let's say somebody says well I'd like to witness to somebody I'm afraid I'll forget the verses remember this you have the Holy Spirit to remind you one of his responsibilities is to remind us of the things we need to remember and primarily of course that is the Word of God then if you will look in the fifteenth chapter and look in the 26th verse of this fifteenth chapter of John he says again when the helper that is the Holy Spirit comes whom I will send to you from the father that is the Spirit of Truth he's often in the scripture call the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the father he will testify about me that is the work of the Holy Spirit it's that it's to testify about who Jesus is what he does in his place in our life watch this the Holy Spirit never talks about himself it's always about Jesus that is part of his responsibility then if when you look at this sixteenth chapter and the eighth verse here's another work of the Holy Spirit you think for example that you got saved because you chose to be say well that's true to some degree but first of all what got you realizing that you needed to be saved you got under conviction verse eight of the sixteenth chapter he the Holy Spirit when he comes he will convict the world listen concerning sin righteousness and judgment and concerning sin because they do not believe in me concerning righteousness because I go to the Father and you no longer see me and concerning judgment because the ruler of this world has been judged I have many more things to say to you but you cannot bear them down and so but when the spirit of truth comes he will guide you into all truth he convicts us of her sins he is a teacher and he guides us into all truth and verse 14 says he will glorify me that is the Spirit of God is continually pointing us to Jesus and helping us to see who he is how he fits into our life and why we so desperately need him and so when you look at all these verses and then you come to Romans chapter 8 so look at chapter 8 for a moment and I want you to notice a few verses here that are also so very important because in Romans chapter 8 Paul describes in a few verses here a great deal he says for example beginning in verse 11 but if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells where in you every single believer has the Holy Spirit indwelling him so what's this every single believer has a person of the Trinity indwelling us in our spirit we listen we talk about being filled with the spirit a person is filled with the Holy Spirit when they're living in obedience to him and following him and walking in his ways and so he says the Spirit indwells us look if he will in the fourteenth verse for all who are being led by the Spirit of God these are the sons of God he not only guides us but he the scripture says he leads us and indwells us and in verse 15 for you've not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out Abba Father that is he is the one who gives us assurance of our relationship to the Father that is the Holy Spirit testifies to everybody you are you are one of God's children you have been adopted into the kingdom and so we come to buy that through the Holy Spirit and then he says in verse 16 the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God that is bears witness and and for example somebody says to you well you say you say I'm sure I'm saying why are you so sure well you could give them a lot of reasons but the real truth is the Holy Spirit bears witness gives you assurance it reminds you that you trusted Christ as your Savior remind you of the promises of God therefore you can with assurance say yes I know that I'm saved it is the work of the Holy Spirit that does that then of course for example if you turn to the twelfth chapter of first Corinthians now all the scriptures here about the gifts the gift of prophecy the gift of exhortation and giving and service and mercy and administration and all the rest where does all that come from well the scripture says in verse 4 1st Corinthians chapter 12 now these are the varieties of gifts but the same spirit it is the same spirit of God that gives these gifts and you'll notice in verse 7 but to each one that is to each believer is given a manifestation of the spirit for the common good and for adverse a for the one who's given the word of wisdom through the spirit to another the word of knowledge according to the same spirit and so it's very evident what's happening here then if you will turn back to Acts chapter 1 for a moment and you recall when Tom had all the works of the Holy Spirit you recall that Jesus had taken his disciples for three years taught him all the things that he felt they needed to know he performed miracles he raised the dead he healed bodies of all kinds of diseases he taught them all kind of truth and then he said them at the end of three years after they had been so shocked by the crucifixion and in a state of total disarray by understanding what's going on now the resurrection has come and then what he said to them he said no look you sit down in the city of Jerusalem sit down in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high that is you're not ready for example in the 24th chapter of Luke he gives us at that part of the Great Commission and then he says of course in Matthew gives us a great commission and then also in mark but an actual Accord he says now in verse 7 he said to them it is not for you to know the times of the seasons which the father has fixed by his own authority but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth so what was he saying he's saying simply this even though you've seen all this even though you've heard all this even though you've witnessed all the things that I've done