What is “Being in the Spirit”?
Many discussions will have been and will continue to be about this subject. Evangelicals who are also charismatic have one concept, Evangelicals who do not believe the Gifts of the Spirit are for today will have a different perception.
I am learning that it means more than either.
Being in the Spirit means shunning everything that is our own abilities. our own skills, our own perceptions and interpretations and understanding and surrendering absolutely all to move only according to God’s Will: God’s Spirit leading us.
It is the walk Jesus took. Why would we do anything differently.
“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.” (John 5:30)
In Matthew, he says, “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50)
And even more profoundly strong is this, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
I’m not writing to discuss salvation by works versus salvation by faith. I think most will know I believe wholeheartedly in faith in the Father and in Jesus as His son as the way to salvation and the way to Father God as found in Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”.
What I am saying is that I’m discovering at a deeper and more profound level as I walk this faith journey, that nothing I can be outside of Jesus is worthy.
And nothing I can do is worthy.
I’m realising nothing outside of the working of the Holy Spirit is worthy to the LORD. And so, I pray and wait – at last I wait patiently – for His call, His move, His anointing, His leading, His summoning to me to give out, surrendering my all for His will and ministry.
I’m an educated person, with several skills and professional experiences as a teacher, a performing artist, a published author, an administrator. BUT this is filthy rags! (Isaiah 64:6)
Now, I must wait for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippines 3:14)
I feel equipped, but that’s just human feeling. I think I’m prepared, but that’s just my own understanding. I hope I can be useful… Now I’m beginning to show signs of humility and true surrender.
There is a cost to following God. If we really, really want to walk in the Spirit, surrendered to the LORD, we need to lie down our lives, our skills, our agendas, our ambitions and hopes, and give all to His glory.
Maybe I’ll be useful, maybe I won’t. But I’m free from the need to be useful, because I have learned the futility of self-effort and the humility of Jesus’ surrendering his God-head so that he could model the uselessness of human effort as compared the the surrender of the human will to the perfect will of God.
Let us wait upon the LORD (Isaiah 40:31) and let us fulfil the call of God on our lives, fully surrendered, fully humbled, fully obedient to the life He calls us to lead.
Blessings.