Devotion for October 7, 2008

The Qualifications of a Witness—Spiritual Life

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8 NKJV)

This qualification is very similar to holiness in that to be holy you must be spiritual for holiness fades without a constant inflow of the Spirit. A spiritual life is one that is given to spiritual matters. I often hear people say, “I haven’t been doing anything sinful, but I just seem to be flat spiritually.” I am not sure but it sounds like they are emotionally detached from the Spirit of God. I think that might actually be sinful.

You will not grow spiritually without exercise. In fact, I am quite sure the opposite will happen. As our physical muscles need exercise to remain strong and flexible so too our spiritual muscles.

So why is God more likely to employ the service of a spiritual Christian than a not-so-spiritual Christian? Well, I think the biggest reason is what I call “Spiritual Radar.” Those who are tuned into God tend to hear His still small voice better than those who are not.

Have you ever memorized a block of verses and noticed how much better you started to understand them? Maybe you noticed how they related to you when that person cut you off in traffic, or how to apply them to someone else who has shared a problem with you. To use the modern vernacular the information is in the RAM instead of on the Hard Drive. It is ready for access. Let me give you a biblical example.

“Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, ‘[It will be] fair weather, for the sky is red’; "and in the morning, ‘[It will be] foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot [discern] the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:1-3 NKJV)

Why couldn’t the Pharisees recognize the times? I know there are many ways to answer that question, but think about this. Were they busy about spiritual matters or fleshly matters? They had a bunch of information, but they did not attend to it spiritually. You know the Bible says, “God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24 NKJV)

So what must you do? Consider the Scriptures.

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those [who are] Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:16-25 NKJV)

Notice the word Spirit is capitalized in the preceding passage. That’s because it refers to the Holy Spirit. He must lead you. When He does you are spiritual. How is this done? Believers have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Note very carefully the Spirit of God and your lust cannot cohabitate.

When is the last time you were prompted by God’s Spirit to witness to someone? Has it been a while? Are you walking in the Spirit, or are you fulfilling the lust of the flesh? We want to make sure our spiritual radar is working.