you're still not ready to do the work that I've told you to do until the Spirit of God indwells you then the Old Testament the Holy Spirit would come upon God's servants and and depart and come at Pentecost the Holy Spirit descended to this earth to indwell all believers so that from that point on every single person who is a child of God isn't dwelt by a person of the Trinity called the Holy Spirit and so when somebody says to me well I'm just a nobody I get all excited when they tell me that because I can't wait to tell them who they are so you trusted Jesus Christ is just save you yes then you're a child of God you're indwelt by the Holy Spirit a person the trend I just go right down the line and by the time I finish they changed their whole attitude listen you can't be on nobody and be saved with Jesus you can't be on nobody and be dropped by the Holy Spirit you can't be a nobody with having one in you to teach you remind you strengthen you go right down the list of all the things that we talked about and the reason I read that list is because I want you to see there it is in black and white in the Word of God this is who he is and this is what he's doing in the life of his followers and so he intends for us to walk by his spirit now a lot of people for example who say well now I think I try to do the best I can I think about Sunday School teachers who take this on the school lesson book or maybe the Bible and then read the lesson and they get this get it down pretty good and they go to some school class and they teach the lesson who's the teacher the holy spirit who's the equip the holy spirit who gives interpretation the Word of God the Holy Spirit listen it is the power of the Holy Spirit within you that's why he told them you're not ready until the Spirit of God has come upon you and then it is the authority of the Spirit the power of the Spirit the unction of the Spirit that teaches through a Sunday school teacher through a pastor through an evangelist sings through a musician you name it God intends for all of us that do our work in his power in his energy in his strength and by his authority what is done apart from the Holy Spirit is flesh it's man's own human effort we can never carry a spiritual work God's work in the flesh in our own energy apart from the Holy Spirit that is one of the primary reasons he sent the Holy Spirit you may be a person you think will now study and I pray and and God gives me a message and I just get up until it and you ignore the Holy Spirit you're not relying upon him for wisdom you're not relying upon him for courage you're not relying upon him for inspiration you're not relying upon him for motivation you're not relying upon him for interpretation you're not relying upon him for power you're not relying upon him for authority you cannot do what God has called you to do the way he intends for you to do it apart from the Holy Spirit that's who he is that's why I came there's no substitute for the Holy Spirit you can't put on a PhD each th-these RFDS any other kind of these behind anybody's name and make them adequate to do the work God's called them to do you cannot do it and so I remember one of the most significant times in my life and I'd only been in seminary a year and I was in my second year and I had a place over the corner where I prayed and in the living room and in a very small apartment and so I was praying one night and the Lord just spoke to my heart crystal clear I'll never forget it whatever you accomplished in life you will have to accomplish on your knees in prayer not by education but not by talent not by gifts oh by calling out to me crying out to me it has to be on your knees and God knew that that meant for me total dependence upon the Holy Spirit because you see when you're not praying right he's involved because one listen one of his responsibilities is in Romans chapter 8 26 when he says the Holy Spirit prays for us and through us intercedes for us because we don't even know how to pray sometime haven't you been on your knees and crying out to God for somebody you didn't know what to ask you just knew they were in trouble you didn't know what to say you just said God help them Lord I'm just trusting you to work in their life the Spirit of God takes your prayer and interprets it listen personally perfectly before the father because he knows our heart personal eternity knows all things about all times situations and circumstances and so when I look at what he does and the awesome power available to us I think how foolish for us to try to do anything apart from the Spirit of God now that's who he is that's what he does and the issue now is what does it mean to walk by the spirit how do we walk by the spirit well I want to put a definition up on the screen here and I want you to write it down because every single one of us needs to understand this listen to walk in the spirit or by the spirit either way you want to call it is to live moment by moment now not today and maybe tomorrow moment by moment what independence upon him sensitive to his voice in our life and in obedience to him those three words dependency sensitive to him and obedience so if I'm walking in the spirit you'll notice that I'm not doing that on Monday and then on Thursday next and maybe make some Sunday but how often come on tell me how often moment-by-moment that is every day of her life as a believer I am to walk aware of the Spirit of God in their life you say well no how can we do that how's that possible well I want to talk about that but what it's really saying is I'm to live a godly life you can go to church every Sunday you can pray a little bit every once in a while you can give a little bit you can read the Bible once and walk that's not the Christian