Spiritually healthy lifestyle
Live a spiritually healthy lifestyle – (Hebrews 12:1- 15) Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Perseverance is – continued effort to pursue your goal despite difficulties, failure, or opposition until you achieve it.
One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to act as a spiritual nervous system that warns us when we get too close to sin that could cause damage in our lives.
Therefore, how can Christians live their lives with healthy fulfillment spiritually and not become defeated by sin?
Every day can be an exciting adventure for the Christian who knows the reality of being filled with the Holy Spirit and who lives constantly, moment by moment, under His gracious direction.
In order to maintain a healthy spiritual life we must learn to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Each step of obedience takes us a little closer to finishing the first mile, then the second…”press toward the goal for the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians. 3:14). Until we reach the final destination.
The Bible tells us that there are three kinds of people.
(1 Corinthians 2:14). “A natural man who does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised”
1. Natural Man
(One who has not received Christ)
2. 1 Corinthians 2:15 Spiritual Man.
“He who is spiritual appraises all things…We have the mind of Christ”
(One who is directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit)
3. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).Carnal Man.
“And I brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to carnal men, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still carnal. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshy, and are you not walking like mere men?”
(One who has received Christ, but who lives in defeat because he is trying to live the Christian life in his own strength)
God has provided for us an Abundant spiritually healthy and Fruitful Christian Life.
” (John 10:10).Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly
“(John 15:5). “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing”
Some spiritual traits/ benefits which result from trusting God:
TRAITS
- Christ-centered
- Trusts God
- Obeys God
- Empowered by the Holy Spirit
- Introduces others to Christ
- Effective prayer life
- Love
- Joy
- peace
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Understands God’s word
The degree to which these traits are manifested in the life depends upon the extent to which the Christian trusts the Lord with every detail of his life, and upon his maturity in Christ. One who is only beginning to understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit should not be discouraged if he is not as fruitful as more mature Christians who have known and experienced this truth for a longer period.
Why is it that most Christians are not experiencing the spiritually healthy life?
Carnal Christians cannot experience the spiritually healthy and Fruitful Christian Life because of the following:-
The carnal man trusts in his own efforts to live the Christian life:
1. He is either uninformed about, or has forgotten, God’s love, forgiveness, and power (Romans 5:8-10; Hebrews 10:1-25; 1 John 1; 2:1-3; 2 Peter 1:9; Acts 1:8).
2. He has an up-and-down spiritual experience.
3. He cannot understand himself – he wants to do what is right, but cannot.
4. He fails to draw upon the power of the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; Romans 7:15-24; 8:7; Galatians 5:16-18)
1 John 2:3; 3:6, 9; Ephesians 5:5)-The Carnal Person.
(This is an individual who professes to be a Christian but who continues to practice sin and doesn’t realize that he is no longer a spiritual healthy living Christian at all.
Some of the following traits below may characterize the Christian who does not fully trust God:
TRAITS
- Ignorance of spiritual inheritance
- Discouragement
- Disobedience
- Unbelief
- Guilt
- Worry
- Jealousy
- Critical spirit
- No desire for bible study
- Loss of love for God and others
- Legalistic attitude
- Impure thoughts
- Poor prayer life
- Frustration
- Aimlessness
How to live a spiritually healthy lifestyle?
Faith (trust in God and in His promises) is the only means by which a Christian can live the Spirit-directed life. As you continue to trust Christ moment by moment:
1. Your life will demonstrate more and more of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23) and will be more and more conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
2. Your prayer life and study of God’s Word will become more meaningful.
3. You will experience His power in witnessing (Acts 1:8).
4. You will be prepared for spiritual conflict against the world (1 John 2:15-17); against the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17); and against Satan (1 Peter 5:7-9; Ephesians 6:10-13).
5. You will experience His power to resist temptation and sin (1 Corinthians 10:13; Philippians 4:13; Ephesians 1:19-23; 2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 6:1-16).
By faith/trust, you will experience Spiritual Breathing which will enable you to experience God’s love and forgiveness. i.e
I. If you become aware of an area of your life (an attitude or an action) that is displeasing to the Lord, even though you are walking with Him and sincerely desiring to serve Him, simply thank God that He has forgiven your sins – past, present and future – on the basis of Christ’s death on the cross. Claim His love and forgiveness by faith and continue to have fellowship with Him.
II. If you retake the throne of your life through sin — a definite act of disobedience — breathe spiritually.
The devil looks for those whom the God has chosen, so when you know that you are in the kraal of the Shepherd, know that it is what the thief looks for. The devil doesn’t look for those who are not born again. It looks to pull down those who are not strong. So we need to be careful.
A healthy spirit means you are 24/7 in prayer, it means that in anything, in everything and in all circumstances you seek God and you remain there. These problems help us to be strong.
Spiritual breathing (exhaling the impure and inhaling the pure) is an exercise in faith that enables you to continue to experience God’s love and forgiveness.
1. Exhale —1 John 1:9 – confess your sins — agree with God concerning your sins and thank Him for His forgiveness for them. Confession involves repentance – a change in attitude and action.
2. Inhale — surrender the control of your life to Christ, and appropriately receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. Trust that He now directs and empowers you; according to the command of Ephesians 5:18, and the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15.
If you have not yet received an answer from the Lord when you pray, it is possible that you could be holding on to certain things that are holding your blessings.
For a spiritual healthy lifestyle, you need to examine yourself and totally let go and repent so that the grace of God activates fully in your life.
