John 4:24 OUR SUPERNATURAL LIFE IN THE SPIRIT

[BaptistBibleBeliever]

A supernatural life, hmm. Because of a supernatural act by God believers understand a supernatural Book and because of their supernatural abilities they have an opportunity to serve a supernatural God in this flesh that we call home at the moment.

I’d like to just go through some things that we should know and understand. Scripture does shine upon the darkness, and in the world and even on a Christian’s actions. Scriptures light our path. You got the flashlight on the inside and you got that light between you and the Scriptures. And those Scriptures do a miraculous thing, and that is a supernatural thing. And always remember that it is to Jesus Christ that we owe our salvation, and because of the Spirit we have assurance, conviction and intuitive leadership in our lives—if we want it. But how many truly want it?

We’ll go through a little outline here, trying to make things a little simpler for us, because I know when we get a lot of meat—I don’t even consider it meat—when you start serving the Lord and you start growing up in the Lord you take for granted that everybody is at the same level, and they are not.

And it’s not a put down, it’s just years. If one Christian has read their Bible for 40 years and another only one year—now if you are both surrendered to Christ, you love Christ and that is why you read your Bible—I dare say the guy reading his Bible for 40 years has got more going for him. Amen? I mean, it’s called ‘experience in the Lord.’ But people have to grow up to certain things, and meat sometimes is exciting, but you don’t understand it. Sometimes hearing some of that mean you say, ‘Man! That was great! What did he say?’ And then later on you say, ‘Man, I knew it was good because all the numbers fit and everything.’

Then the next day you are approached with something practical and you say, ‘Man, what’s going on? You forgot that all those things that were just showing you how powerful God is and that He is everywhere and that He knows everything, and that He can help you. We forget that sometimes. We get that lost sometimes in the meat.

Well, this is some meat, but in a simple outline. Worth spending time meditating on it.

WE WORSHIP IN THE SPIRIT

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

So, just in case you didn’t know, you worship in spirit. Your spirit worships. Just in case you didn’t know that.

Now, if you are going to a sports event, you do have a spirit don’t you. Oh yes you do! It can be uplifted by the game, it can be torn down by the game, it’s just your enthusiasm— en theos ‘in God’—in whatever you are doing. And it operates in that spirit. There is just something about that spirit. It’s the spirit of the game. Oh, don’t they have spirit! There’s just a different spirit about it. You know, everybody’s just spirit.

Well, God says you have to worship Him in spirit, and in truth. That’s what the Scripture says. Well, these verses have so much more to them. No kidding! It is just an obvious, yet simple, outline.

WE SERVE IN THE SPIRIT

“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6).

We are not under threat of the condemnation of the Law because that has been removed. We have a new spirit. Our spirit has been quickened—been made alive—by the Lord if you are saved. And so, we serve in the Spirit.

WE UNDERSTAND WITH THE SPIRIT

“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (I Corinthians 2:13-14).

What am I saying? I’m saying that we worship in the Spirit, we serve in the Spirit and we understand with the Spirit.

There’s a difference. A supernatural life in the Spirit versus a life in the flesh. One enjoys overcoming victories, the other lives in constant defeat. That most Christians, including myself at times, take this for granted. Take for granted! We really do.

We take it for granted that we are walking with God inside of us—all that wisdom in the world, right? —No! All the wisdom of God! We can tap into it. Lord have mercy if you ever hook up with the seven spirits of God.

Why do you think the Muslims come up with all this copycat stuff? ‘We believe in the seven pillars of God.’ And they start teaching that. Well, seven is a great number—it’s a Bible number. But go to the seven spirits of God and maybe you’ll see some connection there—a counterfeit—but some connection there. But you got access to that. Amazing, I think.

WE PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT

“What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also” (I Corinthians 14:15).

And in this same verse we see another . . .

WE SING WITH THE SPIRIT

Isn’t that neat? And how about this . . .

 

[BaptistBibleBeliever]

WE ARE BLESSED WITH THE SPIRIT

“Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?” (I Corinthians 14:16).