life the Christian life is living submissive to the holy spirit who indwells you for the purpose the primary purpose of Jesus Christ living his life in and through us that's why he came he came to do in us and through us and for us what you and I could never do ourselves and so to walk listen to walk by the spirit is the ward moment-by-moment but depending upon him sensitive to his voice in our life and as a result of that what's gonna happen we're gonna live a godly life we are we gonna live a life of obedience so I hope you wrote that down that's what walking by the spirit that's that's the Christian life because would you not agree that if a person goes to church and listens to sermons even takes notes goes to work the next day and just curses somebody out well you left because you probably known a few folks like that that's not correct that's not Christian living now I didn't say they weren't saved but it's not Christian living because the Christian life is in life in whom the Holy Spirit is dwelling and through whom the Holy Spirit is expressing the life of Jesus so that comes to the whole question here of being filled with a spirit what does it mean to be filled with a spirit to be filled with spirit means then I'm totally submitted to him that he has his way in my life moment by moment it's his way not my way now here is a big point I want you to get this how do we walk by the spirit that is we know he's indwelling us we know that he is doing all these things and teaching and guiding and leading and filling and empowering and convicting and enabling and all these things well so what's my responsibility it comes down to this and that is if I'm going to live a moment-by-moment in the power of the Holy Spirit I must listen I must be sensitive listen to the initial promptings of the Spirit now what do I mean by that simply this now let's take for example let's say you're a Christian and all of a sudden you see something that gets your eye or gets your attention and you know as soon as you see that all you look that way or whatever it might be something inside and says don't go that way don't head in that direction who is that that's the Holy Spirit or have you ever been driving and you going some some particular direction and all of a sudden you get this strong feeling take a right right here or whether that come from well there's nobody in the car but you that's the Spirit of God warning of what's about to happen which was a wreck and the other ones you turn right listen the Spirit of God within you speaks to your spirit that is with strong implications and strong incarnations the Spirit of God arouses us to think and to think his way the Spirit of God is an active person in our spirit giving guidance and direction shall we to live because he said what did he come to guide us to lead us and to empower us and to reveal to us and to impart truth and the truth of God's Word to us and so when I think about this whole idea of him prompting us in the way he prompts us he does so by strong inclinations now somebody says well suppose I don't suppose he prompts me and I just keep going well what would you call that let me ask you this if you're a 12 year old boy you said your trip year old son take the trash out now he says I'll take it out but I got something else to do right now I'll tell you that later what would you call that that's just pure disobedience in other words that's disobedience and here's the way many people live and you don't realize this if the Spirit of God prompts you to do something obedience is that you do it when he says do it rebellion is when you do it when you want to do it or you don't do it at all in any way you cut it it's disobedience in other words if the Spirit of God prompts you to do something and you don't do it give me any other words that best describe what you did the disobedience and rebellion it's not doing what God says do that's what it is sense rebellion against God so when he prompts us to do something how does he do that he speak to our conscience and to the spirit within us now watch this the spirit of God's never gonna tell you not to do the right thing it's always the right thing at the right time in the right way listen the Holy Spirit is not the no obligation to explain to me why well why should I turn right here I should not turn because there's some things you and I can't see we can't foresee he's protecting us in his listen it is foolish not to live moment by moment by the Holy Spirit because he's there for our benefit listen by the way God doesn't need any of us he doesn't he can get his work done without any of us but he loves us enough to sealed us as a child of God and one of his works is to seal us under the day of redemption he says that in first in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 he the Spirit of God seals us now watch this that means when you trusted him as your Savior the Holy Spirit came into your life to dwell and not only does he come to dwell but he seals you as a child of God that is you are forever a child of God and as I say to my friends who do not believe that and I'm sorry they don't believe it here's what he says in him you also having listened to the message of truth the gospel of your salvation having also believed you were sealed in him that is in Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise now what's the promise here's the promise who has given us a pledge now listen if I if I promise you something and I pledge that to you you expect me to fulfill it but when God gives you a pledge and he sells you he gives you a promise he has awesome power to do anything and everything he'll keep his promise so here's what he says he seals us in Christ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance