I want to exhort you a little bit today rather than lay out a teaching. Be encouraged and know that God's spirit is within you as a promise of eternal life and an inheritance that you can enjoy now!!
2 Corinthians 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
You live on when you die because you have an eternal tent, house, body; i.e. a spirit. The real you is already eternal, your temporary body will become dust and fade away but your true self will live on. When that body fades away, so will sickness, pain, lack and all the things that limit us on this planet. The amazing news about your true eternal identity is that you can live from it now.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
The power of eternal life is in you now! That power/spirit is supplying life to you daily, moment by moment. God is not waiting for you to die to give you eternal life, God is trying to help you renew your mind so you'll live in abundance now, in fact he's promised it to you.
Ephesians 1:14 NLT The Spirit is God's guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.
God wants you to be confident in what he's placed within you. He wants you to be secure in your salvation and trust in his promise, he is glorified from doing so, so let him bring glory to himself by letting his spirit work in you.
2 Corinthians 1:21 It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
Standing firm in Christ is not something you do, it actually recognizing what you are. Standing firm in Christ is another way of saying to "put on the new man." You're already in Christ, what God's spirit is seeking to do is help you know your identity in Christ, in which you already stand.
Why is this important? Because you probably feel like something is missing based on the circumstances of your life. You can stand on God's promise of provision because Christ is in you. You may feel like God is far away when he actually promised that he would never leave you. You may feel like you're not good enough because of your behavior while the truth is, he's already given you righteousness when he put his spirit in you. Do you see how that works? Because his spirit is in you, he can supply your inheritance.
God Spirit Is His Delivery Service
God's spirit in you is like a port through which you receive what he has for you. It's not far away, you can't earn it, you don't have to get to a certain place to gain it...all of his blessings for you are currently being supplied to you because his method of delivery is within you, his spirit.
So how do you interact with that delivery method? In your mind and heart.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Here's the final thought, put it into practice. But what do you actually put into practice? While you can take away several practical things to put into practice, I suggest that you practice acting on inspiration.
When you do take the time to pray from peace, think about what's true, think about what's pure, etc... there's a funny thing that happens, you feel like doing those true and pure things. Those moments of inspiration can pass quickly if you don't put them into practice.
To explain a little further, the next time you've thought like Philippians 4 suggests, pay attention to what you are inspired to do, and ACT ON IT! Act when you're inspired to walk away from sin, act when you're inspired to be patient, act when you're inspired to walk in self-control, act on it when you're inspired to be gentle with someone...do you see the picture? Act on it when you're compelled by compassion to pray for someone.
Because you have been made new, because God has made you promises and placed his spirit in you to establish those promises in your life, you can think on that same frequency so he can establish his will in your life
ACT ON IT!!
