Just what does it mean to be spiritual? This is a question that often seemed difficult to me. It is becoming less so these days. It really means finding the answers to all of life's issues in something which is quite invisible to our natural mind. It is not a emotion or feeling yet can be experienced. It is a faith in a biblical truth which is a substance which is called Spirit. The substance is God Himself. He is made true and real in our life by Spirit. His Sons Spirit dwelling in us. Occupying our mind and thoughts.
Exercising our spirit in Christ is applying mentally a firm mature belief that the Holy Spirit is having a certain and applicable effect upon our very existence. That He is forming a spiritual life in us which is above and more than our self life. It is God's actual life replacing ours. A understanding that we indeed are not alive or have God's life, by God's spiritual standards while remaining in the flesh [natural thought] as a mental attitude of our existence for the purpose of knowing God. The natural man [first Adam] cannot form or experience the Christian life in spirit.
We then must in faith of these facts be formed by His Word and Spirit. Then we may be revalued in attitude and thought and become, by biblical standards, "spiritual". Based upon the true facts of the Word. Which we act on in belief or reckon as true. We thereby take on the second Adams life by faith. We then may become dispositionally diffident from those in the world and live in the true Christ life. We become new men in spirit, the new creation in Christ. Fully formed in Him.
The bible tell us we are in a spiritual battle. It is between the old nature and the new. The Word also says there are two types of Christians: First the carnal fleshy natural, those still living in the old nature. Second is spiritual: those mature in their faith and the Word; gaining faith that they are in the new nature who is Jesus Christ Himself. Well which are you? For me it is sometimes a mixture, so I know I have a ways to go!
A wise man once said the questions we ask and the answers we receive are determined by the pre-suppositions we have. What then are the suppositions we must have to know our spiritual place? It seems quite obvious we would find the answer when we ask God. The Father has prescribed the answer to all our needs in His Word. So then our spiritual mind is matured and formed by taking in the Word of God. The more dedicated we are the more chance we have for growth; to leave the elementary behind. It all really seems quite simple and very straight forward.
There is a processing that must take place however for spiritual growth. It is in the battle. Yes the war was won on Calvary, but the battle still rages on; the fight is for our true identity. This battle is the very means used by Jesus Christ to accomplish His work in us, making us spiritual or mature biblical Christians by the formation of need. The bible tells us we have spiritual armor for this battle, but we must learn to wear it. And we must come to recognize the leader on the front line. It is His Holy Spirit within us who shows the way. He is there to engage us in recognizing our leaders life as our very own in our newly realized spirit.
We have entered into Christ Jesus the promised land, it is beautiful and rich and free there. But surprises are waiting. After we step across the flowing brook into the garden we find conflict. Really as we grow there is no less conflict, as we might have hoped; but instead constant conflict. The natural man in us and the world become more observable against the landscape of the perfect man who we are coming to see we are wholly contained in. Whose identity we have been given and are growing to know more in spirit. He is the good land of milk and honey within us. Our Christ positional identity in the new nature is a heavenly nature of the Spiritual man. Whose life we have inherited at the Cross after His life and ours died together to the flesh or natural man.
The great difference for our new life is in maturity we may take cover in our leader the Victorious Man Jesus Christ, just where He is. He has identified Himself with us by being found in us as our re- born life. The carnal Christian and the worldly man only has himself to look too because he does not know Christ as his identity. A very poor choice when a war rages on all fronts and we are in its mist.
The advantage for the mature spiritual solider is that he is in the front with the leader. He may see the battle first hand. He thereby observes the crushing defeat of the enemy. This is the battle zone of the most conflict and where we find the greatest reward. We are not ever free from this conflict but may rest trusting Him during it; because our leader has won the war on the Cross. It really is His battle. This is faiths great gift. Therefore the spiritual man is highly honored on the field of battle by exercising his graceful free gift of faith in his place of identity, Christ our life. Then God is also glorified.
Let us all form in our mind a determination, a deep desire, to join the mature forces of the Spiritual man. The conflict will serve to sharpen our swords by creating much need. The mature are of course the best trained, ready to do battle, confident of victory, experienced in suffering. They are never satisfied with staying in the rear formations. They wish only to be where the action is. They have cast off their former self in complete trust that their leader will take them to victory, forming His life within them. They have no thought for their own safety. They fight as one unit together, the stronger battle hardened protecting the weaker, but all one none the less.
The final answer to the spiritual question is that we are to walk according to the Spirit. This is not a self-occupation or even a Holy Spirit occupation. But a dependence upon the fact that the Lord Jesus is in heaven and we are to walk or live out our active conscience thought life in the sphere where our Saviour dwells. He is before the father and we are guided by His Spirit of life within us.
He is in heaven before the Father as our very propitiation, the overriding realization and consecrated fact of God's love toward us; God accepting us wholly in His Son. Him as propitiation, meaning to make satisfaction for us toward God. He satisfied God's justice and righteousness, and then the Fathers mercy flowed toward us, His beloved Children through His Son. As such ones who have received Him we then became viewed entirely in His Son. Sanctified in His glory, in His person, in His place and being. A positional reality found or realized only in Spirit by faith of its reality applied to us. This is a true truth announced to us by the Word of God.
We are seen by the Father in the Resurrected Man's glory. His very image is ours, "hid with Christ". All saved ones are in this heavenly position, none are in the flesh in the Fathers eye's. He sees us only in the Spirit as He views His Son before Him. "For you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you" Rom. 8:9.To know this as your very Christian existence is God's fervent desire for all who would seek the answer to the Spiritual question!
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