that is the Holy Spirit comes in your life in my life in his presence in your life watch this is God's seal your life saying to you I promise you forever and ever and ever you one of my children you may send and I'll have to chastise you for forever you wonder my children now if the Spirit of God is the one who seals us and seals us within who's gonna break the seal now for people who do not believe that they are saved forever and they saved today and miss tomorrow let me just say something if you understood the work of a Holy Spirit you would not believe that I'll tell you why you claim to be a Christian I don't question that and you read your Bible and pray and you may sing and cry in orchestras or I'll teach Sunday School lesson all those things and you just lose your temper and I mean you just have it out with somebody so let them have it they did you wrong according to what you believe you suddenly broke the seal you've lost your promise and you lost and on your way to separation to God oh well now what I said wasn't real all a bit more wait a minute now sin is sin and disobedience is disobedience the promise the pledge of holy God is that once he sees you as one of his children you are forever a child of God you say well I'm not and nobody's perfect nobody's talking about perfection we're talking about being obedient to God and what I want you to see is this God's seal is God's seal it in my seal you can't you can't break somebody else's seal your sealed forever and the Spirit of God has equipped you to live a godly life and we do that by moment by moment doing what getting our focus right on him now I wanted to say that all that because it's so very important but people who genuinely want to do what's right they think this safe today and lost tomorrow you know what when I was growing up in that kind of a church I was afraid every day that I probably did something that was wrong and maybe I forgot about it and I'd I'd go to hell that's what they said and the day I learned the truth of what God said in his word I wanted to shout right in the middle of a class in a Greek class because I understood for the first time that I was forever a child of God you got judges sin he chastises the sinner he punishes the unbeliever but for the child of God the seal is there forever and it's the work of the spirit because it's his promise now with that in mind we think about there is gonna be conflict we got three enemies every morning you wake up with three enemies the world the flesh and the devil the world system in which we live look at it what a mess it's in the devil for example and the flesh that tendency within you that it wants to do wrong at times in your life it's that's gonna be there until you die and so we have three enemies so so how do we handle these three enemies well Paul talks about resisting the devil for example he talks about being filled with the Holy Spirit and so here's what happens when that tendency comes to think in the wrong direction watch this now somebody says he can't help myself let me tell you something the devil can't make a single child of God do anything he cannot make you he will lead you he will guide you entice you tempt you but he can't make you so to walk in the spirit means moment by moment what moment by moment we are doing what we're listening to the Holy Spirit he's our guide but if someone says really you mean to tell me that I can live without sinning how long can I live without sinning can you live five minutes without sinning amen four people can now let's just think about what's the truth talk about four of you said you could live you know what if I asked you if you could live ten minutes without sinning there wouldn't be ten people stand up do you mean to tell me you said every five minutes that's what you said you said five minutes what about one minute you can live a lot longer than that without sinning you know why because you have God living within you guarding you leading you and if you will listen if you will yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit of God he's always going to lead you to do the right thing I'm not saying you always will but I'm simply saying we have the Spirit of God that's that's what walking by the spirit is about it's sending our mind in a direction because we're at war and we're always gonna be being attacked by your friends by what you see what you read what you hear all the things that are going on the devil is there to mislead us and to misdirect us and to cause us to rebel against God but because we have the Holy Spirit living within us and we do I do understand that we have a conflict now the issue is this what do I do about the Holy Spirit so turn back if you will to Romans chapter eight and I want us to look in some earlier verses in Romans chapter eight and I want you to notice what he says in this passage let's begin in verse five now watch this very important for those who are living according to the flesh that is there living by those desires that they have within them that are not of God and those desires can be one of the many things so for those who are living according the flesh watch this set their minds on things of the flesh but those who are living according to the spirit they set their mind on things of the Spirit now watch this every single one of us sets our mind now listen carefully what I'm saying we all have a said that some people get up every morning with a mindset I'm I'm gonna do my best today somebody else sets up on the mindset I'm gonna do as little as I can today somebody says I'm gonna I'm gonna reach the top if I have to step on them and mash him in other words everybody has a mindset of some sort he says that those who are living according to the flesh that