What’s the connection with the verse, the context of the chapter and everything? Spirit.

The Spirit of God makes the difference. I mean, when you are taught—like a lot of us were—expressing your emotions in the church, should be kept to a minimum. It’s a little puritanical, and when they come across the Bible where it says to try the spirits whether they are of God or not, they would have rather had everybody do what they said puritanically, then have young Christians get the wrong idea and do the wrong thing. Like shout Amen or sing with joy and enthusiasm.

There is a lot of reasons for disciplining the church, but we know that we have liberty with God. And we need for the Spirit of God to come in the church and do whatever He wants. If He calls for a little excitement, —He’s the boss. But I know that there is something that happens with the Spirit of God. Paul simply tells us to let all things be done ‘decently and in order.’

Sometimes when people hear preaching, they sit there with stoic expressions and you wonder if they are even home inside—and there is nothing registering on their face about anything in the service, about God. Then you wonder, ‘There’s a disjointing here, there’s something not happening, the Spirit is not clicking, and I don’t know why?’ Or if they got the Spirit, is He leading or not, but I know there is something just not clicking with these people. Perhaps folks have just forgotten to ask Him to fill them with His presence that He might turn the light on and they get something from the worship.

So, when I’m looking at the Spirit of things—understanding. And we pray in the Spirit, even singing hymns in the Spirit. When we sing, shouldn’t we sense the Spirit of God. I mean, the hymns tell about the goodness of God and salvation. What I am talking about is the supernatural life, and guess what, we all need to experience that hymn we are singing. We need do!

So, we have worship in the Spirit, serve in the Spirit, understand with the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, sing with the Spirit, bless with the Spirit.

WE WALK IN THE SPIRIT

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

What does that mean? What do you think it means? The flesh always lusteth after what? The Spirit. When it lusteth, it lusteth. And believe me, it ain’t good. I mean whatever is in that little wicked heart of ours seems to be connected—and we do those things. So, what do you need, Christian? You need to be able to ‘walk in the Spirit.’ Somehow you got to rely and surrender to God’s Spirit. And you need to learn patience in His guidance.

It is a doctrinal belief that the Spirit is in me because the Book says He is. The Spirit is powerful because the Book says He is. Therefore, I will trust in God’s Book, that the Spirit that is in me is powerful enough to help me ‘walk in the Spirit.’

“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Galatians 5:18).

Now all these verses, when you are growing in the Lord are complicated. You don’t understand why in the world do they keep doing this back and forth stuff? When I was a young Christian and would do a study on Romans—when I would get to chapter 7—my tongue was tied I was saying it so many times. It was like back and forth, back and forth, I was saying, ‘What is this?’ It was like a ping-pong ball. The flesh . . . the law . . . the law this . . . the law that . . . the Spirit . . . the mind . . . I’m looking at this and I’m saved—man, this is messing me up! And then God suddenly comes to me and says, ‘That’s because you are messed up, your brain is like a ping-pong ball.

Just like that. It came to mind. A thought. And I thought about that for a while. I went back and read it. It made absolute sense. It makes absolute sense. What do you mean? Man, I’m in the world but I’m not of the world. I’m trapped in the flesh, and yet, I’m divine in nature, because the very God of the universe lives inside of me. You could have fooled me, though, with all the struggles I was going through.

But see, there are stages that God allows Christians to go through to understand what I am saying today and simplifying. You still must go through it, even if you acknowledge that that is what it says. How can you make the Book true, unless you go through it as a Christian? Right? I don’t know . . . well, you will know—I’m just telling you, you’ll know.

 

[BaptistBibleBeliever]

And then also in the same chapter five, we have walk in the Spirit, led of the Spirit and now we . . .

THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Now, when I look at that list, there is three outstanding things. But I know my personality. If I was to think about it, it aggravates me to be full of the Holy Ghost. So there! Do you see what it said? Gentleness—Yuck! That’s like feminine to me. No, that’s a man, a gentleman. It didn’t say he was a sissy. And then, temperance, oh baby! You want that list? But I’ll tell you when you know you are full of the Holy Ghost. You don’t know! Half the time you don’t know! Why? Because at the end of the day you say, ‘This was a good day!’ And you look, and you ate with moderation. You didn’t open up your trap and say anything stupid. You were thinking about God in your heart. You were whistling a song in your heart to the Lord. Man, the whole day was excellent!

