THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY
1 Pet 1:17, 1 Pet 2:11, 1 Cor 9:24-27
Life is a journey, every journey in life has a beginning, an end (Isa 46:10), phases, different destinations, and a time frame (Ecc 3:1-11). Every man, especially the recreated man has three phase beginning as follows:
- At creation – 1 Cor 15:22
- At biological birth – Ecc 3.2
- At Spiritual birth – 2 Cor 5:16-17
Of note is that the end is far more important than the beginning (Job 8:7, Ecc 7:8)
The Spiritual Man and his journey
Man was never designed to lead himself in his journey since creation (Jere 10:23, Prov 20:24, Psl 37:23). God Himself (Gen 2:15-17, Gen 12:1, Exo 31:18) and His prophets led men (Hosea 12:13-14), but the pattern of God’s leading for the new man (2 Cor 5:17) shifted (Heb 1:1-3), even though the means of God’s leading remains – dreams, visions, inner voices etc. (Gen 28:10-16, Gen 37:5, Isa 6:1-5, Hab 2:1-3, Act 10:9-17)
Hallmarks of our Spirituality
The hallmark of the Spiritual Man is a matter of who controls our lives. We are no longer expected to be subject to any other control since we believed (Col 1:13, 1 Pet 2:9, Act 19:2), rather be:
- Led by the Holy Spirit – What the prophet is to the old men is what the Holy Spirit is to the new man, the spiritual man is expected to live, walk, and be controlled by the Holy Spirit and no longer our feelings and circumstances (Gal 5:16-18,25).
That seal of our sonship and the hallmark of our spirituality in God is the evidence of continuous leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Eph 4:30, Rom 8:14). The leading of the Holy Spirit was evident in the life of Jesus (Luk 4:1, Rom 8:11). Therefore, the journey and affairs of life (spiritual or secular) must be led by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16-18,25) always
- Live by Faith – we live and walk by Faith only (2 Cor 5:7, Hab 2:4, Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11, Heb 10:38) and not by any other means. Faith is what is required to move from known to the unknown (Gen 12:1-4, Heb 11:8-9). Faith must become our lifestyle (Matt 6:30, Matt 8:26, Matt 14:31). Faith is taking corresponding action in obedience to direct leading of the Holy Spirit in your heart and word-based instructions
Our spiritual sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and the energy (Faith) level of our spirit will be enhanced when we constantly pray in the Spirit (Jude 1:20)
Pastor Reuben Adeleye