is that internal feeling I want to act outside the will of God they gonna live with the flesh those who by the spirit you'll live with the spirit now watch this verse 6 for the mind set on the flesh is death death of the things of God the mind set on the Spirit is life in peace because the mind set on watch this carefully because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God to get that hostile toward yard when you and I set our minds on doing things and we know I'm not right here's what he says he says your attitude at that moment is hostility toward you know all no wait a minute I love God no he says if you choose deliberately to sin against God you're acting hostile toward God because the will of God for your life is a life of righteousness and obedience so he says he says for the spirit set on the flesh is death but this mind set on the spirit is life in peace because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God for it does not subject itself to the law of God for it is not even able to do so and those who are living in the flesh cannot please God so that being the case it makes me want to know okay if that's the case how do I live according to the spirit and so we have a battle now watch this carefully every single one of us has two battles every time we come to some temptation first of all there's a battle in the mind secondly there's the battle in our behavior if you don't win the battle in the mind you're gonna lose the battle in your behavior because what the mind thinks governs everything governs what you see what you hear how you speak walk handled you name it the first battle and temptation is the battle in the mind so I have to have a mindset I choose to obey God I choose not to walk that way I choose not to look at that I choose not to give to that I choose I choose not to withhold that that is we have a mindset and so there's a battle that's going on and we win that battle as a result of doing what yielding to and responding to the initial prompting of the Spirit now if the Spirit of God says don't go that direction and you just keep traveling don't go that direction don't go that direction don't go that direction you see you still travel what you're doing is you're listen to this word you're acting hostile toward God who loves you and who has the best plan available for you and you're heading in the wrong direction because you have chosen to do so it's disobedience it's rebellion its hostility toward a loving God who came to this earth and laid down his life in all that you might be saying it's hostility toward God you can name it you can camouflage it you can paint it you can use any kind of vocabulary you want to its hostility that's what God says I didn't say it so you have to decide am I gonna walk by the spirit above the flesh if I want God's best I'm gonna have a mindset and first Peter listen what he says he says in this first chapter in the thirteenth verse therefore prepare your minds for action keep sober in spirit listen prepare your minds for action and in Colossians the third chapter listen to what he says to say it's the same sort of thing here's what he says therefore if you have been raised up with Christ keep seeking the things which above have a mind set on things that are good righteous anole he says where Christ is seated at the Father's right hand set your mind on the things above not on the things that are on earth we have a mindset for example you say well how do I do that well tomorrow let's just take tomorrow morning tomorrow morning before you get out of bed and you wake up you set your mind on the things of God today father he's the first one you ought to talk to anyway father I want you to guide me today and lead me I want to listen to you speak to my heart make me sensitive to what's going on around mean the people I meet and so forth that is it you'll develop your own little message of setting your mind so what happens you're starting the day out with a mind set you've set the direction for your life and it's the Holy Spirit who is going to awaken you to remind you of that because you know what you're gonna think about that tomorrow morning you say how do you know I am because I'm gonna pray you get so upset if you don't you will they have a mindset because listen they're people who wake up with a mindset of adultery they're people who wake up with a mindset of stealing they wake up with a mindset of lying of what they what they intend to do that day they're people who wake up with all kind of mindsets set your mind he says on the things above where Jesus is sitting at the Father's right hand because we can set our mind and the Holy Spirit will enable us to do it it's his will that we do it and that's why the Word of God is so very very precious to us why because this is the way we think you don't listen you don't read and meditate on the Word of God you know what you're gonna do listen you sit at home watch TV program after program after program at the only kind of propaganda at all the things that are absolutely nothing to do with things that are spiritual and then you go to bed you think well I'm gonna wake up and talk about Jesus I doubt it you know why because you just programmed your mind you know what you did you fed that part of you that's ungodly you fed that part of you with all the stuff that goes on why would anybody want to watch stuff that instigates stirs them up and arouses things within them that are totally ungodly because there's something in them they want to feed and what he's saying is starve it to death set your mind on the things of God on the things that are on high the things that the things that match who you are you're a follower of Jesus our life is a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ listen we owe him a life he died for us he gave us the gift of salvation and eternal life we owe him everything how can we involve ourselves and allow ourselves the head in directions that we know is not right the Spirit of God says do not go that do not do that do not think that don't look at that we do it anyway remember this anyway you cut it it is rebellion it is disobedience and it's hostility to and God you want to live a godly life have a mindset that is godly so that when somebody crosses you your mindset is I'll get you back your mindset it's thank you very much laughter's forgive them for that I'm just gonna overlook that I won't pay attention of that in other words godly people don't live like the ungodly and we listen when we are walking in the spirit there is an absolute definite difference in our life your friends may not understand it they think well you just thank you something no we don't think we're anything we know that which your God that's who we are and we know that we are inadequate within ourselves to do anything that hasn't real value we trust the Holy Spirit we depend upon him we rely upon him we're sensitive to him we acknowledge him we obey him why because we've learned that's the best way to live it's the only way to live with real peace and happiness and joy and contentment in your life and it's the way God intends for us to live because he came to live through us that kind of life that's the work of the Holy Spirit that's who he is and I would simply say this to you why why did David say he loved to meditate upon God's Word because you see he had a mindset and we see in his life when he when he turned away from that mind said what kind of trouble he got into you and I have the Holy Spirit we have the Holy Spirit in a way that he didn't even understand could not have understood at that time you are in dwelt by a person of the Trinity Almighty God the Holy Spirit who is here to enable us equip us managers guide us lead us to do anything and everything that it is his will for us to do in to accomplish in life you say well I'm just the homemaker there's no such thing as just a homemaker you happen to have one of the biggest jobs I know uh if anybody needs the Holy Spirit in their life it is a mother look what you have to do you have to take care of the children plus you have to take care of your husband sometime put up with him but in other words you you haven't you have an awesome job educating your children keeping home all the hundreds and hundreds of tasks that you have the Holy Spirit is just as innocent he's just as available ready and desirous to help you to be a godly mother as he is to helping the pastor preach a godless sermon that's who he is so here's the choice you have you can set your mind on the things of God and Trust this indwelling person of the Holy Spirit who has promised to guide you lead you enable you equip you give you authority on all the other things we've mentioned here you have the Holy Spirit living within you ready to live through you the very life of Jesus Christ which means yet your attitude and your actions are going to be godly it's a choice we make he said what do I have to do get all that done just surrender just yield just tell him okay god I give up my way once your way what does he do he takes over now is it not true that's what you want your children to do you want them to trust you and obey you why because you know what's best for them and you know you give your life for them he's sort of given his life for us to walk in the spirit it's the do what is to depend upon him totally to rely upon him to be sensitive to what he's saying to us and to obey Him that is life at its very very very best and it's available to every single person who wants God's best father how grateful we are for your awesome love for us and to think that you've done so much in preparation for our daily life then we can wake up with you live with you and go to bed with you every night with perfect assurance that we have your favor knowing that you forgive us when we're weak and knowing that our hearts desire its moment-by-moment to walk by your spirit that is my prayer father for every person who hears this message let there be some radical changing going on in people's attitudes radical changing about sin that they put up with and thought the God that you paid no attention to it and radical right doing because they want your best I pray the Holy Spirit seal this message executed in every life arouse the conviction so that all that you desire for us will have the wonderful privilege of enjoying in Jesus name Amen and we give an invitation for people to express their decision one of which for example is to trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and you do that by asking him to forgive you of your sin not not that well Lord forgive me of my sins but you come to the realization you've sinned against God you're part of what put him to the cross he died on the cross she had his blood listen paid your sin debt in full for your eternal life makes it possible if you'd be a child of God and the moment you do that and everything else we've talked about can be a reality in your life until you give yourself to him and salvation by faith none of this other works but it shows there's a choice [Music]

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 5,745,772

Rating: 4.7487993 out of 5

Keywords: Charles F. Stanley, Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. Stanley, In Touch, InTouch, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Christian, Religion (TV Genre), Christianity (Religion), Charles Stanley (Author)

Id: r-9L2-aVR4I

Length: 47min 21sec (2841 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 09 2015