The lost don’t have that. See, the lost have the other list in this chapter—you can read that on your own. It’s above this list, it’s on the flesh. And what that does, it shows you what you are capable of doing. And aren’t you glad that the Lord is smart enough when you go through that list on the flesh—and I think He says—let me see, let me see here. Oh yeah, verse 21, just to end it a little bit, “Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.”

And what? “and such like.”

So, in other words, if you went through all that list of all that junk that your flesh does, and you say, ‘HA, HA, My sin is not in there!” Oh yes, it is— ‘such like’—it’s connected. You’re a filthy booger!

And, what condemns you when you do it, then? When you sin, what condemns you? Well, the Holy Spirit talks to you and convicts your soul—but it’s the Law that condemns you. The holiness of the Law says, ‘Hey Buddy! You know that’s wrong!’ Who is it talking to? Your flesh! Because your divine nature is not contrary to the Law. Your divine nature is that D.N.A. between you and God. You are God’s kid. That’s why you don’t get along with your body. You’re not supposed to—if you’re saved. If you are supernaturally saved. And the Bible goes on, and you bear fruit.

WE LIVE IN THE SPIRIT

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).

So, in this New Testament that we have, we worship in the Spirit, serve in the Spirit, understand with the Spirit, Pray in the Spirit, sing with the Spirit, bless with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, led by the Spirit, bear fruit by the Spirit, Live in the Spirit. Supernatural, supernatural, life.

Refusing to grow in the Lord usually means refusal to give up something in the life that we worship more than God’s will. Like that old sign that says, “Know God, Know Peace . . . No God, No Peace.”

When you feel there is a distance between you and God—there is! You stopped growing, stopped receiving the Word of God as the very Word of God so that it could work effectually in your life—you rejected it! In some area of your life you rejected that part of the Scripture that God wants you to get. So, how else are you going to feel? Really! Serving God is supernatural. I don’t know how long we are all gonna live. Since I’ve been serving God since 1976, there’s still stuff I need to be taught. And I learned the hard way a lot of times. But God’s not at fault—it’s my fault.

It’s bad to look back, isn’t it? If you were ever backslidden and look back and see what more you could have done if you had done what you had to do. That’s a dangerous thing. Don’t look back. Why? Because the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. You got a Book—stick with the Book. Remember Paul, at the end? ‘No man stood with me.’

So, when you come across anything mentally, physically, spiritually. You have a power in prayer, that you need to start exercising. Seriously. And all you can do is do what you do with your kids, I’m telling you. When they get older and they leave, what do you have left? Prayer.

Why is that important? My goodness, people, Prayer! ‘Well, I’ve been praying.’ PRAY! Why don’t you try praying and believing in the power of prayer at the same time?

There is no time schedule. God does miracles—supernatural miracles—with you, with me, with the families, with the community. It’s on God’s time. But if you forget that you are a supernatural being—the Book is not connected with you any more—your walk will not have that connection with God, except in chastisement. Don’t give that stuff up! Listen, if you can remember that you are in God, and you can look back and reflect just what He’s done for you already . . . please, please, please, please . . . we are not out of the world yet. And we are not out of this flesh yet.

You’ve been praying 30, 40, 50 years, whatever, keep praying. Keep praying for whoever it is, for whatever it is.

 

[BaptistBibleBeliever]

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[BaptistBibleBeliever]

A Bible Baptist is one who believes:

In a supernatural Bible, which tells of a supernatural Christ,
Who had a supernatural birth,
Who spoke supernatural words,
Who performed supernatural miracles,
Who lived a supernatural life,
Who died a supernatural death,
Who rose in supernatural splendor,
Who intercedes as a supernatural priest and
Who will one day return in supernatural glory
to establish a supernatural kingdom on the earth.​