HOW MUCH OF YOUR HOUSE DOES GOD CONTROL?
Today’s blog is another picture of truth that I often share here, I do trust it will help you as it is THE KEY to whether the Christian life really works for you.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 6:19-20 NKJV Or do you not know that your body is the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The MESSAGE Bible spells it out in 21st century language that makes it so easy to understand. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
In the Old Testament God always sought out a home or dwelling place, under the New Covenant when a person is born again, the Holy Spirit enters the person’s life and begins to reside there. In this verse (19) Paul describes our body as a TEMPLE, a sacred place, and like any building (our body has many rooms and it is God’s plan that the Holy Spirit doesn’t just come in the front door of our house, but we invite Him to come and live in EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE.
That is why Paul writing to Christians says in Romans 12:1 NKJV THAT GOD WANTS YOUR WHOLE BODY, every room, every nook and cranny. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
THE REALITY IS UNLESS GOD IS 100% IN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES WE WILL NOT LIVE VICTORIOUS HOLY LIVES.
You have probably heard the saying, the problem with a living sacrifice is that it does not want to stay on the altar, but wants to crawl off and do its own thing. That is why I encourage Believers to pray Psalm 118:27 NKJV Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
That is why Paul urged the Ephesian Christians in 5:18 NKJV But be CONTINUALLY filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit does not mean we have or receive more of the Holy Spirit, it means that the Holy Spirit IS FILLING EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE. This is what we must do continually if we are to victorious holy Christians. Paul tells us we need to maintain a continual song of praise and thanksgiving in our hearts remember 1 Thess. 5:18 NKLV In EVERYTHING give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
It is interesting that Paul adds in Ephesians WE MUST LIVE IN MUTUAL SUBMISSION TO EACH OTHER.
SO NOT ONLY CONTINUAL SUBMISSION TO GOD, BUT ALSO TO EACH OTHER.
Going back to our text in 1 Cor. 6:19 Paul tells us we must GLORIFY God in our bodies (NKJV) the MESSAGE says we can’t live the way we please. We are so conscious of drives and senses in our body and the power of our mind, emotions and will, and that is why it is said WE ARE OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES. So the only answer is to let The Holy Spirit continually keep filling the House, and controlling everything that is in the House. Paul says what God is offering here cost God the death of His son, so that we can let God be the PRESIDENT OF OUR LIFE 24/7.
Sadly, we know this is or can be very much the PAINFUL part of living the Christian life, and there is no doubt for many it is only learnt after many painful years of struggle.
Some will tire of me saying this, but I am sure a Mentor can help, as we let him walk with us, until we learn to constantly live the surrendered life.
Others will say it sounds so good, but in reality we can’t win this war.
God does not tease us, and tell us to do things that are not attainable, His Word tells us:
Rev. 12:11 NKJV And they OVERCAME him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,
John 8:32 NKJV And you shall KNOW the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE.”
Rom. 8:37 NKJV Yet in all these things we are MORE than CONQUERERS through Him who loved us.
2 Peter 1:3 NKJV As His divine power has given to us ALL THINGS that pertain to LIFE AND GODLINESS, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
Phil. 4:13 NKJV I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
2 Peter 1:4 NKJV By which have been given to US exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be PARTAKES OF THE DIVINF NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Meditate on these glorious promises (they have your name on them) let it become a RHEMA word to us all, and may we learn to let the Holy Spirit RULE IN EVERY ROOM IN OUR HOUSE. Amen.